What Exactly Are Supply Chain Issues and How Do They Affect You?

It’s no surprise that the ongoing global pandemic has put a strain on our global supply chain. Across all industries, we have seen businesses struggle to stay afloat with the increasing amount of labor shortages, lack of shipping containers, delays in shipping routes, and historic weather occurrences, which can all attribute to major price increases, unavailability of certain products, and delivery delays for ordered products.

Because we care for our customers and believe in maintaining full transparency, we want to provide a little insight into what this means at Customized Girl and how it affects you.

Price Increases

In an effort to combat elevated shipping costs, increased cost of materials, and other supply chain issues, price increases have been implemented on select items on Customized Girl, which became effective as of September 22, 2021. While the idea of price increases might seem unpleasant, we want to assure you of how exactly these changes will benefit our customers. For instance, higher prices mean better quality products. A price adjustment helps to keep up with the demand for the products that you love. We are also focused on providing you with increased product options, hiring more production associates to help with getting your orders out in time, and a better customer experience all around.

Inventory Availablity

While shopping on our site, you may notice that only certain sizes are available for certain products. Because of the global shipping backlog, it is increasingly difficult to get inventory on our shelves in a timely manner. We are doing everything in our power to keep all sizes available for all of our products, but the ongoing labor shortage and shipping delays make this a challenge. If you don’t see a size or color in a certain style that you want, we encourage you to check back daily as we are constantly updating our available inventory as we are updated on its availability.

Tracking Delays

We’d also like to address order tracking. With the holiday season coming up, carriers are becoming increasingly busy which can lead to delayed updates for tracking numbers. There is no need to worry, just be aware that there are various causes for a delay in your tracking information updating, including increased holiday purchasing, worsening weather conditions, and carrier delays across all carrier companies. If you have any concerns about your tracking information, our Customer Experience team is here to help answer any and all of your questions.

Shipping Delays

As with most businesses right now, shipping delays are the most common concern for customers. We’d love to guarantee that your order will be delivered to you by the estimated time of delivery, but unfortunately, it is oftentimes out of our control. All major carriers are experiencing shipping delays which in turn, could delay your package from getting from our facility to your home. With that said, we strongly recommend planning ahead, ordering early, and allowing for extra lead time for your orders to be shipped to you.

Takeaways

If there’s one thing we hope you will take away from this post, it’s to order your holiday gifts early and expect delays! We will always do everything in our power to provide our customers the products and experience they deserve in a timely manner. Our website is built to keep you updated on what is in stock and how long it should take for your package to arrive. We will always update you with any new arrivals on the site, as well as any other important updates that may affect your purchase or delivery. If you haven’t already, we encourage you to follow us on social media and sign up via email and text to receive exclusive offers, early access, and more.

We sincerely want to thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate through these unprecedented logistical challenges. It’s because of you all that we are able to continue doing what we love and provide you with the best in custom apparel and accessories. Thank you!

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Storefront Spotlight – Fighter Alias

In this installment of our Storefront Spotlight series, we wanted to highlight a storefront that’s been selling with us for a number of years now. Fighter Alias opened its storefront in 2015 and has been successfully selling original and creative designs every year since then.

On top of selling awesome merchandise, Fighter Alias also sponsors a number of athletes including MMA fighters, pro wrestlers, hockey teams, and boxers. Check out their website here: Fighter Alias

We asked the storefront’s owner, Ian Pimper, a few questions about his success and what he appreciates most about selling with Customized Girl.

CG: Why did you choose Customized Girl for opening your storefront?
Ian: We chose Customized Girl for opening our storefront because of their willingness to help our business grow and reach its potential. They had such an amazing selection of products to help showcase the brand and designs of Fighter Alias.

Fighter Alias knows how to flip that switch!

CG: What has been the most fun part of running your storefront?
Ian: The most fun part of running my storefront is reaching people all over the world with Fighter Alias

Fire & Ice

CG: Tell us more about Fighter Alias and what your group does.
Ian: Fighter Alias is a brand that embodies one’s identity and our abilities to flip a switch and transform into our alter egos when faced with challenges.  We sponsor male and female MMA, Pro Wrestling, Hockey, and Fitness athletes all over the world, helping and contributing to their journeys.

Unlock your potential with Fighter Alias!

