POLAND SPECIAL Supplierdays 2–3 September The Prodir Secret THE TRADE MAGAZINE FOR BRANDED MERCHANDISE AND WORKWEAR www.promzvak.nl Published bimonthly – July / August 2026 - Issue 4 vak
7 2026 - issue 4 - promzvak.nl vak COMMENT BY PETER VAN GESTEL (PETER.VANGESTEL@HETPORTAAL.COM) 9 Our publisher was recently at the trade fair organized by ASI in Chicago. During that same period, I was walking around Disneyland Paris. At first glance, those two destinations have little in common. But anyone who dares to look a little closer will definitely see a similarity. Both are run by American-oriented organizations. Anyone who knows me a little knows that I have a deep-seated dislike for the way America is currently being governed. What I have boundless admiration for, on the other hand, is the way Americans promote themselves. And, to keep it primarily professional, the way they promote *our* profession. They do that damn well. During the fair in Chicago, an award was presented to Frédéric Misseri of Synneo, among others, who was named International Person of the Year. The way that happened deserves a huge compliment. No meager applause, a bouquet of flowers, and then quickly moving on to the next item on the agenda. No, Frédéric was truly put in the spotlight. Without a doubt, he is as proud as a peacock… Now back to Disney. The big merchandise hit of the moment consists of Disney figures about twenty centimetres tall that you can attach to your shoulder, among other places, with a magnet. From Hei Hei (the boat snack), the chicken from Vaiana, to Baby Yoda: I have truly seen them all pass by. And not just a few times, but in enormous numbers. I was doing some calculations, and it wouldn't surprise me if Disneyland Paris generates somewhere between €500 million and €1 billion in merchandise revenue annually. A completely irresponsible calculation from a theme park bench, I admit that immediately. But my goodness, Disney knows how to sell its merchandise so well. Online, offline, and on every conceivable square meter of the park. You simply cannot escape it. And let's be honest: that is impressive. To make a long story short: I think we here in Europe could certainly adopt a bit more of that American pride. After all, we have the most beautiful profession in the world. Every day, we ensure that brands, organizations, and their messages are brought to the attention of consumers in the best possible way. We should definitely shout a bit louder about that. In fact, I am convinced that if we adopt just half of that American enthusiasm, our profession will have a particularly bright future.
C O N T E N T S vak 14 Who says what <11> Supplier vs Intermediary <12> Lieke Jans Stroomer wants Goodwill to be a reliable bridge between factory and trade <14> BIGsmilegroep’s ambition is clear: to become the central platform for gifting, without taking over the reseller relationship <23> Martijn van Rooy: “We are not an alternative to the full-size bottle. We are a discovery and marketing channel.” Parfumado is now entering our market too <28> The secret of Prodir <32> Carryon sharpens product focus under new owners <39> Special Poland: The Polish power behind European production <43> The quality of Glasmark <45> Guapa Clean Up: conscious production, targeted personalization <47> NOEX: reliability for generations <49> Lanyard Pro: lime green guarantee <51> DOTHAT creates <53> Bage4U: quality, flexibility, and production close to the European customer <55> Asgard <57> Tea bags in every shape imaginable <59> Tomadex S.C. launches its own sportswear brand KEEZA: fan merchandise and professional teamwear from a single production environment <61> Zooksy custom socks <63> Essential factors for a successful embroidery design <64> The psychology behind price <68> Next Gen: Demi Oomen, Florisgifts <73> Column Rob Looye <77> PPP <79> The vision of newly appointed PPP chairman Pieter Bosscher <81> Top or Flop <83> What are the expectations for The Supplierdays <85> What do recent studies on the effects of marketing for sustainable products mean for the marketing of promotional clothing and workwear? <91> New ProductZ <94> NoteZ <103> 28 47 68 91 M A S T H E A D PromZ Vak Het Portaal Media B.V. Veerdijk 40-H, 1531 MS Wormer The Netherlands Tel: +31 (0)75-6475747, e-mail: traffic@hetportaal.com Editor-in-Chief: Peter van Gestel Veerdijk 40-H, 1531 MS Wormer The Netherlands Mob: +31 (0)6-33637794 E-mail: peter.vangestel@hetportaal.com Editorial Staff: Lisette Erdtsieck, Wally Cartigny, Marjolein Straatman, Joke Bastinck, Ed van Eunen, Sem van Lit, Allard Frederiks, Rob Looye, Marion Zuurveen Publication Manager: John M. Swaab Tel: +31 (0)75-6475747 Mob: +31 (0)6-54994998 E-mail: john.swaab@hetportaal.com Advertising Sales: Ferry Aaftink Tel: +31 (0)75-6475747 Mob: +31 (0)6-12643168 E-mail: ferry.aaftink@hetportaal.com Bettina Nettelbeck Mob: +49 (0)173-1933919 E-mail: bettina.nettelbeck@hetportaal.com Katharina Bütow Mob: +31 (0)6 25392460 E-mail: katharina.buetow@hetportaal.com Simone Keijzers Mob: +31 (0)6-18255325 E-mail: simone.keijzers@-hetportaal.com Production & Traffic: Monique Zijlstra Tel: +31 (0)75-6475747 E-mail: traffic@hetportaal.com Design & Desktop Publishing: Finnmedia.nl Cover Design: Snars Images: Creative Owl Media, iStockphoto Printing: Real Concepts B.V., Velp Subscriptions: PromZ Vak is available free of charge to professionals who can demonstrate that they work for or are active as suppliers or distributors of promotional products, promotional gifts, and related services in the Netherlands and Belgium.. © No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the publisher. Our magazines are printed on FSC-certified paper. Please pass your copy on to colleagues or recycle it with your paper waste after reading.
