Whether you have thousands of followers or just a handful of loyal supporters, building a Shopify merch store out of an existing online store is a fantastic way to create a new revenue stream.
Beyond profits, selling high-quality merch strengthens community, since every hoodie, mug, or tote a fan buys puts your brand in front of new potential customers.
This step-by-step guide covers how to make Shopify merchandise, how to sell it, and which print-on-demand products are worth adding to your catalog in 2026.
Key takeaways
- The custom t-shirt printing market alone is valued at $5.16 billion and is projected to reach $9.82 billion by 2030, making apparel one of the safest categories for new merch stores.
- 15 product categories currently drive the bulk of print-on-demand sales. Complementary products like hoodies, mugs, hats, and journals can increase average order value and drive repeat purchases.
- Printify's free Product Creator lets sellers design custom products without paying for stock upfront. Plus, we handle printing, packing, and shipping, so you never have to touch inventory.
- Unlike marketplaces with competing listings and changing algorithms, Shopify gives you full control over your brand, customer experience, and profits.
- Success comes from validating demand with tools like Google Trends and promoting your merch across social media, email, and other sales channels – not relying on your Shopify store alone.
How to make merch for a Shopify store?
With Printify as a print-on-demand partner, anyone can design and sell merch on a Shopify store without inventory, upfront costs, or logistical headaches. It’s a practical solution for turning a brand into money without gambling on stock that might never sell.
- Printify’s Catalog carries more than 2,000 products, including apparel, accessories, and home decor items that sellers can customize freely.
The Product Creator – Printify’s free merch maker – makes the design step simple. Sellers upload artwork, add text, or combine both on a blank product, preview it on a mockup, and publish it to their store in just a few clicks.
No design software or manufacturing experience is required, and the same design file can be added to an entire collection of products, so your storefront feels cohesive.
There are a few reasons sellers choose Printify to build their merch shop:
- Low barrier to entry. Printify provides the products, tools, and support needed to start a merch business without a design team or a warehouse.
- Sales channel integrations. Shopify connects directly to your Printify account for seamless order syncing.
- No upfront inventory cost. Pay production costs only after a sale goes through, so nothing is spent on stock that might not sell.
- Fulfillment is handled end-to-end. Once an order comes in, Printify's network of Print Providers handles printing, packing, and shipping directly to the buyer's door.
- No minimum order quantity. You can fulfill a single merch order or sell thousands without a supplier turning down the job.
How to sell merch on Shopify?
Getting a store live takes just a handful of steps:
- Pick a Shopify plan. Every Shopify account starts with a free trial, but you need a paid plan to start selling. Shopify offers a range of tiers depending on the size of your store.
- Buy a domain. Shopify includes a free subdomain, but a custom domain looks more professional and builds trust with buyers. Shopify's Help Center walks through the process for anyone buying their first domain.
- Name your brand. This should reflect what your store sells and the story behind it, since it will appear on packaging, marketing, and the site itself.
- Choose a website theme. Store design affects conversion, especially for merch that relies on strong visuals. Shopify's theme store includes free and paid options that you can customize without touching code, and most themes let you swap colors, fonts, and layout blocks to match the brand's look.
- Connect Printify to your store. With a free Printify account and our Shopify integration, you can automate order routing and manage every sale from one dashboard as it flows straight to production.
Use email marketing, social posts, short-form videos, and paid ads to drive traffic to your storefront and convert that reach into orders. A welcome discount code is a simple example of a tactic that can turn a first-time visitor into a repeat customer.
Want to grow beyond Shopify? Sales channels like Etsy, TikTok Shop, and eBay all integrate with Printify, which means one design can list across several marketplaces at once and reach a wider pool of buyers without duplicating design work.
Shopify merch trends: 15 Best-selling print-on-demand products
Coming up with merch ideas is one of the harder parts of running a store, so it helps to start with concrete data. Tools such as Google Trends, Ahrefs, and Semrush show search demand and seasonality for a given product before you commit time to designing.
The 15 categories below currently account for the bulk of print-on-demand merch sales.
1. T-shirts
The t-shirt remains a timeless choice because it fits nearly any age group, season, or occasion. Sellers who want to sell t-shirts as their first product often see faster traction than those who launch with a niche category.
Create an original design to add perceived value to a basic blank and give your brand a way to stand apart in a crowded market.
One strong custom t-shirt design, built around a clear idea, usually outperforms a scattered assortment of one-off graphics.
The market:
The global custom t-shirt printing market was valued at $5.16 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $9.82 billion by 2030, growing at a rate of more than 11% per year.
2. Hoodies
A hoodie gives a brand a bigger canvas for detailed artwork and suits customers who want everyday comfort wrapped in a statement piece.
Hoodies also command higher selling prices than many other merch products, giving sellers more room for healthy profit margins while offering customers a premium item they'll wear for years.
The market:
The hoodies and sweatshirts market was valued at $241.11 billion in 2025, growing to $256.08 billion in 2026, with hoodies alone commanding well over half of that category's revenue.
3. Mugs
From office desks to gifting moments, a mug is a practical merch item that rarely goes unused.
Customization options range from color-changing finishes to insulated travel styles, which gives you room to build a full drinkware collection that pairs naturally with apparel and stickers at checkout.
The market:
Personalized mugs sit inside a global cups and mugs market projected to reach $4.03 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 5.4%.
4. Tote bags
A tote works for groceries, books, or as a stylish everyday accessory, which makes it an easy add-on for sellers already targeting eco-conscious buyers.
The market:
As shoppers look for ways to reduce their environmental impact, tote bags have become a steady seller, with the global tote bags market projected to grow from $2.5 billion in 2026 to $3.78 billion by 2034.
