10 TRENDS FOR 2020
about
FAIRWARE Fairware helps you to better engage your customers, employees and partners through the creation of sustainable, custom branded products. We ensure your promotional merchandise helps tell your story and animate your brand. Our mission is to change the world through the simple act of buying. We’re committed change makers and we’re serious about sustainability. We bring emerging retail, consumer and sustainability trends to the forefront of promotional campaigns and product assortments. We’re sustainable brand strategists and merchandise is our medium. We do the homework on ethical sourcing and sustainable materials so you can rest assured that your marketing merchandise lines up with your values. Cheers, Team Fairware
Another year, another trip to Vegas. Some of the Fairware team attended our industry’s largest supplier trade show to connect with our core suppliers and find new products and trends for 2020. At Fairware, we’ve been committed to ethical sourcing and sustainable products from the moment we opened our doors 15 years ago, and it hasn’t always been easy to source from the traditional promotional product supply chain. Fast forward to 2020 and we’re thrilled by the surge of social impact and sustainability themed conversations, practices and products on the show floor. Here are 10 highlights and trends and products that caught our eye on the tradeshow floor.
Contents 06
Sustainable Apparel Beyond the T-Shirt
08
Small Batch, Craft Food Gifts
10
Transparency
12
Sustainable T-Shirts and Hoodies
14
Social Impact Partnerships
16
Trade Show Sustainability
18
Recycled Materials Are No Longer Niche
20
Zero Waste Products
22
Domestic Manufacturing
24
Things That Defy A Product Category
1 SUSTAINABLE APPAREL BEYOND THE T-SHIRT 2020 was the year that sustainable textiles made the leap from t-shirts to other apparel categories. We’re now seeing more and more recycled content outerwear, button downs and polos. It’s a welcome addition for tradeshow apparel, event teams and corporate apparel buyers who are looking for more sustainable options beyond the t-shirt.
The Marine Layer Basel Puffer Coat is made from 100% cotton corduroy, RDS-certified goose down, and 100% TENCEL™ lining
The Eco Puffer Vest is made from 100% 20d fine denier polyester, 35% of which is made from recycled polyester. The 4 Way Stretch Eco Woven Shirt is made from 92% polyester and 8% spandex. The polyester is made from 37% recycled materials. Sales from both pieces are donated to 1% for the Planet.
Batch & Bodega cleverly curates branded merchandise with small batch snacks to create unforgettable (and delicious!) gifting experiences.
2 SMALL BATCH CRAFT FOOD We’re noticing a trend in the food gifting category towards small batch makers. We loved seeing (and tasting) some of the emerging suppliers in this category. The ‘food gift box’ category is finally seeing innovation and the entry of bespoke, high quality gifts are a welcome addition to our supply chain. Pro-Tip: With minimum order quantities as low as 6 units, ask us how we can set up an order form for your sales or custom experience teams to seamlessly order post-sales meeting gifts to be sent directly to prospects or top accounts.
3 TRANSPARENCY Consumers are demanding more insight into supply chains and the story of how their products are made. The promotional products industry, compared to the consumer retail industry, has been less open and transparent in their supply chain activities. For example, where major retail brands, such as Nike or The Gap, have listed factory locations on their website for close to two decades, there are few promotional industry suppliers doing the same. While it isn’t a mainstream discussion yet, the idea of ‘transparency’ is finally coming to our industry. More and more of the large scale t-shirt companies are disclosing manufacturing information (often in response to the demands of University Licenses Agreements). We look forward to seeing this trend take hold in the years to come.
Atlantis Hats are much more transparent than your average hat company. With the Atlantis Connect app and NFC contactless technology integrated into their products, they’re able to communicate the product history and technical characterists through multimedia information, videos and websites. Simply scan the QR code and learn about your hat’s story.
These All Made T-Shirts are made from 50% RepreveŽ polyester from recycled plastic; 25% organic, US grown, combed, ring spun cotton; and 25% TENCEL™ Modal.
4 MORE SUSTAINABLE T-SHIRTS AND HOODY OPTIONS Perhaps the most noticeable trend on the show floor this year was the proliferation of t-shirts and hoodies with recycled PET in lieu of virgin plastic, organic cotton and Better Cotton InitiativeTM cotton*. We’ve had a deep roster of sustainable t-shirt vendors for years and are encouraged to see more and more styles and options come to market. 2020 is the year of the sustainable t-shirt.
The Unisex Eco Triblend Zip Hoody is made from 50% recycled polyester, 37% combed ring spun organic cotton, and 13% rayon. *Better Cotton InitiativeTM exists to make global cotton production better for the people who produce it, better for the environment it grows in and better for the sector’s future.
