Last week, we shared some eye-opening survey findings about how today's shoppers prefer to buy branded apparel and merchandise. This week, let's talk about putting those insights into action — specifically, how to make online shopping a no-brainer for your customers and how to get them spending more while they're there.
You've been there before. You're standing in line at a merch tent at a concert or a race, inching forward, only to finally reach the front and find out they don't have your size in the design you wanted. So you settle. Then, wallet already lighter, you spot someone walking away with a design you didn't even know was an option.
It's frustrating — and completely avoidable.
The survey told us that the top three reasons people shop online for custom apparel are: to see all available options and designs, to avoid waiting in line, and to find the right size. Online stores solve all three of these pain points at once. Instead of a price sheet taped to a tent pole and a limited table display, your customers get a full browsing experience right on their phones.
The setup is simple: place QR codes around the venue or include them in your marketing materials, and shoppers can jump straight into the store from wherever they are. Once inside, every design, every color, every size option is right there at their fingertips. Chipply's auto-image placement and vendor-curated templates make it easy to offer a polished, complete product lineup without the manual legwork. And with live inventory integration, customers only see what's actually available — no disappointment at checkout, no backorder headaches for you.
Online shopping is just easier and more enjoyable. And when the experience is better, customers are more likely to come back.
Getting someone into your store is step one. Getting them to fill their cart is where the real revenue opportunity lives.
The survey found that shoppers are most motivated to purchase multiple items when there's a discount on the full order, a one-time promo code, or a wide variety of products to choose from. The good news? Chipply makes all three of these levers easy to pull.
Start with your product selection. A robust store with ladies' cuts, youth sizes, good/better/best price tiers, and accessories like hats, scarves, socks, tumblers, totes, and notebooks gives shoppers more reasons to keep adding items. Chipply's bulk color and size picker lets you load up your store quickly without having to apply artwork to every individual product — so there's no reason to hold back on variety.
Once your store is stocked, use promo codes and e-certificates to create urgency and excitement. Chipply's custom promo tools let you set up percentage- or dollar-off discounts that apply to specific products or the entire store. You can even add a countdown clock so shoppers know exactly when the window closes — a simple but effective nudge to stop browsing and start buying.
And here's one more worth mentioning: 15% of shoppers said they'd be more likely to buy multiple items if they knew part of the proceeds were going to a cause. So if you've been on the fence about running a fundraiser, consider this your sign. Chipply's built-in fundraiser tracker makes it easy to set a goal, show real-time progress, and keep your community motivated — and the best part? Chipply fees don't apply to fundraising, which means your organization keeps 100% of what's raised.
Moving from a merch tent to an online store isn't just a convenience upgrade for your customers — it's a real revenue opportunity for your business. Give shoppers more to choose from, make it easy to find their size, sweeten the deal with a promo code, and watch your average cart value grow.
Ready to build a store that does all of this? Start with Chipply.