How Tennis Clubs Earn Extra Revenue Selling Branded Apparel to Members

Here is a realistic breakdown for a club with 80 active members.

If 40% of members purchase at least one polo per year (32 members), and you set a $12 profit margin on a $46.88 retail polo, that is $384 in annual profit from polo sales alone.

Add 50 hat purchases at a $10 margin and that is another $500. Add 30 tee purchases at a $8 margin and that is another $240. Total annual apparel revenue from a modest-sized club: approximately $1,124 without running a single promotion or event.

Scale that to a 200-member club and the numbers multiply proportionally. Clubs with active social programs, active junior academies, or competitive leagues tend to see higher per-member purchase rates because there are more occasions that prompt apparel purchases.

You control the retail price for every item in your Bear Grips shop. The default approach most clubs use is to set prices that give a clean margin while remaining below what members would pay at a local sporting goods store for a comparable polo.

A Sport-Tek polo with a VIP base price of $34.88 typically retails in club shops between $42 and $50. That gives a margin of $7 to $15 per polo depending on where you price it. A tee with a VIP base of $23.88 typically retails at $30 to $35, giving a $6 to $11 margin.

Clubs that want to use apparel as a member benefit rather than a revenue stream can price items at or near the base price and pass the savings to members. That approach reduces income but increases purchase volume, which builds club brand visibility faster.

Most clubs choose the middle ground: a modest margin that earns something while keeping prices competitive with what members would pay elsewhere.

The free plan has no monthly cost but charges a higher base price per item. The free plan polo base is $41.93 versus the VIP base of $34.88, a difference of $7.05.

If your club sells more than 9 polos per month (108 per year), the VIP plan at $59/month saves you more money than it costs. At that purchase rate, the VIP plan is essentially free through the price difference alone.

For smaller clubs with under 50 members, the free plan is the right starting point. See if demand is real before committing to $59/month. Most clubs with active programming hit the VIP break-even point within their first 6 months of running a shop.

The Done-For-You VIP at $109/month adds a full team managing your shop. Our advisors apply your logo to 15 products per month, write descriptions, set optimal pricing, and keep the shop fresh seasonally. For clubs whose directors are too busy to manage a shop themselves, that service pays for itself in time alone.

Revenue from branded apparel sales is flexible income. Unlike dues, it does not come with member expectations attached. Clubs use it for court maintenance reserves, junior scholarship programs, social event funding, and equipment upgrades.

Some clubs split the revenue into a general operations fund. Others earmark it for a specific purpose announced to members at the start of the season: "Every polo purchase this year goes toward court lighting upgrades." That framing increases purchase motivation because members feel their purchase contributes to a club benefit.

The affiliate program at Bear Grips also offers clubs an additional income layer. Clubs that refer other organizations to Bear Grips through their affiliate link earn 10% of those organizations' subscription fees indefinitely. A club with strong connections to other tennis clubs, gyms, or sports organizations can build meaningful passive income through referrals.