These days, the word travel can mean different things to different people—and encompass everything from planes, trains, and automobiles to walking, biking, and hiking. As a result, there is an absolute plethora of products and accessories to make all travels pleasurable, comfortable—and safe—no matter where the road may lead. Totes, drinkware, umbrellas, masks and gaiters, hand sanitizers, and hotel welcome kits top the list for travel and on-the-go products.
According to Charity Gibson at Peerless, despite being mid-pandemic, air travel is on the rise with airlines reporting December numbers as the highest they have been since March 2020. “That being said, the big trend in travel has become the good old fashioned road trip!” she enthuses. “In addition to people driving to their destination by car, the RV and outdoor industry has seen a huge rise in business with some companies reporting a year-over-year sales increase of 2300 percent plus.”
Gibson continues that there is currently a shortage of Class C RVs and low inventory on heavy duty trucks used to pull trailers. “People being on-the-go presents a unique opportunity for travel products and outdoor items,” she comments, adding that totes and umbrellas are must-haves for storage and protection against the elements. “Our line is perfect for holiday gifts, so we had a nice finish to the year,” she says. “Going into the new year, we’ve been hearing that people aren’t sure what to sell or how to pitch clients. Many are predicting a little bit of a slow start to 2021, so to help combat this, we are working to help distributors create demand by producing marketing materials and resources they can use to play to the market trends. It’s still a little early to tell, but the products mentioned above are getting a lot of attention.”
Paul Dubois at Safety Made agrees that travel products are faring well during these challenging times. “We see several very different market segments for these types of products,” he comments. “First there are employee/customer gifts which is the largest market by spend and continues to be strong. Products are generally in the $10 to $20 retail price range and include nice travel hygiene essentials. Second is the donation market which is large volume. We see large recognizable brands that are buying big quantities of lower-end hygiene products for give-away/donation. Last is the resort/travel industries which are buying for gifts to make their guests feel safe and welcome. Hybrid PPE/travel items have been popular so guests can be handed a sealed pack with all amenities, so they know it is safe and clean.”
In the drinkware sector of the travel market, Joel Krane of Tervis notes that stainless steel, vacuum sealed, high performance hydration products are dominant. “Consumers are more aware of the health benefits of proper hydration but are also looking for trendy, functional, and upscale products that fit their lifestyle,” he explains. “Consumers are also heavily swayed by companies that not only offer products that are environmentally sustainable but also trend toward companies that run their businesses in an environmentally sound manner, whether that be best practices in sustainable manufacturing and packaging or promoting and supporting various environmentally conscious organizations. Our goal for 2022 is to be a ‘Zero Waste to Landfill’ facility. Reduce, Reuse, and Recycle is the Tervis mantra.”
Over at Innovation-Line, Rachel Sakso similarly reports that the company’s focus to start this new year is on wellness, health, and safety, with a focus on kits as well as individually poly-bagged masks. “Hotels are welcoming guests with welcome kits,” she says. “The same thought process goes into some companies returning to the workplace and no longer working from home. Guests want to feel welcome and safe, and also that hotels care about their safety and well-being. Returning workers also want to feel welcome when they go back to the office, and safe and that their company/bosses care about their safety and well-being.”
The following are just a few of the latest travel products and accessories that join tried-and-true travel wares. The company’s Excursion Tote was just added near the end of Q4, Gibson reports, and has already been well received. “As with most of our line, it is modeled after pieces seen in the retail market,” she comments. “It’s always a great thing when there is end-user demand at the time a promotional version of the product launches. We suspect this bag will continue to do very well throughout the year. It’s a beautiful piece and with multiple imprint areas and options the possibilities to get creative with it are endless!” This spacious tote has a bottom compartment for dirty items or storing shoes, and yet is still convenient for carrying.
Peerless’s Executive Mini Folding Umbrella is sized just right to keep in the car or a bag—and is perfect for keeping one dry during a day in the rain or providing shade during a day in the sun, Gibson says. “You never need an umbrella until you need an umbrella!” she exclaims. “As more face-to-face meetings start to pick back up, however, and business casual gives way to the need to once again wear real clothing to work, we suggest distributors help people get back to business by presenting our Valet Bag.” This bag offers a number of pockets to keep belongings, shoes, ties, and other accessories organized and easy to find.
The latest products from Tervis are stainless steel wide mouth bottles, which Krane says are offered in a 24-, 32, and 40-ounce sizes with up to 84 hours of ice-cold performance. “But our best seller so far has been our 20-ounce stainless tumbler. The performance and price along with our state-of-the-art decorating capabilities make this a distributor favorite.”
Safety Made’s Dubois reports the company’s current best sellers are the S09, which is an under $3.00 retail hygiene kit and the T61, which is a more premium item in the $7.00 range. The company is also offering the S08—a new PPE/Travel Hybrid.
Sakso at Innovation-Line says the company has been improving the speed of the decoration process for the labels which it uses on its Hand Sanitizers. “We are introducing sublimation decoration for a few domestic items,” she adds. The items include the Fandana Head Gaiter and Neck Wear as well as the Husky Fandana™ Gaiter Facemask. Innovation-Line’s best sellers include masks of all types, hand sanitizers, and kits such as the Protective Face and Gloves Pack. This kit includes four-piece protective and antiseptic kit in zippered pouch, one pair of nitrile gloves, two antiseptic BZK wet towelettes, and one protective three-ply mask in a protective polybag.
According to Safety Made’s Dubois, travel/on-the-go products can appeal to a wide variety of clients. “Ask your customers if they have considered charitable donations of hygiene supplies for local homeless shelters,” he comments. “These are extremely practical items that can be given at a reasonable cost to build community relations.”
Gibson at Peerless also weighs in. “Our suggestion to distributors for selling any higher priced item, or any item really, is to not wait for your client to come to you with a need, but instead find out what they are wanting to achieve with their business in the upcoming year and get really proactive pitching products—and imprints on those products—that will help them achieve their goals,” she elaborates. “Not only does waiting for someone to come to you typically result in a lower ticket sale that is most often driven by price, it is unlikely that someone will approach you and say, ‘I want to buy branded umbrellas.’
“However, knowing that these are products that are designed to last a lifetime, have a large imprint area, and have the potential to save someone’s day when poor weather arrives unexpectedly, pitching an umbrella or higher-end bag proactively can be just the boost your client’s brand needs to help them stand out from their competition and deliver the message that they really do have their clients covered!”
Brand recognition is important, Krane at Tervis agrees. He suggests recommending products from companies known for quality, durability, and extraordinary decoration capabilities. “Clients should be putting their logo on a quality product with a high perception value,” he concludes.