You’ll see that reflected in the ranges of how it is perceived, with 28% of consumers saying it feels mostly premium and 31% saying it feels more premium than cheap. But 30% described it as average, and 11% are still associating it with lower quality. See Figure 3. The higher standard raises the degree of difficulty but presents obvious opportunity for the industry: Strong, positive associations by consumers create higher demand all the way down. As Alok Bhat, PPAI’s market economist and research and public affairs lead, puts it, “The question is not whether merch works. It is how consistently it delivers value once it reaches the consumer.” A Relevant Product Stays With A Consumer Retention patterns show that most merch is not immediately discarded. Nearly 90% of consumers reported that they keep branded merch products either regularly or occasionally. See Figure 4. It’s the reasons behind those decisions that are ultimately most fruitful for branded merch firms. An overwhelming leader (55%) in reasoning is that recipients find it useful in daily life, which is followed Figure 3: Overall, how does branded merchandise typically feel to you? Figure 4: What do you typically do with branded merchandise you receive? Mostly cheap/ low-quality, 1.3% Mostly premium/ high-quality, 28.4% More cheap than premium, 9.8% About equal, 29.7% More premium than cheap, 30.7% Figure 5: What is the main reason you keep an item? Discard, 0.6% Keep and use regularly, 42.7% Give away, 3.4% Keep but rarely use, 9.2% Keep and use occasionally, 44.2% Thoughtful or meaningful, 6.1% Useful in daily life, 55.2% From a brand I like, 5.6% Looks good or stylish, 11.8% High quality, 21.4% 34 • JUNE 2026 • PPAI Must Read | Consumer Study
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