Additionally, agencies value speed. When agencies were asked what would make distributors more valuable, faster quotes and samples led the list at 51%, followed by more product trend guidance and client-ready concepts (tied at 37%) and clearer pricing (34%). The path forward is for the merch industry to show up in a format agencies already understand: concepts, use cases, audience logic, budget ranges, timelines and proof. Supplier Is Now A Marketing Issue Suppliers have always been central to product quality, decoration, availability and delivery. But the survey suggests those capabilities are increasingly tied to how buyers and agencies judge the effectiveness of merch overall. Source: PPAI End Buyer Survey Q46; PPAI Agency Survey Q44 Percent selecting Supplier capabilities that would improve the experience Buyers and agencies both connect supplier reliability to campaign confidence. Source: PPAI End Buyer Survey Q45; PPAI Agency Survey Q43 Percent selecting What buyers and agencies want from distributors Both groups want more than product sourcing, but their priorities differ. Better Merch Is Better Marketing | Must Read • OCTOBER 2026 • 49
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzU4OQ==