Bear Grips Pro ShopsHow to Start a Hiking Club Merch Store in 24 Hours
- A hiking club merch store can launch in under an hour, free.
- Upload your logo once, we set up a branded online shop.
- Members order their own size, shirt ships direct.
- Club keeps the full retail markup, no inventory risk.
Starting a hiking club merch store on Bear Grips Pro Shops takes about an hour from logo upload to launch. The free tier ships you a branded online shop with three live products, your logo on every piece, and a direct URL you send to members. They buy from the shop, the shirt ships to their door, and the club earns the difference between the base price and the retail you set. No inventory, no minimums, no upfront cost.
Step 1: Sign up free
Create a free Pro Shops account. The free tier includes three active product slots, full branded shop, your own URL, and the affiliate program. No card required. Plenty for a small club running their first season.
When you outgrow three products, the $59/month Self-Service VIP plan unlocks 200 live products and the lowest base prices in the catalog. Most active hiking clubs upgrade around month two.
Step 2: Upload your hiking club logo
The logo file determines how every product looks. A clean vector (SVG or PDF) prints sharpest, but a high-resolution PNG (transparent background, 2000 pixels wide) works fine too. If you do not have a logo yet, see the hiking club design ideas guide for proven approaches.
Once uploaded, the logo automatically applies to every product you add to the store. No re-uploading, no separate file per garment.
Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.Step 3: Pick your starting products
The most successful hiking club shops start narrow and grow. Three products to launch:
- A cotton tee (Bella+Canvas or Next Level, $19.88 to $24.88 base)
- A pullover hoodie (Comfort Soft Hoodie or Champion, $36.88 to $45.88)
- A rope hat or snapback (Richardson or Yupoong, $25.86 to $29.86)
This covers warm-weather hikes, cool-weather hikes, and the year-round hat your members will wear daily.
Step 4: Set your retail prices
Default recommended markup is $10 per piece, but hiking clubs often run $12 to $15 per piece because the gear feels premium and members buy it as much for style as for support. Use the table below as a starting point.
| Product | VIP base | Common retail | Club profit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cotton tee | $19.88 | $32 | $12.12 |
| Pullover hoodie | $36.88 | $55 | $18.12 |
| Rope hat | $29.86 | $42 | $12.14 |
Step 5: Send the URL to members
Your store URL looks like shops.beargrips.com/yourclubname. Drop it into the next club email, post it in the group chat, pin it on the club Instagram bio. Most clubs see orders within 48 hours.
From there it runs itself. Members order. Shirts ship. Money lands in your account. You log in once a month to add seasonal designs or check sales.
Launch Your Hiking Club Merch Store Free
Sign up, upload your logo, pick three products. Send the URL to members tonight.
Start FreeFrequently Asked Questions
Does it cost anything to start?
No. The free tier covers the shop, the logo upload, and three live products. You only pay if you upgrade to unlock more products and lower prices.
Who handles the printing and shipping?
We do. You upload the logo and set prices, we print, pack, and ship from US partners directly to each member.
How does the club get paid?
You set the retail price, members pay it, you keep the difference between retail and base. Payouts run bi-weekly.
What if a member returns a shirt?
Standard print-on-demand return policy applies, handled by our team. Most issues are sizing exchanges.
