How to source quality t shirts for your woocommerce custom t shirts printing business

The importance of providing quality custom t shirts cannot be overemphasized. Brand loyalty is built on trust, of which the underlying principles are reliability and predictability. Offering a great service, keeping your promises, billing correctly and delivering on time are all elements of running a successful woocommerce custom t shirts printing business and building customer loyalty, so too is offering a quality product.

What does this mean?

Simply put, your customers expect the product advertised to meet certain standards in quality and aesthetics. When buying a customized T-shirt online, some of these expectations include a good quality print which is clear and contains vivid color, a soft T-shirt which is comfortable to wear and a fit which is flattering. The T-shirt should be good for a few wears and should neither fade nor shrink in the wash.

Customers don’t like variation and expect you to be able to offer the same quality custom T-shirt, over and over. If you can do this, delivering high-quality woocommerce custom t shirts combined with a reliable printing and delivery service.

Doing it time and again, chances are you will build up a good customer base of loyal clientele and that you will establish a reputation for quality and reliability. This, amongst other factors, leads to brand equity which in the long run may determine the success or failure of your woocommerce custom t shirts printing business.

How will you go about sourcing the best t shirts for your woocommerce custom t shirts printing business?

Assuming that you aren’t using drop-shipment, see previous article, and that you’ve opted to print and distribute your own woocommerce custom t shirts, there are many options available and it will be up to you to choose the one that best suits your needs.

You can purchase t shirts locally i.e. in your home country or you can choose to import stock from an overseas supplier eg. China, India, Spain etc. You will need to evaluate the available brands to see which one is suitable for your target market, however, we can help narrow that down for you.

For a basic blank T-shirt, some of the most popular brands on the market include American Apparel, Kirkland Life, Alstyle, Alternative Apparel, Gildan and Bella+Canvas. A lot of these top brands are available from distributors such as Blankstyle, and Apparel Source Inc.

There are also a myriad of suppliers advertising plain T-shirts suitable for printing at bulk prices. Directories such as Ali Baba and Global Sources are a great starting point which should not be overlooked for sourcing quality woocommerce custom t shirts.

Quickly and affordably, directly from the manufacturer. You can contact some of the best suppliers in China through these resources, and gradually begin building lucrative supplier relationships.

All t shirt options vary in terms of material, fit, price and blend. Let’s discuss what to look for under each of these categories.

T shirt Material

People wear T-shirts for their comfort, ease of movement and durability. You would, therefore, look closely at the material the T-shirt is made of and try to find one which is soft and comfortable. We all have our favorite items of clothing. Think about your favorite item and what you love about it.

T shirt Blend

One of the latest apparel trends is to buy items which are 100 % cotton. Cotton T-shirts are breathable and absorb moisture keeping skin dry and cool. When worn as an undergarment they also keep the wearer warm. 100 % Cotton T-shirts wash well and retain their shape for longer. They are also hypoallergenic and will not cause irritation.

Polyester T-shirts, on the other hand, are much cheaper to obtain. Polyester does not depend on a cotton harvest and is much more readily available. Cotton blends such as 50/50 or 65/35 are the most common T-shirt materials available on the market today. They combine the best properties of both polyester and cotton, providing a cost-effective and durable T-shirt product.

T shirt Fit

Depending on your target market and your niche, you may be looking for a product which provides either a snug or comfortable fit. Users such as skaters, surfers and other sportsman would probably want a comfortable T-shirt which offers greater movement and flexibility.

Whereas more fashion-conscious day-to-day wearers would prefer a form-fitting garment. You would also want a T-shirt which is available in a multitude of sizes and colors, with length being a key consideration.

T shirt Branding

It is important to reinforce your business name by taking advantage of every available branding opportunity. T-shirt labels provide just such an opportunity. Not only is the label a great place to put your name it also serves a very practical purpose and sets up repeat buying behaviour.

It’s the place a user looks to see where he bought an item and what size he bought. When choosing a customizable T-shirt, consider how easy or hard it will be to label and brand your product. Some suppliers offer a tearaway label making it that much easier for you to replace the label without damaging the T-shirt.

The woocommerce product designer plugin goes a long way to help your customers design their t shirts prior to purchase. All this are aspects that play a major role in your branding system. You can learn more on how to set up your woocommerce custom t shirts store here.

T shirt Pricing

I’ve left pricing for last as it is such an important point of discussion. The purchase price, or cost, is as important as the sell price and the difference between the two must cover other overheads to determine profitability.

Cost is an important consideration in determining the quality and source of your printable woocommerce custom t shirts, whereas the price at which the item is sold signals to the market the probable quality of a T-shirt as it relates to competitor products.

This is where market intel comes into play. Knowledge of the market conditions is essential for making good business decisions. It is important to know who offers similar T-shirts and the price points at which they are set. It is also important to get to know the potential suppliers and evaluate each one in terms of product availability, branding requirements, quality and cost.

Furthermore, knowledge of the target market and their preferences is also important. Are your T-shirts to be used for once-off wear, such as a custom bachelorette party T-shirt or is the customer expecting long wearing company branded workwear. There is a huge disparity in cost and quality between the two and knowing the needs of your T-shirt niche is imperative.

A different perspective

A slightly different approach to making hard and fast decisions about quality and cost is to offer your customers variety. A more mature business with established T-shirt manufacturing contracts, could look at segmenting their T-shirt market, offering Premium, Value and Budget brands.

This applies to the type of business employing more advanced branding strategies and would not be suitable for start-ups who are new to the woocommerce custom t shirts market. The reason we mention it is to highlight the importance of supplier relationships as a factor to keep it in mind when making a purchasing decision.

There is currently a lot of interest in the woocommerce custom t shirts printing business. We hope that you’ve found this article both interesting and informative.

For more information visit a few T-shirt forums to see what the industry has to say about the custom T-shirt printing business. Forums can provide excellent ideas, tips and advice to would be custom T-shirt start up’s.

Some of the most popular T-shirt forums and message boards include. T-shirt Forums, Hypebeast, Mintees, Design By Humans and The Shirt Board.

If you know of any quality t-shirt supplier not mentioned or any experience you have had in this business, tell us in the comment section.