Drinkware is hotter than ever—in the workplace, on the home front, at the gym, travelling—the list goes on and on! Hydration is healthy and people also want to make a statement with their beverage holder of choice. Sustainability and durability are top of mind with this popular promotional product as the nation strives to attain a new normal during these pandemic times. Retail-inspired designs continue to impact new products, and suppliers point out that maintaining stock is more important than ever as global supply chain challenges continue.
At Tervis, Michael Van Beck notes that quality and retail trends are driving sales, with buyers looking for long-lasting products that are also a fashion accessory. “Branded drinkware provides over 1400 impressions over the course of the vessel’s lifecycle, which averages 12 months,” he points out, “providing tremendous ROI.” He adds Tervis is seeing a strong trend away from single use, as sustainability and durability are driving many decisions on what drinkware to purchase—especially in re-fill/re-use programs.
PCNA’s Apple Pan shares three key trends the company has seen take shape in 2021. “Retail- brand styles, powder-coated stainless steel pieces, ceramics, and copper-vacuum insulated drinkware continue to be our most sought-after styles,” she comments. “The main reason we’re seeing so much success with these types of pieces is because consumers are looking for durable drinkware that they can trust to last them a long time. We’ve seen an increase in this over the past year and a half throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Durability is key.
“Sustainable drinkware is another trend we’ve seen come through strong this year,” Pan continues. “Customers are looking for reusable items and specifically, ones made with less plastic. Retail-brand pieces along with durable vacuum insulated stainless steel styles are great examples of drinkware that’s not only sustainable but also extremely durable.”
PCNA is also continuing to see huge success with its ceramic pieces, which Pan explains have been a great fit for the work-from-home trend. “Not only are they practical pieces, they’re also extremely sustainable since the main material is natural clay,” she states.
Pan also notes the importance of making a fashion statement with drinkware. “As people are returning to the office, attending events, and ready to go out again, having a favorite drinkware style to take with you is a must!” she emphasizes. “Because of this, we’ve also seen an increase in demand for Perfectly Packaged™ drinkware orders. Customers love that they can get these items shipped directly to their clients using our gift packaging service. It makes for a very special and memorable delivery.”
Michael Hicks at HPG Brands notes a shift to more mid-line economical products with the company’s stainless drinkware category, citing those with a plastic style liner versus a double wall, copper-lined vacuum liner as an example. “The pricing is sometimes half of the higher quality alternatives but who really needs to keep a drink cold 24 hours?” he queries. “The economical versions perform just fine for normal use.”
Demand is still good for the higher quality line, Hicks continues, but HPG has seen larger quotes and orders on the more economical versions over the past eight to 12 months. “We believe the driver is price,” he says. “Additionally, we are seeing a change to more of the traditional stainless tumblers to have handles, perhaps driven by more work at home and less commuting since Covid.” He adds HPG’s drinkware category saw growth over 2019 during 2020 and has continued in 2021. “With so much uncertainty and delays in global supply chains, today being deeply in-stock is more important than ever,” he says. “In our drinkware category we acted early versus later to assure ample stock for our customers during the upcoming holiday season. We see demand being very strong in the upcoming fall and winter seasons.”
Suppliers have risen to the occasion with new drinkware pieces in an array of exciting styles, colors, and materials. Tervis has introduced a high-performance line of wide mouth stainless steel bottles in 24-, 32-, and 40-ounce sizes. They are 18/8 grade stainless steel, double-walled, copper-lined, and vacuum-sealed that keep liquids cold for up to 84 hours. Van Beck reports that they are currently trending in a number of markets, particularly healthcare and education where leakproof and a sealed, sanitary drink-through lid are a must.
PCNA has recently launched its Seamless Wrap decoration capability that uses Digital Color Print to create a completely seamless, full-color wrap on a variety of drinkware styles, according to Pan, noting that the company has seen huge success with this decoration on the 1626-50 Thor Copper Vacuum Insulated Tumbler 22-ounce and 1625-53 Corzo Copper Vacuum Insulated Cup 12-ounce. “We are also seeing continued demand for our CamelBak® drinkware styles and just recently launched four new CamelBak drinkware pieces that are all made from 50 percent recycled materials,” she adds. The company took some of its best-selling CamelBak pieces and added eco-friendly options: 1627-30 CamelBak Chute® Mag 25-ounce Bottle with Tritan™ Renew, 1627-31 CamelBak Chute® Mag 32-ounce Bottle with Tritan™ Renew, 1627-32 CamelBak Eddy®+ 20-ounce Bottle with Tritan™ Renew, and 1627-33 CamelBak Eddy®+ 25-ounce Bottle with Tritan™ Renew.
HPG Brands’ best sellers continue to be traditional stainless double wall vacuum tumblers in 12- to 20-ounce sizes, Hicks notes, with growth also being experienced in the more economical versions he mentioned earlier.
Fortunately, drinkware is one of the simplest categories to position to a client who is just getting started on their sustainability journey, Pan at PCNA states. “Drinkware offers an easy alternative to disposable water bottles or cups that will be thrown away after just one use,” she affirms. “Sustainability through durability is a great message here and is one that really seems to resonate with everyone.”
Knowledge is key, Hicks at HPG Brands maintains. “Know what you are selling as products vary from supplier to supplier,” he says. “Get samples, and work with suppliers you can trust with deep stock and speed to deliver. Using a stainless item as a self promotion packaged as a gift stuffed other self promo items, preferably new items such as pens, coolies, and other promo items is a good way to keep your name and fresh ideas in front of end customers.”