Industry Reference
Current sales, market, and consumer figures for promotional products, custom apparel, and the North Carolina market.
Last updated September 28, 2026
These figures bring together recent industry and consumer research that is useful when planning branded apparel, team gear, event merchandise, and promotional products. Each statistic links to its original published source and date.
$174B
PPAI and Oxford Economics estimate this broader market includes promotional products and licensed merchandise, from branded apparel to retail goods.
Source: PPAI and Oxford Economics, September 22, 2026$4.3B
ASI reported that T-shirts represented 16.1% of annual industry sales and ranked as the top-selling promotional-product category.
Source: ASI 2026 Ad Impressions Study, March 2026$27.7B
ASI reported this record total after a stronger fourth quarter, following a mixed start to the year.
Source: Advertising Specialty Institute, January 21, 20264.2%
The figure compares 2025 distributor sales with 2024, according to ASI's annual sales report.
Source: Advertising Specialty Institute, January 21, 2026$1.1B
ASI listed North Carolina at 4.4% annual growth, placing it among the faster-growing state markets in the report.
Source: ASI Media State & Regional Sales Report, October 7, 202590%
The finding points to the value of useful, well-made items as part of a brand experience.
Source: PPAI Product Power 2026, December 8, 202583%
The result reinforces why branded apparel is often used for employees, teams, events, and customer thank-yous.
Source: PPAI Product Power 2026, December 8, 202565%
Durability, design, and material were named as factors in whether an item stays in use.
Source: PPAI Product Power 2026, December 8, 2025#1
PPAI surveyed more than 3,000 U.S. consumers ages 16 to 60 for this generational preference report.
Source: PPAI Promo Preferences by Generation, September 29, 2025Reading the numbers
Market figures use their sources’ own definitions. The newer U.S. branded-merchandise and promotional-products estimates cover a broader buying market, while traditional industry sales describe distributor sales. Consumer findings reflect the survey populations and questions reported by PPAI and ASI. North Carolina sales come from ASI's 2024 state report, the most recent state-level figure published there.
Sources & Citation
Suggested citation: Action Designs, “Promotional Products & Branded Apparel Statistics 2026,” updated September 28, 2026.
Link directly to the statistic you are citing, such as industry sales, T-shirt sales, North Carolina market data, or branded-product retention.
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