When you ship out shirts to your customers, it’s your last chance to make a positive, professional and lasting impression. Beyond the obvious – shipping good product that’s neatly folded and arrives without being all beat up – there’s a lot you can do to go above and beyond and make your customer’s purchasing experience truly memorable. This in turn increases the chance they’ll buy again, or recommend your shop to a friend.
To help you get started (and inspired) we’ve compiled a list of tips (with links for resources) for packaging your tees and some samples of really remarkable stuff that other folks have done.
Tips for shipping your shirts in style:
- Invest a few extra bucks in plastic bags to individually package your t-shirts. This looks especially pro when you are shipping multiple tees out to a customer.
- Order some hang tags to attach to each shirt. Some of the most memorable shirts I’ve received had tags that are as well designed as the graphics on the tees themselves. Put your company name, website URL, and some amazing artwork on your tag. There will be people who keep them just because they look cool.
- Throw in a few stickers (here or here), buttons, or other trinkets with each order. These are cheap to produce in bulk, make sweet little freebies, and are great for promotion if they are cool enough that people will use them. Don’t mention it on your website – just do it without saying anything and be a hero.
- Find a way to say THANK YOU. Whether it’s a hand written note, or a pre-printed message, let your customer know you really do appreciate their order.
- Include a coupon code good on your customer’s next purchase. Many big-boy retail shops follow this policy to lure shoppers back and turn them into repeat buyers. Even if it’s just 10% off an order, you can easily increase your chances of getting that next purchase.
Really Creative Packaging Ideas
Of course, one of the best ways to stand out is to make your actual packaging unique. If you’re on a budget, just getting some pre-printed mailers is a great way to start. But here’s a few examples of some out-of-the-world packaging to inspire you:
Johnny Cupcakes is a juggernaut in the world of established t-shirt brands. Their packaging, and this is just one example, is always creative. (via lovely package)
Oddica has been around forever, and has always had custom printed flexible shipping bags. The design has changed over the years, but the branding is always consistant. (via notcot)
Butchrd Apparel, who we’ve featured before, actually packs their tees in styrofoam meat cases. The idea is perfectly inline with the concept behind their line which is an example of really smart marketing and branding.
Here’s another example of packaging matching up to the brand. Creative + cheap + easy to pull off = a true winner. (via flickr. ldandersen)
Want to share some tips or other outstanding packaging ideas you’ve seen? Post em below!
