Apparel dropshipping is most often built on a Shopify storefront connected to Printify for print fulfillment: Shopify handles the storefront, checkout, and customer accounts, while Printify handles sourcing the blank, printing the design, and shipping it out. It is a proven combination, but it means running and paying for two separate platforms to operate one business. Bear Grips Pro Shops was built to remove the Shopify half of that equation, folding the branded shop directly into the same system that handles pricing, printing, and shipping.
In the common apparel dropshipping setup, a seller pays a recurring Shopify subscription to run the storefront and checkout, then connects Printify to handle the print provider network behind it. Printify itself offers a free tier and an optional paid tier on top of that. Shipping is generally calculated per order in that stack and commonly passed to the buyer at checkout. Three separate cost lines (Shopify subscription, Printify tier, shipping) all sit on top of the blank and print cost before a seller sees their real margin.
| Cost line | Shopify + Printify stack | Bear Grips Pro Shops |
|---|---|---|
| Storefront subscription | Separate Shopify plan, recurring | Included in the Bear Grips Pro Shops plan |
| Fulfillment platform | Printify, free or paid tier | Included, same system as the shop |
| Shipping to buyer | Calculated at checkout, typically passed through | Free, included in item price |
| Order minimum | 1 piece | 1 piece |
| Total monthly platform cost | Shopify plan plus Printify tier if upgraded | $0 (Free), $59/mo, or $105/mo, one line |
The Shopify plus Printify model still makes sense for a seller who needs Shopify's broader app ecosystem (advanced email marketing, subscriptions, complex multi-channel selling) or who sells a wide non-apparel product mix that Printify's network supports alongside apparel. A business focused specifically on apparel, without those broader ecommerce needs, is the clearest fit for a folded-together model instead.
Bear Grips Pro Shops builds a referral program into every account. Every vendor, on any plan, gets a unique affiliate code alongside their shop. Referring another business to sign up pays 10% of that business's subscription for as long as they stay subscribed, plus $1 for every unit they sell, paid out on a bi-weekly cycle. A Shopify plus Printify stack does not include an equivalent built-in referral layer; any affiliate program would need to be set up separately.
The usual path is testing a Bear Grips Pro Shop in parallel with an existing Shopify store: same design files uploaded, retail prices set with the desired margin, and a portion of traffic (a specific social link, for example) pointed at the new shop to compare conversion. Because there is no setup fee or contract, a business can run this test for a few weeks before deciding whether to consolidate onto one system.
No separate storefront subscription, free shipping included, built-in affiliate program. Free plan to start.
Start FreeNo. Many businesses run a Bear Grips Pro Shop alongside an existing Shopify store while comparing results before deciding whether to consolidate.
No. Bear Grips Pro Shops is an independent apparel platform with its own printing process, not connected to Printify or any similar marketplace network.
Bear Grips Pro Shops is apparel and headwear only, 63 products. A business needing mugs, phone cases, or other non-apparel items would need a separate provider for those categories.
No setup fee. Existing artwork files typically work as-is on the new shop.
Bear Grips Pro Shops