GoKawiilEntrepreneur Op-Ed Urges Businesses to Price Merch as Marketing, Not Profit
An Entrepreneur contributor argues that most small businesses like restaurants and bars overprice branded merchandise, charging $25 to $80 for items that often cost only $5 to $15 to produce. The writer says this pricing discourages purchases and wastes an opportunity, since customers who love a product or experience are often willing but reluctant to pay high markups for logo gear.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The piece reframes merch not as a standalone profit center but as a low-cost marketing tool that turns satisfied customers into free walking advertisements. For small businesses, rethinking merch pricing could meaningfully boost brand visibility and loyalty without requiring big marketing budgets.
- Branded merch often costs businesses only $5-$15 per item to produce.
- Overpricing merch discourages purchases and wastes marketing potential.
- Affordable merch can build customer loyalty and free brand promotion.
Cricut EasyPress 2 Heat Press — If you're inspired to start creating your own branded merch in-house, the Cricut EasyPress 2 makes it simple to customize t-shirts, hoodies, and tote bags with your logo without expensive bulk orders. It's a great way to test small batches of merch designs before committing to large print runs, keeping costs low like the article suggests. Perfect for entrepreneurs who want to turn customers into walking advertisements without breaking the bank.
See Cricut EasyPress 2 Heat Press on Amazon → Affiliate link — we may earn a commission on purchases, at no extra cost to you. Product picked by AI based on this article; it is not a tested recommendation.Source: entrepreneur.com — Gene Marks, 2026-09-18
Published there as: “Your Merch Could Be a Marketing Goldmine. Stop Treating It Like a Cash Grab.”
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