We recently took a behind-the-scenes glimpse at what it took to bring the 2020 Apparel, Bags and Caps 900-plus page catalog to life this year (in a printing facility so huge it spans two counties!). This week, we are going to take a trip down memory lane at the evolution of the catalog. The promotional products industry has grown a lot over the years and SanMar has grown up right alongside it. One of the most obvious and tangible ways to track this evolution is through our annual Apparel, Bags and Caps catalog.
This year we are excited to share our 974-page catalog that promises customers more products with more sales potential than ever before. With 256 new styles, including the Port Authority® Untucked Fit SuperProTM Oxford Shirt and the Sport-Tek® Posi-UV™ Pro Tees and Polos, the 2020 Apparel, Bags and Caps catalog truly captures SanMar’s vision of success for helping our customers succeed.
However, this “big book” hasn’t always been so big. When we launched our very first catalog in 1979, eight years after SanMar was founded, it featured 32 products. This initial catalog had a classic cover featuring actual family members of founder Marty Lott and clocked in at 6 pages (for those of you counting, that’s 968 fewer pages than the 2020 catalog!).
As SanMar moved into the new decade of the ‘80s, the catalog quickly became “king” for selling the growing assortment of products offered. Now an annual catalog, some featured hand-drawn images of the products we offered, which was indicative of the styling of the day.
The ‘90s were an exciting time for SanMar in its evolution as a private label company, particularly in 1994 when we launched the Port Authority® brand, which has grown to become America’s #1 private clothing label for logoed apparel. The catalogs grew alongside the company, as well, often featuring covers that mirrored the soft styling popular in the ‘90s.
A personal favorite of mine is the 1996 cover featuring a parent and child walking on the beach, hand-in-hand, with the headline “updating the basics.”
As we entered the 2000s, we also entered into the era of Internet shopping. Starting in 2002, customers could order SanMar products online (complete with live inventory!).
Today, you can go to our website and find e-catalogs and PDFs. For your convenience you can download entire catalogs or select single-page downloads. Discover how to break into new markets, target specific industries and differentiate your brand with custom catalogs. Or simply order one of our many catalogs, such as the August 2019 New Arrivals catalog or the 2020 Essentials Catalog, at any time!
Do you remember catalogs from SanMar’s past? Share your memories with us online today at Instagram, Twitter or Facebook!