Why Should You Create Your Own Fitness Branded Merchandise?

Last updated on January 30th, 2023

Most people today adhere to the fitness regime as a mantra to physical and mental well being. They go to gyms, jog around their place, do strenuous exercise, and follow the hard rules to keep themselves fit. At the same time, millennials want to look stylish and motivated. For them, fitness merchandise is not merely for convenience while exercising but also something fashionable, trendy, and inspiring. In this article, we’ve shared what is fitness merch and why fitness brands should focus to create their own branded merchandise.

There was a time when fitness enthusiasts were seen in sneakers and jeans-and-tee ensemble while jogging. But, it has dramatically changed now. Today, millennials make their presence felt by wearing trendy T-shirts and other fitness apparel.

They like to wear activewear that looks stylish. This has created many opportunities for online merchants to create unique fitness merchandise.

Big and small businesses now explore the massive global market of fitness merchandise. In today’s digital world, online stores selling these types of products have mushroomed and are doing a roaring business.

The demand has been increasing for a wide range of apparel that sportspersons and other people are fond of wearing in the gym and outside.

So, are you an entrepreneur, artist or graphic designer thinking of starting your online store to sell fitness merchandise? If yes, then you’re on the right track. With a bit of planning and covering its crucial aspects, your business of selling the merchandise is bound to pick up and grow.

Note that the demand for sports and fitness wear is increasing by each day. According to a survey, the global sports apparel market has generated around 181 billion U.S dollars of revenue in 2019, which is expected to reach up to 208 billion dollars in 2025.

This clearly shows the scope of the demand for fitness merchandise in the market. The fitness industry is growing and as an artist, you can start creating fitness merch and selling from your online store. However, before you set out to create your own fitness branded merchandise, know more about its different aspects.

What Is Fitness Merch?

Merchandise (merch) is any type of good that is meant for sale. All things put in a shop or supermarket for sale are, thus, merchandise.

So, clothes, electronic items, etc. and raw materials all are the merchandise. Fitness merchandise is the product that sportspersons or other people buy to help them keep fit in many ways.

We can say that clothing such as custom T-shirts, hats, jackets, and sports shoes with a motivating slogan to keep fit or simply having a sports company’s logo is fitness merchandise. Sports Watch and skipping ropes also are merchandise for fitness enthusiasts.

What Is Fitness Branded Merchandise?

Fitness custom branded merchandise contains a company’s logo, inspirational slogans, and related illustrations, or brand visuals.

It also includes the branded apparel that a business sells after printing some motivational messages on it. So, an Apparel T-shirt with a message of fitness printed on it also is a branded merchandise.

Fitness branded merchandise is also sold as a promotional product to people at conventions as a gift. The intention here is to promote a sports brand by building trust and recognition amongst the target audience.

What Are The Types Of Fitness Merchandise?

Now that you know what fitness merchandise is, you will be eager to create and sell them from your online store.

However, do not restrict your shop to selling just one or two sports and fitness merchandise. A better approach is to include as much of the varieties of the merchandise as you can to increase sales and profit.

So, Here Are The Major Types Of Fitness Merch That You Should Sell From Your Physical or Online Store

i. Racerbacks

Racerbacks are clothing for hard-core bodybuilders and weightlifters. These items of clothing are shaped like a tank top. But the stylish and trendy cuts on the shoulder and back give the merchandise a special look.

Such clothing helps in exposing shoulder and back muscles for convenience during a grueling workout.

Another reason for the popularity of racerbacks is that these are also trendy clothing to wear for a casual post-gym time. Certain racerback styles go well with flipflops and jeans.

ii. T-shirts

Your online fitness merchandise store will probably have plenty of custom T-shirts, which are the most popular with both sportspersons and other people. Right from kids to teenagers and middle-aged people, T-shirts are the favorite casualwear of everyone. That is why these apparels make great fitness wear as well.

T-shirts for an exercise routine come in a variety of shapes and styles. As an artist, you can choose crew-cut, v-neck, and many other styles of T-shirts to turn them into your fitness merchandise to sell from your shop.

iii. Sleeveless T-shirts

For great comfort during summers and style as well, nothing matches the popularity of sleeveless T-shirts. These apparels are the best choice to save you from getting too hot during an exercise regime.

Women like to wear short sleeves or spaghetti straps. For men, bro-tank style sleeves are the trendy sleeveless options. Then, tees with cutoff-sleeves also are great choices for them.

iv. Long Sleeve Shirts

Long sleeve shirts are also popular fitness merchandise that online stores sell in great numbers. These fitness clothing cover arms and help keep the body warm during winters.

Many sportspersons like to wear long sleeves during the training session. But these also make for a perfect casual outfit.

v. Sweatshirts

Fitness sweatshirts are collarless, loose, and long-sleeved cotton jerseys that make sportspeople and others go for the workout as these are light on the body. These are also fashionable clothes for men and women.

Hoodies are also a form of sweatshirts. Trendy sweatshirts make your presence feel at the gym and outside due to its style and frame.

vi. Sweatshorts

Sweatshorts are popular comfortable fitness merchandise that has a tough-guy look. These are generally considered as a useful alternative to nylon and mesh shorts.

vii. Sweatpants

For MMA fighters and boxers, sweatpants are the perfect fitness clothing for a desirable tough body language. But these clothing are also fashionable feel and fit for the professionals.

These are the fitness clothing that you must have in your online store to sell more of them. You should come out with unique fitness merch ideas for these and other merchandise.

But before you start creating your merchandise designs and artworks for sportspersons and fitness enthusiasts, know why the merchandise is important for your business.

 

Why Should You Create Your Fitness Brand Merchandise?