WHO SAID WHAT? “REALISING AFTERWARDS THAT PROFITS HAVE FALLEN SHORT IS NOT MANAGEMENT INFORMATION; IT IS SIMPLY RECORDING HISTORY.” (Rob Looye, pag. 77) “THE PROBLEM IS THAT DISCOUNTING CAN DO MORE HARM THAN GOOD. COMPANIES OFTEN FAIL TO REALIZE HOW MUCH ADDITIONAL VOLUME THEY NEED TO COMPENSATE FOR THE LOSS OF MARGIN. THIS IS GREATLY UNDERESTIMATED.” (Sebastian Glosemeyer, Director at The House of Marketing, p. 71) “SOMETIMES IT FEELS AS THOUGH, IN ADDITION TO WORKING ON CREATIVE CAMPAIGNS AND CUSTOMER REQUESTS, YOU ALSO NEED TO BE HALF A LAWYER. ESPECIALLY BECAUSE LEGISLATION CONCERNING SUSTAINABILITY, PRODUCT SAFETY AND COMPLIANCE CONTINUES TO DEVELOP AT A RAPID PACE.” (Joke Bastinck, owner of Kimik, p. 79) “INVENTORY IS A KILLER, PEOPLE OFTEN SAY. BUT OUR OWN INVENTORY IS ACTUALLY OUR GREATEST STRENGTH.” (Ivo Feyen, BIGsmilegroep, p. 25) “A PROMOTIONAL PRODUCT SHOULD BE MORE THAN JUST A VEHICLE FOR A LOGO. THE BEST PRODUCT IS NOT THE ONE THAT IS SIMPLY GIVEN AWAY, BUT THE ONE PEOPLE GENUINELY WANT TO KEEP.” (Edyta Lisowska, founder of Dothat, p. 53) 11 2026 - issue 4 - promzvak.nl
12 Intermediary and supplier. Five identical questions. To a supplier and an intermediary, who do not know in advance who the other is answering. How do they view the industry, each from their own perspective? In this episode: Jeroen Burhorst (Yipp & Co) and Hanno van Dijk (Riké Group). Which trend or development is inevitable for the industry in your view? For me, that is without a doubt sustainability. In our industry, you still see too often that something is immediately labelled sustainable as soon as it contains recycled materials. Of course, that is important, but the quality and origin of the product are just as important. A garment made from recycled cotton with a limited lifespan is not immediately more sustainable than a cotton garment made from new and longer cotton fibers that has a much longer lifespan and pills less quickly. We also always offer different production locations, because sustainability often starts close to home. Furthermore, we always provide our customers with honest advice and various options so that they can make an informed choice. For us, the advice is at least as important as the product itself. And sustainability is never finished. We have the highest achievable Ecovadis Platinum score, but we continue to look for improvements.’ What are your business expectations for the rest of this year? ‘We still expect growth. That sounds ambitious, but for years we have been investing a lot of time in customer retention, expanding our existing client base, targeted acquisition, sourcing original and distinctive products, and delivering custom solutions. Naturally, we keep a close eye on developments in the world. We adapt to market needs, but proactivity is always a key priority for us, and we love nothing more than surprising our customers and prospects. We believe that opportunities always lie ahead, and we act on them quickly.’ From which aspect of your work do you derive the most satisfaction? ‘For me, that really lies in brainstorming and proactively creating creative custom proposals.’ We want to demonstrate our added value and inspire and surprise our clients and prospects with creative and original gifts and concepts. We delve into their organization, seek out unique products, and present a complete concept. The best feeling is when a client says: “I would never have thought of this myself.” That is when you know you are adding value. We don’t want to be a standard supplier that simply executes a request. We want to inspire and give people ideas. It is precisely that creative process that gives me the most energy.’ Which brand can you not do without? ‘I look much more at quality than at the logo on it. That applies professionally, but just as much personally. I would rather buy something that lasts for years than a cheaper alternative that you have to replace after a short time. If another brand with the same quality appears tomorrow, I will switch just as easily. Ultimately, for me, it is about the product, not the name.’ What can they wake you up for in the middle of the night? ‘For a project where we can really pull out all the stops and get to contribute ideas, advise, and create something unique together right from the start. The best thing is when a client trusts our expertise completely. A great example is a client of ours in Suriname. We have been working together for years, and precisely because they know what we are capable of, they give us the space to come up with ideas. They choose not just a product, but above all the creativity, quality, and advice we offer. We are currently developing a fully custom-made set of building blocks for them. A project like this shows exactly what energizes us: working with the client to create something that no one else has and delivering an end result that everyone can be proud of. Those are the projects you can happily wake us up for in the middle of the night.’ ‘Sustainability starts with a product that lasts a long time’ Jeroen Burhorst Yipp & Co DOOR ALLARD FREDRIKS
9 ‘Authentic personal contact will become increasingly important in the future’ Hanno van Dijk Riké Group Which trend or development do you consider inevitable for the industry? There are actually two things that stand out. The first is the emergence of more concrete applications of AI, and the second is the increase in demand for personalization in smaller print runs. We ourselves are increasingly using AI tools to accelerate and improve parts of internal processes. This allows us to help our clients faster with better advice. AI seems to be mainly a popular buzzword, but it is a very useful tool. A concrete example of how we use AI tools is in creating impressions, where the design of a beer or wine glass comes to life in the client's photorealistic environment. Or, for example, in desktop publishing work, when the client does not have a vector file available, we can improve the logo quality surprisingly well using AI tools. Additionally, people prefer to do business with people. In fact, I expect authentic personal contact will become increasingly important in the future. Especially in a world that is becoming increasingly artificial precisely because of AI. As a result, it is becoming increasingly important for companies to distinguish themselves in the real world through more personalized marketing communications. We see that the demand for personalization is increasing, particularly in the demand for smaller print runs. A good example is that more and more restaurants want to be ‘Instagrammable’. Consequently, hospitality entrepreneurs are making more conscious choices regarding the appearance of their establishment. Guests share photos of the atmosphere at the table via social media. A water bottle or wine glass with a logo is free advertising and therefore an easy win.’ What are your business expectations for the rest of this year? Thanks to the recent acquisition of the printing company Horecaservies by Riké Group, we have extra production capacity and look forward to the coming year with confidence. Our customers throughout Europe expect fast delivery times and a wide range of products in stock. And we can now offer that even better. With the new (Christmas) season just around the corner, we are fully prepared.’ From which aspect of your work do you derive the most satisfaction? ‘When unique products find their way to unique places and come into their own. We often print glassware and tableware with unique designs that we design and realize together with the client. Printed glassware and tableware is an experience. Especially because you can hold it. And what is also nice is that our products are used throughout Europe, from wine glasses in Finland to beer mugs in Cyprus.’ Which brand can you not do without? Apple. Because of the products, but especially because it is an example of a strong brand. You can see the brand’s vision reflected in the designs of the various products. And what I like is that a brand is primarily created by the story and the experience surrounding it.’ What can they wake you up for in the middle of the night? A beautiful trip with a mix of culture, nature, and adventure. Preferably the kind of trip where things don't go perfectly. The best memories—not necessarily the most beautiful or comfortable—are made when something is missing. Sleeping in a sheep cave or surfing during a storm.’ 13 2026 - issue 4 - promzvak.nl
14 Lieke Jans BY LISETTE ERDTSIECK
8 “You go through two doors and you’re in the office, which is very convenient! At the same time, it also means that private life and business constantly flow into each other,” says owner Lieke Jans Stroomer, who has been running the agency in Schijndel together with her husband Roel since 2003. And that is exactly how it was when she was growing up, with her father doing business with Germany from his home office. Can you introduce Goodwill? “We are a trading company and represent a number of German factories in the Benelux. In 1987, my father came into contact with Sweda, a manufacturer of watches, desk clocks and wall clocks based in Asia, with an office in Mannheim. He became the exclusive agent for the products in the Benelux, and that marked the beginning of Goodwill. Sweda shared a stand at PSI with JUNG Bonbonfabriek, and they worked with the same representatives, so it did not take long before my father also took on that brand. Around 1998, when I was already working at Goodwill, Elasto joined. At a certain point, when JUNG and Sweda started organising their representation differently, Walz and Magna Sweets took their place. Both factories are also located in Hidden in a farmhouse south of Den Bosch is the office of Goodwill Schijndel. An enthusiastic dog, a daughter studying for her exams, the sound of the wind moving through the trees; at first glance, nothing seems to point to the trade in promotional products. And yet this is where sales and coordination take place every day for a wide range of products from three renowned German factories, that find their sales channels in the Benelux through Goodwill. ‘I DON’T LIKE BEING IN THE SPOTLIGHT’ LIEKE JANS STROOMER WANTS GOODWILL TO BE A RELIABLE BRIDGE BETWEEN FACTORY AND TRADE southern Germany. Walz produces desk and wall calendars and wellness promotion products, while Magna produces all kinds of sweets, chocolate, mints, nuts and advent calendars. We have been working very pleasantly with these three factories for a long time, and to this day they all deliver high quality. There are certificates and quality checks; in short, the products are right. At Elasto, for example, I have been working with the same people for almost 30 years, and that feels familiar, a bit like family. At the same time, we work on a contractual basis, targets have to be met and sometimes things go wrong, so I also keep a certain healthy distance. Every now and then, you need to be able to have those difficult conversations as well.” Collaboration How did your father end up in this industry? “My father had always worked in trade and came into contact with the industry during his time at Koninklijke Van Kempen & Begeer, through the loyalty campaigns they organised. He later became director of De Kijkshop. At the time, the head office was in Den Bosch, so we moved to Schijndel. 15 2026 - issue 4 - promzvak.nl
8 ‘I don’t like being in the spotlight’ After that, he started Goodwill. He travelled a lot in Asia and brought all kinds of new products home, which I was allowed to test as a child. So I really grew up with this trade.” And when did you know you wanted to make it your profession too? “I studied International Business in Eindhoven and Salamanca. When I finished, I didn’t know exactly what I wanted to do. My father had his office at home, so with him too, just as it is here with us now, work and private life overlapped. During that period, he asked me to help organise a trade fair stand at the RAI. That was the beginning of my career, because the collaboration went so well that I never left! My choice of study had, of course, already been focused on marketing, communication and economics, so it did make sense. But it had never been my goal to succeed my father. My father was a wonderful man, witty and intelligent, and I learned a lot from him. He could also be dominant at times, but in general the collaboration went very well. We did everything ourselves. Packing samples, administration, purchasing and sales, visiting factories and customers: whatever came our way, we picked it up. Not unimportant is that the trade was doing very well at the time. At 62, he was done. He felt it had been enough. My two sisters had never been interested in taking over the company, and in 2003 I bought it together with Roel. I would not have been able to manage the work on my own. Roel was a programmer by profession and quit his job. It was a lot all at once then, because I had just given birth to our son Gijs, so I took over Goodwill while breastfeeding…” Elasto Did you make changes straight away as the new owners? “We had quite a large production of wall clocks coming from Asia, which we assembled here ourselves. We let