Bear Grips Pro ShopsCustom Ink Alternative For Wine Clubs
- No minimum order vs Custom Ink's 6-shirt minimum.
- Individual member ordering vs one-time bulk pre-order.
- Direct-to-member shipping vs ship-to-one-address.
- Per-piece comparison for a typical 25-member wine club.
Custom Ink is the default print vendor many wine clubs have used historically, but the model is built around bulk orders with size collection from every member. For clubs that want individual member ordering with no minimum and no organizer inventory risk, Bear Grips Pro Shops is the alternative. Below is the comparison on minimums, ordering, shipping, and time cost on the club organizer.
Minimum Order: 6 vs 1
Custom Ink requires a minimum order, typically 6 shirts on most products. Bear Grips Pro Shops has no minimum on any product in the catalog. One shirt or fifty, same per-unit price. For small clubs or one-off host pieces, the difference matters.
Size Collection: Spreadsheet vs Direct
Custom Ink's model requires the club organizer to:
- Collect sizes from every member via Google Form.
- Compile the bulk order.
- Place one order on Custom Ink.
- Receive shirts to one address (typically the organizer's home).
- Distribute manually at the next tasting.
Pro Shops' model: each member visits the club shop, picks their size, pays direct, and has the shirt ship to their own address. The organizer does not collect sizes or distribute shirts.
Shipping: One Address vs Member Address
Custom Ink ships bulk orders to one address. Pro Shops ships every shirt directly to the member who ordered it. The club organizer is never the middleman.
Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.Cost and Time Comparison
| Line | Custom Ink (typical) | Pro Shops (VIP) |
|---|---|---|
| Per-tee base | $15 to $20 | $19.88 |
| Setup fee | $30 to $50 | $0 |
| Shipping (bulk to organizer) | $15 to $25 | Free, direct to member |
| Organizer time per launch (hrs) | 3 to 8 | 0.5 (launch the product) |
| Inventory risk | High (organizer pays up front) | None (member pays at checkout) |
When Custom Ink Still Wins
One scenario: a one-time wine club event shirt where the organizer has confirmed signups with sizes pre-collected, wants the lowest per-shirt price on a single 50+ unit order, and is willing to absorb upfront cost and distribution work.
When Pro Shops Wins
Every other wine club scenario:
- Ongoing club apparel program across the year.
- New members joining mid-year who want club merch.
- Gift bundles for friends and family of members.
- Smaller clubs where bulk minimums don't fit.
- Organizers who don't want to handle inventory.
Switch From Custom Ink With No Risk
Free branded shop. No minimum, no upfront cost, no spreadsheet. Members order, organizer collects markup.
Start FreeFrequently Asked Questions
Is Pro Shops the same as Printful or Printify?
The model is similar (print-on-demand, no minimum) but Pro Shops is built specifically for groups: branded club shops, member-facing ordering URLs, organizer revenue tracking, affiliate program, and US printing with about one-week delivery.
Can we switch mid-year?
Yes. Most clubs running tees on Custom Ink open a Pro Shops store for their next design launch, run both for a quarter, and consolidate.
Do we lose anything by switching?
You lose the bulk-pre-order model. For most clubs that's a feature (skip the spreadsheet). For clubs that prefer one bulk order per year, the new model takes adjustment but most prefer individual ordering once they've tried it.
Are the print quality and fabric the same?
Pro Shops uses premium blanks (Bear Grips, Bella+Canvas, Next Level, Champion, Gildan) and US-based printing. Quality is comparable to or better than typical Custom Ink runs.
