How to Price Custom Hoodies for Resale Without Guessing
By The Velocity Wear Team
Pricing hoodies is where a lot of good brands quietly fail. The design is great, the fabric is heavy, the photos look sharp, and then the price is set so low that every sale barely covers the next order. Here's a method that doesn't rely on guessing.
Step 1: find your true landed cost
Add every cost to get one hoodie into a customer's hands:
- Garment and decoration.
- Custom label, hang tag and packaging.
- Freight to you and any import duties.
- Shipping to the customer, or the portion you absorb.
- Payment processing and platform fees.
- An allowance for returns, damages and giveaways.
That total, not the unit price on your supplier's invoice, is your cost.
Step 2: set a target margin
Apparel brands commonly aim for retail prices well above landed cost, because marketing, photography, samples and unsold stock all need paying for. If you plan to sell wholesale to shops later, you need even more headroom, since shops typically expect to buy at a substantial discount to your retail price and still mark it up.
Step 3: sanity check against the market
Look at independent brands with similar quality, not big box stores. If your hoodie is heavyweight and well made, compare it with other heavyweight hoodies. You don't need to be cheapest. You need to be clearly worth it.
Step 4: plan discounts before you need them
If you'll run Black Friday sales, bundle deals or free shipping thresholds, test those numbers now. A 25% discount on a thin margin can wipe out profit entirely. Bundles, like a hoodie and a tee, often protect margin better than straight discounts.
How quantity changes the math
Ordering more lowers your per-piece cost. Our pricing steps down at 50, 100, 250, 500 and 1,000. But more stock also means more cash tied up and more risk. A good rule: order the quantity you're confident you can sell in a reasonable window, not the quantity with the best unit price.
Use the price calculator to see your unit cost at each quantity. It's the fastest way to test whether a bigger order truly helps.
Merch sellers and events
Bands, creators and events usually price for convenience: round numbers that make cash sales and card readers easy. Build your round number from landed cost up, not from what feels normal at the merch table.
A worked example
Imagine your landed cost per hoodie, including garment, print, label, packaging and inbound shipping, comes to a certain figure. Add expected outbound shipping you absorb, payment fees and a returns allowance. If your retail price is only a little above that total, a single discount wipes out profit. Aim for a retail price comfortably above total cost so you can fund marketing, samples and restocks.
Pricing tiers across a range
Many brands price a basic tee as an entry item, a hoodie as the core product and a limited heavyweight piece as the premium item. A clear ladder helps customers choose and lifts average order value.
When to raise prices
If a design sells out quickly and repeatedly, your price may be too low. Raise it a little on the next run. Customers rarely notice a modest increase on a product they already want, and it can fund better photos, better packaging or a heavier fabric.
When you're ready, see custom hoodies. Minimum 20 per design, sizes mixed, 10 to 15 working days after artwork approval.
