How to keep team merch in rotation, not in a drawer

Almost every team we work with already has merch. The question is rarely "should we make something," it's why last year's order is sitting in a supply closet instead of being worn. The answer usually comes down to three things: fit, occasion and quantity, in that order.

Fit is the first thing that gets merch shelved

A single unisex size run, ordered to keep things simple, is the single biggest reason team merch stops getting worn. A cut that fits a fraction of the team well will fit the rest of the team poorly, and clothing that fits poorly doesn't leave the house, regardless of the logo on it.

We push every client toward a real size range and, where the budget allows, a genuine unisex or gendered fit split rather than one silhouette stretched across everyone. It costs little extra at the production stage and changes the outcome completely.

Match the piece to the occasion, not the other way around

A hoodie ordered for a summer offsite will sit unused for eight months of the year. A lightweight tee ordered for a winter kickoff won't get worn to the event it was made for. Matching the garment weight to the season and the event it's actually tied to sounds obvious, but it's the second most common reason we see reorders shrink year over year.

Order less, more often

Teams that order once a year in bulk tend to over-order sizes they don't need and under-order the sizes that run out first. A better pattern, if the supply chain supports it, is a smaller standing order two or three times a year tied to actual headcount changes and real onboarding dates, so the spec stays current instead of guessed at annually.

Keep one spec, refresh the colour or detail

Redesigning team merch from scratch every cycle is expensive and slows everything down. Keeping one proven cut and fabric on file, and refreshing only the colourway or a small detail each season, keeps quality consistent while still giving the team something new to look forward to.

What we'd skip

• One-size ordering. The single biggest cause of merch that never leaves the box.
• Ordering for the launch photo, not the following months. If it won't get worn in October, don't order it for an October launch photo.
• A new design every single cycle. Consistency builds recognition faster than novelty does.