3 essential things to consider when selling textiles in a POD system
At first glance, the lowest price (both in production and then resale) seems to be the main strategy when running a POD textile business. However, most businesses that adopt this model end up failing. Here are a few things to include in your planning.
Graphics
In POD textile printing, when you work with blank products from the supplier's stock, the graphics are one of the main values you add to the product. Therefore, you must be willing to invest in it—either through your own effort or a budget for an artist’s work.
Even if you have high notoriety and your fans would buy anything you put up for sale, over time, the lack of elaborate designs will lead to a decrease in buyer enthusiasm.
Try to come up with at least two new graphic series per year, tailored to the two seasons. Less, but better.
From our experience, good graphics make the difference, and a quality product, well printed with cool content, will be an ambassador for you or your projects. Moreover, good graphics are your gateway to new customers and a way to retain existing ones.
Production
When choosing a production partner for print on demand, it's quite important that they also handle the packaging and delivery of products (dropshipping). In this case, you won’t be able to personally perform quality control, so you need to be sure that production is done to the highest standards. Be willing to pay extra for quality production and accept no compromises when it comes to the appearance and durability of the print.
What to look for?
Equipment and Inks Used: Look for suppliers with industrial equipment suitable for commercial production, whose prints have already been tested by other brands. Find out details about what clients are using that type of equipment and get an idea of the production quality. Search only for original, non-toxic inks with OekoTex certification or, even better, GOTS.
Working Conditions: Visit the workshop and ensure you choose a supplier that offers safe and dignified working conditions for employees. Even if you might say it doesn’t concern you, the well-being of the people who produce your items directly reflects in the quality of your products.
Support Team: Is there a dedicated support team and an organized way to handle requests? Check this component of the collaboration with your print provider as it will reflect in the time you spend sending information and being understood, the response time when you have questions, and later, how closely the print results match what you want.
Always choose a supplier who communicates errors, is transparent about their operations, and is oriented towards communication and solutions. When it comes to your brand and the quality of your products, these aspects are crucial.
Sustainability: Whether you care about it or not, sustainability is becoming an increasingly important component in the world of textiles, both from the producers' and the end consumers' side. Build a range of products from the start that takes into account environmental protection standards and the social component.
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