Counselor Top 40 supplier S&S Activewear (asi/84358) said Tuesday that all apparel products from Counselor Top 40 firm alphabroder (asi/34063) are now available through S&S’ U.S. website – a key development as S&S works to fully integrate AB and ultimately sunset the alphabroder brand this year.

Last year, S&S Activewear, the promotional products industry’s second-biggest supplier by revenue, acquired alphabroder, promo’s third-largest supplier. It was one of the biggest acquisitions the industry has ever seen, bringing together two multibillion-dollar firms.

Brands alphabroder (asi/34063) carries like Under Armour are now available on the S&S Activewear (asi/84358) website. This particular item is the Under Armour Tech Polo (1370399).

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Since then, S&S has been working to integrate alphabroder products and operations with the goal of uniting both businesses under one brand and website. Ultimately, the alphabroder site and brand name will be retired in the U.S. in July and Canada by early April.

“With alphabroder products now fully live on the S&S website in the U.S. – with Canada following soon – this marks a key milestone in uniting the two companies to deliver a more streamlined offering to customers,” S&S said in a statement to ASI Media. “Moving forward, S&S has confirmed that once the Canadian division fully integrates in April and the U.S. business follows in Q3, the S&S name and accompanying website will be the go-forward brand.”

It’s possible that S&S Activewear could even change its name/brand down the line. “By combining the best of both organizations, the company is also evaluating a refreshed brand positioning that further enhances its customer value proposition,” S&S said.

When S&S acquired alphabroder, it also brought aboard Prime Line – a hard goods promotional products brand then under alphabroder ownership that was formerly itself a Counselor Top 40 supplier. S&S is operating Prime Line as its own division under the leadership of industry veteran Eric Levin, and those hard good products are not on the S&S site. Prime Line will be getting its own site, effective April 1.

‘More Than 100 Brands’

As for the March 4 announcement on integrating alphabroder apparel products into the S&S U.S. website, executives asserted that the product unification creates promo’s largest assortment of brands while providing customers with a single platform for all their apparel and accessory needs. Overall, the site now boasts more than 100 brands.

“Bringing alphabroder’s product lineup under our digital roof simplifies the purchasing process and expands product options for both customer bases.” Toby Whitmoyer, S&S Activewear (asi/84358)

By creating an S&S account, former alphabroder customers can now shop their favorite styles as well as S&S exclusive brands – with one- to two-day delivery – and access the company’s customer service team. S&S customers will benefit from the influx of more than 40 additional brands.

“Bringing alphabroder’s product lineup under our digital roof simplifies the purchasing process and expands product options for both customer bases,” said Toby Whitmoyer, chief commercial officer for S&S Activewear. “Our customers can now access an even wider assortment of products, brands and styles through a single platform, streamlining their ordering process and access to customer support.”

S&S is continuing to evaluate what the combined S&S/alphabroder distribution center footprint will look like. Still, the firm had some news it wished to share with distributors.

“The company has committed to keeping alphabroder’s Middleboro facility to ensure top-tier service in the Northeastern U.S.,” the Counselor Top 40 supplier shared with ASI Media. “S&S is also focused on expanding its footprint in the Southwest region and is actively evaluating potential sites in Phoenix, Las Vegas and the surrounding areas. This move is expected to significantly improve service and inventory levels throughout the Western U.S.”

S&S Activewear has more than 4 million square feet of distribution center space in strategic locations around the United States and in Canada.

Based on estimated 2023 North American promotional product revenue of $2.1 billion, S&S Activewear ranked second on Counselor’s most recent list of the largest suppliers in the industry. The firm has made news of late through launching a new line of performance apparel and partnering with Jaanuu, a physician-founded medical apparel brand. S&S’ use of robotics and advanced automation in distribution centers to drive efficiencies has also generated interest.