Here’s a fun fact for you: Supreme began as a small skateboarding shop that no one had heard of before.

Today, it is one of the most popular apparel brands in the world. (And let’s be real, it’s more than just an apparel brand—it’s a lifestyle movement.)

So, how did Supreme go from a little shop in New York City to a billion-dollar industry dominator?

The Vou wrote an amazing article that dives deep into how Supreme increased its perceived value and scaled like nobody’s business. We highly recommend it.

But if you’re in a hurry, we’ll sum up the article for you. 

There are four key business strategies Supreme used to scale to the nines:

1. Supreme built a rebellious brand image that was reminiscent of contemporary art or graffiti. 

Its unique look set Supreme apart from other fashion brands.

2. Supreme produced limited quantities of its clothing to increase demand.

Its exclusivity is what motivated customers to spend hours lined up outside the Supreme stores for new product launches.

3. Supreme produced limited edition items and rare collections through celebrity and influencer partnerships.

By partnering with prominent figures that aligned with its brand image, Supreme strengthened its footing as a lifestyle brand rather than just an apparel company.

4. Supreme built a powerful community of fans, resellers, and collectors.

Its community focus contributed to the hype and gave its customers a sense of belonging.

Whether your goal is to be the next Supreme or not, you can learn a lot from the fashion tycoon about how to increase the perceived value of your custom apparel.

Supreme’s level of success might feel like a distant dream, but the reality is that the brand increased the value of its apparel with each move it made.

Just like you build a Lego house brick by brick, each step you take to grow your apparel business contributes to its long-term structure.

Let’s take a look at Nike, another brand that is insanely valuable in the eyes of consumers.

In fact, Nike is currently the most valuable apparel brand—it is worth $35 billion as of 2021. Wowza!

Here’s the deal: Nike spends a lot of money on advertising itself as more than just an apparel company. 

You might notice that Nike’s ads don’t usually mention the products. That’s because it uses a strategy called lifestyle branding. It is a long-term tactic that aims to connect customers with the brand itself, its mission, and its values—not necessarily the products.

Nike’s products are worth more in the eyes of the consumers who identify with the lifestyle that Nike promotes.

Now that we’ve looked at two examples of apparel companies that have high perceived value, let’s talk about you!

The global apparel market size reached $1.55 trillion in 2021, and it’s not showing any signs of slowing down.

If big-name brands can take advantage of the boom in online apparel sales, why can’t you?

Here are seven ways to start charging more for your custom apparel:

1. Clarify your brand positioning.

This is step one. Your positioning is essentially where your brand sits in the minds of your target customers. It helps you claim your spot in the market and distinguish your brand from competitors.

If your positioning is wishy-washy, it will be much more difficult for you to justify raising the prices of your clothing because your potential customers will not understand the value of your brand.

One way to strengthen your positioning is to define your unique value proposition—or the reasons why your customers would buy from your brand instead of your competitors. 

2. Gain a deep understanding of your target customers.

Yup, it’s about to get personal. Knowing the wants, needs, motivations, and purchasing habits of your customers will help you develop products and marketing campaigns that speak directly to them.

Better marketing = increased demand (and sales for you!)

3. Keep a close eye on trends, and use them strategically.

Of course, we don’t advise you to jump on every single trend that pops up. Don’t be a bandwagon hopper.

But if a trend makes sense for your brand, it could be a good one to capitalize on!

One great example is the resurgence of the ‘90s bucket hat trend. A bucket hat design would make sense if you have a streetwear brand, but maybe not if you have a feminine boho apparel line.

4. Turn your apparel into a lifestyle brand.

OK, this is easier said than done—but if you can pull it off, it’s highly effective.

Customers who are willing to pay higher prices for apparel are often using clothing to express themselves and strengthen their sense of identity. 

You can start by building a community of fans around your brand. Strong customer relationships will be key. 

But then, you’ll want to take the connection a step further and find ways to integrate your brand into your customers’ lives in meaningful ways. 

You want to create an emotional relationship between your customers and your brands. That’s how you go from an apparel company to a lifestyle brand.

5. Invest in embellishment techniques.

Embellishments can elevate your garment tremendously. For example, our custom embroidery service can make your apparel higher-end and more professional.

Not sure which embellishments are best for your garments? Our team is happy to advise you on how to produce apparel that is more visually engaging.

6. Private label your garments.

If you’re creating apparel to sell to customers, you absolutely must private label your garments. It’s the #1 way to make your brand seem more legit.

Private labeling means printing your garments with custom neck labels that have your brand name on it.

When you work with us, private labeling will only cost you a few dollars more per garment. However, it could easily help you sell your custom apparel for 5x more.

So, the real question is: can you afford not to private label your apparel?

7. Improve the quality of your products.

Last (but certainly not least), we’d like to remind you that your product quality will be a major determining factor in how much you can charge for your custom apparel.

It will also greatly influence how many of your customers become repeat buyers.

With quality products, you can keep your customers coming back—and paying more—for your custom apparel. We recently wrote an article all about customer retention, so check it out if you want to learn more.

Our team of experts will help you increase the perceived value of your custom apparel.

From the highest-quality products on the market to affordable private labeling services, we have the resources you need to scale your brand.

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The verdict is in: customer retention saves you money.

In fact, acquiring a new customer can be seven times more expensive than continuing to sell to the customers you already have.

