Try FreePricing products for client storefronts requires balancing four variables: your production cost, your profit margin, the client's revenue share (if offered), and the end customer's willingness to pay. The goal is a retail price that feels fair to buyers while delivering 45–55% gross margin to you after accounting for any client revenue share.
The formula is straightforward: Retail Price = (Blank Cost + Decoration Cost) ÷ (1 - Target Margin % - Client Share %)
For example, a hoodie that costs $12 blank + $4 decoration = $16 total COGS. If you want 50% gross margin and offer the client 10% revenue share: $16 ÷ (1 - 0.50 - 0.10) = $16 ÷ 0.40 = $40 retail price. At $40, you earn $20 (50%) and the client earns $4 (10%).
What Does a Complete Pricing Table Look Like?
Here's a reference pricing table covering the most common storefront products across different production methods. Adjust based on your local costs and client expectations.
| Product | Blank Cost | Decoration | Total COGS | Retail (No Share) | Retail (15% Share) | Your Margin |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gildan 5000 Tee (screen print, 2-color) | $3.50 | $3.00 | $6.50 | $18.00 (64%) | $20.00 (53%) | 53–64% |
| Gildan 18500 Hoodie (screen print, 2-color) | $12.00 | $4.00 | $16.00 | $38.00 (58%) | $42.00 (47%) | 47–58% |
| Next Level 6210 CVC Tee (DTG full-color) | $4.50 | $5.50 | $10.00 | $25.00 (60%) | $28.00 (49%) | 49–60% |
| Richardson 112 Trucker Cap (embroidery, 8K stitches) | $4.00 | $4.00 | $8.00 | $24.00 (67%) | $26.00 (54%) | 54–67% |
| Bella+Canvas 3001 Tee (DTF transfer) | $4.00 | $3.50 | $7.50 | $22.00 (66%) | $24.00 (53%) | 53–66% |
| Sport-Tek ST350 Performance Tee (sublimation) | $5.00 | $4.00 | $9.00 | $26.00 (65%) | $28.00 (53%) | 53–65% |
| Polar Camel 30oz Tumbler (laser engrave) | $8.00 | $3.00 | $11.00 | $28.00 (61%) | $30.00 (48%) | 48–61% |
| Independent Trading PRM33SBP Joggers (screen print) | $14.00 | $4.50 | $18.50 | $45.00 (59%) | $50.00 (48%) | 48–59% |
These prices represent the "sweet spot" where most storefront buyers feel they're getting good value for branded merchandise. Pricing significantly below these numbers signals low quality; pricing above requires premium brand positioning or a fundraiser context where buyers expect to pay more to support the cause.
How Does Client Revenue Share Affect My Margins?
Client revenue share — the percentage or fixed amount per sale that goes to the school, gym, team, or organization — directly reduces your margin. The key is treating it as a customer acquisition cost, not a loss.
Typical revenue share ranges:
| Client Type | Revenue Share | Why This Range |
|---|---|---|
| Schools/Fundraisers | 15–30% | Fundraiser context means buyers expect a donation component |
| Sports Teams | 10–20% | Teams drive volume; lower share is acceptable |
| Gyms | 10–15% | Gym owner wants some revenue but mainly wants branded merch available |
| Companies | 0–10% | Companies often care more about convenience than revenue |
| Churches | 10–20% | Donation component is important for positioning |
| Nonprofits | 20–35% | Fundraising is the primary purpose |
The tradeoff calculation: A 15% revenue share on a $40 hoodie means $6 goes to the client and your margin drops from 60% to 45%. But that $6 is what motivates the school PTA to email 500 families about your store. If that email generates 40 orders, you've spent $240 in revenue share to generate $1,600 in sales — a 6.7x return. No Facebook ad delivers that ROI.
When to offer zero revenue share: Some clients (especially companies) don't want or need revenue share. They want the convenience of an online store for employees to order branded gear. In these cases, keep the full margin and position the store as a free service included with their business.
Should I Charge Differently for Campaign vs. Evergreen Stores?
Yes. Your production costs differ between campaign stores (batch production) and evergreen stores (on-demand production), and your pricing should reflect that.
