It can't just be us! We're seeing a massive increase in teams managing more events, more customer touchpoints, and more branded communication than ever before, not to mention the internal onboarding and wellness campaigns - you people are busy!
The logistical demands behind these activities are growing – and many businesses are starting to look for smarter, more scalable solutions.
A Market on the Move
The global logistics outsourcing sector is projected to exceed £1.3 trillion by 2033, with year-on-year growth being driven by businesses outsourcing operational functions to specialist providers. Corporate gifting is another area seeing major growth. Valued at £665 billion in 2024, the market is expected to hit £986 billion by 2029, as businesses increase their investment in personalised customer and employee engagement. Meanwhile, the event logistics market—worth nearly £54 billion in 2023—continues to expand, adding to the logistical burden many marketing teams face.
We agree, these numbers are just too big to comprehend, but it shows us that this is a huge market and maybe it isn't just little old Bud seeing a blip in the UK!
The Value of Source, Brand, Stock & Ship
To meet these needs, we launched Source, Brand, Stock & Ship a few years ago, as a practical service designed for busy teams who need a simpler way to manage their branded materials. It now represents a growing part of our business and continues to deliver value to customers through:
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Sourcing quality branded merchandise.
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Stocking and storing items securely.
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Shipping items to events, clients, or colleagues as needed.
For us, these three points say a lot about how the market is evolving:
1. It's more about the right item for the right event or recipient. Gone are the days of cheap, mass produced, plastic promotional items. Our customers are looking for sustainability, items that have a long term value and they only want to buy and store what they can use. Items that are appropriate for the audience, useful and are made to last.... last!
2. Get it from under the desk or a store cupboard where things often go missing. Managing stock is tough, especially when office space is tight or you don't have a dedicated store room.
3. Which also has a bearing on those that now work from home or in a hybrid role. We don't want to be spending our time at the office packing and shipping items, or travel to events via the office so we can put a box of giveaways in a car!
A Smarter Way to Work
If you've ever run an event or a campaign with a gift you'll understand what we mean. Our service isn’t just about logistics. It’s about giving marketing teams the time and headspace to focus on creative, strategic work, without compromising brand consistency or delivery standards.
If you're spending too much time on fulfilment tasks that could be automated or outsourced, it might be time to switch.