CG: What does it mean to ‘flip your switch and transform into your alter ego?
Ian: Flipping a switch and transforming into your alter ego means that when faced with challenges and adversity, we reach deep within ourselves and bring out our intense and driven personas to accomplish our goals.

Fight to score. Fight to win.

CG: Where do you get your ideas for designs?
Ian: We get our ideas for our designs through different concepts that shout identity and bringing our alter egos to the surface.  We also ask our Fighter Alias athletes what ideas they have and would like to see.

Fighter Alias knows karate!

CG: What tips can you give to aspiring storefront owners to make their stores a success?
Ian: Always have fun and be passionate about what you are doing.  Keep an open mind and embrace the journey.

Fighter Alias goes retro!

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Storefront Spotlight – Dead Cute

It’s officially the first day of the spooky month! To celebrate all things spooky, we’re featuring an extra special storefront on Customized Girl. This time we’re highlighting an incredibly unique type of storefront whos owner works in a morgue! While most of us may be too scared to even go near one of those places, Taylor S. has turned her profession into her creative passion!

The death care profession is one that largely goes undiscussed in everyday life due to its inherent associations to death. But we wanted to go straight to the source, so we asked Taylor about her storefront and experience as a mortician. Check out what she had to say about her storefront Dead Cute!

Essential workers never stop!

CG: What made you start a storefront with Customized Girl?
Taylor: I started my storefront because I have ordered from Customized Girl for years and am always impressed with the quality of their products. The customer service is also AMAZING and I always have my questions answered ASAP.

Who knew there were so many stages of decomposition?

CG: We heard that you use the earnings from your storefront for a good cause. Can you tell us more about that?
Taylor:

I started making designs and my friends and colleges wanted to purchase my designs. I had no idea I could open my own storefront and how easy it was. My dad was recently diagnosed with stage 4 cancer and unfortunately still had to work through his entire cancer treatment. It was extremely difficult on him so I decided to open the storefront to assist in his chemo medications and overall bills. I work at a funeral home and my
Dad has been my biggest supporter and rock as this industry is emotionally and physically draining. During COVID 19, people often forget death care workers are essential and I have been blown away by the love and support I have received from other death care workers.

New board who dis?

CG: What’s it like working in a morgue?
Taylor: Working in a mortuary has been a very rewarding career and I can’t imagine working anywhere else. I always see shirts about other essential workers and I thought “hey, I should design things for the death care industry to show they are not forgotten about.”

Show pride in your profession, no matter what you do!

CG: What is your favorite part of Halloween?
Taylor: Every day is Halloween working in a mortuary and we always look forward to Halloween baking, crafts, and decorating. We usually have all the decorations we need at work so decorating is pretty cheap! Haha

The human skull is what keeps our vital nervous system (the brain) safe!

CG: What tips can you give to aspiring storefront owners to make their stores a success?
Taylor: One tip I will always suggest to new storefront creators is to find your niche and contact everyone you can who would be interested. Whether It’s fitness, food, or career, look at other stores and see what hasn’t been done.

Our totes make great gifts! Bodybags, not so much.

CG: Any final thoughts you’d like to share with our readers?
Taylor: Check out my Instagram, DeadCuteDesigns, and don’t forget to use your hashtags! Good luck with your Customized Girl Journey. Stick with it, don’t get discouraged and you will do great!

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Storefront Spotlight – Back 2 School with BRAYLON!

We love seeing the creativity that all of our storefront owners use to make their own original designs. Occasionally, we highlight one of these storefronts to show great examples of how our storefronts can be used to raise awareness, share a feeling, spread a vibe, or whatever else you want to communicate with the world.

Today we’re sharing a super creative and thoughtful storefront run by 7-year-old Braylon! Braylon, with the help of his MOM-ager, Felicia, decided he wanted to make designs for his virtual back-to-school experiences this year. Here are just a few of his awesome hand-drawn designs!

1st Day Of School Outfit

Braylon’s got it figured out. With so many schools going virtual this year, why not swap out those fancy dress clothes for these super comfy and fun pajamas on the first day of school? No need to carry your custom backpack either when all your classes are in the same room, so put the backpack on your shirt instead!

School Rocks! Sweatshirt

Half of everything is the mindset. This design guarantees you’re starting off with a positive vibe by declaring ‘Virtual School Rocks’! Braylon’s awesome hand-drawn guitar that he uploaded in our design center matches the custom text on this design perfectly. He’s sure to rock all year long.

