How to Build a Successful Print on Demand Business in Australia

Australia’s booming eCommerce scene drives the perfect time to start a Print on Demand (POD) business. The demand for personalized products is skyrocketing, but the path to success comes with challenges. From navigating tax regulations to handling currency fluctuations, setting up a thriving Print On Demand business in Australia requires more than creativity - it demands strategic planning and the right platform.

In this guide, we'll explore the key opportunities and hurdles of the Australian market and offer pro tips to help you build and scale your POD business. Whether you’re new or experienced, this roadmap, with Shopify as your ally, will set you on the path to success.

The Australian Market: Opportunities and Challenges

The growing scene of Print On Demand in Australia

eCommerce in Australia experienced substantial growth in 2023 and is projected to generate $35.92 billion in revenues in 2024. Australia's eCommerce market has been forecast to expand rapidly, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.33% over the next 4 years, which means the market volume will reach $49.47 billion by 2028.

Australia is an ideal environment for print-on-demand (POD) services, thanks to its tech-savvy population and high rate of online shopping. According to the 2023 Inside Online Shopping Report by Australia Post, 82% of Australian households made an online purchase in 2022, marking a 1.6% year-over-year increase. And with 25.31 million internet users in Australia, recording a +1.0% year-over-year growth, proving that the digital infrastructure is well in place for POD businesses to thrive.

Source: Meltwater

The demand for hyper-personalization is a significant factor driving the growth of print-on-demand (POD) in Australia.

Since 2022, there has been a nearly 50% increase in Australian consumers who feel frustrated when brands fail to recognize their unique preferences. This trend is not only growing among Australian consumers but also worldwide. Deloitte's findings show that more than 50% of consumers are interested in purchasing personalized products or services. Moreover, half of these consumers are willing to wait longer for customized offerings, highlighting the lucrative opportunity for POD businesses to meet these demands.

The flexibility of POD allows entrepreneurs to cater to local preferences while tapping into global markets. With no need for large upfront investments in inventory, POD businesses can easily scale up and test different products to find what resonates most with their audience. This is particularly advantageous in a dynamic and diverse market like Australia, where consumer preferences can vary widely across regions.

The success of print on demand Melbourne-based company Redbubble and the US-based Teespring, both operating in domestic and international markets, demonstrates the potential for new entrants in the Australian POD space.

Source: Redbubble

Redbubble believes the eCommerce surge and demand for personalized, sustainable products will drive their growth. They've reached 572,000 selling artists, 6.2 million customers, and $442 million in gross transaction value in the first half of the 2021 financial year, which led Redbubble to now appear on high rankings of many Top lists of the Best Print On Demand platforms in Australia and around the world.

Source: Teespring

Teespring quickly gained success after its launch, reaching $500,000 in monthly sales by October 2012. By March 2013, the company reported $750,000 in monthly revenue with a 50% month-over-month growth rate. Today, this Print On Demand company continues to thrive with millions of users and over 35 million products sold not only in Australia but expand globally, positioning itself as a leader in the POD field.

These Print On Demand companies have shown that the synergy between eCommerce growth and POD opportunities creates a promising landscape for both new and established businesses.

More than that, the opportunities of Print On Demand eCommerce in Australia create a promising landscape for both new and established businesses. Australia is a country in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, which is expected to have the fastest-growing Print On Demand market, with a CAGR of 27.5% over the forecast period.

Source: Grand View Research

By leveraging the rising demand for unique, customized products and the growing pace in the market, entrepreneurs in Australia are well-positioned to capitalize on these trends.

The challenges of Print On Demand businesses in Australia

While the opportunities for Print on Demand in Australia are abundant, they come with a unique set of challenges. Understanding these hurdles is crucial for anyone looking to grow a print on demand business in Australia.

Tax implications

Navigating GST and international taxes can be complex. Make sure to keep these notes in mind:

• Tax obligations are different for domestic and international sales.
• Researching and understanding about GST and double taxation agreements is a must.
• It's essential to keep thorough records of all expenses related to both domestic and international sales for tax purposes.
• Seeking professional advice from a tax advisor or accountant is highly recommended to ensure compliance with all applicable tax laws and regulations.

👁️ You can prepare for your start by researching taxes at reliable resources like Australian Taxation Office (ATO).

Currency fluctuations

The Australian dollar (AUD) is volatile, which can significantly impact the cost of sourcing products from international suppliers.

When the AUD weakens, the cost of goods sold can increase, squeezing profit margins and forcing businesses to adjust their pricing strategies frequently. This unpredictability makes it challenging for POD businesses to maintain consistent pricing, which can confuse customers and affect overall sales.

