Here's the pattern we see most. A conference comes up and someone orders bottles in a week. New starters arrive and someone orders polos in a week. Christmas comes and someone orders gifts in a week. Four separate orders, four setup fees, four lots of express freight. And the same logo on all of it.
None of that is a merch problem. It's a planning problem, and it costs twice: once in product nobody wanted because it was whatever could ship by Friday, and once in the premium you pay for ordering late.
Start with the calendar you already have
Open the company calendar and list every moment where branded product shows up. For most businesses it's some mix of:
- Conferences, expos and trade shows
- New starter onboarding, every intake
- End of financial year client thank-yous
- Uniform refresh, usually once a year
- Christmas gifts for clients and staff
- Sponsorships, community days and open days
Put a month against each one and a rough headcount. That's the plan. It doesn't need to be more sophisticated than a single page.
"Most businesses we review are paying rush pricing on about a third of their annual order. The fix is a date, not a discount."
Consolidate what can be consolidated
Once the moments are on one page, the overlaps are obvious. The polos for onboarding are the same polos as the uniform refresh. The bottles for the expo are the bottles in the Christmas pack. Ordering them together means one setup, one proof, one freight run and a better unit price.
A single annual order broken into kits: onboarding, event, client gift.
Hold stock, don't hold boxes
You don't need a storeroom. We hold the stock, pack to your list and ship as the dates come around. Your admin team sends a headcount; a box arrives. Leftovers roll into the next quarter instead of a cupboard.
What it should cost
Expect to spend about the same as you do now and get noticeably more for it: better product, no rush fees, and roughly a third fewer hours spent chasing. If you'd like a one-page summary of your own spend, that's what our free review is for.
Twenty minutes on the phone, one page back. No obligation.
