Nadel Overview

Nadel was founded in 1953 by Jack Nadel in Culver City, California. The platform offers swag, gifts, and services, including sourcing, logistics, and inventory management, to its clients. With over 70 years in operation, Nadel has built a reputation for helping companies design and deliver branded swag and unboxing experiences.

Main Features

Brand promotion

One of the features that the platform offers is brand promotion. With this feature, you can have your swag and gifts designed, customized, or curated into kits for both internal and client gifting. These customized kits include PR boxes and influencer packages that can help you capture your recipient’s attention and tell your brand story. You can also collaborate with Nadel’s creative team to create packaging designs that align with your campaigns or company milestones. In addition, the platform’s lookbooks of thoughtfully designed catalogs of curated items for events and gifting occasions are among the best in the industry and can be used as references when planning new swag collections.

Marketing events support

Beyond gifts and merchandise, Nadel also offers marketing and events services, specifically campaign communications, pop-up shops, on-site gifting activations, and event design support. For instance, you can have the platform assist you with logo design and brand adaptations for your chosen swag and gift items. Because Nadel’s approach is people-driven rather than software-driven, you’ll likely interact directly with consultants who manage creative direction, sourcing, and event logistics for you. While it’s more hands-off in terms of technical aspects, this approach still requires more back-and-forth communication.

Branded storefronts and portals

Another feature of Nadel is its online swag stores (or branded storefronts) or e-commerce portals, wherein your teams or clients can order their preferred swag and/or gifts. The design for these online storefronts varies and will depend on your gifting campaign needs. CRM and payment integrations, multi-currency functionality, loyalty or reward program management, and marketing analytics are integrated into these branded storefronts and portals. However, while the storefront concept is solid, the technology behind it is basic compared to modern gifting platforms, as you can’t independently generate reports or edit campaigns.

Fulfillment and logistics capabilities

Nadel has various locations in the US, UK, Hong Kong, and Australia, which allows it to provide fulfillment and supply chain management globally. With this network, the platform can also offer inventory, sourcing, and packaging services that enable you to ship globally. Despite this, though, you’ll have to note that the inventory and shipment updates are typically shared manually through files, emails, or scheduled calls, rather than through automated dashboards. This level of service ensures reliability but comes at a premium cost.

Pricing

At the moment, Nadel doesn’t have any pricing or subscription fees listed on its website. That said, you’ll need to request a quote to receive an estimated amount for your project, the price of which varies depending on the quantity of your swag, the level of customization, and the logistics required. While this approach offers flexibility, especially for complex or large-scale projects, it can also make cost comparisons difficult.

As for Nadel’s products, there are some prices listed on Nadel’s separate online catalog, ShopWithNadel, where you can see some items and kits displayed. For example, a pre-assembled new hire kit is priced around $52, while basic promotional items like sporty headbands start at $1.42 and up. 

However, do note that these figures only reflect smaller, transactional purchases and not the full-service creative or fulfillment programs Nadel offers. This means that if you wish to work with Nadel, you’ll have to request a demo with its team to fully understand its capabilities and prices.

Additionally, since Nadel’s service is people-powered, expect to pay a premium. The company provides excellent service and design, but every stage from concept to fulfillment involves coordination with its brand consultants. This means more time spent on communication and planning, but also less hands-on work for you and your team.

Pros and Cons

Pros

✅ Long-established industry presence: Since Nadel has more than seven decades of experience in the industry, it has credibility and deep supplier relationships, making it reliable.

✅ Various warehouse locations: Nadel has offices and warehouse facilities in the US, UK, Hong Kong, and Australia, which allows it to serve global teams and support international shipping/local fulfillment in said regions.

✅ Strong supplier connections: Nadel’s relationships with manufacturers and suppliers give you access to a wide range of products and customization options.

✅ Broad range of services offered: Nadel covers a lot of aspects related to branded swag management, including creative design, event support, logistics, and swag stores.

✅ Sustainable commitments and products: Having a sustainability council, investing in eco-friendly materials, and participating in the CarbonFree Shipping Program are some of the notable sustainability commitments Nadel has.

✅ Brand consultant support: Nadel will provide you with your own brand consultant who can help with your gifting needs and strategy.

Cons

❌ Weak technology: Nadel’s platform doesn’t support self-serve design or report downloads. Most tasks require manual coordination with its team.

❌ Absence of automation: The platform also lacks automation features for milestone gifting or workflow triggers, which means you need to manually order items for every project. 

❌ Lack of substantial information on features: Although Nadel offers a lot of services, their actual capabilities remain unclear as there’s no information publicly available on the platform. Additionally, the platform doesn’t state if it offers On Demand swag.

❌ There is no pricing transparency: On its catalog collection, Nadel only provides an estimate for its product prices. While it has a separate website (ShopWithNadel), it’s not linked on the main page, which only makes it harder to access Nadel’s product prices. Additionally, there’s no information regarding its subscription fees unless you book a demo.

