Print on Demand vs. Bulk Ordering: Which Is Right for Your Shop?
By The Merch Counter team · Updated · 3 min read
Bulk ordering means buying a batch of merch up front — often from a local screen printer — and selling it from your counter. Print on demand means each item is printed only after a customer orders, with no upfront cost. Bulk gives you the lowest cost per item; print on demand gives you no risk, every size, and no packing. (Printful's bulk pricing puts numbers on it: 500 of a Gildan hoodie cost about 38% less each than its starting price.) If you're confident you'll sell a lot of one design, bulk can earn more. If you're not, print on demand is safer.
Side by side
| Bulk ordering | Print on demand | |
|---|---|---|
| Upfront cost | You pay for the whole order | $0 |
| Minimum order | Usually 24–72 per design | None |
| Cost per item | Lower | Higher |
| Sizes and colors | Only what you ordered | All available |
| Unsold stock | Your risk | None |
| Storage | Boxes in the back room | None |
| Packing and shipping | You | Done for you |
| Selling online | You set it up | Built in |
| Time to have items | 1–3 weeks, then on hand | Each order made in days |
| New designs | New order, new minimum | Add in minutes |
The break-even question
Bulk only earns more if you sell enough of what you bought. Here's an illustrative example † comparing 72 bulk shirts with print on demand, both sold at $30:
Bulk (illustrative): 72 shirts × $9 = $648 up front. Card processing around 3% of each sale (Square charges 2.6% + 15¢ in person).
Print on demand (The Merch Counter): $0 up front, $12 earned per shirt after costs and our 20% fee.
| Shirts sold | Bulk profit † | Print on demand profit † |
|---|---|---|
| 10 | −$357 | $120 |
| 20 | −$66 | $240 |
| 30 | $225 | $360 |
| 45 | $662 | $540 |
| 72 (all) | $1,447 | $864 |
The lines cross somewhere around 40 shirts in this example. Below that, print on demand earns more. Above it, bulk does, if the leftover shirts are the sizes people want. In practice, many bulk orders end with a pile of sizes that don't sell, which moves the break-even point higher.
Also not shown: the time you spend counting stock, packing online orders and running to the post office.
When bulk makes sense
- Staff uniforms. You know exactly how many you need and in what sizes.
- A big event. A race, festival or fundraiser where you'll sell hundreds on the day.
- Proven sellers. A design you've already sold a lot of, with known size demand.
- On-the-spot sales. Markets and pop-ups where people pay and walk away with it.
When print on demand makes sense
- You're starting out and don't know what will sell.
- You want lots of sizes and colors without stocking them.
- You want to sell online, to people who don't visit in person.
- You want to try seasonal or limited designs without committing to a batch.
- You don't have space or time for stock and shipping.
The hybrid approach
You don't have to choose one forever. A common setup:
- Start with print on demand to find out what sells, at no risk.
- Keep a few samples of your best sellers behind the counter so customers can see and touch them.
- Order in bulk only for things you're sure about: staff shirts, a big event.
- Keep print on demand running for every size, color and online order.
Questions to ask yourself
- How many of one design am I confident I'll sell in three months?
- Do I know which sizes my customers wear?
- Do I have somewhere to store stock?
- Who will pack and ship online orders?
- What happens to the leftovers?
If those questions make you hesitate, start with print on demand.
Related: Is Print on Demand Worth It? · How Much Does It Cost to Start a Merch Line?
† Worked examples. They use our real 20% fee and suggested 2.5× price on an illustrative cost to make; real costs vary by product, size and print. Bulk-order figures are illustrative too. Today’s numbers for every product are in the profit calculator and in your dashboard before you list anything.