How to Run a Pre-Order Campaign for Custom Apparel

What is a Pre-Order Campaign?

A pre-order campaign is a sales model where you take orders and collect payment before production begins. Instead of guessing how many garments to order, carrying stock, and hoping it sells, you know exactly what’s been ordered, in which sizes, before you spend a dollar on printing.

For gym owners, fitness studio operators, PT brands, and CrossFit boxes, pre-orders eliminate the biggest risk in launching merchandise: unsold inventory. It’s the smartest way to test new designs, launch a merch line, or run seasonal drops with zero financial risk.

Fitprint’s merch store service is built specifically for fitness businesses that want to sell branded apparel without the guesswork.

Why Pre-Orders Work for Fitness Businesses

Zero Inventory Risk

Traditional retail requires you to forecast demand, order stock in bulk, and hope your predictions were right. Get it wrong and you’re stuck with boxes of unsold merch. Pre-orders flip this model — you only produce what’s already been paid for.

Cash Flow Positive

Because customers pay upfront, you receive revenue before you incur production costs. This means your merch line is cash flow positive from day one. No large upfront investment, no financial risk.

Demand Validation

Thinking about launching a new design? A pre-order campaign tells you exactly how much demand exists before you commit. If a design doesn’t get traction, you can adjust or scrap it without losing money.

Built-in Urgency

Pre-order campaigns have a natural deadline — the order window closes on a specific date. This creates urgency that drives action. “Order by Friday or miss out” is a far more compelling call to action than “available anytime.”

Step-by-Step Guide to Running a Pre-Order Campaign

Step 1: Design Your Collection

Start with strong designs that your audience actually wants to wear. Consider surveying your members or followers to gauge interest in styles, colours, and garment types.

Keep it focused: Two to four items per pre-order drop is the sweet spot. Too many options create decision fatigue; too few limit appeal.

Create mockups: Professional mockups showing your designs on garment templates help customers visualise the final product. Use tools like Canva or hire a freelance designer to create photorealistic mockups that make your pre-order page look polished and professional.

Step 2: Set Up Your Store

You need a platform where customers can browse designs, select sizes, and complete their purchase. Options include:

• Dedicated merch store: Fitprint’s merch store service provides a branded online storefront specifically for your pre-order campaign. Customers can browse, select, and purchase seamlessly.
• Social media selling: For smaller operations, taking orders via Instagram DMs or a Google Form can work, though it’s less professional and harder to manage at scale.
• Your existing website: If you have an e-commerce-enabled website, adding a pre-order collection is straightforward.

Step 3: Set Your Timeline

A typical pre-order campaign runs for 7 to 14 days. This is long enough to build momentum and give people time to order, but short enough to maintain urgency.

Suggested timeline:

• Pre-launch (1 week before): Tease the collection on social media. Share behind-the-scenes content, design previews, and countdowns.
• Launch day: Open the store. Make a big announcement across all channels.
• Mid-campaign (day 4-5): Share social proof — order counts, member photos, testimonials. Remind people of the closing date.
• Final 48 hours: Create urgency. “Last chance” posts, countdown timers, and final reminders.
• Close: Shut the store. No late orders (this reinforces urgency for future campaigns).

Step 4: Price Strategically

Your pricing needs to cover costs, deliver a healthy margin, and feel fair to your customers.

Pricing formula:

• Garment cost + printing cost + packaging + shipping = total cost per unit
• Multiply total cost by 2.5 to 3.5 for your retail price

Example:

• Garment: $14
• Printing: $9
• Packaging: $2
• Shipping (averaged): $5
• Total cost: $30
• Retail price: $75-85

Don’t undercut yourself. Gym members expect to pay for quality. A $40 hoodie signals cheap; an $85 hoodie signals premium.

Consider early-bird pricing: Offer a small discount (10-15%) for orders placed in the first 48 hours. This drives early momentum and creates a rush of initial sales.

Step 5: Market the Campaign

A pre-order campaign lives or dies on its marketing. Here’s how to promote it effectively:

Social Media

• Announcement post: High-quality mockup images with clear details — what’s available, how to order, when the window closes.
• Stories and reels: Behind-the-scenes content, coach endorsements, member excitement.
• Countdown posts: Daily or every-other-day reminders as the close date approaches.
• User-generated content: If coaches or early supporters receive samples, ask them to share wearing shots.

Email/SMS

• Send a launch email or text to your member database.
• Follow up with a mid-campaign reminder and a final “closing soon” alert.

In-Gym Promotion

• Put up posters or A-frames in your gym with QR codes linking to the store.
• Have coaches mention the campaign during classes.
• Display sample garments (if available) at reception.

Word of Mouth

• Encourage members to share the campaign with friends and on their own social media.
• Consider a referral incentive — “tag a friend who’d love this” or a small discount for sharing.

Step 6: Close and Produce

When the pre-order window closes, compile your orders and submit them for production. With Fitprint, the process is streamlined:

1. You provide final order quantities by size and design.
2. We print and quality-check every garment.
3. We ship directly to you (or to individual customers, depending on your setup).

Production time: Typically 10 to 15 business days from order confirmation to dispatch, depending on order size and complexity.

Step 7: Fulfil and Deliver

Once production is complete, it’s time to get gear into your customers’ hands.

• In-gym pickup: The most common approach for box and studio merch. Host a “merch day” event where members collect their orders.
• Direct shipping: For online-only customers or geographically dispersed audiences.
• Unboxing experience: Even for in-gym pickup, present the merch well. Branded packaging, a thank-you card, or a small freebie elevates the experience and encourages social media sharing.

Step 8: Post-Campaign Follow-Up

The campaign doesn’t end at delivery. Maximise the impact:

• Encourage social sharing: Ask members to post photos in their new gear and tag your business.
• Collect feedback: What did they love? What would they change? This informs your next drop.
• Tease the next drop: Keep the momentum going by hinting at what’s coming next.

Common Pre-Order Mistakes to Avoid

Setting the Window Too Long

A 30-day pre-order campaign loses urgency. People think “I’ll order later” and then forget. Keep it tight — 7 to 14 days maximum.

Poor Quality Mockups

Blurry, poorly lit, or unprofessional mockup images kill conversions. Invest in quality visuals that showcase your designs at their best.

Not Marketing Enough

“If you build it, they will come” doesn’t apply to pre-orders. You need to actively promote the campaign before, during, and especially in the final days.

Ignoring Size Guides

Provide clear, detailed size guides. Size-related returns and exchanges are a headache for everyone. Help your customers order the right size the first time.

No Minimum Threshold

Consider setting a minimum order threshold (e.g., “this design will only be produced if we receive 15+ orders”). This protects you from producing tiny runs that aren’t cost-effective, and it creates additional urgency.

Pre-Order Campaign Checklist

• Designs finalised and mockups created
• Pricing calculated with healthy margins
• Store or order platform set up and tested
• Campaign timeline defined (launch date, close date, delivery date)
• Marketing assets created (social posts, emails, in-gym materials)
• Size guide prepared
• Production partner confirmed (that’s us)
• Fulfilment plan in place (pickup, shipping, or both)

Let Fitprint Power Your Pre-Order Campaign

Running a pre-order campaign for custom apparel shouldn’t be stressful. Fitprint’s merch store service handles the production and fulfilment side, so you can focus on marketing and selling.

From merch stores to printing and delivery, we support fitness businesses across Australia with a seamless, low-risk approach to branded apparel.

Start your pre-order campaign and sell your next merch drop before you print a single garment.