❌ No gift cards: The company focuses solely on physical swag and gifts, meaning it doesn’t have any gift cards or experience gift options.

❌ Lack of HRIS and SSO integrations: Nadel doesn’t seem to have the capacity to integrate directly with HR or SSO tools.

❌ No SOC 2 Type II certification: Nothing on the Nadel website states that it has enterprise-grade data security or compliance standards.

Nadel is best for…

… managers with large budgets who don’t want to manage the work themselves 👍

Nadel’s process is highly service-oriented. The company manages creative design, sourcing, fulfillment, and logistics on your behalf. This is ideal if you want top-quality results without lifting a finger. However, it also has downsides. You’ll have to pay a higher price and will need to coordinate closely with your assigned Nadel brand consultant to monitor the progress of your swag campaigns.

… companies with recipients in the US, UK, Hong Kong, and Australia 👍

Because Nadel has offices and fulfillment centers in the US, UK, Hong Kong, and Australia, you can leverage its services if your team or clients are in the same regions. For instance, your recipients will receive their items faster, and you’ll benefit from lower shipping costs brought by local fulfillment.

… marketing departments that want to use gifts during events 👍

Nadel can support event activations, pop-up shops, and custom PR kits, making it an ideal partner if you wish to use gifts as part of your campaign strategies. The platform’s creative services (for packaging and customization) will also enable you to provide experiences that reinforce your brand during product launches, conferences, or any other marketing events.

… leaders who wish to work with a platform with social impact 👍

Nadel’s sustainability initiatives and emphasis on ethical sourcing may appeal to you if you’re prioritizing social responsibility even with your swag and gifting campaigns. Specifically, the platform has various commitments, such as the CarbonFree Shipping Program, and even has its own committee to ensure sustainability in its processes.

Nadel may not be a good fit for…

… busy teams that want to automate swag and gift sending 👎

Nadel doesn’t have any HRIS integration and automation. This means that, for every project or gifting campaign you have, you’ll need to manually order swag items or reach out to your Brand Consultant for assistance. While this may work for smaller teams, it can be challenging and unsustainable in the long run if you regularly manage milestone gifting campaigns or have large-scale or recurring projects with automatic triggers.

… companies looking for upfront and transparent pricing and feature information 👎

Because Nadel doesn’t display subscription fees and product pricing on its main website, you may find it difficult to predict total costs or evaluate ROI if you’re working under fixed budgets. Additionally, the inability to see base pricing or package options without a consultation can further delay decision-making. You may waste your time booking and going through a demo only to find that Nadel isn’t fit for your budget. 

… businesses seeking to offer virtual gift cards and experiences 👎

Unlike newer gifting platforms, Nadel’s offerings are centered entirely around physical swag and gifts. Say that you have remote teams or wish to avoid physical waste caused by unused swag, then you’ll find that this limits your gift options.

Nadel remains one of the most established and respected names in branded swag and corporate gifting. Its expertise, creative talent, and supplier network make it ideal for companies seeking premium, fully managed swag and gifting experiences. However, this comes with a tradeoff: weak technology, limited automation, and high costs.

The platform is designed for those who value hands-off service over convenience and software. If you have the budget and want a partner to handle everything, from design to fulfillment, Nadel delivers quality. But if your goal is better technology, lower costs, or self-service functionality, modern gifting platforms will be a better fit.

Looking for better swag solutions? Explore the best Nadel alternatives

While Nadel delivers strong creative services and localized fulfillment, several modern alternatives can provide you with more gifting automation and pricing transparency. Many swag management and corporate gifting platforms offer transparent pricing with milestone automation and global warehousing. If you’re seeking a balance between creativity and efficiency, exploring these Nadel alternatives may reveal options better suited to your needs.

Nadel vs PerkUp, the #1 global platform for automated and transparent gifting

When comparing Nadel with PerkUp, the distinction comes down to technology and scale. Nadel offers support for bespoke gifting and branding projects that emphasize customization and the humans behind every swag project. You’ll work closely with consultants, but expect long email chains and meetings to finalize details. PerkUp, in contrast, is built for that, with more advanced technology and scalable offerings at no premium cost.

For instance, PerkUp integrates with HRIS and SSO tools and automates milestone gifting, allowing you to send premium swag and gifts instantly for onboarding, anniversaries, or campaigns. It also maintains global warehouses not just in the US, UK, Hong Kong, and Australia (like Nadel), but also in Canada, Europe, Mexico, and India, providing a true global warehousing network for faster delivery and reduced shipping costs. With a transparent pricing model, PerkUp also ensures you know what you’re paying for every step of the way.

For a more detailed comparison between these two platforms, be sure to check out our detailed comparison of Nadel vs PerkUp to understand why leading brands like Spring Health, Mapbox, and PUBG rely on PerkUp for global swag and gifting.