Resources
Guides, checklists and reference for planning merchandise programs.
Featured guides
Gifting and occasions
Corporate holiday gift deadlines for 2026
When to order corporate holiday gifts in 2026, with approval dates for bulk office delivery and individual shipping.
Updated October 22, 2026
Planning and buying
How to write an RFP for promotional products and branded merchandise
What to include in a promotional products RFP: scope, pricing format, lead times, insurance, sourcing, references and scoring.
Updated October 16, 2026
Reference
Promotional products statistics for 2026
Sourced promotional products statistics: U.S. industry size, cost per impression, advertiser recall, and recognition and hiring data.
Updated October 22, 2026
Planning and buying
How to choose a branded merchandise vendor for a company-wide program
How to compare branded merchandise vendors for large or national programs, with ten questions to ask before you sign.
Updated October 15, 2026
Gifting and occasions
Holiday gifts for employees 2026: ideas by budget
Holiday gift ideas for employees at every budget, what people keep, how gift cards are taxed and the 2026 order dates for gifts before mid December.
Updated October 26, 2026
Planning tools
Order deadline planner
Enter your in-hands date and see when to send your brief, approve the proof and ship.
Open the plannerSize mix calculator
Turn a headcount into an exact quantity per size, with spares.
Open the calculatorRFP builder
Build a merchandise RFP with requirements, vendor questions, pricing table and timeline, then score vendors side by side.
Open the builder
Browse by topic
Planning and buying
Write the brief, compare vendors and get a shortlist approved.
6 guidesApparel and sizing
Plan company apparel, choose decoration and get sizes right.
10 guidesGifting and occasions
Order dates and gift ideas for holidays and recognition days.
34 guidesOnboarding and recognition
Welcome kits and recognition items for new and current employees.
3 guidesCompany stores and fulfillment
Set up and run a company store, with kitting and shipping.
1 guideEvents and trade shows
Plan what to bring to events and how much to order.
4 guidesLarge orders
Timelines, pricing and packing for orders of several thousand pieces.
14 guidesReference
Definitions of the terms used on quotes, proofs and plans.
3 guides
All resources
67 guides, newest updated first.
Veterans Day recognition ideas for employers
Veterans Day is November 11. How employers recognize veterans on staff, gift ideas, and how to display the American flag correctly on apparel and items.
Gifting and occasions · Updated October 26, 2026
Volunteer t-shirts in bulk and Volunteer Week ideas
Volunteer t-shirts in bulk for events, nonprofits and corporate volunteer days, plus National Volunteer Week (April 18 to 24, 2027) thank you ideas.
Gifting and occasions · Updated October 26, 2026
Which logo file to send for printing and embroidery
Which logo file to send for screen printing, embroidery and DTF: vector or raster, 300 DPI, transparent PNG, PMS colors and JPG files.
Apparel and sizing · Updated October 26, 2026
Women in Construction Week ideas and gifts
Women in Construction Week is March 7 to 13, 2027. Apparel and gift ideas, getting women's fits right in workwear and events that recognize women on crews.
Gifting and occasions · Updated October 26, 2026
Work anniversary gifts by year
Work anniversary gift ideas for 1, 3, 5, 10 and 20+ years, how to build a service award program and the IRS rules for tax free awards.
Onboarding and recognition · Updated October 26, 2026
Promotional products statistics for 2026
Sourced promotional products statistics: U.S. industry size, cost per impression, advertiser recall, and recognition and hiring data.
Reference · Updated October 22, 2026
Corporate holiday gift deadlines for 2026
When to order corporate holiday gifts in 2026, with approval dates for bulk office delivery and individual shipping.
Gifting and occasions · Updated October 22, 2026
Branded merchandise glossary
Plain definitions of branded merchandise terms: screen printing, DTF, digitizing, PMS, proofs, in-hands date, kitting and more.
Reference · Updated October 16, 2026
Employee Appreciation Day 2027 gift guide
Employee Appreciation Day 2027 is Friday, March 5, with gift ideas by budget, order-by dates and how to ship to offices and remote employees.
Gifting and occasions · Updated October 16, 2026
Employee onboarding kits: what to include at every budget
What to put in an employee onboarding kit at $25, $50, $100 and $150 per hire, plus sizing and remote shipping.
Onboarding and recognition · Updated October 16, 2026
How to plan a company-wide apparel rollout
A step by step plan for company-wide t-shirt and apparel programs of 5,000 to 20,000+ pieces across many locations: sizes, timing, production and shipping.
Apparel and sizing · Updated October 16, 2026
How to write an RFP for promotional products and branded merchandise
What to include in a promotional products RFP: scope, pricing format, lead times, insurance, sourcing, references and scoring.
Planning and buying · Updated October 16, 2026
Nurses Week gift guide 2027
Nurses Week 2027 runs May 6 to 12, with gift ideas by budget, when to order and how to deliver to every unit and every shift across a hospital or health system.
Gifting and occasions · Updated October 16, 2026
Company stores for employees: a setup and management guide
When a company store makes sense, how employee, allowance and gift stores work, and how to set one up.
Company stores and fulfillment · Updated October 16, 2026
How to build a merchandise shortlist that gets approved
Why three options get approved faster than a catalog, and what each shortlist option should include.
Planning and buying · Updated October 16, 2026
Trade show and event merchandise: what to bring and how much
How to plan trade show and event merchandise in three tiers and how many giveaways to bring.
Events and trade shows · Updated October 16, 2026
Apparel sizing for company programs: how to cut exchanges
How to cut apparel exchanges on company programs with standard styles, fit samples and a size curve.
Apparel and sizing · Updated October 16, 2026
How to choose a branded merchandise vendor for a company-wide program
How to compare branded merchandise vendors for large or national programs, with ten questions to ask before you sign.
Planning and buying · Updated October 15, 2026
Screen printing vs embroidery vs DTG: choosing a decoration method for company apparel
Which decoration method fits your company apparel order, compared by quantity, colors, fabric and durability.
Apparel and sizing · Updated October 15, 2026
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Start with a shortlist, a store setup, or a specific campaign. Whatever the entry point, we'll take it from there.