Band merchandise is an integral part of the live touring industry.
It’s something that contributes to both the identity of the artist as well as touring revenue.
On a mid-level club tour, this can mean the difference between the tour being profitable or going home in the hole.
As a tour manager, it’s a good idea to learn about how the touring merch world operates so you can properly support your team.
Core concepts you learn at the club level are very much transferable to larger touring organizations.
Different Types of Band Merchandise
It’s important to understand the artist’s fanbase when designing and manufacturing artist merchandise.
There are an infinite number of possibilities when it comes to creating and designing items that align with the artist’s identity and fanbase.
T-shirts, hoodies, posters, vinyl records, and small trinkets are some of the most common types of concert merchandise.
There is a lot of potential for creativity in this department.
Logistics of Concert Merchandise
There is a lot that goes into properly planning logistics for concert merchandise.
This includes designing, manufacturing, storing, shipping, managing inventory, and settling shows.
Starting early in the planning stages will lead to a better overall experience, along with higher revenues.
A tour manager is typically not involved with the creative process of merch design.
However, depending on the size of the tour and personnel configuration, they may assist with merchandise logistics on the road.
This could include coordinating shipping or checking in merch with a local seller.
With that said, merchandise is a full-time job on tour, and hiring a dedicated role pays for itself.
Before Tour
Prior to departure, an artist and their team will brainstorm ideas for merchandise.
Proper lead time is absolutely necessary to allow time for manufacturing and shipping.
Starting this process early will help alleviate potential supply-chain headaches and secure the materials you want to print on.
Make sure to consider the cost of goods, along with taxes and fees, when deciding on product pricing.
Seasonality is another consideration when producing certain items that might sell better depending on the weather, such as ponchos, tank tops, or hoodies.
As the tour is built, be sure that production and the merch team are in communication.
All of that merch will eventually need a place to live in the bus trailer or on the truck.
Having a healthy allocation of truck or trailer space helps to avoid selling out of products.
How to Advance Band Merchandise
Prior to each show, the touring merch manager will advance with the venue’s merch representative.
The tour will provide a product list, price sheet, and any information about support.
Some questions to ask include where the merch space is located, how much vending space is available, and if the venue is equipped with tables, lighting, and grids.
Often, the area where merch is located will be on a different WiFi network, so it’s good to inquire about that as well.
Depending if the show is an artist sells or a venue sells will determine if any additional local staff needs to be coordinated by the tour.
The venue will confirm the merch split, local tax rate, and who will retain tax (artist or venue). Tax and wire information will also be exchanged.
Additionally, the tour will need to be sure to request a safe shipping address along with windows of when shipments can be received.
Leading into day-of-show, the tour manager can provide the merchandiser ticket counts so they know how much product to pull.
On Tour
The day-to-day of a merch person will involve pulling products, counting in, setting up the store, working with locals, fan interactions, restocking items, counting out, and loading out.
If you’re on a tour that’s selling well, managing inventory and keeping items in stock is going to be absolutely critical to maximizing revenue.
Keep in mind that while on tour, the merch world operates on a slightly different schedule compared to the rest of the tour.
Sometimes, there will be early doors for the lobby, or a VIP program will allow for early entry.
In both scenarios, make sure that this is properly communicated to the merch team and added to the schedule.
At the end of the night, merch tends to be the last thing to the truck or trailer, so remember to keep stagehands on to assist with load out.
Something else to keep in mind is that bus parking will often be on a city street on a club tour.
If this is the case, make sure the side door is accessible so the merch person can restock mid-show if necessary.
Additionally, make sure the merch person has proper security coverage for the merch table, as well as when they are in the trailer.
After Tour
After the tour, merchandise will need to be returned to the warehouse for online fulfillment.
This often involves printing shipping labels, boxing everything up, and coordinating a pick-up at the last venue on the tour.
Before doing this, make sure the venue can accommodate any boxes left behind.
Band Merchandise Store Supply Checklist
Prior to embarking on a tour, it’s good practice to get on the same page with the touring merch manager.
If this is a new artist with a limited touring history, you will probably need to purchase a few items to get up to speed.
Some merch companies will send their road staff out with these materials.
Either way, you’re going to want to make sure the touring merchandise manager has everything they need for a successful vend.
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Box Cutter
A box cutter, pair of scissors, or leatherman is very useful for opening merch boxes.
Bungee Cords
These are useful in certain trailer or truck pack configurations when you need to secure the grids vertically against the wall.
Chargers
Good for keeping the point of sale up and running, along with personal electronics.
Clips
Merch clips will allow you to hang t-shirts, hoodies, posters, and price tags on the merch grids.
Credit Card Reader
These are absolutely mission-critical.
The majority of merch transactions are processed as credit.
Keep backup card readers in the merch setup to avoid any issues with the primary system.
Earplugs
Hearing protection is incredibly important to stave off the nefarious whine of everyone’s least favorite crew member, Tinnitus.
Plus, a lot of audience members tend to ask for them.
Extension Cords
Sometimes, merch areas will require an extension cord to get power to the table.
Consider adding a power strip since you will likely need multiple outlets.
Make sure to tape any loose cables down to prevent a tripping hazard.
Laminator
A laminator is useful when creating price tags, item identifications, front and back, QR codes, and anything else you can think of.
Lights
Some venues will have vending areas that are well-lit, but if they don’t, you’ll need proper lighting.
If the vending area is in the same space as the performance area, consider dimming the lights when the artist takes the stage.
Locks
Sometimes, you’ll want to lock your bag for an added layer of security when handling band merchandise cash.
Money Bag
Having a money bag or fanny pack is absolutely essential as a merch person.
