How Branded Merch Helped a National Retailer Scale Their Gift-with-Purchase Program

For over fifteen years, we have been the behind-the-scenes merch partner for one of the world's largest supplement retailers. When they first came to us, every region was doing its own thing with logos, apparel and shaker cups. Brand standards were inconsistent and there was no unified merchandise program.

We centralized production for their core items, shaker cups, cups with lids, t-shirts, hats and gym bags, and brought everything under one platform. From there, we moved beyond basic products into exclusive, retail-inspired designs and patented shaker technology built specifically for their gift-with-purchase strategy.

By manufacturing at scale overseas, we helped them turn premium-feeling items into affordable giveaways, sometimes cutting costs by up to 70 percent compared to domestic sourcing. That shift made it possible to consistently offer “buy something, get something great” across the country, helping fuel growth from roughly 65 stores to more than 140.

Today, they put about $10 million of branded merchandise into the market each year, powered by a mix of custom shakers, apparel and accessories that keep customers coming back.

What this means if you are considering a gift-with-purchase program

Gift-with-purchase works when the gift feels worth more than it costs. Getting there takes product engineering, decoration at scale and a supply chain that does not flinch at volume. That is the machinery we already run, and it is available to programs a fraction of this size.