Online Sales In 2024, online sales – transactions made through online stores and distributor websites – totaled $6.83 billion. This accounts for 25.5% of total industry sales, up from $5.03 billion (19.3%) in 2023. • Some 84% of large distributors and 60% of small distributors reported engaging in online sales, slightly up from those who reported using this avenue in 2023. “The share of total industry sales is approaching pre-pandemic highs (25.7% in 2021), signaling sustained long-term digital adoption,” Bhat explains. Sales By Product Categories And Industries As in previous years, apparel was the most commonly sold promotional product category (see Figure 16), making up 26.6% of sales, followed by drinkware at 10.2%. However, caps and hats overtook bags and travel items for the third-place spot, rising from 7.2% in 2023 to 9% in 2024. Education, followed by business services (B2B) and construction, ranked among the top three industries buying promotional products. This is a change from 2023, when B2B led the pack, followed by education and healthcare. Fig. 16 | Sales Volume Distribution by Product Category Apparel Fashion Accessories Caps/Hats Writing Personal Food & Beverages Drinkware Games & Toys Bags/Travel Technology Home/Kitchen Labels Automotive Date & Time Cards Office Magnets Pet Health & Beauty Jewelry Recreation Other Awards Packaging Event Buttons & Badges 26.6% 10.2% 9.0% 7.0% 3.9% 5.2% 4.9% 4.2% 3.3% 3.3% 2.3% 2.3% 2.0% 1.9% 1.7% 1.7% 1.5% 1.3% 1.3% 1.2% 0.9% 0.9% 0.9% 0.6% 0.6% 1.2% How The Study Was Conducted PPAI’s Annual Estimate of Distributors’ Sales figures is based on an independent email/mail survey of U.S. promotional products distributors (including PPAI members and nonmembers) conducted from December 2024 to January 2025 by Relevant Insights, an independent market research firm. In addition, a census of the largest firms was also undertaken. Responses projected across the entire distributor population combine sales for small distributors (under $2.5 million) and large distributor firms (over $2.5 million) to determine the total promotional products dollar volume. Johnson is a news editor at PPAI. Must Read | PPAI U.S. Distributor Sales Volume Estimate 36 • APRIL 2025 • PPAI
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