Printleaf Adds Promotional Products Service

Printleaf, an online printing company that focuses in commercial printing for businesses, is launching a promotional product branch of the company on promo.printleaf.com.

The site includes promotional items featuring drinkware, writing instruments, T-shirts, smartphone accessories and more.

"Printleaf is always looking for new ways to help businesses and organizations use print marketing to benefit them, and promotional items are a great way to grow your business," business director Alex Khaimov said in a press release.

Printleaf cited companies like AT&T, Metlife, NYU and Zendesk as clients.

The company's website indicates that it sources promotional items from Inkhead, which was purchased by Deluxe Corp. in August 2016.

In August 2017, we reported that another big-box retailer (arguably one of the biggest box retailers in the game), Walmart, entered the promo space in a similar way. Both sites operate in similar ways, bypassing distributors and allowing customers to purchase branded items directly from the site.

While a different move, it's reminiscent of Vistaprint's move from online only to brick-and-mortar storefront with staff there to sell directly to customers.

This not only creates competition with similar services like CustomInk, Walmart, CafePress and Teespring, it directly competes with the traditional promotional product market by circumventing the supplier-distributor-buyer model.