Merchandise
Looking to sell merch online? Rubric’s merchandise feature allows you to set up and manage your own virtual store with ease. Whether it’s hoodies, beanies, or any other custom items you want to offer, our platform is designed to help you showcase and sell merchandise effortlessly. Plus, it’s a fantastic way to engage with students by offering them exclusive gear.
Creating your first listing
- Navigate to the merch store
Sign in to your Rubric account, click on “Sell,” select the “Merchandise” tab in the top menu, and choose “Sell your merchandise.”
2. Craft your listing
Item information
- Item Name: Pick a catchy title.
- Item Description: Describe your item briefly. Mention fabric type, sustainability, measurements, etc.
- Images: Upload 1-5 pictures (PNG, JPG, GIF) with dimensions of 900px by 900px.
- Item Price: Set a price over $2.
- Delivery Method: Choose Customer pick up or Ship to customer. Include delivery details in the description.
Stock & Variations Management
- Variations: Create options like color, size, and material. For instance, adding “color” lets you list options like blue, green, red.
- Inventory Tracking: Update stock quantities for each variation. Use “0” for out-of-stock items, and toggle visibility to hide variations.
- Custom Questions: Collect additional information from buyers at checkout. These can be set as optional or required.
3. Finalizing Your Listing
Before you hit publish, review all details carefully. Once satisfied, your product will be live on your Rubric store page, ready for promotion and sales.
Managing your listings
Viewing Listed Items
Access your merch store’s homepage and click on Store Listings in the left menu for:
- Overview: See all listings with details like sales, stock levels, and price.
- New listings: Click Create New Listing to add more items to your merch store.
- Editing: Select any item to edit details, generate a QR code, hide the item, or send a promotional email.
- Archiving: To remove an item, click the three dots next to it and choose Archive.
Tips for Success
- Keep your product descriptions concise and informative.
- Regularly update your inventory to reflect stock changes.
- Engage with students by offering exclusive merchandise.
- Promote your store via email blasts to maximize visibility and sales.
Happy selling! Dive into the world of online merchandising with Rubric and watch your student engagement soar.
Setting up pre-order listings
Launching a new product and unsure about the demand? Pre-orders are an excellent strategy to gauge customer interest and make informed decisions about your inventory. With Rubric’s pre-order system, customers can commit to purchasing your merchandise ahead of its release without being immediately charged.
How pre-orders work
- List your pre-order item: Create a listing for your product just like you would for an in-stock item. However, click on Create pre-order listing so your customers know it’s not immediately available.
- Customer pre-payment: When customers place an order for a pre-order item, they’ll enter their payment details as usual. The twist? Their cards aren’t charged right away. Instead, we authorize the amount to ensure the funds can be securely collected later.
- Initiate the Charge: Once your student union decides it’s go-time for the product—maybe you’ve hit your pre-order goal or the inventory is ready—you let us know. We’ll then process the payments by charging the authorized amounts on the customers’ cards.
The Benefits: Pre-order listings minimize inventory risk, improve cash flow by securing sales upfront, and heighten community anticipation.
Managing your orders
Keep track of your orders
To stay on top of your sales, head over to the Orders section in the left menu. Here, you’ll find a comprehensive list of all your orders, complete with essential details like order number, date, customer name, quantity, amount paid, payment method, delivery option, and order status (e.g., completed, pre-order, open).
How to manage your orders
For any adjustments or updates to your orders, simply click on the order you wish to modify. You have several options at your disposal:
- Adjust item variation: Change item specifics, such as size or color (e.g., from small to medium).
- Update custom questions: Modify the responses to any custom questions associated with the order.
- Issue a refund: Process refunds directly through the platform for orders that require it.
- Mark as collected: Once an order is picked up or delivered, mark it as collected, and the status will automatically change to completed.
Creating discounts
Setting up discounts
Head to the Discounts section from the left menu. This section allows you to view existing discounts and create new ones, helping you offer more value to your members and encourage sales.
Types of discounts available
- Membership discounts: Automatically apply discounts to purchases made by your members.
- Discount codes: Offer discounts to buyers who use a special code at checkout.
Creating a new discount involves
- Choosing a name for your discount.
- Setting the validity period.
- Determining the discount amount (either a fixed value or a percentage).
- Specifying any minimum order amount required to use the discount.
- Defining the discount code or selecting eligible membership types.
- Selecting which items the discount applies to.
Creating targeted discounts can significantly enhance your merchandise sales strategy, providing incentives for purchases while rewarding your community.
Selling merch in-person
For those occasions when you’re selling merchandise directly to your audience, visit the Merchandise page and select Sell Merch In-Person from the left menu. This feature simplifies the process of handling transactions manually.