Stately merch: What are the bestselling country names to put on your POD merch?
Amazon Merch on Demand sellers looking for a profitable avenue can definitely find it in the country name niche. The scene presents a compelling opportunity not least because patriotism and national vigor are as strong as ever.
But what’s the scope of this market? Who are the bestsellers and how are they faring?
We use Merch Informer for key insights into this segment and delve into its nuances below.
Let’s dive in.
How big are country-name t-shirts on Amazon Merch on Demand?
There are nearly 200 countries in the world today. Looking at each one would make this article quite lengthy.
That’s why we’ve limited our search to a select few, looking at t-shirts with a low Best Sellers Rank (BSR) and high sales volumes.
Here’s the data we extracted using Merch Informer’s Products Search module:
- Germany: BSR – 5,210,547; highest number of sales – 99
- Canada: BSR – 5,053,530; highest number of sales – 52
- England: BSR – 4,733,899; highest number of sales – 51
- France: BSR – 4,925,256; highest number of sales – 49
- Japan: BSR – 5,620,400; highest number of sales – 45
- South Korea: BSR – 2,028,402; highest number of sales – 35
- China: BSR – 3,012,275; highest number of sales – 35
- Mexico: BSR – 4,981,247; highest number of sales – 33
From this list, we can see that Germany dominates the market, followed by Canada.
Since these are the countries with the highest number of sales, they are the ones we will focus our research on.
Keywords, search volume and BSR
Understanding an Amazon Merch on Demand niche requires a deep dive into a few core metrics. These include popular keywords, search volumes, and BSRs.
Using Merch Informer, we identified the highest search volume keywords related to the seed words “Canada” and “Germany”.
This is what we discovered:
Canada
- Canada: search volume – 11,311
- Canada sweatshirt: search volume – 3,870
- Canada shirts: search volume – 3,220
- Canada hoodie: search volume – 3,172
- Canada t-shirt: search volume – 3,171
- Canada shirt: search volume – 2,952
Germany
- Germany: search volume – 15,256
- Germany shirt: search volume – 4,810
- Germany t-shirts: search volume – 2,679
- Germany hoodies: search volume – 2,670
- Germany t-shirt: search volume – 2,524
- Germany hoodie: search volume – 2,523
From this data, we can easily pinpoint the most popular merch categories among shoppers.
For instance, most Canada-based searches are for sweatshirts, shirts, and hoodies.
On the other hand, those browsing for Germany-related designs are mostly interested in shirts and t-shirts.
This is a valuable piece of information as it can guide you in selecting the most appealing categories on Amazon Merch on Demand.
Keyword saturation
Next, we explore keyword saturation. This refers to the semantic and secondary keywords sellers are using in their listing titles to boost rankings and get their highly-coveted sales.
Canada
- Canada (3,342), Canadian (1,842), flag (782), maple (722), leaf (615), hockey (241), Toronto (224), Montreal (198), Vancouver (187), national (150), city (146), Canadians (104), Quebec (100), moose (90), ice (89)
Germany
- Germany (2,241), German (2,071), flag (725), Deutschl (401), Oktoberfest (401), Munich (295), Berlin (278), beer (224), Bavaria (195), Cologne (173), heritage (122), festival (122), Germans (94), Hamburg (94)
Using this information, you can achieve two things as a seller.
First, you can gain an understanding of how other merchants are marketing their items. These findings suggest that most listings cater to traditional festivals, cities, and places. They feature keywords representing things that Canada and Germany are known for.
Second, the data can be useful when crafting your merch designs. For example, when creating Canada-inspired merch, it’s a good idea to focus your designs around maple leaves, hockey, or cities like Toronto and Montreal.
In contrast, merch designs for Germany-inspired themes could include Oktoberfest elements and cities like Munich and Berlin.
Pricing
So far, we’ve identified the two most popular countries for merch designs. We’ve also established the diversity in the space.
But how are sellers in this niche pricing their items?
