1. Where did you let your members know the preorder is live? Facebook/Instagram? E-mail? Newsletter? Physical signs? List them
2. How often did you let people know? How many times did you post or remind them? 
3. Did you tell them how it can be purchased? Is it a link or a sign up sheet? Is it billed to their account at the end of the month?
4. Did you let them know sizing samples are available? Sizing is a major determining factor for purchasing. As a reminder, most of the time, sizing samples are free. 
5. Did you tell them that you are not ordering extra or you will have limited inventory that will be reserved for visitors?
6. Did your staff announce reminders before and after class? 
7. What incentive did you offer?

Audio recording

Do you work at a franchise HQ? 

Do you feel like it is impossible to make your franchisees happy with apparel? 

We get this a lot but there is a simpler way to handle apparel for your HQ. By switching to a preorder method, limited edition mindset, and offering the ability to customize apparel to each location, you will simplify this process and find it easier to get owner buy in.

The problem: One issue we see with franchise HQ apparel offerings is purchasing in massive bulk. The franchise HQ guesses about which sizes to offer, places a giant order, and it sits in a fulfillment warehouse hoping that their franchise locations buy it. This idea has a huge potential to backfire. You have no idea if the design will be popular. You don't know which sizes to order. You're really just hoping it works out. 

The solution: Switch to a preorder method.  Explain to your locations that once per quarter, you're going to put out a preorder for apparel. Each location will get their own ordering link. During that time, the location will need to promote the apparel design. From there, we will keep a tally of everyone's order. Once the preorder period is over, we'll share the breakdown of sizes with you. Encourage a small amount of extras. We'll handle the fulfillment and deliver the order to each location. This will keep the process hands off, eliminate any warehousing fees, and funnel all your locations into being on the same calendar for the year. 

The problem: You are offering too many items. You went to a famous cycling studio and were blown away by their retail area. They had 15 different designs, an unlimited amount of choice, and you felt that you should do the same! Bad idea. These places tend to be the worst offenders of being underwater with useless inventory that never sells. You want to have some inventory at each location but not too much. Choice paralysis is a real thing.

The solution:  Keep the retail area clean and focused. Too much choice is overwhelming and you want to avoid inventory "sitting". Once it gets stale, it is hard to move. Consider offering less and a more organized presentation. 

The problem: No buy in from owners. Owners push back and complain about the designs. This is ok. Not everyone is going to approve of the designs. Don't waste too much energy trying to make everyone happy. One thing we can all agree on: owners want apparel customized to each location. Just your HQ logo on a black shirt isn't going to cut it. 

The solution: While it may require a little more coordination and not as good of a price point, make owners happy by offering customized apparel to their location. This will get more buy in and show you're dedicated to serving their specific location.

If you would like to hop on a call to learn more about what we do and how we can eliminate your apparel headaches once and for all, schedule a call with us today! 

Audio Version

Are you a franchise owner? Have they let you down when it comes to apparel?

Either it is too expensive, not customized to your location, or it takes forever to be delivered?

The good news is, we work with franchise locations across the country. Regardless who your HQ or affiliation is, we can help you with your specific apparel needs. We've navigated these situations and agreements for many years and we're prepared to step in and help out. 

In this post, I'm going to breakdown 6 key characteristics you need to build a thriving, profitable, and scalable apparel brand at your business- without any help from your HQ.

Have a plan- You need to have a plan for apparel. Don't rely on feeling. Don't rely on "when people ask enough". Have a set plan. 3-5 times a year is plenty. Once a quarter is great. The main thing is to have a plan. This is why I recommend all of our clients have an apparel plan. We will help you set up a plan in less than 10 minutes. This plan has shown to keep clients on track and clients on an apparel plan sell 30% more apparel than those who do not have one.

Limited edition- View every project as a limited edition design. Have a staple tee that you always have a little inventory on. Adopting a mindset that every design will be new and unique will give you peace of mind knowing you don't have to go backwards and constantly place reorders for orders you already placed. If you're nervous about having to come up with new designs every order- that is our job! We're always happy to provide fresh and new artwork for each order. 

Custom to you- Let's face it....your members want a shirt designed for their specific location. Your members are not anchored to your franchise brand. They'e anchored to their location. When you offer apparel for your specific location, be sure to included your location information in the design. 

Preorder- You don't need to order in bulk and spend good cash flow on apparel. Run a preorder for 7 days. Collect everyone's order ahead of time. That way, you know how much profit you made and how popular the design is. This will take a lot of guesswork out of the process. 

Avoid excess inventory- We have all walked into incredible businesses and gyms with amazing retail areas with tons of items available for purchase. While this seems like a good idea, in reality, unless these businesses are super high traffic, the inventory just sits there and unsold goods will burn a hole in your pocket. Consider offering extremely limited inventory. This will keep your preorder process effective. If people know they can only get new designs via preorder, they will be sure to participate in the preorder. 

Hammer the basics- You're stressing yourself out sourcing some super particular items- leggings, sports bras, head bands, running jackets...The problem is simply this...unless you're planning on ordering 500-1000 pieces at a time, it is really hard to find high quality items like this thru a wholesaler. I'm going to save you a lot of headache and heartache. That stuff is best done through someone who specializes in custom garments. If I am being honest with you, this is an expensive rabbit hole. You will spend a lot of money before settling on the right garment. If you want to go down this rabbit hole, it is doable but if you to avoid it, I recommend tees, tanks, longsleeves, and hoodies. Those items are instant "YES!" items. 

If you're a franchise location and you're struggling with apparel and need some consistency/clarity with this process, schedule a call with us today to learn more about how we can simplify this for you.