aeworkspromos.espwebsite.comHome - AE Works Enterprises Inc.

AE Works Enterprises Inc. Sign in | Create Account Office Location PO BOX 4016 CHATSWORTH , CA 91313 Phone: (818) 308-7678 E-mail: Info@aeworkspromos.com Error Search Search all Products Go Home Product Search Top Searches hand sanitizer face mask mask PENS face masks neck gaiter MASKS Face Shield hand sanitizer spray mugs nitrile gloves bandana Face Shields PPE business cards water bottle cotton face mask infrared thermometer coffee mugs reusable face mask Top Categories Bags Lip Balm Bottles Travel Mugs & Cups Socks Tote Bags Lanyards Cleaners Magnets Microfiber Cloths Lapel Pins Patches Wristbands Patches Flashlights Backpacks Candy Clips Golf Pens Product Collections Patriotic Products Back to the Beach School Store Breast Cancer Awareness Computer Accessories Holiday Gifts Food & Drink Employee Recognition About Us Contact Us More News & Videos Feature Video Company Name badges COVID-19 Crisis Disrupts Bag Market Reusable bags are under fire due to concerns over spreading the coronavirus. After years of increasing legislation banning single-use plastic bags, the “green wave” has crashed due to the COVID-19 crisis, creating a ripple effect throughout the promotional products industry. States, cities and stores have changed their tune over the past few months, encouraging plastic bags rather than reusable bags because of fears over spreading the coronavirus. Even California, the pacesetter of the anti-plastic movement , has suspended its 4-year-old ban after certain studies have suggested that reusable bags, when not cleaned properly, can become veritable petri dishes for bacteria and the like. In order to better protect their workers and customers, retail, grocery and plastic industry advocates have rallied for plastics to be reinstated at least for the time being. COVID-19 Crisis Disrupts Bag Market It’s been a reversal of fortune for promo firms who’ve benefitted from selling branded totes and other reusable bags in recent years. “Our sales have dropped since the pandemic due to the shutdown, and we’ve been hit extra hard because of stores removing reusable bags,” says Andy Keller, founder and CEO of California-based ChicoBag Company (asi/44811). “Raley’s Supermarkets, for example, will not sell new reusable bags as part of this, which has no basis in science or logic.” Keller points to environmentalists and other ban advocates who’ve called studies linking reusable bags to increased disease spread dubious. They note that reusable bags are not necessarily any more or less contaminated than other surfaces at stores. Keller also argues that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and the World Health Organization (WHO) have all given guidance supporting the notion that reusable bags don’t pose a health threat. Although those organizations don’t specify whether the coronavirus is spread through reusable bags, the CDC does state “it may be possible that a person can get COVID-19 by touching a surface or object that has the virus on it and then touching their own mouth, nose, or possibly their eyes.” Despite trepidation from some clients, Top 40 supplier Bag Makers (asi/37940) is still seeing a demand for reusable nonwoven polypropylene bag styles. “While bag sales have slowed in general due to the economic impact of coronavirus, our customers continue to show interest in reusable bags for promotions and program business,” says Jennifer McFadden, communications director at Bag Makers. #COVIDLife #SafeandSustainable adventures of take out Tip : If you’re stocking up on your favorite cheesy fries to-go, ask if the servers will bring the containers & place them in your handy Nomad Shoulder Tote to transport home! Click to read more: https://t.co/jl0xVBEMy9 pic.twitter.com/cc82s9CG5O — ChicoBag (@ChicoBag) May 12, 2020 The most popular bags during the pandemic, according to suppliers, have been paper, plastic and insulated bags that support restaurant takeout and delivery orders, as well as home grocery delivery. “The nonwoven cooler sales spiked exponentially,” says Gary Semrow, owner and vice president of marketing at Illinois-based American Ad Bag (asi/35290). “We also had a large spike in demand for the wider gusseted paper shopping bags for the restaurants to do take-out, causing a tight supply chain. Now that most of the country is opening up, the stress on the supply of wide gusset paper shoppers has lessened.” Deliveries of all kinds have experienced a surge during the pandemic, as consumers have turned to e-commerce for their goods. “Our poly mailer business is very strong now, as well as any other kind of packaging sold to online marketers,” says Ken Trottere, vice president of New York-based Poly-Pak Industries, Inc. (asi/81350). Although the pandemic has prevented revenue from reusable bags, ChicoBag has seen a rise in other product categories. “We’ve seen a spike in sales for our bottle sling and travel pack because people are spending a lot more time walking, hiking and getting outdoors,” Keller says. Read More Promo Industry View: How to Dress the Part No time like the present to start preparing your wardrobe for reentry. After spending your extra time at home cleaning out closets and planning your triumphant return to the office, now’s the time to consider sprucing up your wardrobe for reentry. There’s no need to go all-out Queer Eye on your closet (most of us have everything we need right at home), but perhaps it’s time to part with a few items and habits that no longer work at work. Lisa Bennett is a multi-line representative and freelance writer based in Chicago. I started in the promotional products business with a high-end gift company – my first job out of college. It was a great job and I learned a lot. But it was the late ’80s, and along with a healthy travel allowance and fabulous benefits, that job came with a fairly strict dress code: skirted suits with nylons for women and suits and ties for men. While uncomfortable, it didn’t seem out of the ordinary for the time. Enter the ’90s. “Casual Fridays” came along, a gift from the HR department as a company perk used to help manage the exodus of valuable employees fueled by a booming economy. It was then that I went out on my own as a commissioned sales rep, and with that came the freedom to choose my own workwear. The suits and nylons were put away and only saw the light of day for funerals and the one time I got called for jury duty and didn’t get picked. When business casual became acceptable everywhere in the ’90s, even the most conservative companies hung up the jacket and tie for a more casual environment. Men adopted the unofficial uniform of Dockers and polo shirts while women who gave up wearing nylons turned to comfortable pants and blouses. Today’s workplace dress code in the promotional products industry is simple: Dress appropriately for work. However, “appropriately” leaves a lot of room for interpretation. We don’t need to return to the days of suits and nylons, but the industry can do a little better sprucing itself up. Here are my suggestions: Jeans and T-shirts are no longer a no-no at work. Many of us are making a nice living selling T-shirts, so if you like ’em, wear ’em. However, if your favorite tee is that Bruce Springsteen shirt from the “Born in the USA” tour in 1984, maybe just wear it at home after work. And jeans are great; I for one am cheering the absence of women’s super-skinny spandex jeans on the mannequins this year. But if you have jeans with holes, even the holes that are factory-installed, don’t wear them to work. Ben Turry, vice president of business development at Tangerine Promotions, proves that a T-shirt and jeans can certainly qualify as work-appropriate attire. Gentlemen, it’s time to break up with your pleated cuffed pants. You need to start seeing new pants. If you still own pleated cuffed pants, please donate them to the Salvation Army. The newer style...