How to Do Market Research on POD Business

The launch and growth of the print on demand business is exciting, but success depends on outstanding choices. One of the most important steps is to conduct appropriate market research. Without research, there is a possibility of selling products that customers do not want or setting a price that will damage sales. By using appropriate market research methods, you can understand buyers, analyze competitors, and find the best way to effectively promote products.

In this article, we will explain the definition of market research, research methods in the POD business, actual research cases, and optimal research tools that can be utilized.

What is Market Research

Market research is the process of collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data about customers, competitors, and industries. Helps companies understand consumer needs, purchasing behavior, and popular products. In the POD business, it means identifying designs, fabric, and price ranges that meet customer demand.

The primary objective of market research methods is to inform better decisions and mitigate business risks. Select the right product, set effective pricing, and guide your product promotion on the most active platform. For print-on-demand sellers, this process ensures that they invest time and money in actually selling designs.

Types of Market Research

There are two main approaches to market research methods. Both are important for POD sellers and can be used together to achieve maximum effectiveness:

• Primary Research: This means collecting new data directly from customers. General methods include questionnaires, interviews, product tests and focus groups. Provide fresh and specific insights that match the target market.
• Secondary Research: Leverage existing sources such as industry reports, competitor websites, government databases, and online trend tools. It helps you understand the overall market pattern and saves you more time than starting from scratch.

How to Do Market Research on POD Business

Many new print-on-demand sellers ask how to conduct market research for their stores. The good news is that there are simple steps even beginners can follow. The first step is to identify your target market before launching your POD products. Consider factors such as age, interests, and location. For example, company workers may prefer embroidered polo shirts as uniforms, while young social media users tend to like DTG-printed anime T-shirts. The next thing is to position your products effectively. Study your competitors across platforms such as Shopify, Etsy, and WooCommerce, noting their designs, materials, printing methods, and pricing strategies. Customer feedback is invaluable, as reviews can reveal preferences and quality concerns, such as fading prints. Begin small by releasing a few collections and monitoring their performance to test demand. Finally, use ad data from Facebook or TikTok to see which designs, age groups, and price points generate the best engagement and sales.

Market Research Examples in POD

These examples show what the real POD business, market, and customers are doing. Learn from these and promote your own market research methods more effectively.

Example 1: Market Size & Growth Forecasts

The global printing-on-demand market is projected to grow at a rapid rate. According to various reports, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) is expected to be between 23.6% and 27%, reaching approximately US $19.8 billion by 2029.

Digital textile printing (including DTG) is also growing rapidly. The digital textile printing market in 2024 is estimated to reach USD 5.8 billion (approximately 58 billion yen) and is projected to reach USD 11.596 billion by 2030. CAGR is about 12.7%.

The demand for custom apparel and textile printing is increasing. When entering or expanding the POD market, the market size is growing significantly. Market research is useful for identifying niche markets early on, before competition intensifies.

Example 2: Product Category Trends & Best-Selling Products

T-shirts keep the top of POD products based on order quantity. For example, Printify's data shows that T-shirts (including unisex jersey short-sleeved T-shirts and heavy cotton T-shirts) account for more than 50% of the quantity of items sold.

Other major categories include hoodies, sweatshirts, accessories, and mugs.

Research focuses on proven product types (e.g. T-shirts), and then considers additional items (hoodies, accessories, etc.). You also need to check the popular colors, materials, and styles in each category.

Example 3: Customer Preferences

• About 81% of shoppers say they prefer brands that offer personalized or customized products.
• About 49% of consumers are willing to pay extra for sustainable or eco-friendly POD products.

Use this data when determining product functions (e.g., customization, embroidery, sustainable materials). If a survey reveals that customers prioritize eco-friendliness and high-end finishes (such as embroidery), they can also offer these options and adjust prices accordingly.

Best Market Research Tools

Market research tools enable POD entrepreneurs to collect data, analyze customer preferences, and study their competitors. Typeform and Google Forms are reliable choices for direct customer feedback. Typeform creates visually attractive and interactive surveys that get high response rates.

Tools like Brandwatch, Brand24, and Sprinklr allow POD sellers to track online conversations and mentions of their brands. Provides emotion analysis, conflict monitoring, and influencer identification. Tableau and Statista make it easy to get complex data with visual dashboards and industry predictions. Specialized tools, such as Hotjar (Heat Map and User Behavior), Crayon (Competitive Tracking), and Speak AI (Qualitative Data Analysis), provide deep insights into customer behavior and competitor movements.

Bonus: Choose PODpartner for Custom Appeal

The POD platform is also an important part of market research. A good POD platform can not only help you build your own brand, but also bring you long-term profits.

To build a standout POD business, the choice of a platform is as important as design. PODpartner provides creators with tools to customize products, scale up efficiently, and deliver unique items that truly empathize with customers. This platform combines flexibility, quality, and ease of use. PODpartner is designed to help entrepreneurs quickly launch and grow print-on-demand stores. From a small start to a large scale, PODpartner ensures smooth and profitable operation of the store.

Key Features of PODpartner

• 18 Designable Areas: Up to 18 designable areas, PODpartner provides high degree of design freedom.
• Reliable Fulfillment: Fast delivery and customer satisfaction for print and delivery partners worldwide.
• Customization Tools: Pre-create and test product ideas with intuitive design tools.
• DTG + embroidery: supported with the largest design area of 16" × 21"

Conclusion

Market research is essential to growing your POD business. Understanding the customer base, analyzing competitors, reviewing customer reviews, and conducting advertising tests are all critical processes. Incorporating reliable market research tools and methods to make smarter decisions. At the same time, cooperation with appropriate partners is also essential. Here's why many growing brands trust PODpartner in their apparel production. If you are starting a business now, analyze your customer base, choose the right product, and always partner with trusted partners like PODpartner to deliver high-quality results.