Bear Grips Pro ShopsHow a Youth Group Sets Up a Branded Merch Store
- Free branded merch store hosted at a clean URL.
- No inventory, no minimum order, no setup cost.
- Teens and families order their own apparel in their own sizes.
- Ministry earns $8 to $20 of margin per item, no fulfillment work.
A youth group merch store does not have to be a project the ministry takes on for a season. Bear Grips Pro Shops gives the youth group a free branded store, hosts the catalog, prints and ships each order, and pays the ministry margin on every sale. The setup is about an hour. The store stays open year-round. Teens and families that joined mid-year order from the same store as long-time members.
The Three-Step Setup
The full setup takes about an hour for a ministry that has a logo file ready:
- Sign up free. Create the Pro Shops account, name the store, upload the ministry logo or wordmark.
- Add products. Pick the apparel pieces the ministry wants in the store. Most youth groups start with 5 to 7 SKUs: 2 tees, 1 hoodie, 1 crewneck, 1 hat, plus a leader-specific piece.
- Share the store link. Drop the URL into the parent newsletter, the youth group chat or text broadcast, the church website footer, and the youth night announcements.
Teens and families start ordering as soon as the store is live. Each order ships directly to the family address. The youth pastor or director sees margin in the dashboard.
What Products to Stock at Launch
A clean opening lineup for a youth group merch store:
- Bear Grips Airlume Cotton Athletic Tee in white, navy, and one ministry-color accent.
- Bella+Canvas Womens Favorite Tee in the same colors for womens cut.
- Bear Grips Comfort Soft Hoodie in navy or black.
- Champion Crewneck Sweatshirt in heather grey.
- Bella+Canvas Womens Premium Cropped Hoodie in navy or black.
- Yupoong Adjustable Cotton Lifestyle Hat with embroidered ministry mark.
- Optional: Leader Polo with "Leader" embroidered on the right chest.
Six to seven SKUs covers every teen, leader, and parent in the ministry. Add a youth-sized cotton tee and youth hoodie if the ministry includes middle school programs.
Bear Grips Pro Shops: Custom Apparel for Your Team. No Minimums. Free Shipping.Setting Retail Prices and Margin
Pricing is set by the ministry. Pro Shops shows the base print cost; the ministry picks the retail price. Common youth group retail pricing:
| Item | VIP Base | Common Retail | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cotton tee | $19.88 | $26 | $6 |
| Womens cotton tee | $19.88 | $26 | $6 |
| Pullover hoodie | $36.88 | $55 | $18 |
| Crewneck sweatshirt | $41.88 | $58 | $16 |
| Cropped hoodie (womens) | $47.88 | $65 | $17 |
| Lifestyle hat | $25.88 | $32 | $6 |
| Leader polo | $34.88 | $45 | $10 |
Most youth groups land on $5 to $20 per-item margin. The lower end keeps the apparel affordable for families. The higher end on hoodies and crewnecks contributes most of the revenue.
How Teens and Families Find and Order from the Store
The store needs to live where teens and families can find it. Common placement:
- Church website footer with a "Youth Group Apparel" link.
- Welcome email to new families with the store link.
- Youth group text broadcast or group chat pinned message.
- Sunday announcement insert with a QR code.
- Retreat or conference email blast with a direct link to event apparel.
Traffic that converts best is the retreat email blast. Teens are preparing for the event, the apparel is timely, and the store link is in front of them.
Self-Service vs Done-For-You
The free plan and the $59/mo Self-Service VIP plan both let the youth pastor or director run the store themselves. They pick products, set prices, and manage the catalog. Most youth groups run self-service: it is straightforward once the logo is uploaded.
The $109/mo Done-For-You VIP plan is for ministries that do not have a volunteer who wants to manage the store. The ministry sends the logo, picks the broad direction (church youth group, community youth program, parachurch ministry), and the Pro Shops team builds the storefront, picks the products, writes the descriptions, sets retail pricing, and refreshes the design for retreats and events. The ministry just shares the link.
Smaller youth groups and ministries without a dedicated apparel volunteer tend toward DFY. Larger youth ministries with engaged volunteers usually run self-service.
Launch Your Youth Group Merch Store
Free branded store, no inventory, families order their own apparel. Set up in about an hour.
Start FreeFrequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to set up a youth group merch store?
About one hour for a ministry with a logo file ready. Sign up, upload the logo, pick five to seven products, set prices, share the link. The store launches the same day.
Does the ministry pay any upfront fee?
No. The free plan starts at $0 per month. The Self-Service VIP plan at $59 per month unlocks lower base prices across the catalog. The Done-For-You VIP plan at $109 per month adds full white-glove setup and seasonal updates.
Can the ministry change the products in the store after launch?
Yes. The catalog is editable at any time. Add a retreat-specific tee a few weeks before the trip, swap in a winter hoodie color, drop an underperforming piece. Teens and families see the updated catalog in real time.
Where does the apparel revenue go?
Margin accrues to the ministry account with each sale. The ministry requests payouts from the dashboard. Most youth groups direct the apparel margin back into ministry budget: retreats, supplies, mission trip subsidies, and volunteer appreciation.
