For all the negatives associated with a global pandemic, COVID made consumers more willing to shop online. In 2017 the U.S. Census Bureau estimated online retail sales of $143.1 billion for the fourth quarter. The same quarter in 2024 was estimated to be $352.9 billion, more than doubling the rate of online sales in only seven years. 263% to be exact. That’s a stat worth paying attention to, especially in the promotional products industry. Help your clients capitalize on the possibilities associated with an online store and save yourself some hassle at the same time. Here are seven reasons your client wants a custom online store.

1. Streamlined Order Processing

Repeat orders, multiple orders coming from multiple locations, and the mere tedium of manually entering orders is reason enough for an online store. With an online store, your client can simply share a link with those wishing to obtain branded merchandise and let them add to cart as needed. This also reduces the number of human errors associated with manual order entry.

2. Simple Reordering

It’s not that you don’t want to talk to your clients, but sometimes efficiency is key to growing your business. For customers with frequent reorders like uniforms or trade show materials, an online store enables them to place color and size specific orders directly on the website at any time of day.

3. Consistent Branding

Brand standards exist for a reason, but they are often overlooked or “tweaked” by well-meaning individuals. With an online store, your client can establish the branding for each product, knowing that it will be consistent with every order. End users will have peace of mind and the ease of knowing they don’t have to wait for decision makers to sign off on every order since the products will have been pre-approved before being added to the store.

4. Shipping and Delivery Options

If your clients have multiple locations (e.g. a bank with numerous branches) or need their branded merchandise shipped to more than one recipient (e.g. a private school that requires students to wear brand-specific uniforms), an online store streamlines the delivery process for them, saving them the hassle of redistributing a large shipment themselves. (Note: it’s important to discuss delivery locations before setting up the store so the checkout settings can accommodate the specific needs of the store.)

5. Uniforms Without the Hassle

The reasons above lead to this reason: an online store makes ordering uniforms an easier process. Instead of the hassle of collecting orders from multiple people at multiple locations with a variety of sizes and “brand” color requests, your client can have a singular online location to collect the information. Uniforms will actually be uniform and have the proper, pre-approved branding.

6. Easy Incentives

Because online stores can be set up to take points or credits as “payment”, your client can offer incentives from which people can choose. Whether it’s rewards from a loyalty program, a sales incentive, or a simple means of employee appreciation, custom online stores make it easy to offer rewards or incentives.

7. Restricted Access Options

Just because the store is online doesn’t mean it has to be accessible to the public at large. Your client’s online store can be set up so that only those with the link can find it. It can also be password protected so that only someone with the password can get in. You can also grant specific login credentials to certain people for even more security.

SAGE Stores

SAGE makes it easy for you to set up custom online stores for your clients. You can pull product information directly from the SAGE database to populate the store and use the virtual design studio to ensure all the products in the store match your client’s branding. You can even use a SAGE Starter Store to show your client what the store might look like before they fully commit to the solution.

To get started with an online store for your client, reach out to your account advisor.