Below, we offer the lowest, highest, and average prices for both of these countries’ top-selling t-shirts:
Canada
- Lowest price: $13.38
- Highest price: $27.99
- Average price: $7.21
Germany
- Lowest price: $0.00
- Highest price: $25.99
- Average price: $6.18
According to these findings, the average prices in both sub-niches are nearly identical. This means that royalties per sale will be the same, given that you price around the medium in the market.
Keep in mind that these prices will vary across categories.
We’ve selected t-shirts as the most attractive domain on Amazon Merch on Demand. However, if you’re planning to sell Canada- or Germany-inspired hoodies or sweatshirts, you’ll need to research the prices in these categories separately.
What are some of the bestsellers doing right?
Now that we’ve established the basics, it’s time to examine the strategies of the top performers in the country merch segment.
Here are all the essential details on two bestsellers in this niche:
Seller 1: Canada
- Title: Canada Maple Leaf T-Shirt – Canada Est. 1867 Vintage Script T-Shirt
- Seller: North Woods T-Shirts and Gifts
- Price: $19.48
- BSR: 41,688
- Sales: 52
Seller 2: Germany
- Title: DEUTSCHLAND Germany Flag Coat of Arms Eagle Banner Vintage T-Shirt
- Seller: Love Oktoberfest German Party Gifts
- Price: $19.99
- BSR: 26,698
- Sales: 99
Let’s take a closer look at what makes these listings success stories.
Keywords
Both sellers start their listing titles with the name of the country the design targets (Canada and Deutschland).
This is followed by country-specific details such as the maple leaf for Canada and the eagle coat of arms for Germany.
Both titles reveal that the t-shirts are vintage, satisfying an existing buyer demand for this style.
The diverse use of keywords guarantees higher visibility and attracts more traffic to these products.
Pricing
Although the average price in this niche is in the region of $6, both t-shirts are significantly more expensive, hovering around the $19 mark.
The classic approach to pricing is to sell somewhere close to the medium rates in the segment. However, more experienced sellers with an established reputation can afford to ask for a higher price.
We will explore the success of this strategy in more detail below.
Designs
The designs of both shirts prove that you don’t have to be a seasoned graphic designer to make it on Amazon Merch on Demand.
Both t-shirt designs are simple and feature the respective countries’ flags. There is little to no text on the shirts, eliminating the risks of appearing design-heavy.
What is the turnover in this niche?
We already noted the prices of the two listings. But what are these sellers bringing home from their efforts?
Seller 1: Canada
- Price: $19.48
- Sales: 52
- Royalties per sale: $4.89
- Estimated revenue: $254
Seller 2: Germany
- Price: $19.99
- Sales: 99
- Royalties per sale: $4.89
- Estimated revenue: $484
At first glance, the numbers don’t seem like something extraordinary. However, if this niche is used for portfolio diversification, you can earn around $500 in extra revenue per month.
For most sellers, this is an attractive opportunity worth exploring.
Our recommendations
Based on our revelations, we offer practical tips that will help you craft an effective sales strategy.
Our tips are broken down into three main categories:
- Keywords
- Pricing
- Design
Let’s take a closer look at each one.
- Keywords: We highly recommend using the specific country name you are targeting at the beginning of your listing title. Consider adding high-search-volume secondary keywords based on your research from Merch Informer. Finally, try to satisfy the buyer demand for “vintage” t-shirts. This style is trending all year round, making it an evergreen option for more sales.
- Pricing: We typically advise sellers to price their merch around the average. However, the medium price in the country name merch space is low (around $6), meaning poor scope for profitability. The two bestsellers identified above price at the $20 mark, which has yielded a better turnover for them. Unless you’re a complete beginner, we advise asking for a price that is above the average.
- Design: Create simple and easy-to-understand country-related designs. Consider spelling out the name of the country and illustrating its flag. Make sure that your design follows design hierarchy rules, ensuring it is large enough to be visible. Avoid pixelation and strive to bring cultural elements to the mix for a more holistic and finished design.
Final thoughts
The definitive assessment of country merch designs shows that this niche is profitable on Amazon Merch on Demand.
To get a step up above the competition, you’ll need Merch Informer at your side. This powerful tool will help you conduct research, make data-driven decisions, and outshine the rest.
You can do all of that, and more, for just $9.99 a month.
