Creating and selling branded merchandise gives your restaurant an extra stream of revenue and free advertisement. Learn these helpful tips before you start selling your customized products.
Creating Merchandise for Your Own Brand
Have you ever walked past someone and you were intrigued by their shirt? The cool graphics or witty statement catches your eye and leaves an impression. Some t-shirts are bold, statement-makers, which is why they work great as branded merchandise for promotional purposes. Branded merchandise is any profitable product that displays a company’s name or logo. Many businesses of various industries use this fun and feasible advertisement tactic. However, bars and restaurants especially benefit from selling branded merchandise.
Tips for Selling Your Restaurant’s Branded Merchandise
Eateries aiming to generate an extra source of revenue, reinforce restaurant recognition, and create curiosity from their brand should consider this marketing strategy. But first, it’s important to learn ways to set your products apart from your competitors and generate a great return on investment for selling branded merchandise:
Get To Know Your Customers
You have loyal customers who visit your bar multiple times a month. You see them so often, you may have learned by now what their favorite items are on the menu. So, it should be easy for you and your servers to start conversations with them and learn what products they’re interested in. If you see that most of your customers wear graphic t-shirts, or instead of drinks from the draft, they prefer bottles, keep these things in mind. Details like these help determine what to sell. Branded merchandise can be anything from t-shirts and hoodies to koozies and coasters. Learning what your guests have a greater appreciation for tells you what items they’re likely to purchase.
Familiarize Yourself With Apparel and Novelty Items
Again, branded merchandise and apparel is versatile and comes in many products, so delve into the market before spending any money on bulk orders. Doing your research prior to making a purchase helps you to make more informed decisions. The key to successful branded merchandise sales is to diversify your options, but also make sure they’re relevant to your restaurant and appeal to your unique clientele.
Sell Attention-Grabbing Items
Custom merchandise is just that: customizable. Feel free to express your creativity when designing apparel and products. Make sure they stand out and drive people to visit your bar. Bold and clever ideas also invoke curiosity about your restaurant experience. That way, when loyal customers are out in public with your company’s catchy slogan on their shirt or interesting logo on their hat, it sparks conversation, potentially drawing newcomers to your restaurant as well.
Create cool merchandise online with Marathon Sportswear.
Quality Makes or Breaks Your Products
It can be frustrating when you spend your money on a shirt or sweater, and it tears soon after. No matter how interesting or unique your customized gear may be, flimsy, subpar materials reduce the quality, and soon, customers will stop spending their money on your items. Customized merchandise is a direct reflection of your restaurant’s brand. Therefore, your items, from the way they look to the way they hold their value, must be a positive representation of your company.
Marathon Sportswear Has Gear Your Guests Will Love
Marathon Sportswear is well-versed in the customized t-shirt industry, so partnering with us offers you an enjoyable, stress-free experience. Before your shirt sales endeavor leads you to more money and more customers, you must first develop a design and then a plan. That’s where Marathon Sportswear comes in. Whether you need T-shirts or baseball caps, or both, we’ve got you covered.
Marathon Sportswear has served the Chicagoland area and beyond for more than 30 years. We offer a variety of customizable items and our experts are skilled in all forms of applications, including screen printing and embroidery. If you already have your own ideas, bring them to our designers to refine your designs and bring them to life. Or if you’d like to be more independent in the creation process, try our online design studio. Choose from numerous templates and colors, and create the perfect pieces for men, women, and kids. If you’re ready to embark on your custom creation journey, give us a call for a free consultation today.