Earn More Program

We're excited to introduce the Earn More program which unlocks additional earning potential for select Artist Shops through distribution opportunities, including offline retail, licensing, and potential exclusivity.

A small, curated group of VIP shops are invited to this program. 

If selected, we believe your Artist Shop has strong potential for significant growth and we'd like to help you make that happen by including your designs in opportunities with third-party offline retailers and licensing. We can also help you earn even more if you choose to make your shop exclusive to Threadless. 

When your shop is selected to be invited, the Earn More section will be unlocked in your Artist Dashboard where you'll see details for opting your designs into Distribution and Exclusivity opportunities. 

Retail Partners and Licensing

The Earn More program allows Threadless to share your designs with retail distribution partners. Threadless works with many partners to distribute products to retailers online and offline around the world. Those retailers may include, but are not limited to, Hot Topic, Box Lunch, PacSun, Target, and GameStop, among many others. These opportunities may include:

  • Online Virtual Catalogs  Your designs may be added to other online sales channels for print-on-demand manufacturing like Amazon, Shopify, and retailers like Hot Topic.
  • Offline Retail  Your designs may be included in pitches to our dozens of offline retail partners across a variety of product categories for sale in brick and mortar retail stores.
  • Product Licensing  Your designs may be considered by our licensing partners for use on other product categories like drinkware, greeting cards, and stationary

Once you've opted into the Earn More program, you allow Threadless to include any designs from your Artist Shop in these opportunities. 

Exclusivity

By making your shop exclusive to Threadless, either online only or across all channels, your shop gains access to numerous new benefits like:

  • Marketplace Discoverability
  • Monthly Samples Allowance
  • Increased Earnings
  • Potential Brand Protection
  • Early Access to New Products

More About Distribution and Exclusivity

We understand that distribution channels and exclusivity can be complicated. Here are some details that may be helpful along the way:

  • Branding May Be Unique at Each Retailer 
    While we require all of our retail partners to credit the design’s artist, either in the product’s labels or online product pages, branding strategies at each retailer are different. Some have in-house brands that license content so you may see your designs featured on products either in-store or online without your or Threadless’s logo. If you believe a retailer is using your designs without your permission and you're enrolled in the Earn More program, contact us directly and we’ll verify that the retailer has purchased the product through our network and that you're collecting royalties on any sales. 
  • Retailers Tend to Work with Longer Timelines 
    Many retailers work several “seasons” in advance, meaning many are building collections now with goods that won’t be in stores for several months. For example, buyers may be searching for Halloween products in early Spring. Because of this, it may be months between when you opt-in to the program and when you hear from Threadless about your designs being selected. 
  • Retail Programs Test Designs  
    A typical retailer will place shallow orders of new designs—typically a few dozen t-shirts—to test their market and only those tests that perform well are purchased in large quantities. This may cause you to see small royalty payments for certain designs. Many of these test products may never be rolled out, so larger royalty payments may never materialize. 
  • Retailers are Adding Online On-Demand Catalogs  
    Threadless works with many retail partners who are looking to develop their own online on-demand catalogs. In the event that your design is chosen for these online-only programs, it’s possible that you may see your design on the retailer’s website but not in stores. 
  • Success at Retail Isn’t Guaranteed 
    Retailers often look for specific themes that are trending or fit a particular season. Many choose only a handful of graphics for their collections and your designs are often competing with a variety of other designs provided by other content providers. It’s possible that, even though you’ve opted into the distribution program, your designs may never be selected by Threadless’s retail partners. 
  • Making Your Shop Exclusive 
    In addition to licensing opportunities, you may have the option to make the designs uploaded to your Artist Shops exclusive to Threadless. Depending on your shop, you may be offered to opt into Online Exclusivity or Full Exclusivity. These contracts can vary but basically, you would retain ownership of the art and grant us an exclusive license to produce and sell the work uploaded to our platform. If the contract is only online exclusive, you would still be able to license your work outside of online shops. 

You x Threadless: A Trusted Partner

We believe that there is no greater partner for your brand than Threadless and the Earn More program is only one of the ways we help bring your creativity to life. We are constantly working to grow our distribution network, both offline and online, and we’re excited to share this journey with us. If you have any questions about this program or are curious about any updates or additional information moving forward, don’t hesitate to email us at any time- artist.help@threadless.com

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