Chip Bell, a customer service expert and prolific writer, once said:

“Loyal customers—they don’t just come back. They don’t simply recommend you. They insist that their friends do business with you.”

Well said, Chip. 

In the age of social media, everyone is a brand ambassador. All posts and mentions carry weight.

But wait, let’s rewind for a sec. Before you can encourage your customers to come back, you have to make them happy first.

Sounds easy enough, right?

You’d think so—but unfortunately, one negative experience can completely turn a customer off, even if every other interaction they had with your brand was positive.

Before we dive in to our golden rules for customer retention, let’s go over what not to do.

Here are a few mistakes that drive customers away:

Terrible customer service.

TBH, “customer neglect” and “customer disrespect” might be better phrases to describe the atrocities of poor customer service departments.

Their badges of dishonor include thousands of ignored emails, rude canned responses, and circular arguments. Yikes!

In 2022, you do not want to be a brand with bad customer service.

Any email dispute could make its way onto Twitter and go viral, so choose your words wisely when you’re communicating with unhappy customers—unless you enjoy getting roasted alive by the Internet, of course.

Lack of communication.

If the order confirmation email is the last time a customer hears from your brand, that’s a problem for a few reasons:

1. Customers want to know when their orders have shipped.
It’s crucial that you provide tracking info to your customers so they know when to expect their packages.

2. Customers are at their warmest point right after they make a purchase, so don’t ghost them!
By “warm,” we mean likely to make another purchase. Keep your brand top-of-mind by sending your leads and customers a weekly newsletter with value-based content.

3. You’re missing out on a wealth of information when you don’t regularly communicate with your customers.
Metrics like email open rate and click rate are based on the behavior of your subscribers and customers. You can gauge their interest level and segment your contact list based on the actions of recipients.

Unfulfilled promises.

There’s a reason why mediocre brands don’t become worldwide sensations. 

To create a community of raving fans, you have to do more than just deliver on your promises. You have to go above and beyond to give your customers a memorable experience with your brand.

If you can’t even do the bare minimum… well, good luck.

Now, here’s how to increase customer retention and make your brand the talk of the town:

Amp up the creativity.

There’s a reason why OGs go down in history. They’re authentic, unique, and outstanding.

You want to be the OG of your industry. If you can provide original, highly creative products to your customers, they will be more likely to become repeat buyers.

So, put your thinking cap on and create something awesome!

Create a customer feedback loop.

This might sound like technical jargon at first, but it’s really simple. 

A feedback loop is a process that collects comments, reviews, and testimonials from customers so you can implement their suggestions and keep them comin’ back!

You can create a customer feedback loop with an automated email that asks buyers about their experience with your brand. In the email, we recommend sending your customers a form to fill out so you can easily analyze the data when it comes in.

Don’t be shy about sharing testimonials.

After collecting tons of awesome reviews from your feedback loop, it’s time to let everyone know how great your brand is—in the words of your own customers!

Testimonials are not sales pitches, and that’s why they work so well. Sharing genuine positive feedback will give you social proof and strengthen trust with your current and future customers.

Create a loyalty program.

Did you know that members of customer loyalty programs are 75% more likely to make another purchase after receiving an incentive?

You can use a loyalty program to reward customers who are engaging with your brand. You can choose to reward purchases, newsletter subscriptions, or any actions that benefit your brand and lead to increased sales either directly or indirectly.

You can set up your loyalty program however you want, but it’s important to craft your messaging in a way that seems sincere. Otherwise, your customers might think your loyalty program is just a marketing ploy.

A “shady salesman” vibe can be a big turn-off for some customers. (Nothing against salespeople, BTW.)

Keep your mission at the forefront of your messaging.

You have the opportunity to connect with your customers through your brand’s mission. 

If you’re committed to making people smile with your custom apparel, customers who value joy and positivity will understand your mission on a deeper level.

When it comes to your mission, don’t be afraid to sound off. 

Make sure everyone knows who you are and what you’re about. That’s how you attract your people and keep them around.

Humanize your brand.

Somehow, a lot of people forget the human aspect of humanizing their brands.

You have to put a face to the name! 

Whether you get in front of the camera yourself or show videos of your team, you’ll build trust with your prospects and customers when they see the people behind your brand.

Support causes that align with your brand values.

Millennials and Gen-Z are conscious of the brands they purchase from. They want to support companies with similar values to their own.

So, use your brand’s platform to take a stand on the issues that are important to you. Instead of driving customers away, you’ll attract a community of ride-or-die fans who will rep your brand every day!

Last but not least, the best way to keep customers coming back is to sell them high-quality products.

Now comes the part where we tell you why Scrappy Apparel is the best partner for your custom apparel project. (Sorry, not sorry!)

We’re obsessed with sourcing the best materials so we can develop products that turn our new customers into raving fans—and we’ve been successful thus far.

If you want a t-shirt that is made out of the softest cotton in the world, you can get it from us. If you don’t believe us, we invite you to read about our Peruvian Pima Cotton.

Our signature Brand Building Process (BBP) ensures that each order is printed accurately and delivered on time.

If you’re ready to work with a custom apparel partner you can rely on, you’re looking right at ‘em!

Let us rock your world with apparel your customers will want to wear every single day.

Seriously, they might order 365 shirts from you just to make sure they’re covered for a whole year. Don’t make them wait!

Grab Your Free Quote!