What Happened to Threadless?

Post by [deleted] » Tue, Nov 07, 2017, 4:35 PM UTC

soniman wrote: post #2

The article fails to mention that there is a ton of competition and Threadless has been trounced by Redbubble, Society6, Teepublic, etc. Plus, t-shirts alone is not enough to sustain a site. Stickers, iPhone cases, mugs, etc etc. Threadless is a good example of the dangers of premature profitability.

Post by test1235 » Tue, Nov 07, 2017, 4:45 PM UTC

raverbashing wrote: post #49

petepete wrote: post #30

> Threadless fans report that the shirts now appear in UK T.J. Maxx stores Over here they're known as TK Maxx.

I think the TK Maxx name is not only in the UK but all over Europe (maybe there are exceptions)

Post by josephjrobison » Tue, Nov 07, 2017, 4:55 PM UTC

strebler wrote: post #58

dkarl wrote: post #48

Threadless announced Artist Shops in 2015 and rolled them out to Threadless’s general community in early 2016. Artist Shops, still in existence, allow designers to sell items printed with any design (allowed by Threadless’s terms and conditions) directly to customers and receive royalties on each sale.... The shift to a more equitable royalties and rights model removed the gamification elements of Threadless that mad…

Why is it so surprising? From both the designer and shopper perspectives, the Old Way does seem better. With the Old Way: Designer: does N work to create a design and has X% chance of winning $2500. They focus on what they love (i.e. design) and can get a nice quick payout if they're good. This is even better than a lottery, because it has the same excitement, but talent is also a factor which is very motivating. The…

Post by jacobrobbins » Tue, Nov 07, 2017, 5:04 PM UTC

tedmiston wrote: post #47

Something else not mentioned in the article is that graphic tees have fallen in popularity in the past decade vs plain t-shirts. I'm just one data point but having purchased from Threadless a few times, I haven't bought one graphic tee in the past five years or more. The novelty of a graphic tee wears off quickly. I'd rather have a more expensive but high quality plain shirt I'll like for years to come.

Post by jamestimmins » Tue, Nov 07, 2017, 5:25 PM UTC

scrooched_moose wrote: post #65

tedmiston wrote: post #47

Something else not mentioned in the article is that graphic tees have fallen in popularity in the past decade vs plain t-shirts. I'm just one data point but having purchased from Threadless a few times, I haven't bought one graphic tee in the past five years or more. The novelty of a graphic tee wears off quickly. I'd rather have a more expensive but high quality plain shirt I'll like for years to come.

Have they fallen in popularity or have you aged out of the target market? Same "single data point" disclaimer, but most of my peers lost interest in them mid-college when they began dressing more mature. The high schoolers I know still wear graphic tees but for whatever reason Threadless never connected with the next generation.