Budgets Are Tight and the Holidays Are Coming… So Is Branded Merch Still Worth It?
Is it just us, or did the holiday season show up before the Halloween candy even hit the clearance aisle?
Yep. It's that time again.
And this year, it comes with a weird mix. People are feeling squeezed. People are also still planning to celebrate. If you're the one holding the budget for a school, a church, a nonprofit, or a small business, you're probably feeling both at once.
So let's talk about it.
The money picture, in plain words
Here's the weird thing. Consumers feel worse, and they're still planning to spend.
The Conference Board's Consumer Confidence Index fell 6.7 points in September to 81.9, down from 88.6 in August. According to the Conference Board's chief economist, references to prices, particularly oil and gas prices, "rose to new heights" in what people wrote about what was affecting the economy.
Then on October 15, the National Retail Federation released its holiday forecast. NRF expects November and December retail sales to grow 4.2% over 2025, to $1.013 trillion. NRF's CEO said consumers "will prioritize the holiday season even as they remain mindful of their budgets."
Mindful of their budgets. That might be the phrase of the season.
It's true for families. It's true for the PTA treasurer and the business owner staring at a year-end gift list too.
Marketing budgets aren't growing either
Big companies are feeling it. Gartner's 2026 CMO Spend Survey found marketing budgets "remain effectively flat" at 7.8% of company revenue in 2026, up from 7.7% in 2025. And 56% of CMOs said their marketing organization lacks the budget it needs to deliver its 2026 strategy.
Now, to be fair, that survey leaned heavily toward large companies; most respondents reported annual revenue over $1 billion. Most of our friends are running a 5K or a fall festival, not a global brand.
But the lesson travels. When the money doesn't grow, every dollar has to pull its weight.
So where does merch fit?
This is where it gets interesting.
The Advertising Specialty Institute's 2026 Global Advertising Impressions Study surveyed nearly 5,000 consumers across the U.S., Canada, Mexico and Europe. ASI reports that a typical promotional product generates 3,300 brand views over its lifetime, and that 85% of consumers remember the advertiser who gave them a logoed product.
Why do people keep it? Usefulness. ASI found 78% of consumers keep promotional products because they find them useful.
And here's a cool one for this time of year. ASI says outerwear like fleece and jackets averages about 9,000 impressions over its lifespan. Even though those items cost more up front, their cost per impression is less than half a cent.
A quick honest note: ASI is the promo industry's own trade organization, so read their numbers with that in mind. Still, the pattern makes sense. People keep what they actually use. The rest ends up in the junk drawer.
Fewer, better… and yes, a smaller logo
When money is tight, the temptation is to buy more of something cheaper so everybody gets something.
We'd push the other way.
In ASI's U.S. findings, 55% of respondents said quality would influence their willingness to buy a promotional item, a bit ahead of design at 50%. People notice quality. They feel it the first time they pull on a hoodie.
So this season, think fewer and better. Retail-quality pieces. A small, clean logo that someone is proud to wear to the grocery store, not just to the volunteer shift. A quarter-zip your staff actually reaches for in February says thank you a lot longer than a pile of stuff nobody asked for.
That's what we mean by merch with purpose.
4 questions before you order
1. Who is this really for? Volunteers, donors, staff, and runners each want something a little different.
2. Will they still use it in February? If not, keep looking. Landfills are full of cheap branded apparel that no one wanted to keep that long.
3. Could you give something better to fewer people? Sometimes the right list is shorter.
4. Have you given yourself enough time? December gets busy for everyone, us included. Starting the conversation now keeps your options open.
Let's plan it together
At Bryzie & Hani, merch with purpose beats boring branded junk. We'd rather help you spend less on the right thing than sell you more of the wrong thing.
If you're working on a year-end thank-you, or already thinking ahead to spring, we'd love to hear what you're planning. Grab a coffee (or a quick call) with us, and we'll talk it through.
Relationship over transaction, always.
Sources
1. "US Consumer Confidence" (September 2026 Consumer Confidence Survey press release). The Conference Board. Updated September 29, 2026. https://www.conference-board.org/topics/consumer-confidence/
2. "NRF Forecasts 2026 Holiday Sales Growth as Consumers Remain Resilient." National Retail Federation. October 15, 2026. https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/nrf-forecasts-2026-holiday-sales-growth-as-consumers-remain-resilient
3. "Gartner 2026 CMO Spend Survey Finds CMOs Allocate 15.3% of Marketing Budgets to AI, But Only 30% Are Ready to Scale AI Capabilities." Gartner. May 11, 2026. https://www.gartner.com/en/newsroom/press-releases/2026-05-11-gartner-2026-cmo-spend-survey-finds-cmos-allocate-15-point-3-percent-of-marketing-budgets-to-ai-but-only-30-percent-are-ready-to-scale-ai-capabilities
4. "ASI Research: Promotional Products Deliver Impressions at a Fraction of a Cent, Outrank All Other Ad Channels." Advertising Specialty Institute (via PR Newswire). May 8, 2026. https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/asi-research-promotional-products-deliver-impressions-at-a-fraction-of-a-cent-outrank-all-other-ad-channels-302767274.html
5. "ASI's 2026 Ad Impressions Study: Product Impressions." Hannah Rosenberger, ASI. July 16, 2026. https://members.asicentral.com/news/strategy/july-2026/asi-s-2026-ad-impressions-study-product-impressions/
6. "ASI's 2026 Ad Impressions Study: 3 Key Insights on the International Market." Hannah Rosenberger, ASI. May 27, 2026. https://members.asicentral.com/news/strategy/may-2026/asi-s-2026-ad-impressions-study-3-key-insights-on-the-international-market/