that go. We continued with Elasto and Walz, and later Magna Sweets. Walz supplies desk calendars that were already part of the collection forty years ago. That really is a perfect item! Elasto has, among other things, a very large and strong Made in Germany range and a great many printing options. Everything they sell in the Benelux goes through us. That is a matter of trust, and we have built that up over the course of our long collaboration. Sometimes I give them feedback on their collection. Especially in the time when Gerhard Sperber was at the helm, the colours and design were very uniform and solid. That has changed under his sons and successors Marcus and Frank. Their showroom also looks a lot more modern these days. Another major change since we took over Goodwill has, of course, been the arrival of the online market.” Do you notice differences between the way people work in Germany and the Netherlands? “Hierarchy still plays a much bigger role in Germany than it does in the Netherlands. And with that comes a certain departmental way of thinking: you don’t just walk into another department with a question the way you might here. They are very pleasant factories and the people are lovely, but that still exists there, and as Dutch people we sometimes have to adjust to that.” 17 2026 - issue 4 - promzvak.nl
8 ‘I don’t like being in the spotlight’ Senior Focus Can you give some examples of products that really stand out to you? “One thing that came over from Canada, and which I think is a very nice and valuable product, is the ‘Senior Focus’ box. It is a simple yellow lunch box with Senior Focus printed on it in full colour. It is offered through the government and is intended for elderly people and people in need of care. It comes with a form that the recipient has to fill in together with a family member or doctor. For example, the names of contact persons, blood type, medication use, allergies, whether the person has a pacemaker, that sort of information. There is also a sticker that has to be placed on the front door. The lunch box is always stored in the fridge. If something happens to this person and care workers or emergency responders receive a call, they see the sticker on the front door and can go straight to the fridge for further information. It is a very simple product, and it saves lives. That makes me happy. In Belgium, this product is doing very well. I am still waiting for a Dutch distributor to pick it up!” Do you have a vision for the future of Goodwill? “Apart from wanting to continue as we are now, we are ‘busy’ with our son Gijs. He has a marketing agency in Den Bosch and may also be interested in working together in the future. But he is only 23, and for now he simply has to do his own thing. Our daughter Eva is 20 and studies psychology in Tilburg, so that is a completely different direction. But never say never… Just as I used to do everything together with my father, I would like to keep it that way now too. The trust between us and the factories is strong, and we work well together. What I notice is that I no longer lie awake worrying about the company as much. I think that has to do with age; at some point you become a bit calmer and more relaxed. With my father, I eventually saw that he was becoming too old for this trade, and I can understand that. Sometimes you feel a bit chased, but these days I increasingly think: it will work out. And it always does!” Modest How are the roles divided between you and your husband? “Roel and I are both owners, so as life partners that is quite special. In terms of the division of roles, we both do sales, but I am more visible and, for example, visit trade fairs, customers and factories, while he takes care of the backoffice here. I am the face of the company, although I don’t like being in the spotlight. I am modest by nature; even this interview is already quite something for me… I always think: I’ll just do my thing.” What do you enjoy doing most? “I really enjoy customer contact. For example, getting a new online webshop as a customer and getting to work with them using as many beautiful products as possible. Or when something I initially did not expect much from turns into a very nice contact and a new collaboration. We serve both smaller companies such as Bovi and Pronel, whom my father already worked with, and larger ones such as PinkCube, Keiretsu and Kick and Rush. I am also currently in the early stages of a collaboration with PromoCat. It took a number of years before I managed to get Elasto ready to take that step. Something like that requires patience and a lot of coordination with Germany, and that gives me energy too.” Your office at home. How do you manage working hours and free time? “We simply start at eight in the morning here, just like in any office. Sometimes I work in the evening or on a Sunday morning, and of course work also comes up at the dining table, but you do have to set boundaries. What is also important is that each of you continues to do your own thing. I also saw with my parents that working together in the company goes well if you also keep doing things "One thing that came over from Canada, and which I think is a very nice and valuable product, is the `Senior Focus' box." 19 2026 - issue 4 - promzvak.nl
(advertentie) 9 ‘I don’t like being in the spotlight’ separately. Roel and I regularly go away for a few days independently of each other. I enjoy strolling through a city, visiting museums and walking.” Sport What are your other hobbies? “I enjoy sports. I played hockey for a long time. I have also been playing tennis for many years and I play competitively too. I am competitive; I am not there just to hit a few balls. It is fine to lose, but then I want to have worked for it. I also walk a lot with the dog or with a friend. I am not the type for large groups, and I also really enjoy being at home.” If you had not ended up doing this, what would you have done? “Of course, thoughts about that cross my mind from time to time. For example, I regularly browse art auctions and find it very interesting to research the provenance of a painting and then buy it. Or volunteering in a hospice, for example, also appeals to me because of the social involvement I feel.” What do you like most about the industry? “The diversity is fun. In the morning, you don’t know what you will end the day with. The people you work with are nice. I have good contact with our customers. We are experienced, reliable and small, and that means we respond and act quickly. Most people appreciate that. A promise is a promise. I think customer contact, especially with the pace at which technology is now developing, is of enormous added value. I believe that will always remain, and that is why trade fairs will continue to exist too.” 21 2026 - issue 4 - promzvak.nl
