Why the Cheapest Merch Is Usually the Most Expensive option
Most brands don’t fail at merch because of bad design.
They fail because they optimize for the wrong thing.
One of the most common question we hear isn’t about fit, fabric, or sustainability.
It’s simply “How cheap can we get these?”
And I get it. Merch feels risky. Inventory costs money. No one wants boxes of unsold shirts collecting dust in the back room.
But here’s the hard truth:
The cheapest shirt is usually the most expensive one.
The False Economy of Cheap Merch
On paper, saving $2–$4 per shirt feels smart.
In reality, it often creates three problems:
Bad fit = no reorders
If a shirt fits weird, people don’t wear it. If they don’t wear it, they don’t talk about it. And if they don’t talk about it, it didn’t do its job.Low durability = one-and-done
Thin fabric, weak collars, twisting seams — these show up fast. When merch dies after three washes, it quietly damages your brand.No emotional attachment
The best merch becomes someone’s favorite shirt. Cheap merch becomes a donation.
Saving a few bucks up front often costs you:
Repeat orders
Organic brand exposure
Customer trust
Cost Per Shirt vs. Cost Per Wear
Here’s a better way to think about merch:
A $9 shirt worn once costs $6 per wear.
A $16 shirt worn 30 times costs 53¢ per wear (and sparks a lot of conversations)
Merch doesn’t work because it’s cheap.
It works because it’s loved and worn.
Merch Is Not Swag. It’s Product.
This is where businesses and brands get tripped up.
Swag is disposable.
Product is intentional.
When merch is treated like a product, brands start asking better questions:
Who is this actually for?
How do we want it to feel?
Would we wear this regularly?
Those questions change everything…including results.
The Brands That Win at Merch
The brands we see succeed long-term don’t chase the lowest quote. They:
Choose blanks they’d personally wear
Order intentionally instead of over-ordering
Expect reorders instead of hoping for them
Design for longevity, not hype
They don’t always spend more.
They spend smarter.
The Real Goal of Merch
The goal isn’t cheaper shirts.
The goal is shirts that get worn.
Because worn merch:
Markets for you
Builds loyalty
Creates repeat demand
Pays for itself
If your merch doesn’t leave the building, simply put, it didn’t work.
Final Thought:
If you’re deciding between two options and one feels better but costs slightly more, trust that instinct. It’s usually the right one.
