Promotional products, or branded items, are used in a lot of different ways. For some companies, promo products are purchased for the annual trade show or conference and placing orders once or twice a year is a great way to handle the purchase process. As we move down the spectrum of more frequent purchasing, larger order sizes or repeatedly ordering the same item, the concept of a company store begins to make a lot of sense.
What is a promotional product company store?
For promotional products, a company store is usually a website dedicated to a specific company, carrying a range of pre-selected promotional items with the company’s logo. Employees can (usually) go to the store to order individual items for themselves, or order large quantities of items for an event like a trade show, conference or outing of some type. Some company stores do limit the orders to larger quantities, but that does not have the be the case. Some companies even bring an “offline” store into the office, but that is a bit more unusual.
In most cases, company stores are “stocked” with pre-purchased inventories of the selected items. This has several advantages included larger quantity discounts and faster turnaround times. It also gives the company greater control over the corporate identity.
When should you consider a company store?
If you purchase branded items on a fairly regular basis for different events, the company store provides an easier way of ensuring consistency in the product quality, price and inventory. As companies budget for the quarter or year, being able to create an inventory of items that are then drawn down over time means the price is predictable and the items are available as needed.
Multiple locations ordering products on their own means the company loses efficiency. By creating a company store, each location can reap the benefits of the corporate purchasing power. From centrally negotiated pricing to service level agreements, this allows the locations to cost effectively use promotional items in the local marketing efforts.
For some companies, the logo / brand is a point of pride among the employees. If you leverage the power of your logo and your employee base, a company store allows employees to sport the apparel, use the drinkware and travel with the company branded computer bags as they wish. Individuals can order what they like as they want. It also provides the company a great venue for employee incentives, giving “store credit” to employees as awards and recognition. Employees love company branded items and the store makes it easy for them to show it.
When you spend time repeating a single process, being able to do it less often make you more efficient. Once established, the company store allows you to be more efficient. Purchasing promotional items is a process. Whether you purchase 100 items or 100,000 items, the steps are the same. A company store allows you to spend less time on purchasing.
If you are considering a company store but do not have experience in this area, it is best to connect with a promotional products company and discuss the pros and cons with respect to your specific needs.