It’s Getting Closer –Are You Ready?
As each day ticks by we nudge ever closer to Chinese New Year and the Year of the Snake and whilst this might be good news for those planning to celebrate the New Year it’s definitely not good news for anyone looking to buy printed USB memory sticks.
In 2013 The Year of the Dragon officially starts on 10th February. It’s a huge festival for Chinese communities around the world so expect the usual fireworks and extravagant displays that have become synonymous with the start of any New Year.
The days and weeks after the start of the New Year is a typically a time for families to gather together, to feast and to relax. As a result production of pretty much everything in China stops during the New Year festivities.
The impact of this is a mad clamour to get things like printed USB sticks produced before the holidays start followed by a period when nothing gets produced because of factory closures and then a mad couple of weeks when the factories return and everyone is “playing catch-up”!
In the weeks just before Chinese New Year as demand for USB sticks increases it’s no surprise that the price increases – usual supply and demand rules apply! The higher prices tend to linger for several weeks after the holiday finishes before gradually falling over the following months.
Lead times also take a battering around Chinese New Year with typical lead times of 7 – 10 days often being extended to anything up to 6 weeks!
If you need or think you might need promotional USB memory sticks during February then please plan ahead and buy now. By doing so you’ll get a better price and you’ll be assured of delivery of your USB sticks when you need them. Leave it much longer and you’ll potentially expose yourself to a whole world of pain!
If you do leave it late then your only option will be to find a company that holds blank stock of USB memory sticks and is able to printed or engrave them in the UK. Most companies that do this tend to carry a few basic models in one or two colours so your options will be very limited.
One notable exception to this is USB2U who carry a wide range of different USB sticks all of which can be printed, engraved and data-loaded and delivered in as little as 24hrs! If do need USB flash drives printed with your logo on from a UK supplier during Chinese New Year (or any other time for that matter) then give the team at USB2U a call.