Direct from the Far East since 1998!

Celebrating 25 years in business this year, Universal Sourcing Services International (USSi) founder Seamus Greaney, through regular visits to China, has become a dab hand at sourcing innovative premia and gifting items. In fact, as he tells Gillian Hamill, USSi has honed a data bank of over 3,000 different factories across more than 150 different genres, so can confidently tackle any sourcing challenge – no matter how

Having imported more than 12 million assorted items from the Far East to Ireland since his company’s foundation in 1998, there is little that Seamus Greaney of Universal Sourcing Services International (USSi) hasn’t seen in the world of“premia” – in fact what he doesn’t know about the subject could probably be written on the back of a single-serve cereal box. Which is rather appropriate, given that the average man or woman on the street might more commonly think of“premia” as the free branded items found in the likes of cereal boxes and many more on-pack promotions.

Alongside this, USSi has also sourced‘As Seen on TV’ gifting items for retailers such as Musgrave, Dunnes Stores and Tesco in‘free-standing display unit’ (FSDU) and‘countertop display unit’(CDU) solutions.

Inventive creations

One of Greaney’s first-ever“premia” items in 1998 was something of a classic – supplying none other than the rings found in Halloween Brack for O’Hara’s of Foxford, a company USSi is proud to still work alongside today. Since then, Greaney has imported a veritable cornucopia of inventive items. This ranges from memorable creations such as a customised GAA football for Lucozade Sports which transformed into a home music centre complete with CD player and speakers, to USSi producing 20,000 fridge-magnet message recorders for the‘Budweiser Frogs’ campaign whereby consumers could handily leave a 10-second message on their fridge for friends and family. A novel invention in the days before Whatsapp voice notes had become all the rage!

And for rugby fans, the sight of‘Broc’ will no doubt trigger a few memories, as the IRFU mascot that USSi developed from a drawing. Brocaire being the Irish for terrier, he proved something of a good luck charm after famously appearing with Ireland captain Brian O’Driscoll when leading the teams out at Croke Park for the Ireland vs England Six Nations match back in 2007, resulting in a stunning 43-13 victory for the boys in green. Another item demonstrating USSi’s creative streak was its development of a collapsible portable cooler box for the‘My Milkman’ campaign which came complete with special inserted ice packs that could be kept in people’s freezers and used when convenient.

Major collaborations

It’s little wonder then, given this impressive innovation stream, that USSi has, as Greaney somewhat modestly puts it,“been lucky” to have completed successful collaborations with five of the top 10 global FMCG companies including Coca-Cola, Unilever, P&G, Mars and Kerry Group, alongside Tirlán, Musgrave Group and Supermacs, to name but a few major local players. “Because USSi is a sourcing company, we have products that can suit many different genres,” explains Greaney,“from sporting organisations, such as our collaborations with IRFU, Munster Rugby and Elverys, to our collaborations with bakeries, including O’Hara’s of Foxford, Irwin’s and Pat the Baker. We have a solution to help drive sales for any brand.”

Delivering value

Greaney is confident this remains the case today, despite the many changes that have taken place within the premia sector during the past 25 years.“I think a lot of brands are now being dictated to by retail chains who demand more price discounts and‘BOGGOFs’ rather than premia incentives,” he tells ShelfLife.“There are still a number of brands who often do regular gift incentives and band-on premia though.” Here, Greaney proceeds to put forward his case for premia’s merits. “From a cost point of view, a premia item may well represent better value-for-money than a giveaway for brands,” he argues “Should a brand use a band-on item, let’s say costing 60c with a retail value of €2 - €2.50 worth in the consumer’s eyes, they are also getting double value, as this item will be branded and will feature around a home long after the product has been consumed. In comparison, if they just give money off, they receive no added value. USSi can also help in many ways as we can provide the FSDU/CDU display units printed with the giveaway at a much lower cost than most.”

