How to Save Money Buying Blank Apparel in Bulk

The Math Behind Bulk Buying

Blank apparel pricing works on a volume curve — the more you buy, the less you pay per unit. But the mistake most people make is buying in bulk without a plan, which means cash tied up in inventory that sits in a closet for months.

Here's how to bulk buy smart.

Understand the Price Tiers

Most blank apparel suppliers — including us at Get Custom — structure pricing in tiers:

• 1–2 shirts: Near retail pricing
• 3–6 shirts: First real discount (typically 10–20% off)
• 7–12 shirts: Mid-tier discount (20–35% off)
• 13–20 shirts: Best per-shirt pricing (40–54% off)

The sweet spot for most small brands and print shops is the 7-piece tier. You're getting deep discounts without committing to 20+ pieces of a single style. See our bundle pricing for current per-shirt costs at each tier.

Mix Colors and Sizes Within a Bundle

One of the biggest bulk buying myths is that you have to buy all one color to get the discount. With bundle pricing (as opposed to wholesale minimums), you can typically mix:

• Different colors of the same style
• Different sizes within the same style
• Different styles altogether (at some suppliers)

This is how you actually save without overstocking. Instead of buying 12 black medium tees, buy a realistic size distribution across 4–5 colors.

The Size Distribution Formula

If you're stocking for resale or for a print run with a broad audience, a solid starting size distribution is:

Size	% of Order
S	10%
M	25%
L	30%
XL	25%
2XL	8%
3XL+	2%

Adjust based on your specific audience. If you're selling to a gym community, shift more toward L and XL. If you're selling kids'/youth apparel or to a fashion-forward female demographic, shift toward S and M.

Strategies for Small Brands

Strategy 1: Start With Your Best-Seller

Before going wide with styles and colors, nail your best-selling blank first. Order 12–20 pieces of your flagship colorway, sell through, then reinvest the profit into expanding your range. This keeps cash flow positive.

Strategy 2: Pre-Sell Before You Order

Launch a pre-order. Collect payments first, then place your bulk order with confirmed demand. You pay nothing until the shirts are spoken for. This eliminates inventory risk entirely — and you still get bulk pricing on the order.

Strategy 3: Coordinate With Other Brands

Find other small brands in your space who use the same blanks. Pool your orders to hit higher quantity tiers, then each party pays their share. You both get wholesale-level pricing on a mid-size order.

Strategy 4: Seasonal Timing

Blank apparel prices fluctuate. Mid-January through February tends to have the best promotional pricing as suppliers clear post-holiday inventory. August is another good window as they prepare fall stock. Plan your largest orders around these windows.

What Not to Do

Don't buy 50 of a style you've never sold before. Test with a small bundle first. Sell through. Then scale.

Don't buy all one size. Ending up with 20 remaining 2XLs while you're out of every other size is a cash flow nightmare.

Don't chase the cheapest blank. If you're printing on it, a $1 savings per shirt isn't worth a poor print result that costs you a customer. The blank is part of your brand.

Don't forget shipping. Free shipping thresholds can significantly change your effective per-shirt cost. At Get Custom, we offer free shipping on bundles — make sure you factor that in when comparing suppliers.

The Real Savings with Bundles

Here's a concrete example using Comfort Colors 1717:

Quantity	Per-Shirt Cost	7-Pack Total	Savings vs. Single
1 shirt	$14.99	—	—
3-pack	$11.50	—	$10.47 saved
7-pack	$9.25	$64.75	$40.18 saved
20-pack	$7.50	—	Biggest margin

That $40+ savings on a 7-pack is real money. Especially when you're running those shirts at $24–35 retail.

Ready to build a bundle? See all bundle options with current pricing and free shipping on every order.