Employee Merchandise Sales: Turning Corporate Merchandise into an Internal Brand Experience
Two checkout systems, a well-stocked sales area and employees who are not just browsing, but actively asking about products, designs and sizes. An employee merchandise sale quickly reveals how well Corporate Merchandise is received by the people within a company.
That is exactly what we experienced at an employee merchandise sale for our full-service customer KWS at its Einbeck site. Once or twice a year, employees there have the opportunity to purchase selected KWS merchandise directly on site. The high level of interest also provides valuable insights into which products are actually in demand.
But what makes an employee merchandise sale successful? What benefits does it offer beyond simply selling products? And what should companies consider when planning an employee sale of their own? We take a closer look using KWS as a real-life example.
Inhaltsverzeichnis:
Employee Merchandise Sales: Turning Corporate Merchandise into an Internal Brand Experience
More Than Just Selling Stock: What an Employee Merchandise Sale Can Archieve
Planning an Employee Merchandise Sale: Six Things to Consider
Why Employee Merchandise Sales and Employee Shops Work Well Together
An Employee Merchandise Sale Provides Data Companies Can Use
Good Corporate Merchandise Is Something People Choose to Wear
Full Service Happens Behind the Scenes of an Employee Merchandise Sale
More Than Just Selling Stock: What an Employee Merchandise Sale Can Achieve
When people think of a traditional factory sale, they often picture clearance stock, reduced prices and surplus inventory. An employee merchandise sale serves a different purpose.
This is where Corporate Merchandise and Corporate Wear meet the people for whom part of the collection has been created. Employees can see and touch the products and make an immediate decision: Would I actually wear or use this in my personal life?
That moment is particularly interesting.
A hoodie may look good in an online shop. On site, however, employees can experience the material, workmanship, fit and feel for themselves. Products that might have been overlooked online can suddenly attract attention. And an employee sale provides something else that is difficult to plan in advance: direct feedback.
Which designs are particularly popular? Which sizes are missing? Which products prompt requests for other colours? Which items attract plenty of attention but few purchases?
An employee merchandise sale is therefore more than just another sales channel. It can also serve as a practical test of the company's merchandise assortment.
The KWS Employee Merchandise Sale in Einbeck: Merchandise Meet Brand Connectiono
KWS is an international plant breeding company headquartered in Einbeck. According to the company, around 5,000 employees work for KWS in more than 70 countries. Its history dates back around 170 years. This long-standing connection to the location can also be felt during the employee merchandise sale.
Based on our experience, KWS holds an employee sale at its Einbeck site once or twice a year. A range of KWS-branded merchandise is available, including products designed for personal use outside the workplace. The most recent sale attracted particularly strong interest. Employees provided positive feedback on the quality of the products, and many items found new owners on the day. For us, that is particularly interesting because merchandise does not work simply because a company logo has been placed on a product.
People need to actually want the product.
Design, quality, functionality and brand identity need to work together so that a promotional product becomes something employees genuinely want to wear or use. An on-site sale makes it much easier to see whether that has been achieved.
Some of the products that proved popular with employees:
Vest #YourSeedPartner
COB-Light
Leisure knife
Rolltop bag
Weste KWS COB Leuchte KWS Design Freizeitmesser orange Rolltop Rucksack
Why Product Selection and Target Audience Matter
Planning an employee merchandise sale does not start with the checkout system or the sales area. It starts with the product assortment. The key question is:
Which of these products would our employees use even if they did not work for our company?
That question changes the way companies look at Corporate Merchandise.
Not every product automatically works for every workforce. A high-quality hoodie might be an excellent fit for one company, while another target audience may prefer functional everyday products or accessories. Alongside design, practical value and price, factors such as materials, origin and longevity are becoming increasingly relevant when selecting products. We explore these considerations in more detail in our article „Sustainable Promotional Products: What Companies Should Look Out For.“
Five questions can help when planning the assortment:
Which products fit our brand and corporate culture?
Which products provide genuine practical value for employees?
Which colours, sizes and variants are required?
Which price points are appropriate for the target audience?
Which products are suitable for spontaneous add-on purchases?
The final point is often underestimated. In an online shop, users often search for a relatively specific product. An on-site sale works differently: someone picks up a product, notices another item nearby or spontaneously decides to make an additional purchase because they find an offer appealing. This dynamic should be considered when planning the assortment.
Planning an Employee Merchandise Sale: Six Things to Consider
A successful employee merchandise sale does not begin on the day of the event. Many of the most important decisions are made weeks or even months beforehand.
Finalise the Assortment and Quantities Early
Which products will be sold? What is already in stock? Which items still need to be produced?
