Bear Grips Pro ShopsCustom Ink Alternative for Rowing Teams
- No 6 to 12-shirt minimum per design.
- Each rower buys his or her own; team is not the distribution center.
- Year-round boathouse store URL, not a time-limited group order.
- Team earns $10 to $30 margin per item, automatically.
Rowing team managers often default to Custom Ink because the brand is everywhere. For a recurring boathouse apparel program (current rowers + alumni + parents + regatta drops), Pro Shops is a cleaner fit: no minimum order, free per-rower shipping, a permanent team store URL, and per-item margin that flows back to the program.
Custom Ink vs Bear Grips Pro Shops for Rowing Teams
| Factor | Custom Ink | Bear Grips Pro Shops |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum order per design | 6 shirts (most products) | 1 shirt |
| Per-rower personalization | Manual coordinator workflow | Automatic at checkout |
| Per-rower shipping | One bulk shipment to organizer | Each rower's home, free |
| Team earns per-item margin | Only with shared markup | $10 to $30 per item |
| Boathouse store URL | Group Order, time-limited | Permanent branded store |
| Alumni layer support | No, each order is a new batch | Yes, store stays live for alumni purchases |
| Delivery time | 2 to 3 weeks typical | About 1 week |
The Distribution Center Problem
Custom Ink ships the full team order to one address. The team manager has to:
- Receive a 40-shirt box at the boathouse.
- Sort by rower name and size.
- Hand out at practice or chase rowers who miss the handout.
- Handle wrong-size returns manually.
Pro Shops ships each shirt directly to the rower (or parent) who ordered it. The boathouse is not the distribution center. The rower who entered the wrong size deals with his or her own size swap.
Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.The Group Order Deadline Problem
Custom Ink's Group Order tool sets a deadline. Rowers who miss the deadline cannot get a shirt in that batch. New rowers in week 4 of fall season cannot order through the same batch.
Pro Shops has no deadline. The store stays live year-round. New novice rowers in week 4 of fall, new walk-on athletes in spring, alumni at reunion weekend, and parents picking up a "support the team" tee in February all order from the same store at any time.
Per-Rower Personalization
Custom Ink Group Orders with rower names require manual coordination: collect names in spreadsheet, upload to order, match to size, verify proof. Hours per batch.
Pro Shops sets the personalization field once. Each rower (or parent) types in name, seat position, class year at checkout. The shirt prints with that info. Manager does nothing.
When Custom Ink Still Fits
- Single one-time event where all 30 shirts go to one address.
- Specialty products outside the Pro Shops 63-product catalog (specific dye-sub jerseys, varsity jackets, certain mascot items).
- Familiar mainstream brand preference and no need for the merch-store model.
For recurring boathouse apparel programs with rowers, alumni, parents, and regatta drops, Pro Shops is the cleaner fit.
Try the Pro Shops Boathouse Store Model
Launch a free team store and see the difference: no minimum, free per-rower shipping, year-round availability, real margin.
Start FreeFrequently Asked Questions
Is Pro Shops cheaper than Custom Ink for rowing teams?
Often yes, especially below 24 shirts. Custom Ink prices per shirt rise sharply below 24-shirt batches. Pro Shops prices per shirt stay flat at any quantity.
Can a small high school crew of 12 rowers use Pro Shops?
Yes. No minimum. A 12-rower team can run a full apparel program at the same per-shirt price as a 100-rower program.
Can the team manager see who has ordered through the store?
Yes. The team dashboard shows every order with rower name, size, color, and date.
Can rowers, parents, and alumni all order through the same Pro Shops boathouse store?
Yes. One store URL serves current rowers, parents, alumni, and friends-of-the-club. Each buys directly.
