How to Start a School Cheer Apparel Shop

A school cheer apparel shop generates ongoing squad revenue without inventory or upfront cost. The coach launches it in under an hour, families order through the squad link, and each order ships directly to the family. The squad captures retail markup on every sale. Here is the step-by-step setup for cheer coaches.

The Standing-Shop vs. Per-Season-Order Comparison

Traditional school cheer apparel ordering involves the coach distributing a sign-up form, collecting sizes and money, placing a bulk order with a vendor, receiving the order, sorting by family, and distributing at practice. The process takes 6-8 weeks per cycle and consumes significant coach time.

A standing cheer apparel shop changes the model:

• One-time setup, ongoing sales. The shop stays open continuously across the season.
• Zero inventory. Each order produces on demand.
• Coach sets the retail markup. The margin flows to the squad treasury.
• Families pay individually. No collection of order forms or cash chasing.
• Direct shipping to each family. Families get their order at home rather than at practice pickup.

The coach role shifts from order coordinator to shop manager. The shop platform handles the logistics.

Step 1: Set Up the Free Pro Shop Account

Bear Grips Pro Shops offers a free tier supporting 3 live products with no monthly fee. Most coaches start on the free tier and upgrade to the $59/month Self-Service VIP tier once the shop generates ongoing revenue.

The free tier setup:

1. Go to shops.beargrips.com/signup and create a squad account.
2. Pick a shop name (typically the school cheer squad name).
3. Upload the school cheer mark or school logo (verify the school approves use of the school logo first).
4. The shop URL becomes shops.beargrips.com/{shop-name}.

Account setup takes about 10 minutes. The free tier covers a core lineup (sideline tee, practice tee, hoodie). The VIP tier opens up the full lineup (multiple sideline variants, family supporter apparel, captain shirts, senior night apparel, end-of-season banquet tees, spirit week designs).

Step 2: Choose the Core Squad Apparel Lineup

The coach selects the core apparel products and uploads designs. A typical starting lineup:

1. Squad sideline tee. Worn at every football and basketball game. The Bear Grips Airlume Cotton Athletic Tee or Sport-Tek Mens Moisture-Wicking Tee in school colors with school cheer mark.
2. Squad hoodie. Cold-weather over-layer. The Bear Grips Comfort Soft Hoodie with school cheer mark.
3. Squad practice tee. Worn at every practice. The Bear Grips Airlume Cotton Athletic Tee in a contrasting color from the sideline tee, so the squad has both a game-day and a practice-day look.

This three-item lineup covers about 70% of squad apparel demand across a typical season. The shop can be expanded later as the season requires (senior night, homecoming spirit, end-of-season banquet, family supporter apparel).

Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.

Step 3: Set Squad Markup

The squad sets the retail markup on each item. The difference between base print cost and member-facing retail becomes the squad treasury margin. Most squads run $8-15 markup per item depending on item.

Item	Base Cost	$10 Markup	$12 Markup	Standard Squad Price
Sideline tee	$19.88	$29.88	$31.88	$28-32
Practice tee	$19.88	$29.88	$31.88	$28-32
Squad hoodie	$36.88	$46.88	$48.88	$45-50
Family supporter tee	$19.88	$29.88	$31.88	$28-32
Cheer mom shirt	$19.88	$29.88	$31.88	$28-32

For a 25-cheerleader squad with each cheerleader buying 3 squad items + average 2 family supporter shirts per family: 25 x (3 + 2) x $10 markup = $1,250 in squad revenue from a single basic season. Adding spirit week, senior night, and competition apparel pushes annual revenue to $2,500-4,000.

Step 4: Get Families to Order

The shop only generates revenue if families actually order. The coach drives traffic through:

1. Parent meeting announcement. At the welcome parent meeting, the coach shares the shop link and walks parents through the ordering process. Most families order their first items within 48 hours of the meeting.
2. Squad communication channels. Squad email list, parent text group, or squad-specific messaging app. Each new design or apparel release gets a separate announcement.
3. Squad social media. Squad social posts featuring cheerleaders in squad apparel with the shop link tagged.
4. QR code at practice. A QR code on the gym wall during practice connects parents to the shop with their phones.
5. Event-tied promotion. Each event (homecoming, senior night, end-of-season banquet) becomes a sales moment for related apparel.

Most cheer apparel shops see 60-80% of first-year revenue in the first 90 days after launch as families work through the initial purchase wave. After that, the shop settles into a steady rhythm tied to events and new design releases.

Expanding the Lineup as the Shop Matures

The shop can grow as the season progresses. Expansion path:

• Spirit week designs. Add themed spirit week designs in October ahead of homecoming.
• Senior night and competition apparel. Add senior recognition apparel and competition apparel for squads attending regionals or state.
• Family supporter apparel. Add cheer mom, cheer dad, family general supporter shirts.
• Captain shirts. Add captain-specific apparel marking squad leadership.
• End-of-season banquet apparel. Add the year-end awards apparel.
• Off-season alumni apparel. Some programs run alumni apparel that lets graduated cheerleaders buy squad apparel in subsequent years.

When the lineup grows past 3 items, the upgrade to the Self-Service VIP tier ($59/month, 200 products) pays for itself within the first month of the season for most programs.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I start a school cheer apparel shop?

Sign up for a free Bear Grips Pro Shops account, upload the school cheer mark (with school approval), pick 3 core products (sideline tee, practice tee, squad hoodie), set retail markup, and share the shop link with families. The full setup takes about an hour and runs on the free tier until the season generates enough revenue to justify the VIP tier.

How much can a school cheer squad earn from an apparel shop?

A 25-cheerleader squad with a basic apparel program earns $1,250 in basic season revenue. Adding spirit week, senior night, family supporter, and competition apparel pushes total annual revenue to $2,500-4,000 with zero inventory or upfront cost.

Who manages the school cheer apparel shop?

The cheer coach typically manages the shop, often with help from a parent volunteer for design coordination and family communication. The role involves choosing designs, setting prices, and announcing new lineup. Print-on-demand handles all the production and shipping logistics.

Is there a minimum order for school cheer apparel?

No. Print-on-demand platforms like Bear Grips Pro Shops have no minimum order requirement. Each family orders one or more items at a time through the squad link, and each order ships directly to the family with free shipping.