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Improving Employee Participation

Written by Justin Hoehn •Updated May 25, 2026

One of the biggest goals of any employee merchandise program is participation.

Companies want employees to actually engage with the store, place orders and feel excited about the merchandise being offered.

The strongest employee merchandise programs typically combine:

  • Premium products
  • Simple ordering experiences
  • Generous employee funding
  • Clear communication
  • Convenient shipping

When these elements are aligned correctly, companies can see extremely high participation rates — in some cases approaching full employee participation.

Premium products matter

The quality of the merchandise offered inside the store has a major impact on employee participation.

Employees are significantly more likely to place orders when the store includes premium retail brands and products they would genuinely want to wear or use outside of work.

Popular employee merchandise categories often include:

  • Premium apparel
  • Outerwear
  • Drinkware
  • Backpacks
  • Tech accessories

Professional brands such as Nike, Patagonia, Peter Millar and other retail-style products consistently perform better than generic promotional merchandise.

When employees perceive the merchandise as high quality, the store feels more like a valuable employee benefit rather than a traditional promotional giveaway.

Company-funded ordering increases participation

Companies consistently see the highest participation rates when employees receive company-funded ordering through Launch codes.

Employees are far more likely to participate when:

  • The company fully or partially funds the order
  • The ordering process feels simple
  • Employees are not required to cover the entire cost personally

Programs using generous Launch code allowances often perform exceptionally well because employees can order products they actually want without feeling restricted by price.

In contrast, stores that require employees to fully pay using a personal payment method typically see much lower participation rates.

Keep the ordering experience simple

The employee ordering experience should feel easy and straightforward.

Employees should be able to:

  • Access the store easily
  • Understand how their Launch code works
  • Quickly select products
  • Complete checkout without confusion

Launch helps simplify the process by combining:

  • Flexible Launch codes
  • Automated employee messaging
  • Direct checkout
  • Real-time order visibility

Reducing friction during the ordering process plays a major role in improving participation.

Communication is critical

Employee communication is one of the most overlooked parts of a successful merchandise program.

Even strong stores with premium products can struggle if employees are not reminded to place their orders.

Launch Messenger helps automate communication by:

  • Sending employee welcome emails
  • Delivering Launch code information
  • Providing store access instructions
  • Sending reminder emails before the store closes

In many stores, employee ordering activity is heavily concentrated during:

  • The first 48 hours after launch
  • The final 48 hours before the store closes

Because of this behavior, reminder emails and clear communication often have a major impact on overall participation rates.

Shorter launch windows help speed up fulfillment

Launch stores can remain open for a maximum of 15 days, but most companies choose much shorter ordering windows.

Because production begins once the store closes, shorter launch windows typically help reduce overall lead times and allow employee orders to move into production faster.

In most cases, Launch recommends keeping stores open somewhere between approximately 5–7 working days depending on the company’s goals and communication strategy.

Employee ordering activity is typically concentrated during:

  • The first 48 hours after launch
  • The final 48 hours before the store closes

Because of this behavior, extending the store window longer than necessary often does not significantly improve participation rates.

Launch Messenger reminder emails also help keep employees informed throughout the ordering window.

Shipping convenience improves the experience

Convenient shipping also affects participation.

Employees are much more likely to complete orders when merchandise ships directly to their home or office rather than requiring manual internal distribution.

Launch supports:

  • Individual shipments
  • Multi-office shipping
  • Bulk shipment workflows

Professionally packed direct-to-home shipments also help create a more polished employee experience once merchandise arrives.

Why participation matters

High participation rates help companies:

  • Improve employee engagement
  • Increase excitement around company merchandise
  • Strengthen company culture
  • Improve the perceived value of employee programs

The most successful employee merchandise programs are typically the ones that feel simple, premium and convenient from start to finish.

Best practices

  • Offer premium products employees genuinely want
  • Use Launch codes to fund all or part of employee orders
  • Keep the ordering process simple and easy to understand
  • Use Launch Messenger reminders throughout the ordering window
  • Offer direct-to-home shipping whenever possible
  • Use shorter ordering windows to create urgency and focus participation
  • Budgeting for employee merchandise
  • Choosing how employees pay
  • Launch codes for onboarding programs
  • Individual shipments
  • Best-selling products for employee stores