Overnight Camp Apparel Revenue Math by Session Size

Overnight camp apparel is one of the few line items that can move from cost center to profit center without changing the staffing model. The welcome-bag tee is absorbed in tuition. The camp store and the closing-day souvenir tee both run at retail prices well above POD cost. Below is the math by session size, with the assumptions and a per-piece breakdown, so directors can compare against their current screen-printer setup.

Assumptions used in every table

• VIP plan ($59/month) with $19.88 cotton tee, $36.88 hoodie, $34.88 crewneck, $25.86 hat, $26.88 short, $29.88 long sleeve base prices
• Retail markup of $10-15 per piece, default $10 on tees and $15 on hoodies and crewnecks
• 50 percent of campers buy at least one camp-store piece during the session
• 30 percent of camper families buy at least one souvenir piece on closing day
• Counselor and CIT apparel covered in the staffing budget, not in this profit calculation

60-camper session revenue math

Stream	Pieces sold	Avg profit per piece	Session profit
Camp-store mid-session sales	30 pieces (50% of campers)	$12	$360
Closing-day souvenir sales	18 pieces (30% of camper families)	$13	$234
Sibling/parent add-ons closing day	10 pieces	$14	$140
Session profit total			$734

120-camper session revenue math

Stream	Pieces sold	Avg profit per piece	Session profit
Camp-store mid-session sales	60 pieces	$12	$720
Color-war tee sales	120 pieces (sold to camper families)	$10	$1,200
Closing-day souvenir sales	36 pieces (30% of families)	$13	$468
Sibling/parent add-ons closing day	25 pieces	$14	$350
End-of-session hoodie sales	20 pieces (older campers)	$18	$360
Session profit total			$3,098

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200-camper session revenue math

Stream	Pieces sold	Avg profit per piece	Session profit
Camp-store mid-session sales	100 pieces	$12	$1,200
Color-war tee sales	200 pieces	$10	$2,000
Closing-day souvenir sales	60 pieces	$13	$780
Sibling/parent add-ons closing day	45 pieces	$14	$630
End-of-session hoodie sales	40 pieces	$18	$720
Alumni / pre-season parent pre-orders	20 pieces	$12	$240
Session profit total			$5,570

300-camper session revenue math

Stream	Pieces sold	Avg profit per piece	Session profit
Camp-store mid-session sales	150 pieces	$12	$1,800
Color-war tee sales	300 pieces	$10	$3,000
Closing-day souvenir sales	90 pieces	$13	$1,170
Sibling/parent add-ons closing day	70 pieces	$14	$980
End-of-session hoodie sales	60 pieces	$18	$1,080
Alumni / pre-season parent pre-orders	35 pieces	$12	$420
Session profit total			$8,450

For a camp running three 300-camper sessions per summer, the apparel program nets roughly $25,000 in profit annually with zero upfront inventory cost.

How POD changes the camp math

Under the old screen-printer model, the camp committed cash in March for the full-summer apparel inventory and absorbed any leftover sizes as a loss. Under POD, the camp pays nothing until a parent or camper orders. The cash that used to sit in inventory now stays in the operating account. Surplus risk goes to zero. The same revenue math runs but the working-capital line drops to zero.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if the camp does not want to mark up apparel?

Many camps run apparel at cost or near-cost as a service to families. Pricing at $5 profit per piece instead of $12 still pays for the platform monthly and any administrative overhead.

Do payouts come monthly or per-order?

Payouts run on a regular cadence and are tracked in the shop dashboard. Each session is straightforward to reconcile against camper rosters.

Can the camp use the apparel profit toward scholarship or program costs?

Yes. Many camps direct the apparel profit specifically toward scholarship funds, equipment upgrades, or new program lines.

How does the math change for two-week vs four-week sessions?

Longer sessions raise the mid-session camp-store volume since campers visit the store more times. Four-week sessions typically generate 20-30 percent more per-camper than two-week sessions.