Speaking of pricing, USSi has previously stated“We have yet to be beaten on a request” and we were keen to hear more on how Greaney continues to maintain this record after 25 years.“As a sourcing company, I can only speak truthfully and say that remains the case today,” he asserts.“Of course, that could change at any time if somebody asked for something absurd that just couldn’t be created. The only way we can keep abreast of new trends is to keep finding new suppliers in different genres After 25 years travelling to different trade shows all over the world, we have built up a data bank of over 3,000 different factories spanning more than 150 different genres so we are confident we can complete most requests. ”

Keeping abreast of what’s new

Naturally, travel is vital for Greaney and he is relieved that it’s once again feasible after the era of Covid restrictions.“We have just returned from the Far East after an absence of three and a half years, ” he says,“to find what’s new and a little unusual and if the premia can be multifunctional, then even better again. Up until the pandemic we usually travelled at least twice a year to find what’s brand-new. The technology sector is constantly changing and with consumers wanting instant information. it is imperative to find the latest up-to-the-minute gadgets and creations that can deliver this information.”

Sustainability is also becoming more and more important for USSi’s clients.“With a big shift to sustainable and recycled packaging, we are now embarking down this road and on our recent visit to the Far East we had four different requests to follow up on packaging for bakeries, coffee shops and delis,” he reveals.“With a new levy for coffee cups inevitable, we feel we are already ahead of the curve and have secured some exclusive agreements for both the Republic and Northern Ireland within the recycling and packaging areas. ”

To keep up with all the latest developments, the relationships Greaney has honed during the past quarter of a century and more than 50 visits to China during that time, are essential. On this topic, we were keen to hear more from the entrepreneur about the importance of observing cultural differences throughout his many business encounters abroad “The people in the Far East are very proud and most of them that I have had dealings with are very honourable,” is his chief observation.“Of course – as can happen anywhere - sometimes they can cut corners That’s why it’s so important to have a good quality control team to double check goods in advance of leaving to eliminate any quality issues.”

‘No’ not in their DNA

Indeed, in some cases, suppliers’ willingness to comply with various requests actually proved the greatest challenge, according to Greaney.“The biggest problem I have found over the years is, manufacturers in the Far East rarely say“no” to anything It’s not in their DNA. This can lead to problems as they say they understand

USSi produced 20,000 fridgemagnet message recorders for the ‘Budweiser Frogs’ campaign which allowed consumers to leave a 10-second message on their fridge for friends and family something when they may not fully! It is therefore very important to have good suppliers with good English, and that’s what we strive for. When I started going to China in 1998, factories in mainland China had offices in Hong Kong,” he explains. With English being one of the two official languages in Hong Kong alongside Cantonese, language was never a barrier “Since the early noughties, all Chinese factories now have at least a couple of people who represent them directly and that has been the biggest change Culturally, there is a huge respect for the West,” Greaney adds: an attitude which has naturally played in USSi’s favour. Building on these relationships with a particular focus on recycled products and packaging is now his goal for the next 25 years.“Of course, like all businesses, we would like to develop more regular work from agencies and brands direct on a continuous basis,” he says “We feel there are still many brands and companies out there that could use our experience to help grow their business and lower costs. We are also seeing a big demand towards sustainable and recycled packaging as mentioned earlier, which is only going to get bigger as Ireland continues to lead the way as one of the major players in Europe within this arena We hope to be right there at the forefront, sourcing all types of recycled products and packaging to help businesses better compete.”With Greaney’s eye for a creative bargain remaining uppermost throughout his travels, USSi looks set to remain a source of inspiration within the premia space for many more years to come ■

For sourcing enquiries, contact USSi:

Universal Sourcing Services International (USSi) 9 Ashdown Circular Road, Bushypark, Galway, H91VW4F

M: +353(0)862489886 | T: +353(0)91554039

WeChat: Shakey52

E: seamus@ussinternational.ie | uss@eircom.net

W: www.ussinternational.ie | www.jellie.ie | www.handimask.ie