Are your customers looking for ethical, sweatshop free t-shirts? Would they prefer the t-shirts to be made within their own country, to be manufactured with organic cotton? To find the answers to these questions, you need to be able to put yourself in your customer’s shoes. Or better still, why not conduct a little bit of market research by asking around your community, taking a look at your competitor’s products or by reading through forum posts within your niche?
You might find that your target market is interested in a loose-fitting tee and is not really concerned about the country of manufacture. The promotional t-shirt printing business that I own targets Australian Rock Bands. Through market research I discovered that my customers prefer a fashionable, fitted style tee shirt. They are generally not concerned about the country of manufacture so long as the product is of relatively good quality and is reasonably priced - because they need to make a profit when selling their t-shirts at gigs. However, if for instance my business was targeting R&B or Hip Hop bands (of which Australia has few), I might find that my customers would prefer a loose fitting t-shirt with large sleeves - a completely different product.
With my vintage-style t-shirt label, it was extremely important that the quality of the t-shirts were at premium level. So although the costs are much higher than my promotional tees - I am targeting a fashion conscious market who values quality. Luckily these customers tend to have high, disposable incomes, and my t-shirts are priced accordingly! Be sure to find out the exact type of t-shirt your customers are interested in before making an order, and you will instantly have an advantage over many of your competitors.