PPB October 2016

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t - sh i r t s
Six Ways To Shrink
Inventory and Shipping Costs
Small businesses have to find ways to be creative and resourceful to
keep inventory and shipping costs down and remain competitive in
their pricing. Here are a few ideas from Scott Allen of Albuquerque,
New Mexico-based InkSoft, a company that makes business
software for the printing industry.
1 Find a local wholesaler/
supplier. You might pay higher
prices for the blanks, but when
you can pick up orders, you
avoid the shipping expense.
2 The majority of products sold
by successful decorators consist
of a limited number of SKUs
and colors. Having a narrow
selection allows your customer
ease of choice and makes a
huge inventory unnecessary.
3 Make friends with other
shops in your area and build a
mutually beneficial relationship
where you might combine
orders to reduce shipping costs
and have a local resource when
you need shirts in a hurry.
4 For larger orders that require
bringing in big quantities of
shirts, consider contracting
with a larger decorator in your
area. This allows you to grow
your business without needing
inventory space.
5 Order only as needed.
There are suppliers that can
have product to you overnight.
This helps to reduce the
amount of stock you need to
keep on hand since you can
get it quickly.
6 While having inventory
can be a drain on limited
resources, you need to have
enough to cover misprints.
Sometimes it’s not even a
misprint but a shirt with a hole
or stain. You want to have
enough backup so you are
not short while decorating the
order. Reject shirts can be
used for test prints and can
be a tax write-off at the end of
the year.
There are always
situations where you
want to stand out. With
the HV51 Non-ANSI
Short Sleeve T-Shirt,
available in a bright
orange and bright
yellow, you will get
noticed. Constructed
out of 100-percent
polyester micro mesh,
the lightweight, durable,
performance-wicking
material will keep the
body cool while it’s hard
at work. Sizes start at
medium and go up to 5X.
Starline USA, Inc.
UPIC: STAR0009
Bring on the bling with this Ladies
Glitter t-shirt, constructed of
3.25-ounce, 95-percent combed
cotton, five-percent Lurex jersey
fabric. Perfect for spirit wear,
cheer, dance, team and casual
wear, the shirt has glitter knit and
is cover-stitched throughout the
fabric. This t-shirt also comes in
youth, a V-neck version, and long
sleeve. It is available in 12 colors
and sizes XS – 3XL.
J. America (Wholesale Blanks Division)
UPIC: Blanks
16 | OCTOBER 2016 |
INNOVATE