The global coronavirus pandemic is having a profound, deep-reaching impact on public health, economies and societal norms. The North American promotional products industry is keenly feeling the effects of fallout from the disease. Operational upheaval, temporary closures, supply chain disruption and steep drops in sales are among the most pressing issues in play.

As most of the industry’s traditionally strong markets have dried up during the pandemic, distributors are turning to frontline workers, those in industries such as healthcare, emergency services, food processing/services, delivery drivers, law enforcement, postal workers, sanitation and more. In order to generate revenue as promo business plummets, many distributors have been connecting with their supplier partners to help get masks and other personal protective equipment (PPE) into the hands of people who need it.  

As a result, there has been a seismic shift in the promotional products industry. Look no further than the latest data from ESP.

Hand sanitizer and sanitizer were the top two terms searched on ESP in March, a 762% increase from February for the former and a staggering 1,539% increase for the latter. Hand sanitizer spray and hand sanitizers also ranked in the top 10 ESP search terms for the month, increasing 694% and 1,901% from February, respectively.

PPE product terms such as face mask, thermometer, N95 mask and N95 ranked in the top 20 ESP searches for March. Face mask saw a 445% increase, thermometer was up 1,450%, N95 mask jumped 2733% and N95 skyrocketed 5,070%.

On the contrary, traditionally popular categories have taken a hit. ESP searches for pens were down 35% from February. Water bottle decreased 26% and tote bags dropped 41%. Lanyards were down 49% and tumbler declined 40%.

“The rise of searches in ESP for sanitizers and PPE products is unprecedented,” says Nathaniel Kucsma, ASI’s executive director of research and corporate marketing. “In the span of a few weeks, promo products that our industry was built on, and that made up billions of dollars in business, were supplemented by products that, in many cases, were just blips on the screen.”

Many industry suppliers have been shifting their production operations to make face masks and other medical equipment to support health professionals and other frontline workers during the pandemic. Although distributors are urged to work with suppliers they’re familiar with, some have sourced PPE products from overseas factories in search of quicker accessibility and cheaper pricing. That’s a risky proposition, as evidenced by The Netherlands’ recent recall of 600,000 defective face masks imported from China.

As the demand for PPE products most likely grows through April, distributors must perform their due diligence when sourcing. Don’t rely upon labels and unsubstantiated certifications – vet the supplier to ensure that the products they’re ordering are safe for your clients.