To mitigate these risks, many Australian Print On Demand stores locked in exchange rates through hedging strategies or work with suppliers who offer pricing in AUD.

Payment processing

According to a Baymard survey in 2024, 13% of respondents said that they would likely abandon their cart because the preferred payment methods are not available.

Source: Baymard

That explains the importance of integrating the most-used payment gateways. For global merchants, research about the local payment methods that your customers are familiar with is also essential for improving conversion rates and providing a seamless shopping experience for your Print On Demand store.

However, the process of setting up these gateways can involve additional fees and technical integration challenges. Plus, these gateways always come up with transaction fees and hidden fees, which can be increased over time and impact your business profits.

💹 Further Reading: How Payment Gateway Costs Affect Your Bottom Line

Global Market Navigation

For Australian POD businesses looking to expand internationally, the logistics of shipping Print On Demand products overseas can take time and effort.

Also, in the Baymard cart abandonment reasons survey, 20% said they would not shop if the delivery time was too long. Longer shipping times compared to domestic competitors can lead to customer dissatisfaction, especially in markets where fast delivery is the standard for online businesses.

The same-day delivery market is growing rapidly. Market.us reported that it was valued at 10.1 billion USD in 2023 and is projected to reach 66.8 billion USD by 2033.

Navigating customs regulations and import duties introduces additional complexity and costs to the fulfillment process. These duties and fees cut into profit margins, while custom checks can cause delays, making it difficult to maintain competitive pricing and fast delivery. As a result, customer satisfaction may suffer.

These challenges require businesses to carefully plan their shipping strategies, possibly by partnering with logistics companies that specialize in international deliveries or by offering premium shipping options to expedite the process.

How to build a Print On Demand business in Australia

To build a successful Print On Demand store in Australia, it's crucial to understand the basics, select the right products, and overcome challenges.

Steps to Start a Print on Demand Business

Most POD businesses follow these steps to take the very first starts then for each market, and product category, they have various strategies to drive sales and remain profitable.

1. Market Research: Begin by identifying your niche and target audience. Analyze market trends and competitors to find a gap you can fill.
2. Choose a POD Platform: Select a reliable POD platform that integrates well with your eCommerce store. Consider how these platforms align with your needs in terms of product range, pricing, and shipping capabilities.
3. Set Up Your Online Store: Create your online store using a platform like Shopify. Customize it to reflect your brand, ensuring it’s user-friendly and optimized for mobile devices.
4. Design Your Products: Use design tools to create unique and appealing products. Always prioritize designs that deeply connect with your target audience for maximum impact.
5. Connect with POD Suppliers: Integrate your store with your chosen POD suppliers. Ensure that product listings, inventory, and order fulfillment processes are seamlessly connected.
6. Configure Payment and Shipping Settings: Set up your store’s payment gateways to accept Australian dollars (AUD) and other relevant currencies. Configure shipping options, including rates and delivery times, to cater to both domestic and international customers.
7. Launch and Market Your Store: Start driving traffic through targeted marketing campaigns. Leverage the power of social media, email marketing, and SEO strategies to captivate and engage your target customer base.
8. Monitor and Optimize: Monitoring your store’s performance after launching. Use powerful analytics tools to track customer behavior, and marketing effectiveness then develop suitable plans to optimize your sales.

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Best Print On Demand products business in Australia

Australia’s diverse culture and climate influence consumer preferences, making some products more popular than others.

Tailoring your products to local demands can give you a competitive edge in the market. Therefore, you should research local trends and seasonal trends to align your offerings with what’s in need in Australia.

Personalized Apparel Products

The Australian clothing industry is projected to grow from 23.2 Billion USD in 2023 to 29.3 Billion USD by 2032, exhibiting a CAGR of 3.00% over the projected period (2023 - 2032).

Moreover, according to Market Research Future, Australians value individual expression through clothing, leading to a diverse, fashion-forward market yet personalized designs. Making POD apparel products has more potential in the market.

Source: Macorner

Eco-friendly products

With 38% of Australian consumers prefer sustainability in their purchase decisions, making eco-friendly and sustainable POD clothing stands as a growing market. Offer apparel made from organic or recycled materials to appeal to this audience.

Source: Statista

For example, Apliiq, a Print On Demand platform has entered the market to meet the demand for environmentally friendly input materials, catering to the sustainability-focused customer segment.

Home Decor Products

Australia's home décor market segment generates AUD 1.80 billion in revenue in 2024. It is projected to experience an annual growth rate of 2.53% (CAGR 2024-2029).

