In a sea of mass-produced consumer products, people are now eager to experience being able to participate in designing the product they purchase to a certain degree. This makes the product reflect their taste even in part and increases the pride of ownership. Nike, for instance, has Nike by You. This service enables the consumer to customize the colors in the shoe model they choose.
If the purchase is meant to be a gift, their participation in customizing it makes the gift more meaningful. For instance, gifting someone with a journal with the recipient’s name or initials engraved on the cover is much more special than giving a generic journal.
The Customization Trend
According to a study by The Deloitte Consumer Review, an average of 36 percent of consumers are interested in buying personalized items or services. Almost a third or 32 percent will likely recommend products or services that are customizable. Nearly half or 48 percent will agree to wait for a longer period for delivery of personalized items or services. People want to be offered options, as 42 percent want to choose from customization choices provided by the brand. Customized products are considered a premium, and 20 percent will agree to pay 20 percent more for them.
Half of the consumers want customized items because they are great as gifts. About two in five or 41 percent like buying unique items. Thirty-four percent want customized products because generic ones do not provide what they want. Thirty-two percent have fun designing items themselves, while 28 percent want their purchased item to express their personality. Seven percent like sharing their customized designs on social media.
The top five products or services consumers want to customize are holidays at 73 percent; clothing at 64 percent; furniture, homeware, and DIY projects at 63 percent; fashion accessories and jewelry at 61 percent; and footwear at 56 percent. The age group most interested in these customized products or services is 25 to 39 years old, followed by 16 to 24 years old. The exception is customized clothing, where the most interested age group is 16 to 24 years old, followed by 25 to 39 years old.
Business Ideas in Customization: Leather Engraving
Leather is a premium product that exudes elegance. It also ages beautifully. Items made from leather are treasured by buyers for themselves and as gifts. Leather items are also great as company gifts to valued clients. Investing in a laser engraver for leather will enable you to cater both to individuals and businesses.
Companies can have their logos engraved on leather keychains, coin purses, wallets, and desk calendar covers. For VIP clients, they can add each client’s initials as well. Brands can also have their logos engraved on leather items that they will sell as merchandise.
The same items can be offered to individuals, but they can choose instead to engrave their names or initials or the names and initials of the person they will be giving the item to.
Other leather items that can be engraved include leather-bound personal journals in various sizes, purses, bags in different styles, mobile phone cases, tablet cases, laptop cases, document envelopes, belts, and bracelets, among many others.
Business Ideas in Customization: Custom T-Shirt Printing
T-shirts are a mainstay in almost everyone’s wardrobe. Investing in a direct to garment (DTG) printing machine will also enable you to serve both businesses and individual clients. If you are a graphic designer or if you hire a graphic designer who can offer customized designs to clients, this will add value to your business.
Businesses can have their logos or inventive designs featuring their logos printed on T-shirts. They can sell these as merchandise or give them away. They can also have special designs to be used as uniforms for their staff. As businesses reopen, there will be a need for staff uniforms again, especially for client-facing personnel.
For individuals, personalized T-shirt printing has almost endless possibilities. You can offer various fonts and color combinations that they can choose from for initials, a name, or a message. You can provide various backgrounds for these. You can also provide many design elements that they can choose from and put together as they wish.
You must ensure that your T-shirts are of good quality. You can expand your line by including long-sleeved shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, muscle shirts, and tank tops.
Customize Your Business
These are only two examples of many other business ideas revolving around customization. There are many others you can explore. You can also do both and add on other customized products to widen your range and the options for your customers.
