Promotional Product Trends in the Post-COVID-19 World

The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted people’s lives and daily activities worldwide, prompting customers and businesses to change their approach and online behavior. People stuck at home were forced to deviate from usual purchasing habits and fully embrace online-based shopping, pushing it to greater heights. In response, businesses immediately reorganized and sought new methods to reach potential clients.

With the sudden boom in online shopping, there have been drastic changes in the way people purchase promotional products online. Here is a list of significant consumer shifts that affect this.

• Choice of Clothes for a Hybrid Work Environment
  Due to the pandemic, several businesses closed their physical locations, and employees were forced to work remotely instead. As lockdown protocols eased, many of these establishments moved to a hybrid working setup. With people spending less time at the office than they used to, dress shirts with embroidery fell in popularity, while branded tees and hoodies became more favorable.

  Less use of PPE
  Face masks, which used to be common only among healthcare workers, became so ubiquitous and in demand that it was difficult to buy them at the start of the pandemic. Brands capitalized on this massive need for personal protective equipment by switching from selling promotional shirts to branded face masks, making it the most popular promotional product of 2020.
  
  But the frenzied demand for masks has subsided as lockdown protocols loosened and people have amassed enough of them. Since 2021, we have been seeing consumers buying conventional promotional products again. 

• No More Brand Loyalty
  The pandemic brought an unprecedented amount of channel flipping and brand loyalty disruption. Consumers explored new buying habits, with value and convenience becoming common justifications for purchases.
  
  According to McKinsey and Company’s US consumer sentiment and behavior analysis, 39% of millennial and generation Z consumers switch brands or products whenever an item they want to purchase is out of stock. Meanwhile, more and more younger shoppers are looking to support businesses that align with their ideals.

The trends of purchasing and marketing new products rapidly change as COVID-19 protocols ease down. All these affect how modern-day shoppers buy goods and even the items they want. To learn more about these trends, reach out to Missouri Cotton Exchange in Columbia, MO for their high-quality products.