Especially when it comes to custom-developed products, the final product list should be available at an early stage. Unlike readily available stock items, bespoke production requires sufficient lead time. For every product, companies should define at least:
product and variant
colour
sizes
required quantity
selling price
delivery date
existing stock
Planning becomes even more important when textiles are involved. Having 100 hoodies in stock is of little help if the most popular sizes are already unavailable on the day of the sale. Early quantity and size planning can help reduce this risk. For individually produced merchandise, it is also worth taking a closer look at materials, certifications and the evidence behind them. We explain what standards such as FSC, GRS, Fairtrade and others mean in our overview „FSC, GRS, Fairtrade & Co. Explained“.
Choose the Right Time
A good employee merchandise sale needs footfall.
Rather than organising a completely separate sales event, it can make sense to connect the sale with an existing internal event. At KWS, for example, the employee merchandise sale has previously been combined with a Christmas market at the site. Employees were already there, allowing the merchandise sale to become part of the wider event.
Depending on the company, other suitable occasions could include:
summer parties
site anniversaries
family days
company events
themed activity days
Christmas markets
The question should therefore not simply be: When do we have time to hold the employee sale?
A better question is: When can we reach as many of our employees as possible?
Choose the Right Sales Area
The location within the company also matters. Ideally, the sales area should be positioned where there is already plenty of footfall on the day. At the same time, there needs to be enough space to display products, allow employees to look at clothing and handle the payment process efficiently.
Companies should check in advance:
How visible is the sales area?
Is there enough space for product displays and checkout systems?
Are power outlets available?
Is there a stable internet connection?
Where will additional stock be stored?
Is there enough space for several people to browse at the same time?
These details may sound trivial. On the day of the event, however, they can determine whether the sale runs smoothly or queues quickly start to form.
Clearly Display Products and Prices
Nobody wants to ask how much every second product costs. Price labels should therefore be prepared before the sale and should include at least the product name and selling price. Ideally, the product presentation should also reflect the company's corporate identity. This turns a simple sales table into a temporary branded retail space.
Make Payment as Easy as Possible
At the KWS employee merchandise sale, we were on site with two checkout systems. Payments were cashless, including card and PayPal payments. This can simplify the process considerably, but good preparation is essential.
Before the sale begins, companies should check:
checkout systems and payment terminals
Wi-Fi or mobile connectivity
available payment methods
receipt generation
refunds
responsibilities for end-of-day reconciliation
potential backup solutions
This is also where an aspect of Full Service becomes visible that would normally never appear in a product photograph. The merchandise item does not just need to be designed and produced. Ultimately, it also needs to be easy to sell, pay for and account for.
Define Responsibilities in Advance
Who sets up the sales area? Who operates the checkout systems? Who replenishes products? And what happens to the remaining stock after the sale? These questions should not need to be answered on the day itself. A simple process with clearly assigned responsibilities can help:
Delivery → Set-up → Product presentation → Sales → Replenishment → Reconciliation → Dismantling → Remaining stock
At KWS, the implementation was supported jointly by employees from the company and our Verticas team. This meant that questions and operational matters could be addressed directly on site.
Why Employee Merchandise Sales and Employee Shops Work Well Together
An employee merchandise sale has one obvious disadvantage: eventually, the event ends.
This is exactly where an employee shop can take over. Digital employee shops can centrally manage approved Corporate Merchandise assortments, different user groups, budgets and orders. Such systems are already used for Corporate Wear and merchandise. KWS has also introduced a team shop in the meantime. The two channels do not have to compete with each other. Quite the opposite: they serve different purposes.
The shop provides ongoing availability. The employee merchandise sale creates a specific occasion and direct product interaction.
During an on-site sale, employees can discover products and experience them first-hand. Selected products can then remain available in the shop regardless of event dates. The combination becomes particularly valuable when insights gained from the on-site sale are fed back into future assortment planning.
An Employee Merchandise Sale Provides Data Companies Can Use
Packing up the final sales table and immediately moving on to business as usual would mean wasting valuable potential. An employee sale can provide useful insights for future merchandise assortments. Campanies could, for example, track:
Metric | What It Can Tell us |
Sales per product | Which products are particularly popular |
Sell-through rate | Whether purchasing quantities match actual demand |
Sales by size | How future textile size distributions can be planned |
Remaining stock | Which products or quantities should be reviewed |
Sales by category | Which product categories perform well |
Sales by time perior | When additional staff may be required |
Frequently asked questions | Where product information may be missing |
Not everything can be captured in an Excel spreadsheet, however. Qualitative feedback can be just as valuable:
“Is this available in another colour?”
“When will size XL be back in stock?”
“Can I order this later through the team shop?”
“Will this jacket be available again next time?”