Love

You can’t wear the same pair of custom pajamas all week long, so why not make a second pair declaring how much you LOVE virtual school! I know working from home has provided us the same wardrobe options. Braylon shares his excitement for his new school dress code with an adorable eye heart emoji he drew himself!

Roarin’ Tshirt

Braylon keeps the energy high with his designs, which is just what some of us need when things get tough. Keep that dinosaur energy strong with this awesome ‘Roarin’ into Virtual School’ design. Show no fear with that dinosaur spirit we all have buried deep down. Thanks to Braylon, we can harness that monster confidence.

We’re always looking for the next stand-out storefront on Customized Girl. We love seeing everyone’s awesome and creative designs just like Braylons! Whether you’re uploading your own hand-drawn artwork to custom tees and custom hoodies or working solely with the tools we provide in our design center, our custom Storefronts are a great way to make extra cash and share your creativity with the world!

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NoPantsParty Custom Black Undies

No Pants Party Is the Best Possible Brand to Sell Custom Underwear

No Pants Party is a brand that just so happens to have a storefront with Customized Girl. Like we mentioned above, they are the best possible brand to sell custom underwear! We’ll tell you why.

If you think about it, it’s not easy for just any old brand to sell their actual brand name on underwear. It really doesn’t make much sense. However, if your brand relates to not wearing pants – then it’s the perfect opportunity. Just like the No Pants Party DJs.

The No Pants Party brand is a pair of shenanigans-loving DJs. That’s why custom underwear fits perfectly with their brand. They’re all about creating personalized underwear for all kinds of occasions, like Valentine’s Day and Christmas.

Our storefront platform + custom underwear + and the No Pants Party brand equals the perfect mix. They found a creative way to use our products and their storefront to market their brand in a funny and fresh way. Also, a pair of cute undies that say “No Pants Party” on the back is the perfect excuse to, literally, not wear pants for a day.

If you think your brand is also the perfect brand to sell custom underwear, head to our site to get started by creating your own storefront.

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From Custom Shorts to Mythical Backsides to Supporting a Cause

For those of you that don’t know, Customized Girl offers more than just awesome custom shirts. We also have custom shorts AND a really great storefront platform that allows anyone and everyone to create and sell their unique designs through their very own store hosted by Customized Girl.

Some of our store owners are really killing it. We wanted to call out one of those people in particular, Carly Leeson. Carly owns the store Mythical Backsides. Here, she sells shorts that have fun mythical creature names written across the back. How did she come up this idea? And why is her store one of a kind? Keep reading to find out.|

We reached out to Leeson to get some insight on how her store came about. She told us that “The store started with a silly text post on Tumblr by user typhlosionns: Booty shorts that say goblin on the butt.”

This sparked an idea. “I thought this was hilarious and decided to create a few designs for different mythical creatures. Enough people were interested in buying them that I decided to make this store.” Leeson explained. She saw an awesome opportunity to create something unique and went for it.

Although Customized Girl offers royalties to their store owners for every design sold, Leeson’s end goal was not to earn money for herself. She had something much bigger in mind. Carly shared with us that “Depression and suicide and addiction are quiet, sometimes invisible killers – in the past 5 years I have lost both of my parents and several friends to depression and suicide.” Because this topic is one that is so close to her, she decided that anything earned through her Mythical Backsides Store would be donated to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP). Carly chose to donate her earnings to AFSP because it does a great job at promoting and providing education centered around mental health issues and is actively trying to change the negative stigma around this topic.

We were also curious as to why Carly chose to use Customized Girl to launch her creative Mythical Backsides store. She said: “I chose Customized Girl because of the user friendly interface that has a ton of options for tweaking designs to make your garment perfect. The quality of printing and the options available really are top notch compared to other custom sites.”

This is something we pride ourselves in. We love being able to offer our customers tons of different products to design on while making it as easy as possible. We’ve also really started ramping up our selection of Plus Size Apparel, which happens to be another one of the reasons Carly chose Customized Girl for her storefront: “I am a plus sized girl and Customized Girl is one of the few sites I could find that offered any plus options at all. It’s an amazing feeling for bigger women to see clothes we want actually available in our size!” We have plans to expand our selection of curvy items even further. One of our goals is to cater to all types of bodies, so it’s great to hear positive feedback!