8 Ivo Feyen did not start his career with the ambition to build a Christmas hamper company. He attended hotel school, interned at Disney’s Grand Floridian hotel – complete with salmon-pink trousers – and subsequently worked as a financial controller in Amsterdam, among other roles. Until his father came along. The Christmas hamper division of his wholesale business was growing so fast that regular customers were starting to suffer. He asked if Ivo was interested in spinning off the business. “I did that. It cost me a relationship at the time, but it was the beginning of Feyenpak.” That was the late nineties. Feyen started with a right-hand man and two employees. Initially, it was literally sweeping the hall together and then selling Christmas hampers. But the company grew rapidly. A showroom of approximately Last February, BIGsmilegroep was named Christmas Supplier of the Year. A great opportunity to talk with Ivo Feyen – and, slightly more from the sidelines, Michel Stavenuiter – about nearly thirty years of Christmas hampers, choice gifts, and gifting. Success turns out not to lie solely in good products. At least as important are a distinctive assortment vision, virtually industrial logistics, and technology that stands not alongside, but right in the middle of the company. INVENTORY IS KILLING. UNLESS YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH IT BY PETER VAN GESTEL 1,500 square meters was established in Coevorden, surrounded by halls totalling about 10,000 square meters and eleven meters high. The Christmas hamper trip Those were different times. Customers from Maastricht got into their cars without complaint to visit a showroom in Coevorden. Not only to pick out a package, but also because such a day at the boss's expense was a nice outing. Feyenpak took it seriously, with complete experience spaces ranging from bathrooms to kitchens. “Once we had a customer in the showroom, the chance of getting the order was about ninety percent.” But companies became more reluctant to organize business outings, regulations became stricter, and the number of showroom visits declined. The market shifted more towards preparing 23 2026 - issue 4 - promzvak.nl
Inventory is killing. Unless you know what to do with it 8 quotations without showroom visits and tenders. At the same time, the first selection concepts emerged, initially featuring twelve or twenty-four items. Feyenpak was an early adopter and won major contracts. Perhaps a little too successfully. The combination of small regional customers and large, labour-intensive tenders began to cause friction. During a busy season, virtually all attention went to the large orders. “We fell flat on our faces. By the end of that year, we had almost no regional customers left.” It was a painful but decisive lesson. Serving only large end customers made the company vulnerable. But continuing to receive smaller regional customers ourselves, purchasing for them, and packing was unsustainable just as much. The solution was found in resale. Extension of the reseller By now, an estimated 60 to 65 percent of BIGsmilegroep's revenue has a resale component. Whereas resellers used to keep the origin of their Christmas packages a secret, they now collaborate much more openly with suppliers. Sometimes a reseller simply calls to say that a customer needs, for example, a Christmas hamper, a birthday concept, flowers from the company, or a loyalty program. Or asks if BIGsmilegroep is willing to take over the conversation and arrange it on their behalf. According to Feyen, this is not a threat, but rather a strengthening. The reseller focuses on the relationship and their core business. BIGsmilegroep handles the back end of all those additional concepts: assortment, webshop, customer service, shipping, and potentially the integration with a purchasing system. “We do not want to sit in the promotional reseller's chair. Those are our customers. We do not compete with them; we broaden their offerings.” Branded items can be included in a customer shop, for example for onboarding or company pride, but only upon request and from the reseller's stock. BIGsmilegroep facilitates; the reseller remains the owner of the customer. Creative poverty The current ownership structure arose after the merger with Jongens XMAS, in which Cor Jongens acquired a 40 percent stake. The collaboration with Michel Stavenuiter began earlier, around 2016. The trigger was a discussion on LinkedIn about gift cards. Feyen called them “the creative poverty of our industry.” Stavenuiter read it, picked up the phone, and was sitting at a table in Coevorden the very next day. This was followed by evenings during which the two endlessly searched online for products. They started purchasing and importing jointly. For Feyen, this opened up a whole new world. A fleece blanket for which he paid €8.50 at a middleman turned out to be available directly for about 4 dollars. It underscored something that remains central today: among thousands of items, there must always be ten or fifteen products that people immediately think: I want that. Not the gift card, but that specific product. Assortment as a counterattack The rise of gift cards instantly gave choice concepts thousands of possibilities. Feyen, however, saw a decline in variety. Not only because margins are limited, but also because gifts are becoming increasingly abstract. His response was radical: to build a much broader physical assortment himself. This started with a few hundred items, grew to a thousand, and later to two thousand. Currently, there are over 5,000 items in stock. Within a year and a half to two years, that number should reach approximately 7,000. The philosophy is simple: the broader the assortment, the fewer units you need to stock per item. If something is sold out, it temporarily disappears from the shop. This way, even "Aunt Truus" can find her purple socks with pink dots, without needing hundreds of copies of every item. The range extends from small gifts costing a few euros to selectively included products costing several hundred euros. In addition, there are physical gifts, gift cards, surprise packages, and dozens of complete Christmas hampers. Everything in one place. Inventory as the strongest asset “Inventory is killing,” goes a well-known entrepreneurial adage. Feyen turns it on its head. According to him, it is precisely the company's own inventory that is BIGsmilegroep's strongest asset. When the company still shipped the choice concepts itself, the operation was labour-intensive, seasonal, and depen2026 - issue 4 - promzvak.nl 25