Pelicans
These are helpful for storing the point-of-sale or any other items you use in the daily store setup.
Pins
Sometimes, you will need pins to hang the shirts up on a cloth board instead of the ULine grids.
These style displays are often more common on European tours.
Point of Sale
AtVenu Card Readers, Square, and other point-of-sale systems are absolutely necessary for quickly processing credit transactions.
Portable Fan
These are great for helping to circulate stagnant truck trailer air.
Printer
Good for printing off whatever signage you need or for hard copies of settlement.
Push Cart / Dolly
These are an absolute life safer and save an immense amount of time and effort when moving products from the truck into the venue.
QR Codes
Sometimes, artists will display QR codes at the merch table that tie into promotions or email lists.
Rubber Bands
Rubber bands are handy for merch stores that sell posters.
This is helpful for fans who want a way of rolling up their poster.
Sharpies
Keeping a healthy supply of Sharpies is worthwhile as they tend to frequently run off.
Good for signing posters and giving signage a personal touch.
Table
Most venues will have tables available, but it’s a good idea to keep a table in the truck for whatever you may need it for.
Tablecloth
Tablecloths help to make the merch area more appealing.
Totes
Good for outdoor events, these black and yellow tubs are useful for storing loose items you use on a daily basis.
These are not intended to replace the cardboard boxes that merchandise comes in.
U-Line Grids
These are the black grids you will find on most North American tour dates.
They come in a variety of sizes and are notable finger eaters.
Some venues will already have these, but some won’t, so it’s a good idea to properly prepare.
WiFi
It’s absolutely essential to have access to a WiFi network.
This is how you will process credit card transactions.
White Gaff Tape
White Gaff tape can be useful when creating labels and signage.
Zip Ties
Zip ties are your best friend when merch clips won’t quite get the job done.
These are also useful for tying grids together or cinching them down.
Concert Merchandise Displays
An organized and appealing concert merchandise store helps to streamline fan communication and increase sales.
It’s important that products are clearly labeled with pricing, item identification, front and back labels if double-sided, and available sizes.
You want to get things up off the table and onto the racks so people can see items as they approach the table.
A store that is visually appealing can help to reduce fan miscommunications and help to expedite the line.
Band Merchandise Software
Nothing beats a tried and true spreadsheet when it comes to band merchandise.
If you’re looking for a dedicated software solution, check out AtVenu.
AtVenu helps to streamline inventory management, forecasting, and merch settlement.
It helps to reduce transposition errors, keeps data organized, and saves an immense amount of time trying to solve broken spreadsheet formulas.
The analytics that it offers is very useful when reviewing historical merch sale data.
Common Merch Questions
What’s a Merch Split?
A merch split is an agreement between the promoter and the tour that outlines the percentage or “split” of merchandise revenue.
This can be found in the deal memo and is typically broken out between hard sales and soft sales.
What is Hard Merch? What is Soft Merch?
Hard merch is recorded media, such as vinyl records.
Soft merch is everything else such as t-shirts, hoodies, and other soft clothing items.
What is the Difference Between Venue Sell and Artist Sell?
A venue-sell means that the venue will provide someone to sell the band merchandise.
An artist-sell means that the tour needs to provide someone to sell.
What is Counting In and Counting Out?
At the beginning of the show, you “count in” all items being sold at the show.
At the end of the show, you will “count out” the remaining merch items.
The difference between the numbers is what was sold, assuming there were no comps or returns.
What Does Price Matching Mean?
Price matching means raising prices to match the price of the headliners or festival merchandise.
This is a fairly standard practice when touring as a support artist.
How Many Items Can Be Sold?
This is something that needs to be determined prior to embarking on a tour, especially if you are in a supporting role.
Each tour is going to have its own approach, but it’s good to ask if you are unclear.
Normally, a headliner will limit the number of items a supporting artist can sell because of available vending space.
In a similar vein, there can be diminishing returns as a headliner when you decide to sell too many products.
How Does Festival Merchandise Work?
Typically, merchandise will be shipped in prior to the start of the festival and the festival will ship back returns at the end of the festival.
There is normally a limit to the number of items you can sell, along with festival price matching.
Each festival will have its own setup guidelines that it will provide you during the festival-advancing process.
Can Merch Cross International Borders?
Generally, you want to avoid this scenario if possible.
Depending on the border crossing, it can be brought in, but you will have to declare it and pay taxes on it.
This is very common for North American touring and crossing into Canada from the United States.
Different merch companies and immigration brokers can help advise on solutions that will meet the needs of your specific routing and level of touring.
There are a number of variables to consider, but some possible solutions include:
- Manufacturing the merchandise in the country the artist is performing in
- Shipping a small quantity in advance (that could potentially get held up at customs)
- Coordinating with a customs broker such as BZee or BEI
- If entering and exiting from the same port of entry, book a hotel and leave the merch in the hotel room, then cross the border
- If entering and exiting from different ports of entry, coordinate cartage/shipping to move the merch to where you will re-enter
- Cross with only the amount of merch you think you will sell, declare it, and pay taxes on it
- Go to all of these great lengths, declare it, and run into no issues at all
This is also a consideration with European touring with the implementation of Brexit.
Check the tour routing and design a logistics plan with the merchandise fulfillment company to avoid potential issues.
Conclusion
Band merchandise is an absolutely vital piece of the touring ecosphere.
A great merchandise strategy begins with the artist understanding their fanbase and creating high-quality items they will love.
With the right planning and logistical execution, merch can serve as a valuable revenue stream and a meaningful connection between artists and their fans.
You are well on the way to merchandise success if you start early, ask the right questions, and keep the team in the loop.