Personal trainers who have built a client base of 20 or more are sitting on a ready-made audience for branded merchandise. A Bear Grips Pro Shop gives you a free branded store where clients order directly, shirts ship from US print facilities, and you earn the margin on every sale. No inventory, no upfront cost, no coordination required. Here is the full guide to setting it up and making it work.
Selling merch to strangers requires building awareness, trust, and purchase intent from zero. Selling to your existing clients requires none of that. Your clients already trust you, already connect with your brand, and have already made a financial commitment to your training services. They are not a cold audience for your branded apparel. They are your most likely buyers.
This is why personal trainer merch stores consistently outperform the average for branded apparel programs. The purchase rate (how many of your audience actually buy something) is significantly higher for existing clients than for general social followers or email subscribers. A client who trains with you three times per week for six months is highly likely to buy a shirt that says your name on it, especially if it is a quality product at a reasonable price.
The setup process for a Bear Grips Pro Shop as a personal trainer:
Here is what realistic revenue looks like for personal trainers at different client base sizes:
| Active Clients | Annual Buyers (50%) | Avg Items/Buyer | Margin/Item | Annual Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 clients | 7 | 2 | $10 | $140 |
| 30 clients | 15 | 2 | $10 | $300 |
| 50 clients | 25 | 2 | $10 | $500 |
| 100 clients | 50 | 2 | $10 | $1,000 |
| 200 clients | 100 | 2 | $10 | $2,000 |
These estimates use a 50% annual purchase rate, which is conservative for trainers who actively promote their store. Trainers who include the store link in their onboarding materials and mention it at key client milestones often see rates above 70%.
Tactics that personal trainers have found effective for driving client merch purchases:
Every Bear Grips Pro Shops account comes with an affiliate link automatically. When you refer another fitness business owner (a gym owner, a studio director, a fellow trainer who runs their own business), you earn:
Personal trainers who work at gyms or who are embedded in a community of fitness business owners are naturally positioned to refer multiple colleagues. A single referral to a gym that goes on the $59/month VIP plan generates $5.90 per month in commissions, plus unit bonuses. Ten referrals cover your own VIP plan subscription cost.
See full affiliate details at: Bear Grips affiliate program, and the full revenue analysis at: personal trainer apparel revenue math.
Free store setup. Clients order directly, you earn the margin. No inventory, no minimums.
Start FreeSet up a free Bear Grips Pro Shop with your logo and products, set your retail prices above base cost, and share the store link with clients. Clients order and pay directly, shirts ship to them from US print facilities, and you receive the profit margin on every sale.
A trainer with 30 active clients can expect $300 to $600 per year from merch sales at a $10 margin per item. Trainers with 100 clients and active store promotion can earn $1,000 to $2,000 per year. Affiliate commissions from referring other business owners add an additional income layer.
No. Bear Grips Pro Shops is print-on-demand. Every item is printed and shipped after the order is placed. You never purchase or hold inventory. Setup is free and no upfront investment is required.
Bear Grips Pro Shops