Inventory is killing. Unless you know what to do with it 9 dent on temporary staff every year. Through a former employee, Feyen came into contact with the e-commerce fulfilment company of the then Van Dijk Studieboeken in Emmen. The peak there was in the summer, whereas BIGsmilegroep was under maximum strain precisely in the autumn. The seasons aligned perfectly. Scanning systems, automated packaging machines, and payment per processed item reduced picking and shipping costs. Boxes are made to fit as snugly as possible, resulting in less air being transported. This logistical shift also made year-round concepts possible. After all, the inventory was still in Emmen after Christmas. Why utilize it only in November and December? This is how birthday programs, onboarding concepts, loyalty programs, and other forms of employee gifting came into being. This is how BIGsmilegroep distinguishes itself from dropshipping models. Anyone ordering three different gifts often receives three boxes from three different senders. BIGsmilegroep aims to deliver a single, well-presented gift, complete with appropriate packaging, a card, and a personal message. In addition, Christmas logistics are supported by personnel, planners, and the vehicle fleet from the group surrounding the VHC Group. Approximately half of the shipments are sent using their own transport, the rest via regular carriers. Packing is partly done at sheltered workshops. A relatively small team manages the operation from Coevorden. “In the past, we hired packers year after year. One year you were lucky, the next year it was firewood. Now we have a well-oiled machine.” IT as a tool The other pillar is technology. According to Feyen, the systems were developed in-house, with dedicated IT capacity. As a result, BIGsmilegroep can quickly translate customer wishes into functionality. In the shops, budgets can be set per orderer, cost centers and general ledger accounts can be linked, and authorizations can be configured. Organizations can tailor their ordering process to their own structure. Additionally, API connections are possible with purchasing, HR, and administrative systems. The main goal is: as little manual work as possible. No employees retyping orders, no phone calls asking if a product is still in stock, and no waiting months for a small adjustment in a webshop. “Just tell us how you want it, and we’ll set it up that way.” Feyen does not view technology as the end product. If different providers can deliver roughly the same integrations, it is once again about what truly counts: the products, the packaging, the delivery, and the feeling that someone is receiving a gift. Sustainable, without green preaching Sustainability is also firmly anchored in the product range. Approximately 2,200 items feature one or more sustainability characteristics. A shop can be opened for customers in which only those products are visible. Nevertheless, Feyen is critical of the way sustainability is sold. Interest in fully green concepts appeared to grow hardly any further after an initial wave. Large organizations still ask for them in tenders, but ultimately, employees mainly want a gift they can actually use. That is where the essence lies for Feyen. A sustainable product that no one wants is still a waste. The sixth trolley, tenth sports bag, or twentieth water bottle does not become more sustainable just because it contains recycled material. Therefore, sustainability does not start with material or a certificate, but with relevance. Is the product being used? Can it be packed efficiently and delivered in a single shipment? And is the story surrounding it honest? That is less spectacular than yet another green logo on a website, but probably more effective. Putting the plug The selection as Christmas Supplier of the Year therefore did not come out of the blue. BIGsmilegroep has reinvented itself multiple times: from a regional Christmas hamper supplier with a huge showroom to a reseller organization, and from a seasonal business to a year-round, quadruple ISO-certified gifting platform. Feyen calls it plug-and-play. A reseller signs up, a unique look is added to the shop, the connections are established, and the assortment is ready. “Plug it in and you can get started.” The ambition is clear: to become the central platform for gifting, without taking over the reseller relationship. With thousands of physical items in stock, a flexible logistics machine, and technology that adapts to the customer instead of the other way around. Or, as Feyen puts it himself: “We think we are going to score big with this in the coming years.” After nearly thirty years, that doesn't sound like boasting. Rather, it sounds like someone who, after a few painful lessons, knows exactly where his strength lies. 27 2026 - issue 4 - promzvak.nl
28 PARFUMADO DOESN'T WANT TO REPLACE YOUR BOTTLE, BUT TO CONVINCE YOUR NOSE When you say perfume, you say bottle. A handsome design, usually made of glass, a considerable weight, a cap that feels just a little too heavy, and packaging that must primarily convey that what is inside is special. Parfumado is doing something that was unthinkable in that world for a long time: it makes luxury perfumes accessible in the form of handy samples, allowing consumers to try and compare scents at their leisure. Not to make the classic bottle obsolete, but precisely to help them discover new favourites in an ever-growing range. That distinction is important, emphasizes cofounder Martijn van Rooy. “We are not an alternative to the full-size bottle. We are a discovery and marketing channel.” The company started as a subscription service for consumers but also developed into a data source for perfume brands, a sampling platform, and a gift concept for the business market. In love with an industry Van Rooy had the ambition to become an entrepreneur early on, but decided to study and gain experience first. After graduating, he ended up at YVRA, at the time a small perfume brand under development. Several experienced entrepreneurs were involved with the brand, including Maarten van den Biggelaar, founder of Quote and cofounder of Planet Internet. For Van Rooy, it was his introduction to an industry that captivated him almost immediately. Not only because of the product, but especially because of everything surrounding it. “You are essentially selling a liquid that smells nice. But emotionally, perfume does a huge amount to people. From disgust to falling in love. If you love marketing and storytelling, it is a great industry.” In two and a half years, he got to know the links in the chain: from production and distribution to retail and the consumer. At the same time, he saw how traditionally the market functioned. You prefer to buy perfume physically, because the nose ultimately decides. Online, the purchase quickly becomes a gamble. That is precisely where Van Rooy saw an opportunity. Subscription models like HelloFresh were on the rise and made recurring purchasing behaviour easier. Why couldn't a similar model work for perfume? Not for the consumer who has been wearing the same scent for twenty years, but for people who enjoy discovering, switching things up, and trying new brands. From sample to month's supply The premise was simple. Anyone receiving a sample at a BY PETER VAN GESTEL
