Print-on-demand has revolutionized the branded merchandise economy. It caters specifically to buyer habits in the moment, and allows for merchandisers to immediately capitalize on pop culture moments without having to invest in a pre-established amount of stock that might just idle in a warehouse.

As both traditional printers and decorators expand into promotional products, and promo distributors invest in decoration capabilities, print-on-demand plays a factor in their business strategies going forward.

Shopify, one of the bigger names in the print-on-demand space that appeals to direct-to-consumer customers, released some insight into what specific products are the most popular on its POD platform, giving printers and promotional products distributors a look at what items work right now, and why.

There are several key points that print and promo pros can take from the study.

The first is that screen printing isn’t the only decoration method. There’s also engraved products like jewelry, as well as all-over print apparel, which can be produced through processes like sublimation.

As Shopify pointed out, using an all-over print allows for a higher price point since the decoration method is more complex than screen printing. Industry pros can apply that idea to products like mugs or other drinkware as well. Using special textural finishes not only makes the item stand out, but complements the decoration method and logo placement. Think speckling or a rustic finish.

One of the primary takeaways from this is that the popularity of print-on-demand means that distributors should look into e-commerce platforms if they haven’t already, and work with their customers on company stores or their own branded merchandise stores.

Print & Promo Marketing is your source for news, commentary and strategy for the promotional products, commercial print and product decoration industries.