How to Build an Apparel Revenue Stream From Scratch
Maybe you just opened a new gym. Maybe you bought out a partner who has been holding you back with apparel. Maybe you just need to blow it up and start all over with apparel. Regardless, of your situation, a fresh start is needed. In this article, we’ll provide our best success tips to build your apparel revenue stream the right way.
How often should you offer apparel? We find that most gyms find success with 3-6 orders a year. One thing we suggest is taking advantage of the “themes” and seasons. An example of a theme is 4th of July. So a patriotic design would pair nicely with this. Another major theme in the affiliate world is the Intramural Open. If you’re looking to take advantage seasons, a good time for a hoodie is November. Similarly, if you’re looking to do a Summer theme, offering a Summer style design in June is a great idea.
Here is a sample calendar for 6 items throughout the year
January/February- Intramural Open
April/May- Patriotic/RED
June- Summer
July- Drop in design
September- Longsleeve, baseball tee, or longsleeve hoodie
November- Pullover or zip up
Each month we send out a recommended apparel item via our newsletter. We do not expect you to order every single thing we recommend. We recommend you check out the e-mail to get an idea of different designs and see some variety. A big issue we see with affiliates today is recycling the same stuff over and over and over. Members get tired of it. You get tired of it. When you get tired of apparel, you stop doing it and you give yourself a pay cut. The newsletter is free and I only send it once or twice a month. Sign up for our newsletter here: http://eepurl.com/bRAVun
Notice how we don’t have things like hats, pants, or shorts. Those items bring out the “pickiness” in members. People are really picky about hats, pants, and shorts. The quality that is available in retail stores far outpaces anything available to print on. This isn’t an “us” issue. This is an industry issue. You may be expecting some women’s leggings or shorts on par with Lulu Lemon- the shorts and leggings available are no where close. It is not worth the hassle and stress of these items.
Implementation- We recommend a preorder for most orders. Here is an overview of the preorder strategy we recommend: Preorder overview
“But, wait! What about those apparel companies that offer me an online store? Doesn’t that solve all of my problems?”. Nope. It only compounds your problems. You can read all about that here: Preorder vs. Online Stores
The issue with offering multiple designs, themes, and styles at one time is simply this: you're going to force your members to make a decision about what they want vs what they can afford. If you offer both items at one time, 8/10 people will buy one item. If you offer each item in its own month, 8/10 people will buy both items. It is a long term strategy. I discuss variety and the importance of a "limited edition" mindset. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPgiPov4AKY&feature=youtu.be
To recap:
Spend some time thinking about themes you can take advantage of for the year.
Subscribe to our newsletter. Let us handle the ideas/designs for you.
Implement the preorder model. Ignore the noise out there. The preorder model is the only model out there that produces meaningful revenue and drives demand.
Think of each item as a limited edition opportunity. Members can only take advantage of it for a short period of time. Watch how the demand for your apparel shifts once you adopt this mindset
Do you want us to help create the plan for you? Get On An Apparel Plan! Let one of our account managers walk you through a plan and ensure your following all of our success strategies for you! The call is free and the plan will be custom tailored to you!