Using Your Merch To Reach International Fans

So, you’ve got your merch store up and running and now you’d like to make sure that your fans outside of the U.S. can order your merch. Altacolor can help with using your merch to reach international fans by setting up regionalised stores for non-U.S. sales.

Your International Stores Will Be Different

There are three ways to get your merch into the hands of your international fans.

1. Ship Directly From Altacolor’s U.S. manufacturing sites.
   • All product available to your ‘local’ fans are made and shipped from Altacolor in the U.S. This means all printed, embroidered or laser-engraved product goes directly from the plant to any accessible point in the world.
     • PROs:
       • Product is exactly what North American consumers get, including styles and decoration execution
       • Faster out-the-door time based on Altacolor’s 4-day on-demand commitment
       • Direct quality control of the product
     • CONs:
       • Shipping costs can be high for the end purchaser, making a purchase for a single tee prohibitive
       • Shipping time to some locations can be 3-4 weeks, increasing purchaser resistance
2. Ship From Fulfillment Centers in EU and Oceania
   • If your international volume will exceed a certain number, typically 3,000 or more units per month, Altacolor will produce appropriate quantities, ship to fulfillment centers in EU and Oceania, with orders being fulfilled from those centers.
     • PROs:
       • Again, product is produced by Altacolor in the U.S., so consumers are receiving the same product as U.S. fans.
       • Altacolor manages shipping, fulfillment, insurance, tracking, follow-up and customer service-related issues.
       • Direct quality control of the product.
       • Delivery is faster to the end purchaser than shipping internationally since product is shipped from a fulfillment center relatively near the purchaser.
     • CONs:
       • Up-front investment to make product in bulk is required. A portion of everything anticipated to be sold will not sell and will add to the fulfillment overhead. With the proper mark-up, this is a cost of doing business and should be absorbed by the selling price.
       • Initial shipping cost is offset by making more product in bulk, but there must always be available inventory, meaning more bulk product production that will be stored, hence, adding to storage costs. This will add $1-$2 of cost per unit.
       • Frequent style drops in smaller quantities will boost per-piece costs and may throttle innovation.
   • Leverage Altacolor’s Production Network To Fulfill International Orders
     • If merch volume is unclear or developing, but there is resistance by non-U.S. purchasers because of shipping costs, leveraging Altacolor’s production provider network is a solution. Altacolor maintains production-point relationships in a closed network of providers where data is seamlessly delivered to the partner best able to rapidly fulfill the merch order nearest the pruchaser’s location.
       • PROs:
         • Much lower shipping costs reduce purchaser resistance.
         • Production partners are directly connected to Altacolor’s production and fulfillment software for error-free orders. The partners instantly receive and fulfill orders around the clock.
         • Purchasers’ payments are secured through Altacolor’s payments processors which are all PCI DSS-compliant,
       • CONs:
         • International store configuration is handled by Altacolor. Depending on the locations serviced, there may be ongoing regulatory fees collected.
         • Not all apparel available in the U.S. is also available overseas. Unlike other merch “manufacturers”, Altacolor offers branded product, like Gildan, Hanes, Next Level and Bella+Canvas. In the EU, AS Colour may be used instead of Next Level, for instance.
         • Per-product cost to the store sponsor will be slightly higher to offset administration, regulatory and IT costs.

So, Altacolor brings options to the table. The best fit for your merch sales may evolve over time and change as your fanbase changes. This is normal and Altacolor will help manage those changes.

To summarise: U.S. and territories sales? Ship direct. 10-20% international, partner production. Large volume sales overall plus significant overseas sales, manufacture and fulfill with fulfillment network.

Locations available to be serviced include Canada, Mexico, the EU, GB and Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, Madagascar, Marshall Islands, Egypt, Israel, Switzerland. Excluded are any nations in conflict, such as Ukraine and Russia, by example at the time of this writing; any countries or territories excluded from trade according to U.S. laws or treaties and locations that Altacolor has designated internally as high-risk for non-delivery or fraud.