Employee Swag Store:

Create Your Store and Manage Your Merchandise

A team of employees all wearing branded apparel, drinking from branded tumblers, and using branded tech—it’s cohesive, it’s professional, and it sends a strong message to your customers. An employee swag store can make all of that happen, and getting set up may be easier than you think.

What’s an Employee Swag Store?

An employee swag store is an online store where employees can browse and buy branded merchandise. In many cases, the company doesn’t need to stockpile and manage inventory, as on-demand services will do all of the work for them.

At Foxtrot Marketing, for example, we offer a Core Online Store service for companies that want a simple and streamlined ordering process without minimum order quantities. We also have Pro and Enterprise options for larger, multi-department brands that need more products, more customization, and various additional integrations.

With a good employee swag store, companies and employees can:

  • Browse branded merchandise on a secure platform.
  • Order items such as apparel and tech accessories.
  • Purchase items without worrying about printing, packing, and shipping.
  • Set up order stipends, discounts, or free swag.

What are the Benefits of Using an Online Employee Swag Store?

Employee swag stores are centralized, on-demand merchandising platforms designed to increase employee engagement and improve the onboarding experience, all without worrying about storing or managing inventory:

  • Strengthens company culture by giving employees access to branded merchandise.
  • Ensures all employees wear and use the same branded items.
  • Creates uniformity and consistency across the brand.
  • Allows employees to choose their own styles and sizes.
  • Helps remote workers feel more connected to the workplace.
  • Frees up resources in HR and marketing departments compared to traditional merchandising.
  • Recognizes hard work and achievements by rewarding employees with points/gifts.
  • Allows employees to prepare for upcoming events by ordering all the necessary items themselves.

What Should You Include in Your Employee Swag Store?

Your employee swag store can be as large and as varied as you want it to be. Typically, though, it will include branded items such as:

Clothing and Accessories

Include high-quality branded apparel that’s durable and comfortable enough for employees to wear outside of work. If possible, partner with major apparel brands and include a range of products for all weather, including tees, hoodies, outerwear, socks, and hats.

Office and Productivity Merchandise

Drinkware is an office standard, and the prevalence of sustainably made tumblers and insulated water bottles means your employees will be happy to take their drinkware everywhere they go.

Skip the plastics, stick with metal or glass, and focus on premium, durable materials with insulation to keep cold drinks cold and hot drinks hot.

Tech Essentials

Even if your business has little to do with technology, the same can’t be said for your employees. Offer power banks to charge their devices on the go, noise-canceling headphones to help them at work and at home, Bluetooth speakers for video calls, webcam covers for privacy, and cable organizers to keep their workspace tidy.

Onboarding Swag Kits

An onboarding swag kit contains everything a new employee needs to integrate themselves into the workplace. It should include simple branded apparel, as well as drinkware and essential tech items.

How Do Employee Swag Stores Work?

To understand how employee swag stores work, let’s use our Enterprise Solutions service as an example.

In the first instance, we’ll arrange for an initial discussion to create a statement of work that defines the project scope and deliverables. We’ll then schedule an onboarding session to meet your team and discuss your requirements, before we get to work on your website.

We’ll design it, build it, review it, and test it, and once you’re happy and it’s ready to go, we’ll arrange a launch.

You can choose a custom URL, create custom dashboards, choose various integrations, and organize user groups and shipping options. Your employees can then use the store to browse your catalog and place orders. They can choose from various payment methods and order through a secure platform, and you can offer them gift certificates to reward hard work.

If they encounter an issue, there’s a virtual chat assistant to guide them through the process and help with troubleshooting.

Scaling Your Employee Swag Store as Your Business Grows

Employee swag stores are dynamic and adaptable. They can grow alongside your business. Got more products? Add them. Transitioned to remote or hybrid work? Products can ship to any office or home. Don’t have space for inventory? With on-demand printing, you don’t need it.

You can manage merchandise across multiple teams, with budgeting to prevent employees from overspending and loyalty programs to incentivize certain achievements.

With our Core and Pro Online Stores, we can refresh your apparel twice a year to adapt to new styles and seasonal changes, while our Enterprise option comes with ongoing assessments and recommendations.

Contact us to learn more about our online swag stores and discover how they can benefit your business. Alternatively, check our case studies to see what we’ve done for other brands in your sector.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is an online employee swag store?

An employee swag store is an online store featuring various branded merchandise. Employees can purchase items such as apparel and tech for use in the office and at home.

What products are typically included in an employee swag store?

Apparel is one of the most common products in an online employee swag store. Many also feature stationery, drinkware, and tech such as power banks and chargers.

Why do companies create online employee swag stores?

Brands create these stores to streamline their merchandising distribution, enhance consistency across the brand, and encourage employees to engage more. They also create a sense of uniformity across the company, even if it’s spread across multiple locations and includes remote or hybrid workers.