The apparel industry is constantly changing as new trends emerge and old ones fade. One category that has been on the rise for a while now is decorated apparel—shirts, hats, and bags with patterns or images that stand out from the background. Shirts featuring phrases like “Who’s your daddy?” and emoji designs have become popular among kids and adults, but decorated apparel is also finding homes in other industries.
To capitalize on this trend, companies should consider pitching decorated apparel to the following 10 groups.
• Retailers
Stores like Forever 21 and H&M are already selling shirts with designs similar to those found on decorated apparel (emoji phrases, slogans). The retailers carry sizes for men, women, and children of all ages. Because decorated apparel is already popular among younger age groups, retailers could boost their sales by carrying the products.
• Music Festivals
Many music festivals are increasingly becoming family events that attract attendees of all ages rather than just young adults looking to party for three days straight. For instance, the Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival—one of the biggest music festivals in the United States—recently had to revise their campgrounds rules due to more family-oriented attendees. To adapt to this demographic shift, Bonnaroo could work with merchants that sell decorated apparel to become an official merchant and possibly offer camping packages that include branded merchandise.
• Theme Parks
As more theme parks incorporate rides and attractions based on popular movies, it makes sense that they also offer merchandise with the same themes. For example, Six Flags sells shirts featuring different rollercoaster designs as well as hats featuring the logos of different rides. Because decorated apparel is popular among younger age groups, theme park stores could sell t-shirts with their most popular ride themes.
• Auto Dealerships
Car owners are loyal customers who tend to stick with the same brand for years—if not decades. To keep customers happy, dealerships could sell shirts featuring the dealership’s logo or name paired with a catchy phrase or quote. This merchandise would allow drivers to rep their local dealer while on-the-go.
• Sports Teams
Selling shirts with popular phrases like “Go Team!” or the name of the city they play in is a great way for sports teams to raise money and create brand loyalty among fans. These types of t-shirts would appeal to local fans as well as tourists who visit during off seasons. To expand their markets, teams could sell shirts featuring popular players as well as nostalgic logos and colors.
• Car Dealers
Similar to auto dealerships, car dealerships could invest in their local communities by selling shirts with the dealership’s name and logo. The apparel would appeal to car enthusiasts who want to rep their favorite dealer while out and about. Team apparel could also be offered alongside branded t-shirts.
• Sporting Goods Stores
Sports enthusiasts, both young and old, would appreciate clothing that features phrases like “Get your game on!” or the name of their favorite team. Sporting goods stores could sell these types of shirts in addition to hats, sweatshirts, and other merchandise featuring popular sports teams.
• Casinos
Many gambling establishments feature restaurants, bars, and lounges where people can relax between games or shows. These types of spaces could sell branded t-shirts to casual visitors as well as loyal gamblers who want something to remember the trip by. The designs would appeal to gamblers of all ages.
• Movie Theaters
When moviegoers purchase tickets at their local theaters, many theaters have concession stands where hungry patrons can grab a bite to eat. These eateries could sell t-shirts with fun quotes from the latest movies as well as their theater’s logo, which would allow moviegoers to rep their local theater while on-the-go.
• Subscription Box Services
Every month subscription box services like Birch box send customers a box filled with samples of beauty products or snacks. These businesses should start offering merchandise to their customers so they can rep the brand while on-the-go. Themes for these items include makeup brushes, beauty product names, hoodies for men’s and quotes about being yourself.
• Colleges/Universities
Selling t-shirts with popular logos paired with fun sayings is a great way for educational institutions to fundraise and build brand loyalty among alumni. T-shirts could be offered in addition to hats, sweatshirts, and other types of merchandise with popular college logos.
• Outdoor Concert Venues
As Bonnaroo has done in the past, outdoor festivals could partner with merchants that sell apparel to sell festival-branded apparel alongside their own products. The pieces would appeal to music lovers of all ages who love attending outdoor concerts in their free time.
• Cruise Lines
Many people look forward to the entertainment on cruise ships, but they also enjoy shopping for goods that remind them of their travels when they get home. Cruise lines could invest in selling themed apparel that features their line’s logo and name. The apparel could also feature popular phrases about the Caribbean or fun quotes from popular shows and movies.
Over the past decade, consumers have shifted their spending away from traditional retail goods to experiential purchases like restaurant meals and entertainment activities such as concerts and sporting events. This trend has allowed new and unique apparel markets to thrive.
Apparel businesses that sell products at concerts and sporting events, for instance, have adapted to this change by partnering with venues and festivals so they can offer their branded items alongside popular logos of sports teams or bands.
As consumers continue to favor experiential purchases over traditional retail goods, now is the time for apparel businesses to start thinking about how they can incorporate these products into their existing businesses.
Blog Conclusion
Everyone you talk to is going to be pitching ideas for new business. whether they’re your best friend or your grandmother.
As a startup or small business owner. it can get exhausting hearing the same pitches over and over again from people who seem like they have a great idea.
If you have a great idea, chances are someone else does too. But whether it’s an actual good idea or not is another story entirely. You can’t just go around blurting out other people’s ideas to find out if they’re good or not. However, there are some other ways to decide if an idea is worth pursuing or not.
For instance, you can see how many products are similar to the one the person pitching has created. The more items that are out on the market, the less likely it is that your product will be successful.
