Swag warehousing: organized and streamlined storage

Simply put, swag warehousing is the process of storing swag items in a warehouse until they’re ready to be shipped to your teams, clients, partners, and/or investors. Think of swag warehousing as your swag items’ temporary shelter before they find their permanent homes with your recipients.

But more than storage, swag warehousing is about efficiency—whether with space, cost, or distribution. After all, swag warehousing allows you to cut down your expenses, manage your inventory, and optimize shipping.

How? Let’s break these down.

For one, space is the central aspect you save when opting for swag warehousing. Swag items are organized based on their types and/or recipient locations. You’ll no longer have headaches about where to store your latest swag apparel and onboarding kits if you opt for a swag warehouse.

There’s also the peace of mind that comes from having efficient swag inventory management. In a swag warehouse, it’s much easier to determine which items come in and go out, when, and to whom. With swag warehousing, you can stop wondering if any swag items were lost during transit while doing inventory checks.

And let’s not forget that swag warehousing also streamlines your shipping process. With your swag organized and ready to go at any minute, you can distribute it promptly or when a big event is coming up.

But the central perk of swag warehousing lies in its ability to simplify global shipping and distribution. By storing your swag in warehouses near your recipients, whether in the US, UK, Brazil, India, or beyond, you can cut down on delivery times and avoid the hassles of customs restrictions and taxes.

Storing swag in an office vs a warehouse

Imagine that you store your swag items in your office. You’re practically drowning in swag boxes that you can barely see your office desks, much less your coffee cups! Your team is wrestling with shipping labels, packaging tape is sticking everywhere, and your documents are all over the place. Everyone is trying their best to fulfill swag orders while keeping the workspace functional. Exhausting, right?

Now, picture those same swag boxes moved to a professional warehouse. Suddenly, you have your office back, and your team can focus on their actual jobs. That is what swag warehousing is all about: taking the load off your shoulders literally. From inventory management to fulfillment and shipping, everything is handled for you. 

Plus, having your swag in global warehouses like the US, UK, and India—or anywhere near your recipients—saves you customs clearance costs and taxes. Also, since shipping internationally can range from $25 and up (which may be more expensive than your swag item), opting for swag warehousing can be more cost-efficient in the long run.

Situations that call for swag warehousing

Okay, so we’ve put you in a scenario where you’re basically wrestling with swag boxes in your office. But what if you’re not? What if you just have some swag items lying around? Should you still opt for swag warehousing?

To answer that, you should consider swag warehousing when…

… you don’t want to cramp your office space

As mentioned above, storing your swag items in your office requires a lot of space and can make your workplace cramped and disorganized. With swag warehousing, you and your employees have more space to move around.

… you want a partner fully equipped to manage your swag items effectively

Remember, when you store your swag items in your office, your team is also responsible for managing and shipping them. A lot of work is involved, which can take away your team’s attention from their primary tasks. As such, if you want to avoid disrupting your team’s core responsibilities, you should go for swag warehousing. This way, your swag platform partner can take care of all the logistics for you, from inventory management to distribution.

… you’re scaling your swag program

When scaling your swag program, it’s no longer just about employee recognition. Rather, it’s about appreciating your loyal clients, partners, and investors through thoughtful gifts. With more people you wish to impress with swag and gifts, ensuring your swag items are readily available and shipped promptly becomes essential. Swag warehousing makes it easy for you to handle larger volumes of swag and ensure seamless fulfillment for a successful swag program.

… you have bulk swag

Having swag items in bulk can be highly stressful without a warehouse. That’s why we’d recommend that you opt for swag warehousing if you buy swag items in bulk. With your bulk swag items in a warehouse, you can rest assured that they’re stored, managed, and distributed efficiently.

… you need faster and more reliable distribution

Imagine if you only have a team of 5 employees, all of whom have different core responsibilities. Having your team prepare and distribute your swag items is not only disruptive to your operations but may also be too time-consuming. 

With swag warehousing, distribution will be handled by your logistics or swag platform partner. It’s faster and more reliable since they have their own team responsible for the processes involved in this stage.

… you wish to lessen your carbon footprint

If you’re conscious about your carbon footprints, swag warehousing is the way to go. After all, it’s a sustainable approach to swag storage that allows you to minimize shipping distances and consolidate your deliveries. This way, you help reduce the environmental impact of long-haul transportation required for swag deliveries.

… you want to reduce shipping costs

As mentioned earlier, international shipping can set you back a couple to a hundred bucks. Choosing to store your swag items in a partner’s international warehouse can save you from these fees. Plus, the delivery can be much faster due to the warehouse's proximity to the recipient’s location. That’s why it’s crucial for you to choose a swag gifting platform that has global warehouses, making it easier for you to ship your swag items anywhere in the world.

Terms related to swag warehousing

Of course, we can’t finish this article without sharing the different swag warehousing terminologies that will definitely help you in your swag journey.

• Bins and Pallets: Bins keep items organized, and pallets are how warehouses move bulk swag efficiently. They are your swag’s best friends. 

• Cycle Count: A method of counting inventory in smaller, regular sections to keep records accurate without disrupting operations.

• Estimated Time of Arrival (ETA): The predicted arrival time of a truck or shipment carrying your swag. Plan ahead with confidence!

• Lead Time: The time it takes to process an order, from picking and packing to final delivery to your intended recipient. 

• Pick and Pack: The art of grabbing swag items from shelves and packing them up for delivery.

• Purchase Order (PO): A formal agreement between buyer and seller detailing swag items, quantities, and pricing.

• Receiving: The process of accepting incoming swag items, checking their count, and ensuring everything—from the design to the decoration—matches expectations.

• Shipping: Your swag leaves the warehouse and starts its journey to its final destination: to your recipients.

• Stock-Keeping Unit (SKU): A unique barcode or identifier that is assigned to each swag item. It helps you easily track the swag you have shipped out.

There are many other swag warehousing terms you need to know, so be sure to check with your warehousing partner or logistics provider for a comprehensive list. Familiarizing yourself with these terms will allow you to communicate smoothly with your partners.

Swag warehousing is the foundation of smooth swag management. From keeping your office space free of clutter to managing and distributing large quantities of bulk swag items, swag warehousing eliminates the stress and elevates your swag game.

If you want to choose a reliable swag warehousing partner, look no further with PerkUp! Check out how we can help you with your swag storage and streamline fulfillment.