The corporate gift sourcing checklist for distributors
Eleven questions to ask a promotional gift supplier before you place a first order — from compliance paperwork to packing lists.
Sourcing branded merchandise for corporate clients is a reputation business. The gift arrives with your client's logo on it, but the quality problem lands on your desk. A short, disciplined qualification process removes most of the risk before a single sample is cut.
Start with compliance. Ask which test reports the factory already holds — FDA and LFGB for drinkware, REACH and Prop 65 for coatings, OEKO-TEX for printed textiles. A supplier who can email a current report the same day is a supplier who has done this before.
Then look at decoration capability in-house versus outsourced. Laser engraving, pad printing and embroidery done under one roof means fewer handoffs, tighter colour control and a shorter lead time when a client changes artwork at the last minute.
Finally, agree the packing detail in writing: cartons per pallet, unit weight, barcode placement, and whether packaging must be neutral. Most late shipments are not production delays — they are packing disputes discovered at the loading dock.