Purchasing promotional products is exactly the same as buying any alternative items and it really does not matter whether you are buying promotional bottled water or leather conference folders. Who you do the buying from is the key to a successful purchase. In the past you might walk down your local high street and buy almost all your necessities in individual shops, your shoes came from the shoemaker your groceries came from the grocer and your flowers came from the florist. Purchasing promotional gifts was no different in those days. If you were running an event or having an exhibition and required a quantity of promotional clothing you went along to a specialist dealer who was able to offer you a good selection. After that if you required business gifts to give away you got in touch with the promotional pen supplier and bought your pens, or your promotional keyrings dealer and so on. But these days things are no longer the same..

In the old days you might walk down your local high street and buy almost all your requirements in individual shops, your shoes came from the shoemaker your nails came from the ironmonger and your fish came from the fishmonger. Purchasing promotional gifts was exactly the same back then. If you were producing an event or holding an exhibition and needed a certain amount of promotional clothing you went along to a specialist supplier who was able to show you a good range. After that if you needed business gifts to hand out you contacted the promotional pen dealer and acquired your pens, or your promotional mugs dealer and so on. However these days things are no longer the same.

A few organizations such as those selling corporate clothing still tend to be quite specialised however the majority of the other single product category suppliers have consolidated. As with supermarkets such as Wal Mart or Sainsburys you can now go to a one stop shop for almost all your promotional merchandise. Whilst a lot individuals still choose to stick with the past it really no longer makes for good business.

The biggest buyers of promotional goods tend to be the huge corporations and they have a different agenda to the little businessman who wants a small supply of promotional merchandise for a particular event. The big players will be looking at cost advantages in terms of the promotional gifts they purchase and also in terms of time. They don't want their personnel needing to work with up to half a dozen minor business gift houses for just one event, it simply takes too long. They will be also conscious that they need to be careful about the safety testing of their branded products. And they have to be confident that the goods were ethically sourced.

The dilemma with suppliers who deal in single commodity promotional merchandise is that they don't have the size or strength to be able to provide many of these requirements. Unless for example we take the case of Parker Pens or Mont Blanc. Both these firms are huge and have ample resources in terms of staff and finance to cover all the above points. On the other hand take a small seller of promotional products they might well be able to provide branded T-shirts or embroidered polo shirts nevertheless they have in all probability never heard of ethical trading or specific levels of service.

The bottom line has to be that whilst modest one man bands supplying a range of promotional gifts such as the leather conference folders, branded T-shirts, embroidered polo shirts or leather conference folders are nice in an old fashioned sense they basically can't offer the same levels of service as the major boys. Ask oneself this question, when you next need to buy your groceries will you head to a supermarket where you know you will get a superb variety at low cost? Or will you go to your local high street where you can't park, you have to wait to be served in every shop and pay more for a far smaller variety of goods. I rest my case.