Thirsty for Sales

It's a competitive market and the race to the latest craze is always on, with more industry suppliers jumping into the race ever day. Whether you are looking to filter your water directly from your sports bottle or want to infuse it with strawberry and lemon spa-style, there's a supplier willing and able to make that bottle a reality. "I believe we're seeing a real trend toward design driven by utility," Martin noted. "The suppliers that are driving the market are bringing their own unique ideas to the industry rather than relying on their own [manufacturers]."

CONTROVERSY IN CUPS
While the controversy over the dangers of bisphenol-A (BPA) rages on, many suppliers have simply removed products containing BPA from their product line entirely. "The issue regarding BPA was blown out of proportion by the media and there are still misconceptions today," Hoffman stated. "Although we still have distributors asking about BPA, the questions have definitely declined. Most suppliers, including Huffermen, have eliminated products that contain BPA."

However, for distributors selling drinkware, it's not enough to assume all drinkware products are BPA-free. Martin noted that at Numo, their product line is also BPA-free, but cautioned distributors about a couple of BPA issues that can come up when placing orders. "One potential issue for distributors is to be cautious when ordering closeouts and discontinued items from suppliers, as they may be old stock manufactured before the BPA issues. The same holds when placing reorders," he said. Martin also warned that BPA can creep up where you least expect it. "Take the time to understand the decorating methods that are being used on your items, particularly as they relate to product safety. If a mug or bottle is BPA-free and Prop. 65-compliant when blank, don't think that it is after it's been decorated," he said. The most important thing to do before placing a drinkware order is to ask questions.