5 SOCIAL IMPACT PARTNERSHIPS How can you not love supplier partners with a social impact story? We’ve always been fans of HHPLift – a long time supplier partner who curates an incredible array of social impact gifting options. Generally speaking, a social enterprise is one that puts business tools to use in meeting a social need. The trend continues with new social impact suppliers bringing great merchandise and community economic development to the table.
MiiR Bags invest in the education of students around the world through projects of improving physical school structures, providing students with resources like scholarships, and equipping teachers with exceptional and training resources. They also believe in transparent giving, so each bag includes a unique Track Your Impact code. Simply register the code and receive GPS coordinates and photos of the education project your bag helped build!
Every Denik Journal you buy funds education projects worldwide.
6 TRADE SHOW SUSTAINABILITY Beyond the product selection, we’re encouraged to see the industry association take steps to reduce single use plastic on the showroom floor. They provided on floor water refill stations and our friends at Garyline offered up refillable bottles using their new 100% post consumer recycled PET water bottles. We loved when we showed up for our product review at the Leeds Booth and the first thing our account manager showed us was her refillable bottle. In lieu of filling their staff area with bottled water this year, they gave everyone their own refillable bottle to use at the refill stations. It’s a small gesture but sent a signal to our team that our supplier partners are beginning to ‘walk the talk’.
WATER REFILL STATION Help break the plastic habit by refilling your bottle here
7 RECYCLED MATERIALS ARE NO LONGER NICHE Finally – cool products in sustainable materials! This was the year that on trend design met sustainable materials. Our assortment of sustainable products has been limited for years, so the shift we’re seeing toward retail designs made with recycled materials is a very welcome addition.
Parkland Bags are made from 100% recycled water bottles, designed to combine purpose, style and quality to inspire sustainable choices. (left) The Prodir Regenerated Pens are made from 100% recycled ABS plastic waste from their own manufacturing byproduct. (below)
8 ZERO WASTE PRODUCTS In keeping with our focus on zero waste campaigns, we’re delighted to see more and more reusable cutlery, drinkware, take out containers and snack packs. This category of gifting is perfect for sharing your sustainability values with clients, donors, or employees. From reusable produce bags to simple sporks – we’re excited to see a broader range of products in a mix
The Bamboo Fiber Cutlery Set is made from 51% bamboo fiber and 49% plastic. This set includes a fork, spoon, and knife in a convenient carrying case, perfect for being on the go and eliminating the use of disposable plastic utensils. Through a partnership with 1% for the Planet, one percent of sales will be donated to nonprofits dedicated to protecting the planet. (left) These Reusable Produce Bags are made from nylon mesh. They’re lightweight and packable, so they’re easy to take to the grocery store to fill with bulk food and produce. (below)
9 DOMESTIC MANUFACTURING The Coronavirus crisis was in its infancy in early January and no one was thinking about how important USA and Canadian based manufacturing has become. Because of our constant focus on sustainable products, we’ve developed a deep roster of Made in Canada and Made in USA manufacturing partners. The pressure of tariffs from the USA on Chinese goods has added to the mix and bolstered the importance of a diverse supply chain base that includes locally made goods.
The Feltro Collection is made from bonded leather and recycled felt in California, USA.
10 THOSE THINGS THAT DEFY A PRODUCT CATEGORY There are always a few finds that defy categorization and 2020 had it’s share of those. From everyday items like reading glasses (a useful giveaway and something we’ve been asked for before) to RPET knitted beverage cozies, we found a handful of products that are fun and will help folks shift to more sustainable lifestyles.
The Slippy Reusable Drink Cozy is a one-size fits all cozy, made from plastic bottles collected from coastal areas without proper waste management. The plastic bottles are then shipped to a factory in North Carolina where they’re transformed into yarn and knit into Slippies using 73% less energy, 67% less water, and 55% less chemicals than the making of regular yarns. Perfect for your everything from a hot coffee to a cold ice cream pint! (left)
The Rocketbook is a reusable journal with the ability to digitize pages through their app. (top) The Reader Glasses can be pantone matched and have several premium add on options, from full colour frames to blue light lenses. (above)
I n t e r es ted i n l e ar n i ng m o r e or g etti ng a c u st o m q u o te? STA RT A P R OJ E CT
MAKE YOUR MERCHANDISE MATTER
co ntac t@fai r wa re.com 60 4. 7 3 2.3 247 8 66. 6 0 6.3 247