Feedback like this can help companies gradually align their merchandise assortment more closely with the actual needs and preferences of their employees.
What Role Do Impulse Purchases Play in an Employee Merchandise Sale?
The answer is relatively simple: Products are perceived differently when they are physically right in front of us. We all know this from retail. You originally intend to buy one particular item. Then you notice something else, pick it up and decide to buy that as well. The same effect can occur during an employee merchandise sale. For companies, however, this does not mean placing as many products as possible on the sales floor. An overcrowded assortment can make it more difficult for employees to find their way around. A more considered mix could include:
established bestsellers
new products
different price points
textiles
functional everyday products
smaller add-on products
Limited-time offers or additional activities can also make the sales occasion more engaging. Competitions or raffles, for example, can be considered as long as they are implemented properly from both an organisational and legal perspective.
Good Corporate Merchandise Is Something People Choose to Wear
Perhaps this is the most important insight an employee merchandise sale can provide. Employees do not have to buy the merchandise. They choose to.
That makes their response particularly honest. When someone buys a hoodie, jacket or accessory and then uses it in their personal life, the product has passed an important test: it works not only as a branded corporate item, but also as an everyday product.
That is why quality, design and practical value should always be considered together. A large logo alone does not create good merchandise. The stronger products are often those where brand and product fit together so naturally that employees genuinely enjoy using or wearing them.
Full Service Happens Behind the Scenes of an Employee Merchandise Sale
From the outside, an employee merchandise sale ultimately consists of a sales area and the products displayed there. There is much more happening behind the scenes.
Corporate Merchandise needs to be conceptualised, designed, produced, stored, prepared and accounted for. Digital shop systems and logistics processes also come into play. Verticas combines these areas through its Full Service approach. This includes design, product development and procurement as well as e-shop systems, warehousing, distribution and reporting. Our existing shop systems can also support areas such as inventory management, user administration, different currencies and interfaces with other company systems. An employee merchandise sale adds further operational tasks on site. Because a good merchandise concept does not end when the boxes are delivered.
It ends when the product actually reaches the person it was intended for.
Conclusion: A Good Employee Merchandise Sale Does More Than Sell Merchandise
The KWS employee merchandise sale demonstrates the potential that can emerge when merchandise, brand and employees come together directly. For companies, an event like this can serve several purposes at once. It creates a specific occasion for Corporate Merchandise, enables direct interaction with products and provides feedback on the assortment, design, quality, sizes and pricing.
But making it work requires many details to come together: The right product assortment. Sufficient stock. A well-chosen date. The right sales area. Clear product presentation. Reliable checkout systems. Clearly defined responsibilities. Combined with an employee shop, this can become a system that connects occasional in-person sales with an ongoing digital ordering option. And perhaps that leads to the most important takeaway:
You do not recognise good Corporate Merchandise simply by the fact that a company logo appears on it. You recognise it by the fact that people actually want the product.
FAQs
What Is an Employee Merchandise Sale?
An employee merchandise sale gives employees the opportunity to purchase selected Corporate Merchandise or Corporate Wear directly at their company's premises. Unlike a traditional factory sale, the purpose is not necessarily to sell clearance stock or factory seconds. Instead, the focus is on an assortment specifically selected for the company's own workforce.
What Are the Benefits of an Employee Merchandise Sale?
Employees can see and touch products directly and, in the case of clothing, compare sizes and fits. At the same time, the company can gain direct feedback on its assortment, design, quality and pricing. Physical interaction with the products may also encourage spontaneous additional purchases
Which Products Are Suitable for an Employee Merchandise Sale?
Products that fit the brand and employees' everyday lives are particularly suitable. Depending on the company and target audience, these could include clothing, drinkware, bags, accessories, office products or seasonal merchandise. The number of different products is less important than their relevance to the target audience.
How Far in Advance Should an Employee Merchandise Sale Be Planned?
This depends largely on the merchandise assortment. Products that are already in stock can usually be planned at shorter notice than individually developed or custom-produced items.
The product list, quantities, sizes, prices, delivery dates, sales area and payment processes should therefore be defined as early as possible.
Which Payment Methods Are Suitable for an Employee Merchandise Sale?
Cashless payment methods can make the process considerably easier. At the KWS employee merchandise sale, for example, two checkout systems were used and payments were handled cashlessly. A stable internet connection, tested payment systems and clearly defined processes for receipts, refunds and end-of-day reconciliation are important.
How Do Employee Merchandise Sales and Employee Shops Complement Each Other?
An employee shop makes a defined merchandise assortment available for ongoing ordering. An employee merchandise sale, on the other hand, provides direct interaction with products and creates a specific purchasing occasion. Insights gained during the on-site sale can then be used to further develop product assortments and quantities within the employee shop.
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