It was quite an interesting year for Canadian promo. A high-stakes executive battle at a Counselor Top 40 supplier lasted nearly six months. Countrywide labour disputes threatened an already-fragile supply chain. U.S. President-elect Donald Trump threatened tariffs on Canadian products immediately upon taking office. There were feel-good stories too: a Counselor Top 40 distributor expanded its U.S. presence, and the women of Canadian promo (along with a few American supporters) gathered in Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, in the spring for networking, education and fun. Here are ASI Media’s top 10 stories from our Canadian coverage in 2024.

1

Unionized Postal Workers Continue To Strike in Canada

A holiday season strike by the Canadian Union of Postal Workers completely froze all movement of mail and parcels through the Canada Post system for more than a month. The stoppage caused small businesses and citizens (particularly those in rural areas) considerable cost and time as they searched for work-arounds. It finally came to an end less than two weeks before Christmas when (at the behest of the federal government) the Canada Industrial Relations Board ordered employees back to work and extended the workers’ current contract to May 2025. Even though many promo companies said they don’t frequently use Canada Post, companies that serve rural areas were certainly challenged during the busy (and critical) holiday season, and the ongoing updates definitely captured the interest of readers.

2

Trump Pledges ‘Day One’ New Tariffs on Mexico, Canada & China

Just three weeks after he won the U.S. presidential election, Donald Trump announced that, immediately upon taking office in January, he’d be implementing 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada and 10% levies on products from China. For Canada in particular, Trump cited unfettered immigration and illicit substances crossing the border from the U.S.’ neighbor to the north. While some industry experts said the saber-rattling is a negotiating tactic, others expressed concern, saying that the move could negatively impact existing cross-border relationships and hike prices on promotional products.

3

Gildan Shareholders Back Activist Investors’ Board Candidates, Chamandy Installed as CEO

In May, after several months of wrangling over control of the company, Glenn Chamandy again assumed the CEO role at Counselor Top 40 supplier Gildan (asi/56842). It all started a year ago this month, when the company’s board of directors ousted Chamandy in favor of Vince Tyra, who was slated to take over the president/CEO role. But Chamandy, who’s been a part of his family’s company for more than 40 years, wouldn’t go down without a fight. Less than six months later, Chamandy received a vote of confidence at Gildan’s annual shareholders meeting, which also elected eight new board members, and once again assumed the CEO position.

4

ASI Research: Canadian Promo Market Constricted in 2023

Traditionally valued at 10% of the U.S. market, the Canadian promo industry shrank to 8% of its American counterpart in 2023, or about 2.8 billion Canadian dollars, according to Canadian State of the Industry data from ASI Research. Promo companies pointed to a number of reasons for the constriction, including a slow economy and purchasing normalization after the post-COVID purchasing rush. Indeed, 2023 was tough for all of North America, with factors like high inflation, interest rate pressures, world conflicts and general economic uncertainty all putting downward pressure on promo’s performance.

5

Trains Come to a Halt Across Canada

Critical rail networks were shut down briefly in late summer, when union workers at Canadian National and Canadian Pacific Kansas City railways (Canada’s two largest) went on strike over wages, shift scheduling, work hours and fatigue management. The stoppage was poised to significantly impact industries across North America, including promo; companies importing from Asia largely rely on rail to move product from West Coast ports into the interior of the country. Just a few days later, Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon stepped in and sent the dispute to the Canada Industrial Relations Board for binding arbitration, citing the critical role that trains play in the North American economy.

6

Exclusive Inaugural Report: Top ESP Searches for Canada

In a first, ASI Research tracked the most searched-for products in ESP among Canadian distributors for 2023. At the top of the list, just like in the U.S., was “pens,” which hit number one in three of four quarters last year. Other popular searches included “water bottles” and “sunglasses” ahead of the sunny summer months, as well as “golf” and “luggage tags” as end-buyers continued to make plans for in-person events post-pandemic. In line with that trend, trade show items and office products also were ranked highly among distributors.

7

Mandi Rudd Joins Genumark as Director of New Markets

Following its appointment of Chicago-based Johanna Gottlieb in October 2023, Counselor Top 40 distributor Genumark (asi/204588) continued the expansion of its American presence with the appointment of Mandi Rudd as director of new markets. Rudd is based in Kansas City, KS, and was previously the owner of Brand Energy Marketing (asi/145223), a distributorship she founded more than a decade ago.

8

Congestion Increases at Port of Vancouver

A glut of imports arriving plus a dearth of railcars this past spring resulted in serious congestion and delays at the Port of Vancouver for several weeks. The port is crucial for Canadian promo, with much of the industry’s overseas imports arriving there (as well as to Prince Rupert) before being railed or trucked to their Canadian destinations. At the time, promo firms had yet to feel significant impact but were already building in buffer time to account for delays.

9

Vantage Apparel Partners With Redwood Classics Apparel

Two well-known apparel players joined forces this past summer. Counselor Top 40 supplier Vantage Apparel (asi/93390) became the official U.S. supplier of select garment styles from Toronto-based Redwood Classics Apparel (asi/81627), which specializes in Canadian-made premium garments. The collaboration allows American distributor clients of Vantage to access select Redwood Classics styles, including a quarter-zip, crewneck and men’s and women’s cardigans. “Redwood Classics’ commitment to quality, craftsmanship and innovation aligns perfectly with our values at Vantage,” said Vantage CEO Rob Watson upon the official announcement of the partnership in July.

10

Industry Professionals Convene for ‘Unforgettable’ Women’s Empowerment Event

This year marked the 15th year of the annual Women’s Empowerment Event (WEE) hosted by Promotional Products Professionals of Canada, where 60 women from Canada and the U.S. enjoyed two days of professional development and networking at the White Oaks Resort & Spa in Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON. Speakers included Lisa Bragg, author of Bragging Rights: How To Talk About Your Work Using Purposeful Self-Promotion, and Angela James, a former women’s hockey player for Canada, member of the Hockey Hall of Fame and Officer of the Order of Canada. Attendees also enjoyed an evening at the nearby Wayne Gretzky Estates. “Witnessing the growth of longtime attendees was phenomenal,” said Ann Baiden, CEO & founder of Innovatex Solutions (asi/231194) and a WEE committee member, “and watching industry women come together to strengthen both each other and the industry makes the hard work worthwhile.”