5. Posters and canvases
Matte Vertical Posters. Source: Printify
Great artwork deserves more than a social media post. Posters and canvases bring your brand into customers' homes, keeping it visible every day.
The market:
The global wall art market reached $66.89 billion in 2025 and is expected to climb to $70.94 billion in 2026, and fans consistently want visuals that represent the creators or communities they follow.
6. Stickers
Stickers are an affordable way for customers to take a piece of your brand wherever they go. Their low price point makes them an easy impulse buy that keeps your brand visible on laptops, water bottles, and notebooks long after the initial purchase.
The market:
The global stickers segment of the custom printing market was valued at $1.6 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $2.9 billion by 2030, with a CAGR of 10.4%.
7. Backpacks
A well-designed backpack travels with customers everywhere, which makes it one of the most durable products to raise brand awareness.
The market:
Backpacks cater to a wide range of customers, from students to daily commuters, and the market reflects that reach – it's valued at $20.30 billion in 2025 and set to reach $22.12 billion in 2026.
8. Phone cases
Low shipping costs and healthy profit margins make phone cases an appealing add-on for a store that already sells apparel.
The market:
The global mobile accessories market was valued at $105.45 billion in 2025 and is expected to reach $189.92 billion by 2033, with protective cases holding roughly a third of that revenue.
9. Hats and caps
Want a versatile entry into apparel? Consider hats and caps for merch. Give fans a way to support their favorite podcaster, streamer, or brand without committing to a full outfit.
The market:
The global headwear market was valued at $37.01 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $62.83 billion by 2033, with caps and hats holding the largest share of that category.
10. Dog accessories
Dog collar. Source: Printify
Extend your reach with pet bandanas, collars, and tags. It’s the perfect way to increase cart value – and a matching set for fur baby and parent can sell better than any single item alone.
The market:
Dogs remain the most commonly owned pet in the United States, present in 42.6% of households. The global pet accessories market is projected to grow from $7.15 billion in 2025 to $7.62 billion in 2026, giving sellers a large audience ready to spend.
11. Water bottles
Copper vacuum-insulated bottles. Source: Printify
A branded bottle gets daily use at the gym, the office, or on the go, which keeps your logo in view long after checkout.
The market:
The global reusable water bottle market was valued at $9.67 billion in 2024 and is expected to reach $12.61 billion by 2030, driven largely by buyers replacing single-use plastic.
12. Blankets
Velveteen plush blanket. Source: Printify
A blanket gives your brand real estate for bold, all-over designs. It’s a practical merch item that doubles as a cozy product customers can use at home year-round.
The market:
The global blanket market was valued at $24.97 billion in 2025 and is projected to grow to $26.58 billion in 2026. The category spans everything from lightweight throws to heavier sherpa styles suited to colder climates.
13. Socks
Sublimation crew socks. Source: Printify
Socks are always getting replaced, which keeps buyers coming back.
These everyday essentials give your store a fun, low-commitment product that fans buy on impulse.
The market:
The global socks market was valued at $49.5 billion in 2025 and is expected to reach $51.9 billion in 2026, with the lifestyle segment alone holding more than half of that revenue.
14. Cushions
Spun polyester lumbar pillow. Source: Printify
Cushion demand fluctuates by season, but Google Trends confirms steady, widespread search interest across regions.
Whether displayed on a sofa or a bed, a custom cushion adds a cozy accent that fits naturally alongside blankets and other home decor merch. Materials range from spun polyester to faux suede, so you can offer options at multiple price points.
The market:
The global pillows market reached $20 billion in 2025 and is expected to hit $31.4 billion by 2033, growing at a CAGR of 6.6%.
15. Journals and notebooks
Spiral notebook - ruled lines. Source: Printify
Journals and notebooks bring in steady sales year-round and tend to peak during the back-to-school season. Available in a range of covers, sizes, and page styles, a notebook makes an elegant addition to any print-on-demand merch catalog.
The market:
The global notebooks segment of the custom printing market was valued at $606.3 million in 2024 and is projected to reach $895.4 million by 2030, growing at a CAGR of 6.7%.
Tip:
Beyond sales, a merch line gives fans a way to participate in a brand's story. User-generated content, such as a customer photographing their new hoodie or tagging a store in a post wearing their merch, extends a brand's reach well past the original audience and turns everyday buyers into an informal marketing channel of their own.
Start a print-on-demand business with Printify
Getting a print-on-demand business running with Printify comes down to a few concrete steps.
- Create a free Printify account. This unlocks access to our print-on-demand services.
- Pick products from the Catalog. Choose from more than [p_product_count items, including apparel, drinkware, home decor, and accessories.
- Design each product. Use the Product Creator to add artwork, text, or both, then preview the result on a mockup before publishing.
- Connect Printify to Shopify. In your Printify dashboard, add Shopify as a sales channel and log in to your Shopify store to authorize the connection. Once linked, every published design syncs to your Shopify store automatically.
- Publish the listing and start selling. Once a design goes live, customers can purchase it immediately – without inventory sitting in a warehouse.
Let Printify handle fulfillment. Every order routes automatically to a vetted Print Provider, which prints, packages, and ships the product directly to your customers worldwide.
The best part? You can scale without adding overhead. The same setup that fulfills the first 10 orders handles thousands. Our Quality Promise keeps output consistent without you needing to add staff, equipment, or warehouse space.
FAQ
A few closing thoughts
Choosing the right merch matters as much as designing it well. Every product on this list, from t-shirts and hoodies to journals and pet accessories, comes with real demand behind it.
Launch a small, focused collection first, watch which items resonate with buyers, then expand your catalog based on actual sales.
With Printify handling production, packing, and shipping, you can focus on design, branding, and community instead of logistics. High-quality merch, reliable fulfillment, and a Catalog that keeps pace with trends give your Shopify store a real shot at turning a following into lasting revenue.
