At Fire Sign Merch we help artists, influencers, small businesses and independent designers produce, market, and fulfill their merch. Creators continue to underestimate branded apparel and merchandise as a revenue stream despite continued growth across soft and hard goods globally. Here’s a round up of recent facts and figures:
Gildan Activewear Inc, purveyor of arguably the most popular band tee blank in the world, reported first-quarter net income of $78.7 million according to The Washington Post. The company’s sales continue to rise, despite a costly internal battle among Gildan executives over the CEO chair.
Underpinning Gildan’s growth is a high tide in merch and apparel globally. According to Statista apparel revenue worldwide is estimated to reach a staggering $1.79 (US) trillion in 2024. That’s “trillion” with a “T.” There is no evidence it will slow either. Analysts predict the growth will reach $2 trillion, a new peak for the industry, by 2028.
Remember though, merch isn’t all t-shirts and hats. SNKRDUNK Magazine shared a new report which ranks Japan’s TCG (Trading Card Games) giants. The overall revenue figures are staggering. The country’s 15 most successful game franchises accumulated revenues north of US$1.77 billion in the 2023-24 fiscal year. This total figure would account for income streams including but not limited to the games themselves, merchandising (toys, apparel, and hard goods), licensing, content marketing, and tournaments. For Fire Sign Merch’s part, not all of our customer base realizes we are also capable of producing card games and hard goods for your brand as well. Read the full rank of Japan’s top TCG earners here.