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Managing Club Store Items - Swim Club Connect

Managing Club Store Items

Set up team merchandise and equipment for easy parent purchasing

What You'll Accomplish

You'll create a digital store where parents can buy team merchandise like swimming caps, t-shirts, and equipment. Items can be personalized with swimmers' names and offered during registration or anytime through the store.

💡 What's the Club Store?
Think of it as an online team shop built into your app. Parents can buy items when they register their swimmers, or browse and purchase anytime. Perfect for team caps, shirts, fundraising items, and equipment.

Before You Start

✅ No Stripe account required to get started!
You can set up and browse your Club Store before connecting Stripe. Parents won't be able to make purchases until Stripe Connect is active, but you can configure everything in advance.
⚠️ Prerequisites:
• You need club administrator access
• Have photos and descriptions ready for your items
• Stripe Connect is only required when you're ready to accept online purchases

Consider what you want to sell:

  • Team merchandise: Swimming caps, t-shirts, hoodies
  • Equipment: Goggles, kickboards, training gear
  • Fundraising items: Coffee, chocolates, raffle tickets
  • Event items: Meet programs, carnival merchandise

Adding New Store Items

Access Your Club Store

Navigate to where you'll add and manage store items.

  1. Open the Swim Club Connect app
  2. Tap Settings at the bottom of the screen
  3. Tap Club Store
  4. You'll see a list of any existing store items
[Screenshot: Settings menu showing Club Store option]

Start Adding a New Item

Create a new item for parents to purchase.

  1. Tap the orange + Item button
  2. You'll be taken to the item creation form
[Screenshot: Club Store list with "+ Item" button highlighted]

Enter Basic Item Information

Give your item a clear name and description that parents will understand.

  1. Item Name: Be specific (e.g., "Team Swimming Cap - Navy Blue" not just "Cap")
  2. Description: Include important details like sizes, colors, or materials
  3. Price: Enter the cost in Australian dollars
  4. Add Photo: Take or upload a clear photo of the item
[Screenshot: Item details form showing name, description, price, and photo upload]
💡 Writing Great Descriptions:
• Include size information ("Available in Child and Adult sizes")
• Mention colors or design details
• Add care instructions for clothing items
• Note if items are limited edition or fundraising

Configure Item Availability

Choose when and where parents can purchase this item.

Option What It Means Best For
Required during registration All families must purchase this item when registering Team caps, mandatory t-shirts
Optional during registration Families can add this to their registration if they want Extra caps, hoodies, equipment
Available in store Parents can buy this anytime through the store Fundraising items, replacement gear
💡 You can select multiple options!
For example, team caps could be "Optional during registration" AND "Available in store" so parents can buy them when registering or order replacements later.
[Screenshot: Availability checkboxes for registration and store options]

Set Up Personalization (Optional)

Let parents add their swimmer's name or other custom text to items.

Personalization Example: Team Swimming Caps

Instructions: "Enter your swimmer's name as you'd like it printed on the cap"

Character Limit: 20 characters

Example: "J. SMITH" or "JESSICA"

Location: "Back of cap, in white text"

Extra Cost: $5.00

If you want to offer personalization:

  1. Turn on "Allow Personalization"
  2. Instructions: Tell parents what to enter (e.g., "Enter swimmer's name for cap")
  3. Character Limit: Set a maximum length (usually 15-25 characters)
  4. Example Text: Show parents the format you want
  5. Location: Where the text will appear ("Back of cap", "Left chest", etc.)
  6. Extra Cost: Additional fee for personalization (if any)
  7. Required? Must parents add personalization, or is it optional?
[Screenshot: Personalization settings form with all options]

Review and Save

Check everything looks correct before making the item available to parents.

  1. Review the item name, description, and price
  2. Check the photo looks clear and professional
  3. Confirm availability settings are correct
  4. Test personalization settings if enabled
  5. Tap Save Item
[Screenshot: Item review screen showing all details before saving]
✅ Store Item Created!
Your item is now available to parents based on the availability settings you chose. They'll see it during registration (if enabled) or when browsing the store, once Stripe Connect is active.

Popular Store Item Ideas

🏊‍♀️ Team Swimming Caps

Personalized with swimmer names. Usually required during registration and available in store for replacements.

👕 Club T-Shirts

Team shirts with club logo. Offer multiple sizes and colors. Great for meets and events.

🥽 Training Equipment

Goggles, kickboards, fins. Partner with suppliers for member discounts.

