Why would a brick-and-mortar shop sell digital sewing patterns? There are actually lots of compelling reasons to expand your shop’s ecommerce offerings to include PDF patterns, including increasing average order value, increasing sales of physical products, and reaching new customers, but before jumping in, shop owners should consider a few key points.
Since customers can buy almost any PDF sewing pattern online already, shops need to offer more than a download link. The magic of a shop is the added curation, expertise, and community you offer, and the ability to help customers bring an entire project together.
As the founder and developer of Replic, a platform that helps stores sell and resell PDF patterns, I’ve been able to get an inside look at what stores can expect to earn, where the real costs are, and how to build a PDF pattern catalog that complements what you already sell. Here’s what I’ve learned.
Why sell PDF patterns in your store?
Carrying complementary products could increase your average order value by 26%.
That figure comes from a study of sporting goods retailers. It found that showing products that are usually bought together on the same page increased average order value by 26% and revenue per visit by 50%. It’s the only number in this article that doesn’t come from Replic’s own data. Replic doesn’t collect sales data beyond what it needs to fulfill PDF orders. But the team occasionally reviews orders for customer support, and this figure matches what they’ve seen with PDF patterns and craft supplies.
So why sell PDF patterns? Beyond the cool factor, they’re a great tool for increasing basket size and moving your physical inventory.
Are PDF patterns profitable on their own?
On average, stores on Replic sell $350 worth of PDF patterns per month, though results vary a lot from store to store.
What’s most interesting is that sales have been rising over time.
When a store first adds PDF patterns, sales can grow very quickly, sometimes more than doubling month over month. That’s somewhat expected, since stores put extra effort into promoting a new product line. But even stores that have sold PDF patterns for years are still seeing monthly growth.
The more customers get used to buying PDF patterns from their local store, the more often they’re likely to buy them there. Expect sales to keep growing, and expect designers to keep looking for new wholesale partners.
What are the biggest costs of selling PDF patterns?
First, the product cost. Wholesale prices are often around 60% of the suggested retail price. A 40% gross margin may be lower than on your other product lines, but PDF patterns have far lower overhead: no storage, shipping or import fees. As a result, they can be as profitable as physical products that take more handling and labor, or even more profitable.
Second, the time it takes to build your digital catalog. Adding products to your website takes time, and just making patterns available may not be enough. Your website should help customers discover products, inspire them to start new projects, and encourage them to buy more than just a pattern. If you aren’t using a tool like Replic to import your catalog automatically, you’ll spend hours copying and pasting descriptions and uploading images. At just 10 minutes per product, importing 300 patterns takes 50 hours. And if your listings are just copies of the ones on the designer’s website, why would customers buy from you instead of going straight to the source?
Third, customer support. Maintaining your catalog takes at least a few hours a month, and you’ll need to get to know your products. You’ll also find yourself working as junior tech support: helping customers with lost emails, troubleshooting printer settings and resending download links.
The good news? Catalog management and customer support are both chances to stand out. When you curate your selection, help customers find the right patterns and offer support beyond a download link, you give them strong reasons to buy from your store.
How many PDF patterns do I need to start making money?
More patterns don’t automatically mean more sales. Replic’s data shows no direct link between how many patterns a store carries and how much it sells. You can’t add your way into higher revenue by listing as many products as possible.
Instead of trying to build the biggest catalog, be a curator. Your customers shop with you because they trust your expertise and taste, so use that same judgment when you choose patterns. Build a cohesive catalog that fits your existing products. Add a limited number of patterns and build campaigns around them to help move inventory.
It’s also important to know your audience and lean into what makes your store different. Bestsellers will always have a place, but a thoughtful selection of lesser-known patterns and designers can set your store apart, strengthen your brand and build customer loyalty.
How can you improve your PDF pattern listings to drive sales?
To get customers to buy from you instead of straight from the designer, lean on what you have that designers don’t:
- An existing audience: in-store foot traffic, loyal repeat customers, social media followers and email subscribers who already trust your recommendations.
- Everything for the project in one place: customers can buy their pattern along with the fabric, yarn and notions they need to finish the project.
- Expertise and community: if you offer them, hands-on advice, classes and an in-person community of makers can help customers build confidence and take on their next project.
Don’t just add patterns to your website. Make them part of your broader sales strategy:
- Connect patterns with your existing inventory. Recommend fabrics, yarn or notions, put together project kits, and suggest complementary supplies to increase basket size.
- Promote complementary services. Classes and large-format printing pair well with PDF patterns.
- Help customers find the right patterns. Organize your catalog with useful tags and filters, and choose patterns that match your customers’ interests and skill levels. Use a consistent listing format so customers can easily compare patterns from different designers.
- Bring patterns to your audience. Feature new arrivals in your newsletters, social media posts and marketing campaigns.
- Build a community around making. Offer classes, project advice and hands-on support to help customers turn inspiration into finished projects.
These efforts will help drive sales both online and in-store. They’ll also make your store a more valuable partner for designers and help you build relationships that benefit you both.
How can you add value beyond selling the pattern to drive repeat business?
You need to be ready to fully support your new product line. Customers will expect you to answer questions, recommend complementary products and know the basics about the patterns you sell.
Before you add hundreds of patterns to your site, take time to get familiar with the patterns themselves, the PDF format and the quirks of the digital download app you plan to use.
Is offering printing services profitable?
Large-format printing is a great way to set your store apart, and it can also raise your average order value. The average print price is $2–$5 per page, and the average order has two pages to print. That’s a quick way to add up to $10 in revenue per order, and it gives customers a reason to come back to your store to pick up their prints.
You can also use printing to encourage sales:
- Run a limited-time printing promotion
- Offer free printing once customers spend a certain amount
- Use it as a loyalty reward (a free print after your tenth order!)
- Offer a printing discount when it’s ordered with the pattern
- Offer a free print with the third pattern bought with printing
If you don’t want to buy a large-format printer, you may be able to partner with a local print shop that can handle a batch of orders from your store every two weeks.
Offering printing also helps you answer the question customers will inevitably ask: how and where can I print my files?
In summary
PDF patterns can be a valuable addition to your store, but you need a strategic approach to grow revenue without draining your time.
- Focus on increasing basket size. PDF patterns can be profitable on their own, but they really shine as a complementary product that helps sell your physical inventory (cross-selling) or leads to a class or printing sale (upselling).
- Be a curator and play to your strengths. Think about how patterns fit your vision for your store and what your customers want. Give them a reason to buy from you. Your expertise, recommendations and ongoing support in bringing a whole project together are what set you apart and bring customers back.
- Be ready to support the line so it can grow. Budget for the work involved. Digital products don’t need storage or shipping, but they still need to be maintained, marketed and supported. Don’t underestimate the time and effort just because there’s no physical inventory.
- Be patient. Building awareness and changing how people shop takes time. Plan to promote your new offering instead of expecting customers to find it on their own.
Marine Dumontier
contributor
Marine is the founder of Replic, an app that helps indie designers looking to resell PDF patterns through fabric, yarn or craft stores and the stores that want to sell these patterns. She is French and Canadian (not French-Canadian, that’s different). Despite spending her days surrounded by patterns, Marine is a terrible knitter and a worse sewist. When she is not doing the latter two, you can find Marine cooking creative meals her toddler won’t eat, curled up on the couch with hot tea and a book, or comparing bruises with her friends from the aerial arts & circus studio.
