Have you thought about what style of merch shop makes sense for your unique brand? Yep, there are styles. In fact, when it comes to launching your online shop, there are two you can opt for: the always-on model, or the limited edition, a.k.a the “drop” model. While you can choose either style, limiting your shop to one or the other can present advantages and disadvantages.
An always on shop is, well, exactly what it sounds like, in that it offers products that are available 24/7/365. You can stock your always on shop with readily available on-demand products, and that way you won’t run out.
PROS
CONS
Always available shops are a great choice for creators selling merch for the first time because they’re simple to manage, usually bring in consistent revenue and don’t require a ton of time and effort to launch. With a steady drumbeat of promotion on social, a good amount of swapping old, tired products in for new, cool ones and lots of love for your best sellers, you can generate steady, if not limited demand.
But are they as good as a limited edition-style drop shop?
If always available shops are the kind where products are stocked continuously, a drop shop is the opposite: Products are only available for a limited time or available only until a certain amount of inventory is sold, and then “dropped” at a certain date and time for maximum effect.
PROS
CONS
Because they’re timed releases, drops are great if you want to generate a lot of hype around your products while limiting the promotion you’ll have to do. No, really — data has shown that the sales generated on a single drop can be 10x that of an always-on shop over the same period.
But they come with some risk, too, because they rely heavily on products with a minimum order value and upfront costs. And, if you rely on drops too heavily, you can burn out the concept of “exclusivity,” especially if you’re dropping the same or similar products every time.
Thankfully, there’s a solution to the always-on shop’s slower sales and tiring promotional routine, and the limited edition shop’s inventory risks and exclusivity burn out: Do both.
Sorry, we buried the lede a bit here, but often the best choice when deciding between an always on and a limited edition, drop-style shop is to just combine the two. And that’s because having both will allow each of their advantages to shine through, and limit their disadvantages.
Without a doubt, a hybrid approach empowers creators to drive up the sense of urgency — without overdoing it — while simultaneously maintaining and offering an adequate and continuous stock of in-demand items. And the demand created for drops is like a high tide that’ll lift all boats: Data has shown that the lift generated from a single drop can simultaneously drive the sales of always-on products by an additional 20 percent.
So go ahead, split your inventory into separate drop and always available categories. That way you can focus on seasonal or limited time promotion for drop products while also hyping the year-round availability of evergreen items, striking the perfect balance between shop supply and customer urgency. Products that are still in high demand after a drop launch has expired can even be converted to always available inventory to satisfy all customers.
Finally, the entire process can be repeated with new items: First, they drop, then, they become shop constants if extra supply can be met with adequate customer demand. Smart.
There are no monthly fees, no upfront costs, and no contracts to use Fourthwall. You set your prices and choose your own margins. Here is how our pricing and splits work when you sell:
Additionally, all US-based credit card transactions have an added 2.9% + $0.30 payment processing fee (same as Shopify). Fees vary for PayPal and other providers. Learn more.
Product costs are listed directly in our product catalog.
If a t-shirt is listed in our catalog at a $10 cost, we will automatically deduct that amount from your profits whenever you make a sale. You can sell products for any price you want.
For example, if you sell the shirt for $22, you'll make $12 in profit on each unit sold. If you sell it for $50, then you'll make $40 in profit on each unit sold.
Yes! Fourthwall works with manufacturing & fulfillment partners around the globe in the US, UK, EU, Canada, Mexico, Australia, and Japan.
Shipping rates are dynamically determined by the size of package and destination. We work with most major carriers and pass through the true cost of shipping. That means that you can offer low-cost, fast shipping to your fans. Most items have a delivery window of 5-8 days.
Be sure to browse our product catalog to find products that are fulfilled out of your target regions to provide the fastest & cheapest shipping for your community.
Fourthwall operates as the "Merchant of Record", which means that we're responsible for handling all sales taxes. This includes nexus registration, collecting sales tax, and remitting this to US states & other countries.
That way you can focus on designing products and promoting your shop, not taxes.
Yes. You can connect a custom domain or subdomain on Fourthwall. Learn More.
If you need help finding an artist or designer, check out our design community.
This is a vetted network of exceptional designers that can help you make great quality designs for your audience. We also recommend tools like Canva or Kittl.
Yes. For any product from our product catalog, we'll handle all customer support for you.
From answering general order questions to making address changes, our team is there to ensure that your buyers are treated with the same level of care that you would personally give them. We have a 12-hour or less average reply time, including nights and weekends.
For any items that you source on your own and ship from home, however, you'll need to do customer support.
Yes! Over 200,000 sellers use Fourthwall to power their storefronts. This includes creators, podcasters, artists, musicians, startups, non-profits, and more.
Get inspired and browse all examples sites.
Fourthwall supports many free integrations, including:
There are no requirements to join Fourthwall! Sign up now.