Discuss the process of getting your t-shirt line into brick and mortar stores and selling offline. Topics include industry tradeshows, events, line sheets, sales reps and other retailing tips and advice.
This is a question that might trigger a new forum... does anyone know of a layout plan or have suggestions to accomodate transfer printing in a retail store already selling tshirts?
I am interested in shelving, where to actually put the heat press, counter space, where to put the transfers, etc etc etc .
I already have a shop that sells printed shirts and have recently moved into transfers which means that my inventory is coming down and my space requirements and product distribution/display needs have been modified.
Are you talking about having a heat press out in the open where you press transfers for customers on demand?
If so there's a shop here called Bang On that does that. They have a central work pit (basically a square counter in the center of the store) with the heat press and equipment on lower tables inside and the registers on the counter. They have books of transfers on the counter and t-shirts hanging on racks and on the walls.
Hi:
I have a shop were most of my printing is done with tranfers that I buy. I have them on the walls and shirts hanging right below the different print diplayed and have the heat press out in the open. I also have a cutter out in the open. That brings alot of extra work in. They pick a print then add a name to the shirt. They love to see there shirt being put together and I able to sell the transfers I buy from pro world for 7.00 and add a name for 5.00 plus the shirt.
This is a question that might trigger a new forum...
You mean like this one? This particular question hasn't really come up yet, but it's definitely on-topic.
I don't use a heat press and don't have a lot of ideas. If it was me I would make sure the press was behind a counter, but visible. You want people to see it, get interested in the whole process, etc. but you don't want it out where someone might burn themselves on the heating element.
Thanks for all the input! I like the Bang On stores, checked out their website and they have some cool stores and whole slew of transfers! I sent them an email to see what it would take to set up a store down here...
I want to combine some shelf space with the heat press setup so I guess I will go with one wall for blanks (hanging) and above that the little squares for folks to see the designs.
The other - opposite - wall will remain for already printed items, since during rush times like Christmas, Easter week and the summer, there is no way I would be able to keep up with demand, just printing!
Thanks for all your help. I guess I will have to get creative in the way it looks, since the actual placement is pretty standard.
Don't wanto to sound like a know-it-all, but yeah, I've seen the Virgin store in Vancouver as well as the one in Times Square and Chicago. Pretty intense store they have there. I am definitely not Branson so I can't even come close to something like that!!!!!
What I am doing is (with your transfers, thank you very much, they are excellent) is 2 things:
1. reducing considerably my inventory of printed shirts
2. increasing customer options in color, style, size and phrase combinations
So yeah, I will be combining both printed stock and made on the spot shirts, but only with my own designs if you know what I mean.
Setting Up A Physical Store (Brick n Mortar) 
