Many gym owners launch a print-on-demand (POD) store expecting it to be an easy, passive way to sell apparel. The promise sounds great:
✔️ No upfront costs
✔️ Apparel available 24/7
✔️ A wide variety of options
But here’s the reality: Print-on-demand stores don’t work.
If you have 50+ members, your gym should be selling at least 35-50 pieces per order. If your POD store isn’t hitting those numbers, it’s time to rethink your approach.
Let’s break down exactly why POD stores fail—and what actually works instead.
1. “Apparel Will Always Be Available” – And That’s the Problem
Print-on-demand stores promise convenience: members can buy whenever they want. But that’s exactly why they don’t buy.
Think about it: People don’t purchase gym apparel just because it’s sitting in an online store. They need a reason to buy now.
Big apparel brands use:
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Limited-edition releases (Nike’s drops sell out in minutes.)
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Time-sensitive incentives (Deadlines force people to make a decision.)
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Event-based promotions (Think concert merch—only available at the show.)
When apparel is always available, there’s no urgency. That’s why our clients use 7-day pre-orders instead. Members know they have just one week to buy—after that, it’s gone. That urgency drives action.
2. “A POD Store Will Solve Our Drop-In Tee Problem” – Wrong.
Every gym wants a great drop-in experience. A visitor gets a workout in, meets the community, and leaves with a branded tee as a souvenir.
But here’s the problem: Print-on-demand takes weeks to deliver.
Imagine this:
- A drop-in finishes their workout and asks if you have a shirt they can buy.
- You tell them, “Just go to our online store and order one!”
- They realize they won’t get it for 3-4 weeks.
- They leave with nothing other than regret for not picking the other gym in town to visit.
Drop-in tees need to be in stock, on hand, and ready to sell immediately. A POD store won’t solve that.
3. “We Can Offer Tons of Designs and Products” – And That’s Why No One Buys
Choice overload is real. The more options you offer, the harder it is for people to decide.
Look at any POD store’s analytics:
- Tons of page views
- Tons of time spent browsing
- Very few purchases
Most POD stores convert less than 2% of visitors into buyers. That’s terrible.
Instead of throwing 20+ designs on a website and hoping for sales, we recommend launching one design at a time with 3 garment options that make sense—with a clear marketing strategy behind them.
4. “Cutting Out the Middleman Saves Money” – No, It Costs You Sales
Many business coaches push the idea of cutting out the “middleman” to increase profit margins. But when it comes to apparel, this logic falls apart.
If you use a POD store, you now have to:
- Choose garments (without knowing what will sell)
- Handle designs (Canva won’t cut it)
- Manage the store, update styles, and refresh products
Congratulations, you just created a second job for yourself—one that won’t pay off.
A good apparel partner does more than print shirts. They provide expert design, a proven sales system, and marketing support to ensure your orders actually hit 35-50+ pieces each time.
The Bottom Line: Print-on-Demand Stores Are Costing You Thousands
If your POD store has sold less than 40 pieces this quarter, it’s time for a new approach.
We’ve helped gyms go from struggling to sell a few shirts per month to consistently moving hundreds of pieces per year—with zero stress.
Let’s fix this. Book a quick call, and I’ll show you how to turn apparel into a true revenue stream for your gym.
