Branded merch is a marketing tool that has incredible power to build brands. With so many people having their own merch lines we believe that recent growth in the industry will continue in 2025. Here are a few of the big trends for the year ahead.
Accessible Luxury
Merch provides a way to create a feeling of luxury through elegant, simple lines, adding a creative graphic design, and elevating everyday items from the utilitarian to the delightful while still having an low price point. A simple water bottle can be inexpensive and still have classic lines. A ball cap with a certain cut can sit with that cool factor that makes it stand out.
Highly Custom
This trend has been growing over the past years as technology is making it easier to customize smaller quantities of products. Take a simple quarter zip that can be customized in about 10 different ways from the hang tag to the neck tag, different zipper colours and fabric in one quadrant with a design sublimated into the material and you have something really unique.
Calming Colours
This is an important trend in 2025. With the general feeling of de-stabilization in the world, people are craving warm and cozy colours (and products) that make them feel safe. Think sand, cream, taupe, grey, pale blue, even mocha (the Pantone Colour of the Year designed to create feelings of connection, comfort and harmony).
Beyond these three trends, the growth of social sports - from pickleball to golf to tennis - sports that you can play together with others and that have a social element - is providing opportunities in merch. We are seeing the growth of branded pickleball racquets alongside preppy and classic apparel that you might see on the tennis court and golf course - polo shirts and a tailored look.
At Oyster we look at everything through a sustainability lens and strive to find products that are recycled, recyclable and reusable - no matter what the product. As more and more companies in Canada offer quality merch options, we are pleased to be finding it easier to buy more Canadian made products and services.