With its wide range of products like wall art and custom cushions, these types of products can be a great opportunity for creative Print On Demand companies to expand their talent, at the same time ideal for Australians looking to personalize their homes.

Festival and Event Products

The Australian market holds great potential for festival and event-related products due to the country's vibrant culture and numerous annual events, creating steady demand for themed merchandise like custom t-shirts, hats, tote bags, and drinkware. POD businesses can offer a variety of products customized for specific events, tapping into seasonal demand and creating a reliable revenue stream.

Source: Pinpage

For POD businesses targeting the international market, researching market trends will help you select the most suitable product that appeals to your niche.

💪 Read this Shopify article about 22 Best Selling Print-on-Demand Products (2024) to see what Print On Demand products are leading in the global market.

Starting a print-on-demand business in Australia holds promise if you seek professional support from platforms like Shopify, which can handle all the challenges mentioned above.

How Shopify Supports Australian Print On Demand Businesses

Shopify provides robust tools and integrations tailored to the specific needs of Print On Demand Australia business. In this section, we’ll explore how Shopify can support and help you overcome the challenges addressed in the market.

Print on Demand Features

Integration with top POD suppliers and platforms

Shopify offers seamless integration with leading print on demand platforms such as Printful, Printify, Gelato, and local print on demand suppliers in Australia.

Source: Shopify App Store

These integrations allow you to automatically sync products, manage inventory, and fulfill orders directly from your Shopify dashboard. This automation reduces manual work, ensuring that you can focus more on growing your business instead of handling logistics.

You can find different print on demand platforms for various products. For example, ShineOn is for jewelry, Teelaunch is for T-shirts, and Apliiq is for organic and recycled materials.

Pro Tip: Take advantage of Shopify’s integration with multiple print on demand suppliers in Australia to diversify your product offerings. By doing so, you can test different suppliers and products to find the best fit for your brand and customer base, all while maintaining a single, cohesive storefront.

🔥 You might also like: Top 6 Best Print on Demand Apps for Your Shopify Store

🎁 Expert Tips & Gifts: Make Product Personalization Smart with Customily - Get 18-day free trial.

Shopify’s tax settings for Australian businesses

Doing business in Australia means dealing with Goods and Services Tax (GST), which can be quite challenging.

Luckily, Shopify makes it easier for print on demand Australian entrepreneurs by handling tax calculations.

Shopify automatically applies the correct GST rate to each sale, ensuring that you comply with Australian tax laws effortlessly. For international sales, you can create custom tax rules for different countries, all from a single dashboard. Shopify also generates detailed tax reports to summarize your GST collected and payable, saving you time and reducing the risk of errors.

Source: Shopify

Source: Shopify

Shopify Payments and local currency support

Shopify is great for handling payments in Australian dollars (AUD) and other currencies, making the checkout process smooth for your customers.

It automatically converts currency for international customers, displaying prices in their local currency to reduce cart abandonment. With Shopify Payments, you can process transactions in multiple currencies, reducing the impact of currency fluctuations on your business.

Moreover, Shopify supports popular local payment methods like PayPal and Afterpay, which are widely used in Australia, providing flexibility that can greatly improve customer satisfaction and conversion rates.

Source: Shopify

Leveraging Shopify for Global Expansion

Shopify empowers print on demand Australian businesses to tap into global markets by integrating with POD suppliers that offer worldwide fulfillment. This means that your print on demand products can be produced and shipped from various locations around the world, reducing shipping times and costs for international customers.

By leveraging this global network, Australian businesses can reach customers in the U.S., Europe, and beyond without the hassle of managing international logistics themselves. This not only broadens your market reach but also enhances customer satisfaction with faster delivery times.

📚 Related article: Global Fulfillment: How to Find the Right Shipping Partner

Furthermore, Shopify Shipping offers built-in shipping solutions that are easy to set up and manage. With Shopify's global shipping features, you can offer competitive shipping rates, track shipments across borders, and manage customs requirements seamlessly.

Source: Shopify

These features ensure that even as a small Australian POD business, you can compete on a global scale with efficient, cost-effective shipping that meets the expectations of international customers.

Why not Shopify

With over 2 million active users globally, 5.23 million online stores use Shopify. Shopify accounts for $444+ billion in global economic activities. Shopify's user base continues to grow, with a significant 115,074 live Shopify stores coming from Australia. Making Shopify the best eCommerce platform of 2024, known for its ease of use and extensive app ecosystem.

Source: Store leads

Discovered 2 remarkable case studies showcasing enormous success in the Print On Demand industry through the use of Shopify:

Elevated Faith

A successful Shopify Print On Demand brand, generated over $100 million in sales through diverse marketing strategies.

