Like the rest of the world, the promotional products industry is heavily reliant on China either for finished goods, or raw materials. As we continue to monitor the situation we do have some updates and insights for clients.
1. China is currently operating, albeit at a slower pace and with manufacturing backups. For any longer term projects placing your order sooner rather than later to account for the production backups would be prudent.
2. Product available domestically will be bought up. Coronavirus has caused a gap in the flow of products and domestic inventories will be depleted before they have a chance to replenish by buyers unable to source out of china. Again, ordering sooner rather than later is a recommended course of action.
3. Switching to Canadian and American made goods will help the situation, but many clients will be doing the same thing, and available production capacities and inventories are not enough to service the surge in demand.
4. For events, it’s recommended that they do not date their items. Large gatherings may be cancelled and we’re seeing this occur as we speak. By re-designing your graphics to be more generic and un-dated you allow your self the ability to use them for future events or projects.
5. Creativity isn’t just for design. As creative as we are on the product side, we’re just as creative on the solution side. By working with Festival we’ll analyze your previous products, designs, our suppliers, and dates and come up with recommended solutions that are as protected against disruption as possible. There will always be some product available and it comes down the imagination of the company providing it to make it something special.
For any questions on how your projects or products may be affected by the Coronavirus please reach out to your Festival Representative.