Dropshipping apparel on Shopify means listing clothing on a Shopify storefront while a separate supplier or production connection handles fulfillment, so the seller never holds stock. It is a close cousin of print on demand, with one key difference: classic dropshipping usually ships pre-made stock from a supplier's existing inventory, while print on demand prints the specific design onto a blank only after the order comes in. This guide compares both to a built-in, no-inventory storefront that skips the supplier-matching step entirely.
| Classic dropshipping | Print on demand | |
|---|---|---|
| What ships | Pre-made stock from a supplier | A design printed onto a blank after the order |
| Custom branding | Limited to what the supplier already stocks | Full custom design on every piece |
| Inventory held | None, by the seller | None, by the seller |
| Typical setup | Supplier connection app on Shopify | Production app on Shopify, or an all-in-one storefront |
The Shopify route for either model follows the same pattern: pick a theme, connect a supplier or production app from the App Store, sync product listings, and configure shipping rules. That setup work is real, and it repeats for every new supplier connection a seller wants to add.
Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.Bear Grips Pro Shops is a print on demand model with a built-in storefront: no supplier to find, no separate app to connect, and no minimum order on any of the 63 catalog products. A single tee order triggers the print, pack, and ship cycle just like a batch of 100 would, at the same per-piece price. Free US shipping is included in the base price rather than billed separately.
Classic dropshipping fits a seller who wants existing, off-the-shelf apparel styles without custom branding on every piece. Print on demand fits a seller who wants a fully custom design on every product. An all-in-one storefront fits the print on demand seller who wants to skip the app-connecting and supplier-matching work and be live the same day.
No supplier to find, no minimum order, no inventory. Free plan to start, free US shipping included.
Start FreeRelated but not identical. Print on demand prints a design onto a blank after the order. Classic dropshipping usually ships pre-made stock from a supplier. Neither requires the seller to hold inventory.
On Bear Grips Pro Shops, no. Every product ships one piece at a time at the same per-piece price with no minimum.
It depends on the supplier. Many classic dropship suppliers ship pre-made stock without custom printing. Print on demand is built specifically for custom designs on every piece.
Nothing, because there is none. Both models only produce or ship after a buyer places an order.
Bear Grips Pro Shops