We just wanted to give a huge shout out to Carly for doing something really great and allowing Customized Girl to be a part of it. Are you a storefront owner doing something spectacular? Let us know! Shoot us your story at: CGstores@eretailing.com.

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How To Market Your Custom Apparel Storefront On Instagram

Every day we receive emails requesting information on helpful tips and tricks to promote your concepts and designs. We’ve already discussed Polyvore, Pinterest, and Tumblr and are happy to share one of our favorite social media outlets. Our next installment in our “how to” blog post series is how to market your custom apparel storefront on Instagram!

 

What is Instagram?

Another free platform that allows individuals to share photos and videos instantly while giving the option to share through a variety of other social networking platforms, such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, and Flickr.

 

What makes Instagram different?

It’s all about the picture. Ever heard the saying a picture means a thousand words? Consumers visually shop with their eyes before anything else so you only have a few seconds to really grab their attention. Instagram is a visual playground of fascinating images that ordinary people happened to witness in person and they want to share with everyone else.

Your Instagram style can say a lot about you and the products that you sell. You don’t necessarily need to be a professional photographer to have a huge following. With that being said, customers enjoy seeing other individuals wear your products. It gives them the opportunity to see what the fit looks like but also get the feel of your style. For example, if your storefront is about camping then make sure to include images of individuals enjoying your products outdoors or set a mood by taking a picture of your design in it’s element – on a beautiful hillside or hanging from an old oak tree. The overall purpose in your creativity is to give your customers a reason to follow you. The more followers you have, the more opportunities for your products to reach a new audience.

Instagram has a great organic approach of this is an amazing product, picture, moment and I want to share it with everyone. Don’t overthink it. How and where would you wear your product?

 

How To Get Started:

Before you can start using the app, Instagram will ask you to create a free account. You can sign up via your existing Facebook account or by email. All you need is a username and a password.

You may be asked if you want to follow some friends who are on Instagram in your Facebook network. You can also customize your profile by adding your name, a photo, a short bio and a website. This is a great opportunity to give a detailed snap shot of what your storefront concept is all about along with a direct URL link to your custom apparel storefront.

How To Market Your Custom Apparel Storefront On Instagram

Helpful Tips and Tricks:

Hashtags

It’s all about the hashtags on Instagram. The only way your products will be seen by individuals other than your followers is to add appropriate hashtags to your description. Similar to Customized Girl’s concept of adding tags to your designs so they are easier to find when individuals are searching the website. Once you start adding relevant hashtags to your image, Instagram will provide you with helpful suggestions and also include the search volume.

How To Market Your Custom Apparel Storefront On Instagram

Trending Topics

You can easily search for people and your favorite hashtags on Instagram by clicking the magnifying glass. This will also display the top trending hashtags on Instagram at that moment. This is a very important feature to keep an eye on and take advantage of. If your storefront concepts are clever enough to mash up with an existing design and a trending topic then jump on it! It’s what we live for at Customized Girl.

Last but not least, make sure to follow other relevant Instagram accounts.  This is a simple technique to get followers that are passionate about the same interests as you. It opens the door for not only future customers but for possible networking opportunities.

What are other successful ways to promote your storefront on Instagram? Let us know and make sure to check out our other blog posts on how to market your custom apparel storefronts!

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Custom Apparel Storefronts – What Makes A Great Featured Image

As storefronts continue to grow we are constantly asked how designers can get their merchandise seen by more people. Consumers visually shop with their eyes before anything else so you only have a few seconds to really grab their attention.  When you are promoting your designs on the internet, it always helps to have amazing photography. Customers want to see designs being worn. It gives them the opportunity to see what the fit looks like but also get the feel of your style.

Now we are not suggesting that everyone should run out and hire a professional photographer. Sometimes having a more natural and organic feel to your pictures has a better emphasis with your customers. It’s all about the mood you are trying to set and the brand you are trying to sell.

All it takes is great pictures with nice composition.

Health Nut In Training

Then use a cool filter. It creates a mood. You get a feel for the atmosphere.

Black Hefner

Most importantly, use them smartly.

Kiss My Bunz

Once you’ve created these wonderful marketing images, you can then add them to your design details page using the upload image feature. Now when you link to your design customers can see two images of your product which increases your possibility for conversions.