Campaign store pricing (lower COGS, can offer better prices): Campaign stores batch orders for production, enabling screen printing and volume discounts on blanks. A 2-color screen printed tee might cost $6.50 in COGS at 50+ units. Price these competitively — buyers are accustomed to team/school pricing around $18–$25 for tees and $35–$45 for hoodies.
Evergreen store pricing (higher COGS, premium positioning): On-demand stores fulfill individual orders via DTG, DTF, or print-on-demand. COGS are higher ($8–$12 per tee on DTG vs. $6.50 screen printed at volume). Price 15–20% higher than campaign store equivalents — the value to the buyer is availability (they can order anytime, not just during a 2-week window).
Seasonal pricing strategy: For stores that run both campaigns and evergreen, consider "early bird" pricing during campaigns (slightly discounted) and regular pricing in the evergreen store. This rewards campaign participation and creates urgency while maintaining margin on year-round sales.
How Do I Handle Add-On Pricing for Personalization?
Personalization — adding individual names, numbers, titles, or custom text — adds production cost but also adds perceived value. The standard approach is a flat upcharge per personalized element.
Personalization pricing guidelines:
| Personalization Type | Your Added Cost | Recommended Upcharge | Net Margin on Add-On |
|---|---|---|---|
| Name on back (HTV/DTF) | $1.50–$3.00 | $5.00 | $2.00–$3.50 |
| Number on back (HTV) | $1.00–$2.00 | $4.00 | $2.00–$3.00 |
| Name + number combo | $2.50–$4.00 | $8.00 | $4.00–$5.50 |
| Monogram/initials (embroidery) | $2.00–$3.00 | $5.00 | $2.00–$3.00 |
| Custom text line (laser engrave on drinkware) | $0.50–$1.50 | $3.00–$5.00 | $1.50–$4.50 |
BrandLift's product customizer handles personalization pricing automatically — you set the upcharge per customization option, and it's added to the cart total when the customer personalizes. No manual price adjustments needed. The customizer also generates print-ready files with the personalization data embedded, so production files arrive with names and numbers already laid out at the correct size and position.
How Do I Communicate Pricing to Clients?
Never lead with the price the client pays (their revenue share). Lead with the value they receive: "Your organization earns $X per sale with zero effort, zero inventory, and zero upfront cost."
Pricing presentation framework:
- Start with the outcome: "Based on your organization's size, we estimate your store will generate $3,000–$5,000 in revenue, with your organization earning $450–$750."
- Show the product lineup with retail prices: Present a visual mockup of the store with products and prices. Let the client react to the prices as a consumer ("these prices seem fair" or "that's too high").
- Then reveal the revenue share: "Of every sale, your organization receives 15%. On the hoodie at $42, that's $6.30 per unit."
- Frame it as ROI, not cost: "You share a link. We handle everything. Your only investment is a newsletter mention."
See our BrandLift pricing comparison to understand how flat per-order fees from BrandLift compare to percentage-based competitors like Zakeke when running storefronts at volume.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the minimum margin I should accept on storefront products?
Never go below 40% gross margin, even with a generous client revenue share. Below 40%, you're not covering overhead, returns, and the occasional problem order. Ideal target: 45–55% after revenue share.
Should I offer free shipping on storefront products?
If possible, build shipping into the product price ("free shipping" with a $3–$5 price increase). "Free shipping" increases conversion rates by 15–25% in ecommerce. For bulk-ship-to-location (ship everything to the school/gym for distribution), you can offer genuinely lower shipping since you're sending one package, not 50.
How do I handle sales tax on storefront products?
Shopify calculates and collects sales tax automatically based on the buyer's location. As the merchant of record, you're responsible for remitting collected sales tax. If the organization is tax-exempt and purchasing for organizational use, you can set up tax-exempt customer accounts — but individual members purchasing for personal use typically pay sales tax.
Can I change storefront pricing mid-campaign?
Avoid changing prices during an active campaign — it creates confusion and trust issues. If you need to adjust pricing, wait for the next campaign or give advance notice ("prices updating on [date]"). For evergreen stores, price changes can be made anytime, but consider notifying the client organization first.
Written by Rob Diederich, Founder of BrandLift & Kodiak Decorated Products — a full-service decoration shop in Green Bay, WI with 13,000+ B2B customers and extensive experience pricing custom merchandise for schools, teams, and organizations.