Merch by Amazon???

Monetizing, Advertising & Marketing Advertising Networks
1

So like a year ago I signed up for merch by amazon, which was supposedly created in theory for developers to create a new income stream my making and selling t-shirts with their app’s logos, characters, etc. Basically, it’s a print on demand royalty generating t-shirt business and you can sell the shirts from inside of your app. I started with it around Christmas last year. Nada one sold to date (got 4 shirts out across two games that are pretty popular).

So over on all the Merch pages and groups on FB, I’m like the only person there who uses the service as intended – to promote my app and engage fans. Everyone else is just a designer (because we really need more “keep calm” shirts, apparently).

My question is, has anyone (I’m talking to PUBLISHERS) made a dime on Merch by Amazon? If so, what are you doing right and what am I doing wrong? The platform has gotten huge. I’ve seen something like where 100,000 shirts unique to Merch have been created but I’m guessing most have nothing to do with mobile apps.

Thoughts?

2

So there’s an SDK, I assume? But are the shirts sold directly by you then – you process payment?

3

I know of it, and have not used it. It seems like a big play to get more developers brought into the amazon ecosystem. But pretty much everyone but devs are using it. Amazon should have limited access to its developers in the amazon marketplace, instead they opened it up to the whole world and now it takes months and months just to request an invite and get accepted into the Merch program where you can design and sell shirts. Cool in theory but too crowded and competitive. I have enough to compete with with just my apps lol

4

No, shirt creators don’t process anything. Amazon sells it, ships it, processes payments and then like a month later pays royalties to you. You have the option of having your shirts available privately within your app/ad or you can also make them widely available on amazon.com, which seems like where the real money would be.

5

Unless you have a Pokemon Go caliber game, how can you really make any money on t-shirts? Don’t mean to rain on anyone’s parade, but really? Shirts? Would seem like the dead last option I would invest time in.

6

Yup. I literally have no apps that lend to the creation of merchandise or apparel of any kind.