The challenges of delivering global branded merchandise solutions
Whoever coined the phrase ‘it’s a small world’ most likely worked in the merchandising industry.
Within this sector, global purchasing has become increasingly common in recent years. Not surprisingly companies have been seeking to take advantage of the lower costs found abroad, often in the Far East.
Taking a global perspective has given branded merchandising companies the opportunity to access a wider range of suppliers, tap into new markets in search of the most competitive prices and diversify the risk of supply chain disruption.
Red flag warning
However, just because a company purchases cheap stock from abroad doesn’t automatically mean they have the expertise to run a fully-fledged global branded merchandising and promotional products solution. That’s one of the red flags to look out for when you’re searching for a company to look after your own merchandising internationally.
So what qualities should the perfect merchandise partner possess?
We’re only half joking when we suggest you look for the furrows on the brow that indicate they’re familiar with the many problems involved. Issues like language and cultural barriers, foreign (in both senses of the word) legal frameworks, together with complexities in currency, duties, product compliance and logistics.
No wonder most branded merchandising companies prefer to remain in their comfort zone and stick to what (and where) they know best.
At Arcadia, we’re made of sterner stuff.
World-class solution
The fact is, global clients require global solutions. Ever since the internet started to transform the way business was done at the end of the last century, brands have become more and more outward facing.
We always knew that merchandising and promotional products companies, to be successful, would need to follow suit. That’s why we’ve been working on establishing a seamless global
network for well over 10 years.
Truly effective global branded merchandising requires careful planning, robust supplier relationships, strong enough to withstand the odd scrape here and there, and an understanding of local markets and customs that’s always bang up to date.
Of course, keeping your finger on the pulse is easier when you’re there, on the spot. Based in the UK, EMEA, APAC and North America, Arcadia is never far away from the action. That certainly makes it easier for us to stock and fulfil orders from, and to, any location.
How it might work for you
Say you’re a global organisation based in the States, you might have starter packs that regularly need to go to new joiners in 25 countries across the globe.
We can organise all that for you. Basically, you’d have two choices. We could source all the materials locally to avoid expensive duties and supply chain challenges.
However, if it’s important to you that everything to do with your brand is kept 100% consistent, you may prefer to source all items centrally. In that scenario, we would ship the starter parks, as required, to the desired destinations.
Doing it this way, we’d take care of the import duties and customs clearance for you. Rest assured, we’ll also safeguard your reputation by ensuring that your promotional products are ethically sourced and comply to all relevant regulations.
Your own online store
Undoubtedly, the slickest way of organising all this would be through your own automated online store with every region having its own login. We can set that up for you too.
So, if your company has a new starter in Spain, the local office can login, place the order and pay in the local currency (if required) and then the pack can be delivered to either a home or business address.
Whatever you decide, Arcadia has been there, done that and got the t-shirt (literally in this case).
Speak to one of our experts
If you’re a global organisation looking for promotional products, or a full branded merchandise service, for either external or internal marketing, our sales team is ready to answer your questions.