commonsku Collections is where browsing transitions seamlessly into action. Imagine having access to a virtual treasure trove of curated catalogs, assembled by some of the most proactive suppliers on commonsku. These interactive collections are offering a glimpse into the latest and most coveted products shaping the industry landscape.

Our guest today is Ben Higgins, best known from season 20 of ABC’s hit series, “The Bachelor.” Ben stays connected with his loyal Bachelor following with his iHeartMedia podcast, “Almost Famous,” which he co-hosts with his friend and former Bachelor contestant, Ashley laconetti, which has over 150 million downloads.

Linni Kral is a Brooklyn-based writer, editor, and educator. Her work has appeared in The Atlantic, the BBC, Condé Nast Traveler and more.

Denise is the CEO and co-founder of one of the industry’s most respected brands, Fairware. Prior to starting Fairware, Denise spent seven years as the Director of Sustainability and Community for Mountain Equipment Co-op, Canada’s largest outdoor retailer.

alphabroder Canada is now available on PromoStandards with live product data and blank Electronic Purchase Orders (ePOs)

Today, we’re sharing an episode that we recorded live from skucon where Jeremy and Jonathan answer questions from Catherine Graham, commonsku’s CEO, on a broad range of topics including: US/China relations and its impact on the supply chain, deglobalization efforts, the impact of international trade, the labor market, and a financial outlook for 2024.

Tired of starting from scratch to create a new shop? Your team can now save time, and now copy an existing shop in commonsku!

The skummunity awards were created to honor the explorers, rule-breakers, dreamers, and innovators in the branded merchandise industry.

Here are just 10 of the visionary ideas shared at skuconX, direct from the speakers’ stage and straight from the speakers themselves!

Jason Lucash and Mike Szymczak, the two founders behind one of the industry’s most ingenious company’s Origaudio, are back. Jason and Mike sold their very successful company, Origaudio, to HPG in 2018, and after a few years, both retired from the industry. The two entrepreneurs, known for their innovation in product, production, and distribution, have launched a new brand with a bold new mission. The company is called Rupt — and it sounds just as it was intended, an idea meant to disrupt the industry, particularly the status quo when it comes to transparency in sustainability.

Frank Carpenito was a five-year board member on Gemline’s board of directors, and he loved the company so much that he wanted to help lead it; in 2019, he became President and recently was promoted to CEO and is now responsible for the day-to-day running of the business at Gemline.

Logomark’s story is one of innovation, not just in product but in production, masters at obsessing over speed and accuracy, we begin our chat today with Clive by talking about his entry into the industry, what the pandemic taught him and the team, and how it impacts their work today.

At commonsku, one of our core values is keeping “ten steps ahead” by innovating through big ideas, smart risks, and bold action. In that spirit, in December, the commonsku team gathered for an end-of-year celebration and our fast-forward planning retreat in Toronto.

If your team is using our Stripe integration, you can provide your clients with the option to pay by ACH on their commonsku invoices.

When we began our podcast adventure over 300 episodes ago, we had no idea the number of incredible people we’d meet along the way and the impact they would make on us and the commonsku community. 

In September (2022), only 2% of all PCNA purchase orders were sent in by ePO. By December of that year, 50% of all purchase orders were sent straight from a distributor’s hands into commonsku and directly into PCNA’s ERP.

David Priemer has had 20 years leading top-performing sales teams, including his tenure with Salesforce, where he was not only the Vice President of Commercial Sales, he was the creator of the Sales Leadership Academy program, and he’s often referred to as “the sales professor.”

PromoCares is an all-volunteer-driven organization; their mission is to inspire, educate, and provide actionable strategies to encourage social and environmental responsibility in the promotional products industry and the industry's communities. Each year, the board at PromoCares picks a new initiative called their “4 good events” to rally the industry around a cause and use the collective energy of suppliers, distributors and service providers to make an impact on the world.

In our industry, too, distributors and suppliers have two distinct types of growth, and both types of growth are a requisite for future-proofing a thriving business. Since our last article talked about type 1 growth, today, we’ll talk about type 2 growth, the growth that means the real difference between winning and losing: building a richer environment.

Today, we’re talking mergers. KG Specialties is a Portland-based distributor who, this year, merged with Premier Press. Premier employs over 200 people, and they handle a wide variety of print, fulfillment, and logistics management for clients. Our guests are Kyle Gibson, the owner of KG Specialties and now Director of Promotional Merchandise at Premier, and Premier’s Vice President, Manuel Saez.