How to start an online store without inventory
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Now’s the best time to sell online
Why you should start an ecommerce business with print-on-demand today
More people are shopping online than ever before.
Apparel items are in high demand worldwide.
It’s a fantastic way to make passive income.
Getting started is nearly free.
What do you get when choosing Printful?
Partnering with us has many benefits for your brand
Freedom to sell on your own terms
Launch your online business in your free time from the comfort of your own home with low startup costs. Pay only once your customer purchases a product from you.
An experienced printing partner
When you sell products online with Printful, you get access to over a decade of ecommerce expertise, reliable product quality, and fast customer support. Our mission is to help you grow.
Automatic order fulfillment
In the print-on-demand business model, you connect your store to Printful, design and list your products, and we print and ship orders for you.
Skip inventory management
You can sell online without inventory because Printful creates every item on demand, so there’s no need to order in bulk and hold stock.
Custom branding options
Add your own labels, pack-ins, and other branding features. Printful’s name won’t appear anywhere—we print and ship everything under your online business’s name.
Sell locally and globally
Sell to customers anywhere in the world—we’ve got fulfillment centers and vetted partner facilities across the globe. Your customers receive their orders fast, with lower shipping costs and fewer delivery hiccups.
See Printful’s global fulfillment centers
Over 12 million sellers trust Printful
Here’s what other entrepreneurs selling without inventory have to say about us
A hassle-free process
Printful allowed me to start a business with zero capital in my spare time. It was easy to set up and Printful do all the hard work for me. All I have to do is supply the ideas and the traffic, then everything else is taken care of.
Dominic
Dogecore
The array of products continues to grow
Printful is a great on-line provider of print products. I've only just begun to scratch the surface of what I can accomplish working with them. The customer service is timely and professional. The review of the products are a great resource and provide real guidance based on client feedback. The array of products continues to grow which is exciting to experience and broaden what I can provide to my customers. This is a great first place to create your online product presence.
Anni
Anni Kemp
Designs without inventory
I want to inspire people. I do t-shirts, mugs, bags, beach blankets, and hats. I’ve been with Printful for three years. It helps me have 150 designs without inventory.
Sean
SeaneseHow to start an online store without inventory
1. Sign up for Printful for free
Create your free Printful account and browse our Catalog of over 400 amazing products, from apparel and accessories to home decor and more.
2. Create your store
Make your own store on an ecommerce platform or marketplace. Then, connect your online storefront to Printful, and we’ll automatically print and ship your orders as they come in.
3. Design products
Use our Design Maker to upload graphics, add text, create patterns, and use our free designs. Preview the final product with our high-resolution mockups to ensure everything looks perfect.
4. Start selling products online
Use digital marketing to promote your products through ads and social media platforms. Research what other sellers in your niche are doing right, learn from their example, and adapt your marketing strategy based on your findings to generate more sales.
Design our proven bestsellers
Sell high-quality, custom products from the comfort of your home
Sell on the most popular ecommerce platforms and marketplaces
Start your store now and be holiday-ready
The biggest selling season of the year is between the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays. The sooner you prepare for this exciting time, the better.
Since you won’t have to order bulk inventory, you can offer as many products and designs as you want without additional costs.
Frequently asked questions
Yes, you can start selling without inventory or upfront investment by using a print-on-demand partner like Printful. List products in your online store, create product descriptions, and Printful takes care of order fulfillment for you.
You don’t need to buy and store physical products yourself, making it a low-risk way to start your online business.
To open an online store without inventory, use a print-on-demand partner like Printful and connect it to an ecommerce site such as Shopify, Etsy, or Wix.
Upload your product designs, write descriptions, set your pricing, and promote your ecommerce store. When a customer places an order, Printful produces and ships the item under your brand, so you never need to manage inventory yourself.
The main pros of not having inventory are lower startup costs, no financial risk, and unlimited growth opportunities.
By running a store without inventory, you avoid warehousing costs and only pay when a customer makes an order. A print-on-demand partner like Printful handles order fulfillment, so you focus on designing new products and generating sales.
When you sell products without inventory through print-on-demand, you’ll have a slightly smaller profit margin than with bulk production. That’s because it’s typically cheaper to produce large quantities rather than one-offs.
Another thing to consider is how much time you have to dedicate to your store. As an ecommerce business owner, you’ll need to spend time researching your target market and competitors, overseeing email marketing, social media marketing, paid advertising, and promoting your own products to be successful.
Partner with a trusted print-on-demand manufacturer, like Printful, that offers reliable support, quality white-label products, and has global fulfillment centers.
Before settling on one supplier, it’s best to get samples from multiple manufacturers so you can compare the service and product quality.
With Printful, you get a 20% discount for your sample order.
Use a print-on-demand service like Printful to sell shirts online without inventory. Find your niche, choose an ecommerce platform or marketplace for your store, design your tees, and publish them online.
When a customer places an order, Printful prints and ships the t-shirt to your customer under your brand.
This ecommerce business model is the ideal way to start selling products online, test design ideas, and grow your store with no financial risk.
No, if you’re using Printful, your products will be made and shipped under your brand—Printful’s name won’t appear on your items. To make an extra memorable impression on your customers, add your branding to labels, packaging, and pack-ins.
Print-on-demand is a business model where you customize products with unique designs and sell them online. Once you receive an order, your supplier prints and ships the product straight to the customer.
With print-on-demand, sellers get more branding control and use content marketing strategies to attract niche audiences.
As for dropshipping, you don’t get to customize the products you’re selling, but your supplier or third-party logistics partner still stores and ships items to customers on your behalf.
Set yourself up for success with these guides
Helpful videos for new business owners
