How to Select the Right Company to Handle Your Custom Merch

Custom merch has come a long way from the lowly t-shirt, keychain or coffee mug. With phenomenal advances in printing solutions and manufacturing technology, both the appearance and quality of custom merchandise have only elevated over the years. Plus there’s no dearth of the diverse variety of apparel and accessories one can perfectly tailor to effectively reflect a company’s brand logo and message. Choose from a ton of valuable items that not only increase brand recognition, awareness, and presence but also offer incredible functional and aesthetic value. 

In addition there’s an extensive array of world renowned brands to choose from, such as North Face, Patagonia, JBL, YETI, Ralph Lauren, Nike, Under Armour, Osprey, and many more. 

With quality custom merchandise, such as TUMI luggage, Eddie Bauer jackets, Osprey performance backpacks, Ralph Lauren throw blankets, YETI tumblers, and other such exceptional branded items, you can truly reward your employees for their hard work and dedication. Moreover, such meaningful and thoughtfully planned high quality merchandise can continue to enhance your company’s brand image and appeal for a long time to come. But before you can move ahead, you'll have to line up a custom merch store to help you make that merch happen. Here are some things to keep in mind.

What Merchandise Do They Offer?

Prior to locking down that custom merch company, the first order of business is to see what kind of merchandise they offer. If it's all plain t-shirts and other cheap merch that no one wants anyway, you'll likely be devaluing your brand if you double down and put more low-quality merch out there in the world. Instead, if you work with a reputable merch company that can put your logo on products that employees, clients and other people actually want, you'll have a built-in audience for that custom merch. Thankfully there’s a ton of functional and highly appealing options to choose from. Would you like to go for a Nike dri-fit or Carhartt beanie? Or perhaps a tumbler or a YETI rambler would make for the perfect gift?  Or how about an Ogio laptop bag or perhaps custom Anker Bluetooth earbuds? The list goes on and on. When you choose extraordinary items such as these that people actually covet and desire, you can leverage that intrigue into support for your business.

What Kind of Customization Do You Need?

Next, it's important that you consider your customization needs prior to putting in that order. Would you like an embroidered or screen printed logo? It all depends on the visual effect you’re looking to create. Embroidery is a popular option as it can instantly bring to life a custom logo, making it truly stand out, with a strong and clean look. On the other hand, if you prefer more flexibility with the logo or artwork or a larger design area, then go for screen printing - another favorite with companies. 

At Lead Apparel, customers can  also choose logos and designs embroidered with Japanese Barudan machines and the highest quality German threads from Madeira and Gunold. In addition we also offer other attractive options such as laser etching (on drinkware), custom patches, and custom color printing. 

What's Your Timeline?

Before you can place that custom merch order, it's crucial to determine if that store can meet the timeline you have in mind. After all, if you need dozens of jackets, bags or other apparel by the holiday season or your next trade show yet your chosen merch company's turnaround is measured in months, not weeks or days, you could have a problem on your hands before you even get started. Lead Apparel will work with you to meet your important deadlines so that you can have the merchandise ready for gifting or distribution at or within the scheduled timeline. We remain committed to helping you get the most impact out of those items, all while keeping you informed and aware of the things that can hold up final delivery.

What About Shipping?

It may not be high on your list of priorities, but there's a big difference between a custom merch supplier that can affordably ship your items after a quick turnaround and one that may send a shipment that bounces around for weeks on end before it arrives -- if it ever arrives. Even better, the best custom merch companies will even allow you to ship items directly to employees or clients, reducing the need to accept a large shipment and the logistics of processing everything to go out again for delivery.

Lead Apparel ships only UPS and FedEx to ensure that your large purchase is delivered on time. Compare this with other shipping options that can easily take up to 7 or 10 business days to arrive, especially for large packages. In addition you can request expedited shipping service, if required, at an additional cost.