Want to open a merch store for your school, nonprofit, or business—but overwhelmed by the logistics? You’re not alone.
Most merch stores fail because they launch without a plan, overload their product list, or simply lack good design. But when done right, a custom merch store can build culture, raise funds, and get people excited to rep your brand.
Here’s how to launch one that actually works—without burning out your admin team in the process.
Step 1: Define the Goal of Your Store
Is your store for fundraising? Culture-building? New student onboarding? Parent engagement?
Your goal should guide your product selection, pricing, and promotion strategy. A fundraising store looks different than a staff-only swag shop.
Start here: Why Most Spirit Wear Stores Fail (and How Christian Schools Can Do Better)
Step 2: Choose 5–8 Core Products
Too many schools make the mistake of adding everything from baby onesies to umbrellas on day one. That only leads to decision fatigue—and low sales.
Start with a curated lineup of best-sellers. These are high-margin, high-use items that people actually want:
- Hoodie or crewneck sweatshirt
- Branded water bottle or tumbler
- PE shirt or spirit tee
- Vinyl decal or car magnet
- Hat or beanie
See the top 5 merch items that actually sell →
Step 3: Set Pricing and Fundraising Strategy
Don’t just mark everything up $5 and hope it adds up. Build a smart pricing structure that balances value, quality, and profit.
- Know your cost per item
- Add margin based on item type (apparel vs. accessories)
- Round up to clean numbers for simplicity
Read: How to plan your merch budget strategically →
Step 4: Design With Intention
Most merch flops because the design feels generic. Don’t just slap your logo on a shirt—design something people actually want to wear.
Keep it:
- Mission-aligned
- Modern and clean
- Subtle (not overly busy)
Step 5: Promote It Like an Event
“Set it and forget it” is the fastest way to tank your store. Instead:
- Launch with a countdown
- Send emails with previews and pricing
- Use urgency—have a close date
- Post visuals (mockups, real photos) on social
Great merch doesn’t sell itself. It needs momentum.
Step 6: Decide Who’s Managing It
This is where most teams burn out. Running a store means handling mockups, fulfillment, support, inventory, and customer service. If that sounds overwhelming—it is.
Good news: You don’t have to do it alone.
We build and manage merch stores for Christian schools, nonprofits, and small businesses that want to look great without doing the grunt work.
That means we will build the website, the ecommerce shop, even the payment platform and help you source profitable products and handle logistics and shipping. All you have to do it tell your people it exists and then wait for the revenue to be deposited into your account.
Ready to launch your merch store?
We’ll handle the designs, products, fulfillment, and setup.
👉 Book a merch consult at BRND.agency
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