Steel City: Your New Branded Merchandise Supplier

Steel City Makes Branded Merchandise & Corporate Gifts People Want to Keep – Not Bin

Ever unboxed a branded product and thought, “Oh. This again.” That’s the reaction we’re here to prevent.

We’ve all been handed the same landfill-in-waiting: a pen that dies mid-signature, a tote bag that can’t hold a notepad without warping, a water bottle that leaks all over your tech – thanks, by the way. You know the stuff. Your recipients do too.

But here’s the thing: that product isn’t just underwhelming – it’s loud. It’s telling people your brand didn’t try. In fact, it might be doing more harm than good. Imagine putting your logo on something that creates mild resentment. That’s not visibility, that’s brand erosion.

At Steel City, we believe branded merchandise isn’t about clutter – it’s about real chemistry. The kind that sparks industry recognition, affinity, maybe even a little joy. You want a reaction closer to “Ooh, nice!” than “Meh, bin.”

We’ve built our reputation crafting merchandise that earns its place on desks, in bags, in lives. That means understanding what gets used, what gets kept, and what – frankly – doesn’t stand a chance. Because if it’s not designed for real humans in real moments, it’s not worth printing.

We’ve been doing this since 1980 – one of the very first promotional merchandise distributors in the UK – and as a proud 40-year BPMA member, our focus hasn’t changed: helping brands like yours cut through the noise, with confidence.

Just imagine Seth Godin rifling through a swag bag. What would he keep?

From Sheffield to London and back again, we create branded moments people remember – for the right reasons.

Our range includes:

• Pens: including plastic pens, metal pens, pencils, pencil sharpeners, stylus pens, eco pens, novelty pens, pen pots, and highlighters.
• Stationery: including sticky notes, paper, stickers, writing equipment, notebooks, notepads, diaries, and folders.
• Sports specific products: such as brandable balls, along with sports bags, and fleeces.
• Bags: including every type of bag you could think of, from low-cost paper bags or carrier bags, to higher-value conference bags, backpacks, tote bags, and laptop bags.
• Drinkware: including sports bottles, travel mugs, and glasses.
• Gadgets: including tape measures, keyrings, metal keyrings, chargers, ice scrapers, headphones, speakers, USB sticks, phone cases, power banks, phone accessories, torches, tools, clocks, and watches.
• Event Giveaways: including lanyards, giveaway items, badges, wristbands, food/sweets, balloons, and flags/banners for booths.
• Clothing & Workwear: including shirts, cotton t-shirts, workwear, hats and caps, polo shirts, jackets, jumpers, ponchos, hoodies, sweatshirts, aprons, gloves, and fleeces.
• Accessories: including bottle openers, trolley coins, and stress toys make up a list of other useful accessories.
• Eco-friendly products: for when you want to align your brand with a modern, green message.

Promote your brand today, shop our range online now.

We Sell Custom Merch That Matches the Moment, Not Just the Budget

Here’s the problem: merch is often treated like a checkbox. Budget? Tick. Logo? Tick. Arrival date? Hopefully tick. But what’s the story it’s telling? Who’s using it? Where? Why would they care?

That’s where we start – not with a product list, but with your moment.

Events are a battlefield of brands. Everyone’s shouting, handing out things. But what gets noticed? Useful, pocketable, subtly smart items. Take a cybersecurity firm that ditches keychains for soft-touch magnetic cable tidies with black-on-black logo embossing. The catch? They come with a QR code to a free productivity tool. Engagement through the roof. People remember. They’re more likely to follow up.

Onboarding packs? That’s your first impression. You’ve got one shot – so do it with a hoodie that fits like it was made for them, not one that gets downgraded to painting clothes. Add a stitched-edge notebook and a smart pen they’ll actually use in meetings. Bonus move? Drop in a QR card linked to a welcome video. Leadership face time at scale.

Internal culture drives? Don’t just toss in stress toys and call it wellbeing. A legal sector client could use: sleep masks, peppermint balms, and habit-trackers printed on heavy, tactile stock. The results? Their internal Slack is full of photos, unprompted. Because the items feel relevant – and quietly premium.

Client gifting? Think theatre. Picture the logistics firm that sends glass espresso cups boxed with kraft shavings, a scent of roasted beans escaping as you unbox. Branded coffee roasted five miles from their HQ. As Simon Sinek would say, start with why. That’s how you avoid your gift being compared to someone else’s branded shortbread.

We help you find these ideas faster. No endless scrolling. No guesswork. Just 2,000+ thoroughly vetted products, and a dedicated account manager who listens first, then guides you.

Get to the point where your marketing manager is saying their team is nicking onboarding kits to take home. That’s a sign of how much they’re valued.