Source: Elevated Faith

Shopify helps Elevated Faith by providing a platform to create a storefront and showcase their products, facilitate sales, and integrate with social media for marketing, enabling them to generate significant revenue.

🎞️ Watch the full case study: $100M Print on Demand Shopify Store

Crown & Paw

Crown & Paw used Shopify to power their print on demand store, allowing them to sell customized pet portraits efficiently and scale to $1.1 million per month using effective Facebook ad strategies and personalized products.

Source: Crown & Paw

They leveraged the Shopify integration solution with Printful to streamline fulfillment operations and social media management solution to focus on engaging with customers through advertising, especially Facebook.

🎞️ Watch the full case study: $1.1M Per Month Print On Demand Shopify Store

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Scaling Your Australian Print on Demand Business with Shopify

Starting a print on demand business in Australia is not just about designing products, it's also about creating brand awareness, finding customers, making sales, and building a loyal customer base. Whether you're an expert in marketing and sales or just getting started, you'll still need tools and automation to help you maximize your business potential and profitability.

Creating a Storefront and Gain Attention

To stand out begins with a well-designed storefront. Your storefront must not only be visually appealing but also resonate with the audience by reflecting local trends and preferences wherever your market is in Australia or other countries.

Source: FoxEcom

The goal here is to create a storefront that appeals to target consumers, showcasing your unique designs while offering a seamless and culturally relevant shopping experience.

We suggest you start with Minimog, a multi-purpose theme that can help you quickly and efficiently launch your store. Minimog offers more than 85 demos for various businesses, helping you showcase the uniqueness of your POD brand, whether you sell fashion products or home decor appliances.

In addition, Minimog requires no coding skills and has no monthly charges. It offers over 50 customizable sections and SEO-friendly settings, combined with multi-languages and currency support to help you bring your dream store to life.

The best thing about Minimog is the pricing is super affordable ($88 for lifetime use), and it’s the only theme in the market that allows free trial as much as you want!

See how Minimog can help you build a high-converting modern layout in minutes - no code needed.

Driving Sales

Driving sales at every touchpoint in the customer journey is essential, and the first stop is right on your website.

Implementing effective sales campaigns on your site can significantly boost attention and increase orders. Strategies like upsells, cross-sells, offering discounts, or even engaging customers with a lucky wheel are just a few examples.

Look how SKKN by Kim implements their cross-sell strategy using the section "Pairs well with" in makeup products to encourage customers to add other products to their carts to get better results or a more perfect makeup look.

Source: SKKN by KIM

For those without coding skills, setting up these campaigns might seem daunting, but with FoxKit All-in-one Sales Boost, it's as simple as a few clicks. FoxKit is a powerful sales-boosting app that offers all the essential tools you need to increase your revenue.

But FoxKit isn't just about boosting sales. It also enhances the customer experience, increases engagement, and improves your site's search engine visibility. With features like back-in-stock alerts, a mega menu, pre-order buttons, and customizable size charts, FoxKit ensures that your website is not only functional but also optimized for success.

📚 Trending Articles:

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Other than that, Shopify's integrated marketing solution can help you market your print on demand products on social media where 81% of Australians are active, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, etc.

Source: Meltwater

So being active where your customers are is the most important yet easy strategy for you to get closer to your niche.

Build a loyal customer base

In Australia, building customer loyalty is vital for long-term success. Australian consumers value trust and reliability, 46% of Aussies shop from businesses they know and trust. Thus, creating a loyal customer base involves providing exceptional customer service, personalized experiences, and rewarding repeat business.

Source: ComBank

The goal is to turn first-time Australian buyers into repeat customers by creating a loyalty program that resonates with their values and shopping habits.

To achieve this, go for trustworthy apps for creating loyalty programs to retain customers and develop referral methods to attract new ones. You can find several loyalty apps on the Shopify app store with high ratings.

🎁 Expert Tips & Gifts:

• Turn your shoppers into loyal fans with Loloyal - 50% off
• Boost repeat sales with omnichannel marketing with AiT - 20% off
• Empowers Shopify stores with Ako Loyalty & Retargeting - FREE 14-day trial

Conclusion

Understanding the challenges is important for your success in the Print On Demand business in Australia. Shopify's robust tools and integrations provide the support needed to build a strong online presence, drive sales, and cultivate customer loyalty.

As eCommerce continues to grow, using the right strategies and technology will be key to scaling your POD business in Australia. By leveraging Shopify and staying attuned to local demands, you can turn your POD venture into a thriving success.