Hunting Club Merch: Running a Year-Round Club Apparel Program

Hunting club merch programs go one of two ways. The old way: somebody on the committee takes orders on a clipboard, fronts a screen-print run, eats the leftover smalls and 4XLs, and loses interest by year two. The new way: the club has a permanent online shop with the club crest on every piece of apparel, members order direct from the shop, the club collects the markup, and nobody has to keep a stack of pre-paid shirts in their garage. Below is exactly how the modern hunting club merch program works.

The old way vs the new way

Old way (bulk pre-order)	New way (Pro Shops merch program)
Someone fronts $1,500 for the run	Zero dollars upfront from the club
Sizes guessed for 30 members	Each member picks own size at checkout
Leftovers eaten by the club	No leftovers, made-to-order
Banquet-only design	Year-round catalog, members re-buy
One screen printer relationship	One URL, ships direct to every member
President chases late payments	Members pay at checkout, club banks markup

How a member uses the shop

The flow is the same as any modern e-commerce site:

1. Member gets the shop URL from the welcome email, club Facebook page, or sign at the lodge
2. Browses the club catalog (tees, hoodies, hats, polos, joggers, family gear)
3. Picks a size, color, optional name or member number
4. Pays at checkout, ships to their home address
5. Arrives in about a week with the club crest on it

The club president does not touch the order. The club just collects the markup on each sale, paid out weekly.

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How a club builds a 6 to 10 SKU starter catalog

Clubs that go live with 6 to 10 starting items see the highest sell-through. More is paralysis. Recommended starter line:

• 1 cotton tee with the main club design
• 1 long sleeve tee for cool mornings
• 1 pullover hoodie in a default base color
• 1 zip-up hoodie
• 1 rope or 5-panel hat (embroidered)
• 1 mesh trucker hat (printed)
• 1 winter beanie
• 1 polo for the banquet
• 1 womens tee for spouses
• 1 youth tee for kids

That covers every category. Once the shop is moving, the club adds annual-design variants and seasonal items. See the full hunting club apparel catalog.

How the club pays itself

The club picks the retail price on every item. The default rule of thumb is base price plus $10 per item, but most clubs run $12 to $20 on premium pieces like hoodies and polos. The platform pays the club the markup weekly via direct deposit. The club uses the income for lease fees, lodge upkeep, banquet costs, or year-end member dividends.

See the hunting club profit math breakdown for the full revenue model.

What to do at the annual banquet

The annual banquet is the highest-conversion sales moment in the club calendar. Three things work:

• QR code on every table card: scan it, the shop opens on the phone, members order on the spot
• Limited-edition banquet shirt: only listed for the two weeks around the banquet, never available again
• Door-prize hoodie: one premium hoodie raffled, every member who bought from the shop in the past 90 days entered

See banquet apparel strategy for the full playbook.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the club need a separate bank account for the merch program?

No. The club gets paid directly via the platform. The club treasurer just receives the weekly deposit into the existing club account.

What happens if a member returns a shirt?

Returns and reprints for defects are handled through the platform, not the club. The club is not on the hook for refunds.

How many sales does a real hunting club do in a year?

A 25-member club typically does 40 to 90 orders per year once the shop is live and promoted at the banquet. Larger family-included clubs do 150 to 250.

Can guests and family buy too?

Yes. The shop is a public URL. Anyone with the link can buy. Most club sales come from spouses, kids, and out-of-town guests.