The Christmas season might improve business results

Judit Bresák-Varga
sales manager
Promix Gifts

Judit Bresák-Varga, Promix Gifts Kft.’s sales manager reported to us that the COVID-19 and the restrictions that ensued caused a considerable decline in promotional gift sales. On average the industry forecasted that revenues would contract by 35-40 percent, but Promix Gifts Kft. managed to keep the sales reduction at only 20 percent.

The sales manager told that the so-called ‘COVID’ products are very popular nowadays: hygiene and personal use items, e.g. office supplies, IT accessories. Green innovations such as promotional gifts made of recycled or organic materials are gaining ground.

Companies spend less before Christmas

Ferenc Keresztesi
head of company
Present Store

Present Store was among the first to start offering COVID products, so last year wasn’t bad for the company.

Head of company Ferenc Keresztesi told our magazine that 2021 started with difficulties and it was only in May that the market began to vitalise. He added that sports and healthy lifestyle related gifts are favoured. The company’s experience is that giving promotional gifts is becoming less important for companies at the end of the year, because they spend their promotional budget earlier. Still, the Christmas period has remained decisive in Present Store’s annual sales performance.

Christmas gifts tailored to situations and needs

Éva Váradi
purchasing and marketing director
Reklámajándék.hu

2020 was a better year for Reklámajándék.hu than the company had expected.

Purchasing and marketing director Éva Váradi revealed that their sales were only at 20-30 percent for months, until the end-of-year boom made up for the lost sales. Her view is that partners have started preferring useful/wearable promotional gifts. This is why many speakers, headphones, powerbanks and charging cables can be found in the company’s portfolio. Eco-friendly products are definitely gaining momentum – useful gifts made of bamboo, RPet, biodegradable or recycled materials.

New product groups in the limelight

Sándor Kovács
head of wholesale
ICO

Many things changed due to the pandemic in 2020 and one of these was the office supplies market. Working from home meant that the level office supplies use dropped.

Sándor Kovács, head of ICO Író-és Irodaszereket Gyártó és Forgalmazó Zrt.’s wholesale business line revealed: a growing number of promotional gift purchases are realised online. Face masks, hand sanitisers and antibacterial products have appeared among promotional gifts – the latter have been present in ICO’s product selection since 2010. Mr Kovács told that in the Christmas period exclusive Parker and Waterman pens and premium Moleskine notebooks are perfect gift choices.

Flexible reaction is the key to success

Péter Sótonyi
managing director
Stabilo International
GMBH

Péter Sótonyi, managing director of Stabilo International GMBH’s Hungarian subsidiary shared their observation that the office supplies market had become smaller, because of two reasons: 1. many businesses went bankrupt because of the pandemic, 2.home schooling and home office work had a negative influence on market demand.

Sales of the company increased for the 5th year in a row in 2021. Mr Sótonyi believes that those partners could grow in 2020 who had enough capital and were flexible, thanks to which they could maintain a diverse product selection and were able to switch to online sales when shops were forced to close. Unfortunately mainly small, independent stationery and office supplies stores suffered the biggest blow from COVID-19.

Talking about private label products, he expressed the company’s view that it is more and more difficult for these to compete with lower-priced brands, as the quality difference between the two is much bigger than the price difference. Customers who care about the environment can choose from the Stabilo’s Green product range.

Satisfying every kind of need

Zoltán Kovács
managing director
Barát Papír

Barát Papír Kft. serves stationery and office supplies stores and various businesses as a wholesaler. Managing director Zoltán Kovács spoke to Trade magazin about the price increase of and higher shipping costs for products imported from the Far East.

József Halász
managing director
Barát Papír

The firm’s other managing director József Halász added that they sell cheaper products which are still of good quality, but in addition to these demand increased for pricier premium products. In September Barát Papír Kft. is going to take part in an event where they will present their gift-type products to resellers. //