Fitness brand merchandise is a crucial product that is always in demand from an increasing number of people who wish to be in great shape. If you are an artist or a designer who is still not decided on starting your own online store to sell fitness clothing, then know the benefits first.

Here Are Some Of The Key Benefits Of Creating Your Fitness Brand Merchandise

01. Increase Your Earnings

Since people are exercising and training hard to keep themselves bodily fit, they make fitness clothing and other such products as part of their exercise routine. The demand for these apparels is increasing manifold.

More sales will mean more profit for your business of selling these apparel form your online store. When it comes to calculating profit margins, industry people have confirmed that 100% mark-up is a reality in this business.

Such a huge profit also means that you have a lot of scope for beating your competition. You can reduce the prices to a larger extent and still do a roaring business by selling more apparel.

Thus, if you sell T-shirts and other clothing from global brands, which are expensive apparel and print your artwork, slogan, design, etc., you earn the profit. All you need to do is to sell more such clothes.

02. Ascertain Better Brand Recognition

As fitness merchandise is popular with a majority of people, the chances are that your artistic designs and messages reach the increasing number of customers.

If your merchandise is unique and exciting, people will spread a word for your online store. That is how your fitness clothing will help you project your online store as a brand.

03. Improve Customer Loyalty

You can build a base of loyal customers as well by selling fitness branded merchandise. This is because of the huge demand for these apparels. You can cash in on this by selling attractive clothing.

With a little promotion of your store on social media, you can bring more customers. As a combined effort of your unique creative designs and brand promotion, you are finally able to have customers making repeat buying from your store.

04. Take Advantage Of Growing Merchandise Market

Another reason to create your fitness branded merchandise is that this industry is growing at a rapid pace. In North America alone, the demand for sports-related apparel is projected to reach over $48 billion by 2024.

Clearly, such stats should encourage you to add fitness clothing in your online store to sell aggressively. These merchandises are also complementary to your main product offerings from the store.

05. Position Yourself As An Expert

As an artist and designer, you can use fitness branded merchandise as a way to project yourself as an authority over this field. But you need to do something extra as well. For instance, to promote your online store, you should write blogs and promote your artistic works on social media.

This helps in projecting you and your online shop as an authority over fitness merchandise. Even if you run a gym or yoga studio, by creating your own fitness branded merchandise, offer it to your classes.

06. Reduce Your Operating Costs

Another factor that should prompt you to create your own fitness branded merchandise is the lower operating costs. But the costs will be low only in case if you sell fitness merchandise from an online store. You do not have to maintain a physical inventory of merchandise.

All you need to do is to display the online images of the merchandise you intend to sell. Then whenever a customer buys the fitness product, you need to ask the hosting site to send the product to the customer.

Now that you know that fitness branded merchandise is a rewarding business, you will surely be tempted to start your own online store. You may also be looking forward to creating the merchandise for your own gym.

But make sure that your merchandise design for fitness is unique and exciting. That is the way to sell more of these apparels to target customers.

Here Is How And Where To Find Fitness Merch Ideas

The process of creating and selling fitness merchandise is the same as is for other brands. You first find an idea, then connect with it, and then take your merch to customers. But getting the right idea is the basis of the process.

01. Research The Market

To get winning ideas, you should do some market research. This will give you a quick insight into the market and industry trends. These trends become the basis of designing unique merchandise that holds the potential of attracting customers.

It would be good to have a closer look at the exercise trends to have an insight into the industry. You can then know about the most popular sportswear categories.

02. Take A Look At Survey Data

Survey data are amongst the most reliable source of getting a major hint about what the customers have in mind. You can gather useful details from your target market from the data. When you come across these to the trends that customers are following, you have a clear direction for designing your fitness merchandise.

03. Consider Your Shoppers’ Mindset

While thinking of some inspirational fitness branded merchandise ideas, try to know more about your shoppers’ mindset. They go through various mental stages before they finally join the gym or other fitness classes.

Even when thinking of being active in life, they have to think many times before making the final decision. Create your fitness clothing to address all those different dilemmas and stages that your customers undergo.

For instance, if they are at the very initial stage, give them T-shirts with some inspirational quotations and messages. Come out with illustrations that speak the message in a fun way. The purpose should be to make them ready to hit the gym and that too in style.

04. Study The Trends

Fitness merchandise is no more restricted to people wearing them just to go to gyms. These clothes have now spilled over to the streets to become part of ongoing trends. Now the market has switched over from sportswear to activewear.

This has entirely changed the merchandise trend in the fitness industry and print-on-demand industry as well. Also, know what fitness influencers are talking about to find out what is trending in the market.

For instance, smoke printed leggings, pink tank top, and high neck bra were the trends in women’s fitness clothing in 2019, and this may continue in the current year.

So, these are the major aspects to consider when creating your own fitness branded merchandise. But make sure that you choose the right platform and printing options, which are also equally important.

PrintShop

When picking a platform to open your online store to sell fitness branded merchandise, know that PrintShop comes loaded with a host of helpful features. This platform is from Designhill, the world’s leading creative marketplace.

At PrintShop, you open your online shop for free, and the site takes the responsibility of promoting your shop. Designhill’s massive customer traffic is automatically diverted to PrintShop, and, therefore, you can take advantage of the solid base of customers.

This site also lets you create your fitness merch, and then you can order to print your artwork or design on the merchandise. The responsibility of delivering the printed apparel to the customers is that of the site.

Wrapping Up

Selling fitness branded merchandise is a surefire way to earn a steady income. Besides being the source of regular earnings, the merchandise business also helps you project you as a brand. If you sell through your online store, your operational cost is minimum, while brand recognition is easier to establish. But only unique, trendy, and attractive merchandise sell. So, thorough market research about customers and trends is essential.

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