Camp directors often underestimate what a well-run apparel shop is worth. They focus on the programming revenue and treat merchandise as a minor add-on. The math tells a different story.
A summer camp with 200 enrolled campers and a basic apparel shop can generate $5,000 to $10,000 in supplemental revenue per season with zero inventory and minimal management time. That number scales with camp size, product variety, and how the shop is promoted to families.
Here is what that looks like broken down by camp size and product mix.
Three numbers determine how much a camp shop generates in a season:
The formula is: Enrollment x Conversion Rate x Items per Order x Margin per Item = Season Revenue
Run through a few scenarios and the opportunity becomes clear quickly.
| Camp Size | Conversion | Items per Order | Avg Margin | Season Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 campers | 60% | 1.5 | $12 | $540 |
| 50 campers | 75% | 2 | $14 | $1,050 |
| 150 campers | 60% | 1.5 | $12 | $1,620 |
| 150 campers | 75% | 2 | $14 | $3,150 |
| 300 campers | 60% | 1.5 | $12 | $3,240 |
| 300 campers | 75% | 2 | $14 | $6,300 |
| 500 campers | 65% | 2 | $13 | $8,450 |
| 500 campers | 80% | 2.5 | $15 | $15,000 |
These numbers assume one summer session. Camps that run multiple sessions in a year multiply accordingly. A camp with three 2-week sessions of 150 campers each has an effective annual enrollment of 450, which pushes seasonal revenue into the $5,000 to $10,000 range at moderate conversion.
Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.Conversion is the most controllable variable. The product and the platform are fixed, but how you present the shop to families makes the biggest difference.
Timing the announcement: Sending the shop link 3 to 4 weeks before camp starts, when excitement and purchase intent are high, outperforms sending it during or after camp. Families want to arrive with the shirt, not order it after they get home.
Showing the product visually: Sharing mockup photos of the actual shirt in your camp colors dramatically increases conversion versus sharing just a link. Families need to see what they are buying.
Bundling with enrollment communications: Including the shop link in the same email or packet as the packing list, schedule, and arrival instructions gives it legitimacy. Families read those materials carefully and act on them.
Staff wearing the product first: When counselors and directors show up on the first day wearing the shirts, campers immediately want one. Running a staff pre-order 6 to 8 weeks before camp starts seeds this dynamic naturally.
Not all products generate equal revenue. Choosing the right mix for your camp audience unlocks significantly higher per-order values.
Recommended starting mix for most summer camps:
A conservative product mix with just tees and hoodies, and a $12 average margin across both, generates reliable revenue at all camp sizes. Adding a third or fourth product type increases average order value as families mix and match.
The Done-For-You VIP plan at Bear Grips Pro Shops includes optimal pricing guidance based on real sales data from similar shops. This takes the guesswork out of setting margins and pricing that converts.
Camps that treat their apparel shop as a seasonal-only channel leave significant revenue on the table. A Bear Grips Pro Shop stays open year-round, generating orders between sessions without any effort from the camp.
Alumni purchases are a meaningful revenue source. Former campers, parents who want to gift a shirt to a friend, and staff from previous years all represent buyers who are not on the current enrollment roster. Keeping the shop live and visible means capturing this demand whenever it surfaces.
Holiday gifting is another channel. A camp with an engaged alumni community can send a simple email in November pointing to the shop. A $50 hoodie with the camp name makes a meaningful gift for a family member who attended years ago. This requires exactly one email and generates orders with no operational involvement.
Camps that invest in a Bear Grips Pro Shop as a year-round revenue tool, not just a pre-session push, consistently generate more than twice the revenue of camps that treat it as a one-time campaign.
Set up a Bear Grips Pro Shop for your summer camp. No inventory, no risk, and a revenue share that starts with your first order.
Start FreeCamps set their own retail prices and profit margins in the Pro Shop platform. The profit above the base production cost is paid out to the camp on a regular payout schedule.
Yes. The shop stays open all year. You can add session-specific products for each session, or keep a core product line that covers all sessions. Families order on their own timeline.
For a camp with 100 to 200 campers actively promoting the shop during enrollment communications, a realistic first season generates $1,500 to $4,000. This typically improves in year two as the process becomes embedded in standard camp communications.
Yes. Fulfillment, shipping, and order issues are handled by Bear Grips. Camp directors are not responsible for chasing down orders or managing shipping problems. That overhead stays entirely off the camp's plate.
Bear Grips Pro Shops