Promotional products distributors’ sales have grown to $2 billion annually in the United Kingdom.

The country’s centerpiece promo trade show series, Merchandise World, also appears to be on the rise.

Co-hosted by Sourcing City and the British Promotional Merchandise Association/BPMA, the “peak season” Merchandise World event on Sept. 13 drew nearly 500 distributors to the Marshall Arena in Milton Keynes, England.

Nearly 500 distributors attended the “peak season” Merchandise World in Milton Keynes on Sept. 13.

“It was the best September show attendance since the onset of COVID-19,” said David Long, the founder/executive chairman of Sourcing City, a trade service organization that provides a suite of solutions for the U.K. promo market.

Those distributors had the opportunity to check out products from 98 exhibitors – 13 more than were on the show floor at the comparable September 2022 Merchandise World event. Eight of those promo suppliers were new to the show.

“Seeing the show hall buzzing is always great for everybody,” said Ella Long, show organizer and operations director for Sourcing City. “There was lots of feedback from visitors thrilled with the new products and suppliers they had discovered, and the exhibitors felt that both the quality and volume of the visitors was exceptional.”

Merchandise World occurs twice annually. The main show is typically held at the outset of the year, giving distributors a chance to discover new products that suppliers are bringing to market as the new business year begins to accelerate. Distributor attendance was up 55% year-over-year at the Merchandise World held in January 2023.

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The smaller “peak season” event occurs in late summer/early autumn as distributors and suppliers gear up for the busy holiday gifting period. Similar to the January show, the September event featured a pervasive focus on sustainability, organizers aid.

David Long noted that “scores of new eco products” were spotlighted in the curated ECO World exhibition on the show floor. Product information for items featured in ECO World was downloadable by QR code; details included supplier information.

“As with recent trends, there were lots of innovative eco-friendly products on display,” David Long said in a note that Sourcing City shared on the show. “It is clear that sustainable products are the future and creating new opportunities for the industry.”

Overall, sentiment was positive among U.K. promo pros at Merchandise World, despite some of the uncertainties weighing on the economy.

Conversation and networking at Merchandise World.

“The industry appears to be holding up well,” David Long said. “Conversations were positive and optimistic for the future. Over the years the industry has faced numerous challenges, but each time the entrepreneurial spirit of the inspirational company leaders in the trade have found a way to modify their business to continue moving forward.”

Carey Trevill, CEO of BPMA, offered further insight on sentiment and where things stand among U.K. promo pros.

“It’s been tough, but people are busy,” Trevill told ASI Media. “Margins are looking good and many are finally getting their staffing levels right to service the steady demand. August was quieter for some but it was a more ‘normal’ summer this year as opposed to last year’s insanity as events were still getting back on track. The continued investment into face-to-face events and interactions means the U.K. is open for business and we’re doing it.”

Trevill said there will still be economic challenges to deal with in the U.K. “but wages and inflation are starting to be where they should…and our sector delivers something unique and we see no signs this will stop.”

The United Kingdom is a political union between four nations – England, Wales, Scotland and North Ireland. In August, ASI Research released the results of an extensive study that featured a data-backed estimate for total promo product distributor sales in the U.K. and the European Union, the latter consisting of 27 nations brought together in a supranational political and economic partnership often simply called the EU.

The ASI Research study found that combined distributor sales in the U.K. and EU were $12.48 billion in 2022 – a figure that accounts for apparel and hard-goods business.