# S&S Activewear Buys TSC Apparel



## NoXid (Apr 4, 2011)

I imagine that many of you received the same email that I did, announcing that S&S is buying TSC (here's an article with a brief bit of blather about the acquisition for those who did not receive the email: S&S Activewear to Acquire TSC Apparel ).

I'm curious to see how this sorts out. I _*like*_ S&S, and they carry some things I can't get from my local distributor (which is a TSC), such as B+C, Hanes, and ITC. So all good, right? I also wonder about the TSC house brands, like Tultex. That's my hoodie backup. Always nice to have backups, even when it isn't a zombie apocalypse.

But I wonder if they will simply close my local TSC. It only takes 2 days for things to get to me from the Reno S&S. It's not like OR, WA, and ID _really_ have the population to warrant their own regional distribution center, is it?. If they nuke Portland, I'd miss not having a Will Call option, so that's a negative (for me). It was only about 4 years ago (?) that TSC bought Thinc Actionwear, my long, long, long time local distributor, a single-location independent family-owned operation. Bought my first blanks from them back in the early 1990s.

Consolidation ... not generally a fan. But of the players left standing, I'd rather see S&S buy them than the other way around. Uhm, but _maybe_ the handful left can stop gobbling each other now? 😐

Any thoughts about this merger and your own access to distributors and brands?


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

I can't think of one time where an acquisition was good for us. Always results in less competition and higher prices. 

My guess is goodby Portland, Houston, Atlanta and Phili. A sign of the pen and goodby to a million+ square feet of warehouse space and hundreds of employees. Shame. We're not going to see those cost-savings measures. Only S&S will.

S&S coverage map says all of OR is 1 day ship from Reno.


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## TeedUp (Apr 22, 2020)

I've been using S&S out of Chicago, so distribution changes don't concern me personally, probably only get better. But what will be most interesting to me is what they do with Tultex. Could turn into a good house brand option for me. (Although I've generally been reluctant to get attached to a brand that I can't find wide distribution on.)

Even though TSC is number 4, from the numbers I've seen, if they're accurate, TSC is substantially smaller than S&S and while acquisition will have an impact in shifting around distribution centers, I don't expect it will radically reform S&S.


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## JohnDeco (Mar 2, 2020)

That was supposed to happen and it happened


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## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

My guess is they will close the TSC warehouse in California as they did their own in California after their last merger.

As for us, we really didn't buy too much from them. When they were in Fullerton it was great to run over and pick up something we needed in a hurry. I used to will call from them and AAA in Anaheim often on the same day. 

I am sure they were hurt as much as anyone else becuase of covid though. For us this leaves SanMar and S&S which are the 2 we use most often.


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## NoXid (Apr 4, 2011)

binki said:


> My guess is they will close the TSC warehouse in California as they did their own in California after their last merger.
> 
> As for us, we really didn't buy too much from them. When they were in Fullerton it was great to run over and pick up something we needed in a hurry. I used to will call from them and AAA in Anaheim often on the same day.
> 
> I am sure they were hurt as much as anyone else becuase of covid though. For us this leaves SanMar and S&S which are the 2 we use most often.


Yeah, wasn't all that long ago that S&S replaced CA with Reno, so I'd be surprised if they keep the CA TSC.

Alpha has actually been the one to come through with 5XL, and the like, that I sometimes can't get elsewhere during the apocalypse. But, yeah, with TSC going, going, gone, I should probably setup a SanMar account again. My previous one died from extended lack of use.


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## NoXid (Apr 4, 2011)

TeedUp said:


> I've been using S&S out of Chicago, so distribution changes don't concern me personally, probably only get better. But what will be most interesting to me is what they do with Tultex. Could turn into a good house brand option for me. (Although I've generally been reluctant to get attached to a brand that I can't find wide distribution on.)
> 
> Even though TSC is number 4, from the numbers I've seen, if they're accurate, TSC is substantially smaller than S&S and while acquisition will have an impact in shifting around distribution centers, I don't expect it will radically reform S&S.


Yes, I too was reluctant to go with a single-sourced brand, so have just used Tultex as a backup for some more or less interchangeable blanks.

I suppose they might close an S&S where the nearest TSC has a better location and facility. Growing by acquisition as they have, I'm sure both companies have some facilities that are not what, or where, they would choose if starting from scratch today.


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## Sol321 (Nov 10, 2021)

I'm glad that Alpha didn't buy them. I'm still upset since Alpha sided with the middle-man as they started offering decoration, a stab in back to decorators - Not loyal to the people selling their stuff.


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## NoXid (Apr 4, 2011)

Sol321 said:


> I'm glad that Alpha didn't buy them. I'm still upset since Alpha sided with the middle-man as they started offering decoration, a stab in back to decorators - Not loyal to the people selling their stuff.


I end up buying from Alpha more than I would like because they have that ridiculously cheap Flex FedEx shipping option, which is a lifesaver on smaller orders. And because they've managed to get things in stock that have been scarce of late. _But_, their pricing and free-shipping threshold are rather malignant, as items on sale don't qualify for free shipping, and they put damn near everything on sale for like $0.05 off  ... right.


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## splathead (Dec 4, 2005)

NoXid said:


> _But_, their pricing and free-shipping threshold are rather malignant, as items on sale don't qualify for free shipping, and they put damn near everything on sale for like $0.05 off  ... right.


They all do that. I wish there was a "Pay Full Price" button option. Would save more in shipping than the sale discount.


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## binki (Jul 16, 2006)

splathead said:


> They all do that. I wish there was a "Pay Full Price" button option. Would save more in shipping than the sale discount.


I don't see that at all but as I have mentioned before, 'My price isn't your price'. When you order you don't know if you are getting custom pricing or not based on your volume or other factors.


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## NoXid (Apr 4, 2011)

splathead said:


> They all do that. I wish there was a "Pay Full Price" button option. Would save more in shipping than the sale discount.


I think Alpha does (or did, not sure since the web site renovation) have a button to do that. Never used it though.

S&S seems honest with their free-shipping threshold. At least I've never had any trouble hitting it, but maybe that's due to what I typically order from them.


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