CASE STUDY
How an Independent Outdoor Shop Outsold National Brands with a Monthly Custom Hat Strategy
Client Profile: An independent outdoor apparel and equipment shop
Partnership with Comic Threads: 10+ Years
Strategy: The "Monthly Drop" Model (3–4 new custom designs per month)
Key Result: 100% retail markup, outselling major brands like Orvis and Howler Brothers
The Challenge: Moving Beyond "Standard" Shop Merch
For most retail stores, branded merchandise is an afterthought. The typical approach is to order one or two hat designs with the store’s logo, put them on a shelf, and reorder the exact same hats year after year.
One of our long-time clients, an independent outdoor apparel and equipment shop, realized that relying strictly on this old model was leaving money on the table. While they carried heavyweight national brands like Howler Brothers and Orvis, those products came with standard retail margins and heavy competition. They wanted to turn their own store brand into a highly profitable, highly sought-after commodity that customers couldn't get anywhere else.
The Solution: The "Monthly Drop" Model
Rather than treating their custom hats as basic promotional items, we have partnered with the client for over 10 years to position their headwear as an exclusive apparel brand. Together, we implemented a strategy focused on variety, scarcity, and rapid turnaround.
Here is how our custom program works for them:
Done-for-You Design: Each month, we provide a fresh batch of unique patch designs, all produced in-house. We send a group of these designs to the client for review and approval.
Constant Variety: The client generally selects all 3 to 4 new designs we send each month to add to their inventory.
In-house Production: Once the designs are approved, we produce and ship the custom hats usually within 10 business days after receipt of payment.
Rotating Classics: Alongside the fresh monthly drops, we help them seamlessly restock their all-time most popular designs to meet ongoing demand.
The Results: Strong Following and Unbeatable Margins
By shifting from a "static merch" mindset to a dynamic monthly-release strategy, the shop transformed its headwear category into a cornerstone of its business. And, their city is filled with hat wearers who have paid to market their brand.
Outselling the Giants: Today, the shop sells hundreds of our custom hats every month. Eventually, they reached the point where their own store-branded hats consistently outsell the national outdoor brands they carry on their floor.
100% Markup: Because the designs are exclusive and highly desirable, the shop confidently sells them at a 100% markup, typically at a $ 35-per-hat price point. This has created a highly reliable, recurring income stream with much higher profit margins than their wholesale national brands.
A Loyal, Repeat Customer Base: Their customers no longer buy just one hat. They have become collectors. Customers closely follow the store's Instagram feed, and when the store announces that the latest monthly hat designs have arrived, followers literally rush in to buy them before they sell out.
The Takeaway for Your Store
Your store's brand has value. If you are only offering one or two hat designs year after year, you are missing out on repeat purchases from your most loyal customers. If you have only one design, customers generally won’t buy it again. But if you have new designs, you garner repeat purchases.
By introducing new custom designs each month or quarter, you can train your customers to look forward to your new releases, drive foot traffic through your doors or your website, and build a high-margin revenue stream that outpaces the national brands on your shelves.
Ready to turn your shop’s hats into a must-have item? Contact us today to start your custom design program!