Need Promotional Products Printed This Week? Or Ship to Six Offices at Once? Done.

Panic. It’s 3PM. Sales just got a greenlight for a last-minute exhibition and you’ve got five days to kit out the team and somehow look like it’s been planned for months. We’ve been there. We’re probably already handling that situation for someone right now.

This isn’t a “favour” we pull. This is systemised, repeatable, and baked into our operations.

We built fulfilment into our model, not tacked it on. That means flexibility without chaos.

• Rush orders? We’ve set up product presets with rapid-turn templates: 72-hour bottle runs, 5-day express notebooks, even pre-packed hoodies ready for embroidery.
• Multi-location dispatch? Done it blindfolded. With verified address capture, local drop hubs, and delivery performance tracking, we turn complexity into standard procedure.
• Campaign rollouts in waves? We’ll store, re-pack, and re-send based on your comms calendar. We’ve even colour-coded batches by regional accents (ok not quite, but close).

Our clients often tell us it feels like we’re part of their team. That’s no accident – it’s built into our culture: supportive, proactive, and always on your side.

From Sheffield HQ to global shipping desks, we’ve helped brands send 20 packs to Dundee and 2,000 to Dubai – without skipping a beat.

Your job? Approve the mockup. Then go for a pint.

Dedicated Account Manager = One Less Headache

You know how some suppliers ask you to resend your own logo four times, miss the fact that your brand guidelines were attached, and deliver your products with Comic Sans on the thank-you card?

Yeah, not here.

You get an account manager who:

• Flags bad print zones before you find them the hard way.
• Recommends the smarter fulfilment method so your ops team doesn’t have to.
• Sends weekly nudges for sign-off so you don’t get caught in internal bottlenecks.

Maybe even creates on-brand presentations for your directors to review? We go the extra mile to make our clients look sharper.

No 2AM inbox checks. No frantic DPD tracking. Just control, without micro-management.

We’re not just chasing orders. We’re delighting our customers by becoming the one partner you can actually rely on.

Because merch should build your reputation, not test your resilience.

Real Sustainability, Zero Greenwashing

If your product says it’s “eco” but comes in three layers of bubble wrap and smells faintly of petrol, we’ve got a problem.

You’ve got ESG goals, supplier code of conducts, internal audit trails. You need sustainability that stands up in a boardroom, not vague claims on a supplier’s PowerPoint.

Sustainable examples:

• GRS-certified materials with full traceability – like rPET fabric in tote bags and beanies.
• Compostable cornstarch mailers for your remote onboarding kits, timed for safe breakdown post-delivery.
• Carbon-offset product lines where you see actual figures, not abstract “tree” badges.

Picture a public sector company shifting its quarterly campaign from virgin-poly folders to kraft-covered journals with refillable bamboo pens, packed in FSC-certified flatpack boxes. The result? They’re hitting their carbon goals 6 weeks early, and their ESG lead is sending a thank-you card.

We’re honest about what’s achievable, realistic about timelines, and respect your goals, values, and deadlines as if they were our own.

We don’t pitch green – we deliver proof. With receipts.

Trusted by People Who Don’t Have Time to Babysit Their Supplier

If you’ve ever had to explain to your finance director why 400 units of unusable merchandise are now blocking a fire exit, this is for you.

Good merch execution shows up like a great stagehand: invisible when flawless, really obvious when it goes wrong.

“A huge thank you to Rowan and Debbie at Steel City for all their help with our new merchandise for our rebranding launch! They were a dream to work with, super friendly and responsive! Communication was absolutely on point throughout the whole process, which made everything run so smoothly. The merch looks fantastic and really brought our new brand to life. I can’t recommend them enough!” Louise Fairhurst, 16th May 2025

Whether you’re appearing in Campaign, attending Cannes Lions, hosting at Excel, or onboarding new staff while IPO-ing – we’ve got you covered.

With 169 reviews and a 5/5 rating, we don’t just aim to deliver – we aim to wow. That’s why so many of our clients stay with us campaign after campaign.

Want to hear it from someone who’s done exactly what you’re about to do? We’ll set up a call.

Let’s Make It Easy for You to Look Brilliant

This is more than looking clever in front of your team; it’s about delivering on a tough brief with half the lead time, staying within procurement guardrails, and still wowing your end user.

That’s what we’re here for. Let’s talk.

Steel City Marketing is a leading UK-based branded merchandise supplier, established in 1980, that delivers expertly curated promotional products with dedicated account management and a 5-star customer experience. With over 40 years of BPMA membership and a commitment to genuine, supportive service, Steel City helps brands stand out by simplifying product choice and maximising marketing impact.