Although, the best part of having a great featured image is that other shoppers have the ability to pin, tweet, and share your designs on their own personal social media. This then creates a positive feedback loop. Here is how. The more of your designs that are seen have the higher chances of selling. This then leads to higher rankings in the gallery. The higher they rank in the gallery, the more popular they will become, and the more you’ll sell. And if you link back to your designs, they could rise up the ranks of both the gallery and Google’s search engine results pages. Viola!

Need some easy tips on editing images and adding images to your custom apparel in general? This blog post contains some helpful information about finding and using free photo editing websites.

 

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Grow Your Health and Fitness Empire With Custom Apparel Storefronts

2016 is officially here and with a new year there are new goals and aspirations. The majority of individuals make a goal to better themselves and to live a healthier lifestyle. As many know, accomplishing this goal can be very difficult and requires a great effort and motivation. People find different ways to achieve success and most importantly stay on that path of success for the rest of their lives. Some of these approaches involve joining a local fitness studio, dieting, or blogging their efforts online. Being healthy and fit is trendy and individuals are making it not only their goal but a career.

Are you a fitness studio trying to build brand awareness? A mom who is attempting to lose weight and inspire others on your journey? Or are you just a trendy individual that has great fitness slogans and sayings? Customized Girl Storefronts are an extremely easy way to build brand awareness.  There are absolutely no start-up costs to open a storefront, nor will you ever pay a fee to maintain your storefront. Simply design the tees, tanks, sweatshirts, and accessories you’d like to sell for your business, promote your storefront to customers or followers, and earn royalties for every design you sell.  All you have to do is design. Customized Girl processes orders, prints the designs onto apparel, and even ships the products from your storefront. Simple as that.

We already have successful health and fitness storefronts that advertise to a variety of consumers that include fitness studios, weight loss, funny fitness, health and nutrition.  Here are great examples of storefronts that are adding great designs and effectively marketing to their supporters and followers:

Health Nut In Training

This storefront owner documents her highest accomplishments and her lowest of low points to inform other individuals that they are not alone. Health Nut decided to open a storefront with Customized Girl to give her readers additional motivation to feel good about themselves while working towards their weight loss goals.

MisFIT REPublic

MisFit Republic is not only growing her brand but a community of individuals to help support one another in their weight loss journey. And she’s creating cute and funny designs that any fitness junkie would love.

Szabo Fitness

A fitness studio that wanted to offer their customers a variety of fun workout gear to support their studio.

Fit Mom Fitness Apparel

Being a mom is a full time job and Fit Mom Fitness wanted to inspire other strong, confident moms to make fit living a lifestyle.

Pink Runner Girl

Pink Runner Girl already had an engaged audience from her blog about running and decided to offer her loyal followers fun fitness apparel.

Interested in Customized Girl storefronts? Check out our FAQ or email us at cgstores@eretailing.com. We would be more than happy to answer any and all of your questions!

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Kelley Wentworth of ‘Survivor: Second Chance’ Launches an Apparel Store on Customized Girl!

When we were designing the storefront platform at Customized Girl, we wanted to create something totally open, free, and democratic. That means anyone can create an account, create a store, and start adding designs.

Some of our stores are launched by young people, just starting to build their brand and launch their fashion lines. They are only starting to grow their audience.

And some other stores are stores are started by established celebrities with big followings. We’ve welcomed Melissa Rycroft, from The Bachelor and Dancing with the Stars. Today we are welcoming Kelley Wentworth of ‘Survivor: Blood vs Water’ and ‘Survivor: Second Chance’. Welcome, Kelley! And welcome to all, because all are welcome!

Check out Kelley’s store.

Kelley is currently the front winner to win Second Chance. There’s no better to way to support Kelley then with a custom Team Wentworth shirt! These designs are created by Kelley herself and is the ultimate way to let her know that you are cheering her on to the very end!

We love that Kelley saw an opportunity to use our design center and storefront platform to create and sell totally unique t-shirts and tank tops. Her clean and simple “(hashtag) Team Wentworth” design is a great example of how anyone can take an idea and put it on a shirt. Kelley is still going strong this season so make sure to get your shirt now and to share your love with Kelley on her Instagram and Twitter!

If you are interested in what custom apparel storefronts can do for you make sure to check out Customized Girl’s storefront FAQ.

 

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