Thanks to the employment rate showing robust growth—plus a strong economy—the hospitality market is poised for continued growth in 2020. As a result, people are traveling more, and it is important to not only be welcoming, but to also show appreciation. Unique, high end products inspired by retail trends are important to this market segment. Items such as calendars, towels, corkscrews, wine and bottle openers, journals, and letter openers are just some of the products that distributors can choose for their customers that will leave a lasting impact with their clients.
According to Keith Lofton at Pro Towels, some of the top trends the company has seen in the hospitality market are products and designs that are unique and hard to find. “For example, our Oversized Colored Beach Towel BT-5060C has been popular for us because it’s a high-end product and something that a resort can’t order from their normal supply chain,” he explains. “Some other popular items we’ve seen are our round towels, our Dri Sacs, packaging and our Slip Clips.
“To add to it, design is key with these products as well as your common products like beach towels,” Lofton continues. “When you have a unique or captivating design for these clients that they haven’t seen or can’t find anywhere else, it really helps drive the sales and interest. We’ve seen these types of trends come from retail brands and that retail industry suppliers that are offering unique products and designs as well.” He adds that demand for hospitality products has experienced a nice, steady flow throughout the year.
Drum-Line’s Amberlea Barnes notes that custom wall calendars are trending in the real estate industry, as they beautifully showcase all that a property has to offer, with a different photo of the resort each month. “This makes a perfect gift for travel agents and event planners to keep the venue top-of-mind all year,” she comments. Additionally, Barnes points out that a journal with full-color photos is also a useful souvenir that can be sold through gift shops or used for meetings and seminars. The company offers an array of best-selling journals, notebooks, note pads, planners, and calendars for distributors to choose from.
Lofton at Pro Towels reports that a best seller—and new—item is its round towels. “In 2019, we introduced our Fringed Round Colored Beach Towel that was a hit and extremely popular,” he says. “We looked to continue and expand that line and trend in 2020 with some new products.” The towel comes in red, royal blue, and lime green.
Bay State also relies on popular products that do well in the hospitality industry, such as journals, wine openers, bottle openers, cork screws, and letter openers.
When it comes to selling hospitality products, Lofton at Pro Towels advises it is best to always work on your design and presentation and be sure to differentiate yourself with it. “Don’t show the same towel, robe, or other product that everyone else has,” he states. “There are so many options out there, it becomes extremely important to help them find something they can’t get anywhere else and will impress their clients as well.”