Clothing and accessories are a great way to strengthen the branding of your establishment. If your business has a catchy slogan or clever logo, custom T-shirts are another category of merchandise that can elevate your overall sales. Shirts have a low wholesale cost, a healthy mark-up, and strong retail margins; plus, they are not a product that expires. You also don't need to order a large amount to try out a certain stye or color. However, not just any old shirt will do. In the past decade, t-shirts have become more sophisticated, with more fitted styles for women and variations on the classic t-shirt for men. Your shirt design should be based on your customer demographics, climate, and current fashion trends.

The style of shirt that you pick should be a reflection of your target demographic of customers. Here are a few guidelines:

Climate

Your shirt should reflect the type of climate where your business is located. For example, customers in Florida are unlikely to buy a long sleeved black polyester shirt because they would get too hot while wearing it. However, customers in Alaska might find that kind of style alluring but would not be interested in tank tops. A 100% cotton short sleeved shirt is always a safe bet across all regions.

Current Fashion Trends

Taking a quick trip through your local mall can inform you on what kind of styles are "in" right now. Be sure to visit stores or sections of stores that are marketed towards your target customer demographic. If most of your customers are older, browse through stores that they are likely to shop at. Older customers may prefer less fitted and longer styles, whereas a bar that is frequented by people in their early twenties may want to sell midriff shirts or tank tops with cut-outs in the back. If your customers are younger, visit stores with trendier styles. Make note of what each store displays on their mannequins because those are styles are ones that customers are seeking out.

Quality

The older your customers are the more likely they will care about high quality merchandise. Be sure to seek out fabrics like 100% cotton rather than a a cotton and polyester blend. Younger patrons are more likely to purchase a shirt based on how trendy or "cool" it looks rather than the fabric content.

Picking out a great shirt for your bar or restaurant does not have to be difficult. With a little bit of research and thoughtful selections, your establishment will be on its way to selling amazing t-shirts that every customer wants to buy.