Your Branded Merch Success Hinges on This One Thing (Hint: It’s Not the Design)

You’ve nailed the marketing campaign. The colours pop with brand personality, the chosen materials exude quality, and the designs are everything you hoped for and more. You’ve poured your creativity, time and budget into creating branded merchandise that truly represents your brand. But what if all that effort, all that investment, goes…nowhere?

Yep, it’s time to talk logistics – the unsung hero that can make or break your merch game. This crucial piece of the branded product puzzle deserves a seat at the head of the table in your next meeting.

All merched up with nowhere to go

It’s all too easy to get swept away in the exciting creative process, isn’t it? We get it. The allure of a perfectly designed tote or a sleek Bluetooth stereo can be all-consuming. But imagine pouring your heart (and funds) into mesmerisingly magnificent merchandise your audience will genuinely love and use, only to fumble it at the finish line: fulfilment. To put it nicely, that’s less than ideal; more accurately, it’s plain disappointing and potentially damaging to your brand reputation.

At Good Things, we make ordering and delivering good things a breeze. And that knack for specialising in fully custom, bespoke products that never miss? Logistics and distribution power it.

While our dedicated accounts team expertly guides you through every step of the creative and production process, today we want to offer a quick peek behind our warehouse doors – something we strongly recommend you do before entrusting your brand’s image to a merch partner.

5 crucial questions to ask your branded merch provider:

To help you navigate this crucial aspect of the merchandise world and make informed decisions, here’s what we recommend you mull over: 

• Do you handle fulfilment in-house, and what is your shipping reach? 
• What are your typical delivery timeframes?
• Does your team handle delivery in-house, or is it outsourced to a third-party provider?
• Do you offer storage solutions or warehousing for my branded products?
• Do you provide a self-service online store I can access?

A quick note before the questions: The weighting of these answers will depend significantly on your brand and branded merchandise goals. For instance, we’ve heard from our clients who have previously used third-party logistics (3PL) and are familiar with the potential for slower dispatch times and less flexible processes. If rapid delivery is a top priority and you’ve got specific processes in mind, then it could be a dealbreaker. Therefore, we recommend clarifying your priorities before seeking answers.

Now, we recognise that it’s only fair that we answer them ourselves. Here’s how we handle logistics and distribution at Good Things.

How sweet it is to be stored by you

1. Do you handle fulfilment in-house, and what is your shipping reach (domestic and international)?

Yes, we handle fulfilment in-house. And when it comes to reach, we ship all over Australia and the world. Wherever your branded goodies need to go, whether it’s a single item to a remote location or a bulk shipment to an international event, we’ll take them there. We have established strong relationships with several reputable couriers for domestic shipments, including utilising Capital Transport for crucial same-day deliveries within Melbourne from our strategically located Keysborough warehouse in Victoria. From a satchel to pallets, we can handle shipments of all sizes.

2. What are your typical timeframes for delivery?

Speed and reliability are what we’re all about on our stamping ground. Currently, 98% of all in-stock orders are dispatched from our warehouse within 24 hours of placement. Even better, the vast majority of these orders placed before 10:00 am AEST go out on the very same day, ensuring your merch gets moving swiftly and efficiently.

For the entire process, from initial order to final delivery, our sourcing and production team work closely with our warehousing team to achieve the following timeframes:

• Bespoke offshore products: 7-12 weeks.
• Local branded items: 2-10 days.

3. Does your team handle delivery in-house, or is it outsourced to a third-party provider?

We take pride in our in-house expertise. We have a dedicated and skilled internal Warehousing and Web Development team. We don’t rely on external 3PLs (third-party logistics) or contractors for these core functions. This direct control gives us significantly more flexibility and oversight throughout the entire process, from meticulously receiving and managing your products in our warehouse to creating, maintaining, and optimising your online Merchsites.

4. Do you offer storage solutions or warehousing services?

Absolutely. Our experienced production team manages the Good Things warehouse and distribution centre located in southeast Melbourne. With our dedicated warehouse, we can provide you with greater control, enhanced efficiency, and cost-effective solutions for your branded products. Our secure facility allows us to offer you:

• On-demand stock holding for all your approved products, ready for immediate dispatch.
• International and domestic same-day dispatch capabilities via our established courier network.
• Complete pick-and-pack services for customised swag packs, impactful staff gifts, memorable client giveaways, and bespoke gift packs tailored to your specific needs.

This comprehensive approach means we manage your entire branded product journey, from ideation to execution, all under the Good Things roof. 

5. Do you offer a self-service online store I can access?

Yes, we utilise online merch stores, branded specifically for you, and we call them Merchsites. These platforms offer:

• Real-time stock visibility online allows your team or designated individuals to see exactly what’s available in real time.
• Easy and efficient ordering streamlines the process for everyone involved.
• A dedicated reporting tab, enabling you to dive into valuable data on product performance (fast vs. slow movers) and user/location ordering patterns.

The functionality of these Merchsites is tailored to your needs. Some brands require a simple stock management and ordering portal, while others desire a fully functional e-commerce store where we handle invoicing, stock management, and dispatch. Some Merchsites are private, requiring secure client login details, while others can be public-facing for e-commerce purposes. Thanks to the expertise of our in-house Development team, there’s not much we can’t create for you.

What if your stock is already in another warehouse? We can help.

If you already have existing branded merch stored elsewhere, fret not; we can help facilitate the smooth transition of your stock into our warehouse. Our team is able to assist with inventory assessment, cycle counting, and setting up your products in our systems to ensure a headache-free onboarding process.

So, now you know the crucial questions to ask and how we at Good Things deliver on these fronts. Don’t let logistics and distribution be an afterthought.

If you’re ready to discuss your branded merch needs and experience the power of great logistics firsthand, get in touch with our team today! We’re here to ensure Good Things come your recipient’s way efficiently and effectively.