8 perfumery usually gets a small bottle of about two millilitres. This often happens only after a purchase has already been made. According to Van Rooy, that is actually the wrong order: pay first, then try. Moreover, such a small sample is barely sufficient to truly get to know a scent. Perfume develops on the skin, changes throughout the day, and can be experienced differently the more often someone wears it. A first impression from a test strip is far from telling the whole story. Parfumado therefore opted for eight millilitres: enough for about four sprays a day, for thirty days. A month's supply, in other words. Large enough to seriously experience a scent, small enough to keep discovering. The idea was appealing, but the execution was much more complicated. Perfume is a closed industry, dominated by heritage, premium, and luxury brands that strictly guard their intellectual property and brand experience. After all, the bottle, packaging, and presentation are an important part of the product. Parfumado therefore explicitly positioned itself not as a competitor to the full-size bottle. The company actually wants to encourage its purchase. Anyone who discovers a fragrance they really like via Parfumado is referred to the retailer to buy the original bottle. “We want to ensure that someone decides to make that investment of sometimes 150 euros or more based on a real experience,” says Van Rooy. “If you are crazy about a fragrance, you eventually want to have that beautiful bottle.” Not a sales channel, but a marketing platform In its early stages, Parfumado focused primarily on solving a consumer problem. As the platform grew, the company discovered that it could also solve a different problem for brands. Every user starts with a perfume quiz. This maps out preferences for scent profiles, ingredients, brands, and purchasing behaviour, among other things. It does not just ask about obvious categories like fresh, woody, or sweet. Preferences for materials and atmosphere can also provide insight into the direction someone is looking. The quiz was developed in collaboration with perfumers and fragrance experts. Many questions stem from oneon-one conversations they normally have with customers. For example, someone drawn to velvety fabrics may more often prefer warmer, sweeter, or amber scents. The result is not binding advice. The customer remains in control and chooses which fragrance they wish to receive. Moreover, the recommendations are becoming increasingly accurate. After receiving the fragrance, the user can indicate whether or not they liked it. With every thumbs up or down, the system continues to learn. 29 2026 - issue 4 - promzvak.nl
Parfumado doesn't want to replace your bottle, but to convince your nose 9 For perfume brands, this yields information that traditional retailers barely possess. Parfumado knows not only what someone orders, but also why a fragrance might appeal, what profile is associated with it, and how a product is evaluated after use. These insights can be shared with brands in reports and analyses. As a result, Parfumado has become more than a subscription service. Van Rooy calls it a data and insight marketing channel. “We are not a sales channel. We are a sample channel. People come to us to discover what suits them.” More targeted sampling, less waste This positioning aligns with a broader development in the beauty industry. Traditional sampling often still operates on the principle of distributing as much as possible. Brands send large numbers of samples to retailers, who then hand them out without much selection. A significant portion ends up unused in a drawer or in the trash. Parfumado tries to make that process more targeted. Based on the fragrance profile, a sample can end up with someone who is already known to have a high chance of interest. This makes sampling not only more relevant but can also limit waste. In addition to the subscription, the company therefore offers sampling campaigns for brands. A consumer does not necessarily have to be a subscriber to participate. The available data makes it possible to distribute a specific fragrance to a suitable target group. Not shooting blindly, but sampling from someone who is likely genuinely curious. Parfumado keeps production in-house. The company receives perfume in bulk from many brands, after which the fragrances are bottled in-house. For larger volumes, this is done mechanically; for smaller quantities, partly manually. With an assortment of more than six hundred fragrances, full automation is not always cost-effective. From subscription to corporate gift Although Parfumado was built upon the consumer market, the product soon proved attractive as a business gift as well. Perfume inherently possesses a luxurious appeal, while the travel size is practical and accessible. It is personal, but need not be risky as long as the recipient can choose for themselves. The latter is crucial within B2B. A company can gift a preselected fragrance, but also opt for a gift card. The recipient then completes the quiz themselves, receives recommendations, and determines which scent suits them best. This makes a traditionally difficult gift suddenly scalable: personal without the buyer having to select a scent individually for hundreds of employees. The main business peak is around Christmas. In the perfume industry, a large portion of annual revenue is generated around Valentine's Day, Mother's Day, Sinterklaas, and especially Christmas. The subscription business is less dependent on this, but within B2B, the fourth quarter remains dominant. Deliberately through resellers For the promotional market, Parfumado deliberately chooses to collaborate with distributors and resellers. This