Partner Collections at the MN Alumni Market

Interested in having the MN Alumni Market host a custom collection for your department or institution? You've come to the right place! Here's how it works:

We work with a alumni vendor to create and host a print-on-demand (POD) collection for you. In a POD collection, inventory is not stocked. Instead, our alumni maker prints and ships individual items as orders are placed. The Market takes care of everything else: hosting/updating your collection page, payment processing, order confirmation, shipping, and tracking notifications, and customer service. Click here to view live POD collections. 

How it Works

  1. You work with our alumni maker to identify products for your collection. We recommend creating an "evergreen" collection that is available year-round. The collection nay be reviewed and updated annually.
  2. You provide all logos and graphics; our maker provides mockups for your approval.
  3. Once you approve the products, our alumni maker provides free virtual images for your product listings. Product photography shoots are available for a fee.
  4. We create your collection page and upload product listings. You have input on the collection title, intro copy, and collection image (if applicable.)
  5. You market your collection and spread the word!
  6. In some instances, inventory may be purchased in bulk (vs POD). Note: storage fees and buy back rules apply.

Pros & Cons

  1. Pro: Your audience gets customized apparel and merchandise with minimal time and labor on your end.
  2. Pro: No upfront inventory investment is necessary.
  3. Pro: You're never left with "duds", wrong sizes, or outdated inventory that won't sell.
  4. Con: Supply chain issues may arise and certain items may become unavailable or backordered; flexibility is a must. We work with our alumni maker to keep your collection page updated.
  5. Con: Lead times are longer for POD items - allow a minimum of 10 business days for orders to be shipped, plus shipping time directly from the vendor. We inform customers of these longer lead times on each product page.

Fees

  1. One-time set up fee: $50
  2. Yearly hosting fee: $90
  3. Product fee: there is currently no fee for collections of up to 12 POD products. Additional POD products may be added for a fee of $25 per item.

Ready to start or have questions? Email us at mnalumnimarket@umn.edu.