☕ Fundraising Items

Coffee, chocolates, entertainment books. Easy way to raise funds for the club.

🏆 Event Merchandise

Meet programs, carnival t-shirts, commemorative items for special events.

🎟️ Event Tickets

Sell tickets to club events, dinners, or fundraising activities through the store.

Managing Your Store Items

Once you've created store items, you can edit, reorder, hide, or remove them as needed.

Editing Existing Items

  1. From the Club Store list, find the item you want to edit
  2. Tap the Edit button (pencil icon)
  3. Make your changes to pricing, descriptions, photos, or availability
  4. Tap Save Changes
[Screenshot: Store items list showing edit buttons for each item]
⚠️ Price Changes: If you increase prices, consider creating a new item instead of editing. This avoids confusion for parents who may have seen the old price.

Reordering Items

Change the order items appear to parents during registration and in the store.

  1. From the Club Store list, tap and hold the ≡ handle
  2. Drag the item to a new position in the list
  3. Release to drop it in the new location
  4. The order saves automatically
[Screenshot: Store items with reorder handles being dragged]
💡 Smart Ordering Tips:
• Put required items first (like team caps)
• Group similar items together (all clothing, all equipment)
• Place popular items near the top
• Put seasonal items at the bottom when out of season

Temporarily Hiding Items

Remove items from parent view without deleting them permanently.

  1. Find the item in your Club Store list
  2. Tap the item to open its details
  3. Turn off all availability options:
    • Uncheck "Required during registration"
    • Uncheck "Optional during registration"
    • Uncheck "Available in store"
  4. Tap Save Changes
When to Hide Items:
• Seasonal items that are currently out of stock
• Items you're updating photos or descriptions for
• Testing new items before making them fully available
• Fundraising items between campaigns

Deleting Items Permanently

Remove items that are no longer needed.

  1. Find the item you want to delete
  2. Tap the Delete button (X icon)
  3. Confirm you want to permanently delete it
⚠️ Can't Delete?
If parents have already purchased an item, you cannot delete it. The system protects existing order records. You can hide the item instead to remove it from future sales.

Updating Photos

Keep your store looking fresh with current photos.

  1. Edit the item you want to update
  2. Tap the current photo
  3. Choose "Take New Photo" or "Choose from Library"
  4. Crop and adjust as needed
  5. Save your changes
📸 Photo Tips:
• Use natural lighting for best colors
• Show the item being worn/used when possible
• Include size references (item next to a coin or ruler)
• Take photos on a clean, simple background
• Update photos seasonally to keep them fresh

Understanding Purchase Options

Three Ways Parents Can Buy Items:
1. During Registration: Added to their total registration cost
2. Store Shopping: Separate purchase anytime through the store
3. Bulk Orders: Club coordinators can create group orders for events

What Parents Experience

When you create store items, here's what parents see:

  1. During Registration: Required items are automatically added; optional items can be selected
  2. Store Browsing: Clear photos, descriptions, and prices for each item
  3. Personalization: Easy forms to add swimmer names or custom text
  4. Checkout: Secure payment with automatic confirmation emails
  5. Collection: Instructions on when and where to collect items
[Screenshot: Parent view of store items during registration process]

Common Questions

How do I handle different sizes for clothing items?
Create separate store items for each size, or use the description field to let parents specify their size choice. For example: "Team T-Shirt - specify size in notes during checkout" and include a size chart in the description.
Can I offer bulk discounts for large orders?
Currently, discounts need to be applied manually. Contact support if you need to process a large team order with special pricing. We can help create a custom checkout for bulk purchases.
What happens when someone orders a personalized item?
You'll receive the order details including the custom text in your order notifications and reports. The personalization text appears clearly so you can forward it to your supplier or print it yourself.
How do parents collect their purchased items?
After purchase, parents receive instructions to collect items from the club. You can customize these instructions in your club settings to specify pickup times, locations, and contact information.
Can I track inventory levels?
The system tracks orders but doesn't automatically manage stock levels. You'll need to manually hide or remove items when they're sold out. Check your order reports regularly to monitor sales volumes.
✅ Your Store is Ready!
Parents can now purchase team merchandise easily through the app. Consider promoting new items through club newsletters or announcements to boost sales.

Need Help?

If you need assistance with store management:

💡 Pro Tips for Store Success:
• Update photos seasonally to keep the store fresh
• Survey parents about what items they'd like to see
• Partner with local suppliers for member discounts
• Use the store for fundraising campaigns and special events
• Check competitor pricing to stay competitive