means that margins must be shared, while the company also serves consumers directly. Nevertheless, Van Rooy does not view the B2B channel solely as a source of revenue. After all, behind the physical product lies a platform and a subscription model. Every gift can be an initial introduction to the broader range of services. The more people use the bottle, the greater the brand awareness and the greater the chance that they will become customers themselves later on. The lower margin is therefore partly seen as a marketing investment. Meanwhile, the ambition extends beyond the Netherlands and Belgium. Parfumado is also active in the United Kingdom and Scandinavia and aims to expand further in Germany. Ultimately, the company wants to grow into the premier perfume discovery platform in Europe, with a rich selection of brands and, in the long term, a million active subscribers. It is certainly not a modest ambition. But perhaps that suits perfume well: a product consisting of barely visible liquid, yet capable of evoking a complete world through packaging, story, and emotion. 31 2026 - issue 4 - promzvak.nl
32 BY PETER BY GESTEL THE SECRET OF PRODIR A pen is a pen. Right? A plastic casing, a clip, a mechanism, and a refill. Put a logo on it, close the box, and you're done. After a visit to the Prodir factories, you know that this reasoning is about as honest as saying that a watch consists only of two hands and a strap. At Prodir, nothing is just ‘a component’. The colour is not a colour, but a recipe. The printing is not printing, but a technical dossier. The refill is not a stick of ink, but an interplay of nib, ball, ink, silicone, and pressure. Even the packaging tells the same story as the product: this is made with care. In our industry, Prodir is sometimes called the Apple of pens. That might sound a bit exaggerated for writing During a visit to the Swiss factories of Pagani Pens, I went in search of the answer to the question “What is the secret of Prodir?”. It lies in the design, the packaging, and the writing quality. But above all, in something you don't immediately see on the outside: an almost obsessive attention to quality in every process. instruments, but after two days surrounded by machines, molds, colour proofs, and quality checks, I understand the comparison. Apple also sells a total experience in which design, technology, packaging, communication, and usage are all interconnected. That seems to be exactly where Prodir's secret lies. Born from a cancellation The story begins in 1975. The machines to produce pens had been purchased for publisher Mondadori. Once the investments had been made, the client reported that the pens were no longer needed. There you are, with your machines. Tom de Kleyn and Rossana Porotti
33 2026 - issue 4 - promzvak.nl 8 What would be the start of a serious problem for many companies became the beginning of Prodir. Founder Giorgio Pagani decided to bring the pens to market himself. No longer just producing for someone else, but taking re- sponsibility for the product, the brand, and the sales himself. Fifty years later, Pagani Pens still has a family-like character. COO Rossana Porotti, also Co-Director with CFO Alessio Marotta, and CCO Tom de Kleyn have both been with the company for over 25 years. They do not talk about Prodir as if it were the business of a distant shareholder, but as if it were their own company. After all, quality does not start with a machine, but with the mentality of the people making the decisions. Colour before colour In the printing plant, this becomes immediately visible. A client provides a logo and a PMS colour. For many people, that is the end of the matter: PMS 2908 is PMS 2908. But the same colour behaves differently on white plastic than on a dark surface, soft-touch material, metal, or a lacquered finish. A separate recipe is created for every combination. In the colour department, a machine dispenses sometimes hun- dredths of grams of red, yellow, blue, white, or black. Not by feel, but based on a fixed formula. Moreover, every order receives a technical file. If adjustments were made during a previous production run, these are stored. If the same customer returns years later, there is no need to ‘guess’ again. That sounds like a detail. It *is* a detail. And that is precisely where the core lies. At first glance, a cheap pen may appear to have the same colour. But does that colour remain the same with a repeat order? Is the shade truly the corporate colour, or is it mainly ‘approximately blue’? Prodir does not sell the luck that it will turn out well this time, but the certainty that the process is repeatable. A fresh refill You see that same mindset in the production of the refills. Prodir manufactures the refills for the European market itself. During the tour, I see how tubes are filled, how silicone prevents the ink from running back, and how a centrifuge pushes the ink to the tip. Different tip thicknesses and compositions each provide a different writing feel. More importantly, the refills are produced as close to the moment of delivery as possible. A refill does not suddenly go bad one day. The quality declines slowly; The intensity goes, as it were, from one hundred to 98, to 96. A box of pens that has been sitting in a warehouse for eight years may still look excellent, but it no longer writes the same way. That, too, is part of the price that no one sees in a product photo. You pay not only for the shape, but also for the control of everything inside. And that is quite relevant. When a promotional pen malfunctions, your customer's name is still on it. Do not relinquish control Meanwhile, the market demands smaller quantities, greater speed, and further personalization. Prodir could send neutral pens to local printing partners so that small orders are printed closer to the customer. This has been attempted in the United Kingdom and the United States. It yielded hardly any extra growth but a great deal of complexity. But something more important is at play: control. “When we outsource part of the personalization, we are no longer fully in control,” says De Kleyn. Every product leaving the factory still bears the Prodir name. A printing partner might be able to handle a small run faster or cheaper, but can they guarantee exactly the same quality? The brand is built on the promise that the end result is right. That is why ‘Swiss made’ here is more than just a flag on Prodir does not sell the luck that it will turn out well this time, but the certainty that the process is repeatable.
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