Shirt.Woot

I've shopped at most of the major t-shirt design shops online and am consistently disappointed in non-AA blanks. I'm willing to keep an open mind about Woot's supplier change but I'm aware of most of the options out there and "cheaper than AA, but just as good" doesn't exist.

dcroe05 wrote:While potential change is always a stressor for me, for now I'll stay in the wait-and-see camp.

Thank you! Change can be upsetting, but let us screw it up before you decide to hate us forever.

You're switching T-shirt suppliers right after a price increase? I'm really hoping that this will result in an increase in quality, ie the Hanes beefy-t shirts. If you switch to some cheap chinese brand, there are many other t-shirt websites that fulfill that need.

The great thing about Woot was the quality shirts, I've got shirts I ordered back in 2007 that are still in great shape...if that goes away, I'll be really sad.

edit: ordered me a couple of the reckoning shirts I'd been looking at, figured I'd better stick with the t-shirt quality I know while I still can.

llandar wrote:Thank you! Change can be upsetting, but let us screw it up before you decide to hate us forever.

Just adding my voice that if the new woot shirt quality is lower than the AA shirts currently used I will be abandoning shirt.woot! which I have come to love so much

Just so the woot finance department can project potential lost customers due to manufacturing changes, my shirt.woot purchases since 7/20/2009:

Good luck woot, please don't piss off your customers.

dcroe05 wrote:While potential change is always a stressor for me, for now I'll stay in the wait-and-see camp.
...

1. They wouldn't use the words "changes to our shirt supplier" if they were sticking with AA.

2. All AA shirts are tagged. Going tagless like how GoodJoe or Threadless does it is done in-house ... and I don't see that as a significant labor-saving operation, as it means the shirts have to go through a second screen print.

3. If that was the case, Woot could just opted for a different supplier for the gals. GoodJoe uses AA 2102 for the gals, but typically Cygnus 7000 (an AA 2001 alternative, made in El Salvador) for the guys.

4. Everyone has their personal favorites. Seeing how I have AA blanks from even 10 years ago, I like them.

I'm well aware of "AA alternatives" that are cheaper because they're imported. But that is just the whole issue with the 1% - seeking greater profits for themselves at the expense of everyone else. By going imported ...

- That's several thousand of t-shirts a week that will no longer be made here in the USA.
- That supplier will no longer need that many employees here in the USA.
- Those employees will be in the unemployment lines. Instead of being productive, they become a drain on government/society.
- Those employees won't have the money to spend and spread around the community anymore. When dollars are sent elsewhere, it's unlikely to make it back here.

And thus, the downward spiral continues.

AA pays their factory workers around $13/hour.

A factory worker, say in Haiti ... less than $6. A day. Over half of that is going to be spent for transportation and food for the day. Living wage, it's not even close.

Do workers in other countries need that job. Yes.

Do we need the jobs here, in America, because in turn, it provides additional jobs too as the money is spread around the community? Just as much.

CaptainDDL wrote:... I'm really hoping that this will result in an increase in quality, ie the Hanes beefy-t shirts.

It's not a quality improvement to their factory workers in Bangladesh or Haiti that are paid less than $6 a day. And that's already above their country's minimum wages.

Just noticed that shirt.what is down in protest.. anybody posted about this yet?

http://www.shirtwhat.com/madeinamerica.php

bluetuba wrote:Just noticed that shirt.what is down in protest.. anybody posted about this yet?

http://www.shirtwhat.com/madeinamerica.php

Thank you, bluchez.

llandar wrote:Thank you! Change can be upsetting, but let us screw it up before you decide to hate us forever.

In other words, VOTE WITH YOUR DOLLARS!

My (laughable) New Year's Resolution was to go a whole month without buying any Woot shirts. My count last month was 17. This month is on par with that.

Going import means I will fulfill that resolution. I'll still vote for the derby designs, but I doubt I will follow through clicking on the "I want one" button too.

Narfcake wrote:And thus, the downward spiral continues.

I'm not going to parse your statement because I don't disagree with anything that you say.

If the shirts come from somewhere that doesn't pay a living wage, that's a deal-breaker. If it's a non-US supplier but still one that pays good wages (Canada, as a made up example) then it's something I'll use to make my decision but not a deal-breaker by itself.

I wonder if it's just coincidence that today AA announced that they will be putting RFID tags in all their products.

EDIT: In my first paragraph changed "agree" to "disagree"...which was kind of important because it changed the meaning of the whole post.

One issue that I haven't seen considered is that AA may have become an unworkable supplier for some unspecified reason; be it cost, availability/volume requirements, modified terms, etc.

Also, Beefy-Ts are not an upgrade (IMO). Yes, they are thicker, but after a few washings seem to shrink more, become stiff (in comparison), and take on an "aged" patina.

Woot, let me make this very clear.
I've purchased nearly 100 shirt.woots. A large part of the reason for these purchases is that the AA shirts fit perfectly.
Every other t-shirt I've tried its like a bag. Very wide and too short.
If you switch to something that first differently, I will not be purchasing woot shirts again. I'd rather pay $15 for a 1st day shirt than buy some beefy-t or anvil that fits like crap.

dcroe05 wrote:I wonder if it's just coincidence that today AA announced that they will be putting RFID tags in all their products.

You mean this? They announced such years ago already.

As someone who has been buying Woot! shirts from the beginning --

on 7/26/2007, you successfully wooted.
ORDER 21695711
You want 1

Sea Chimp
You ordered 1 Asphalt Woot Tee. WL
which each cost $10.00
for a subtotal of $10.00
plus tax + $0.83
plus shipping + $0.00
for a total of $10.83

-- I'm severely disappointed about the proposed change in shirt suppliers. I buy from Woot! rather than other sites like Tee Fury that use inferior blanks. I still have and wear shirts from the "early days" that have stood the test of time. I would hate if my shirts didn't last as long due to inferior blanks. I will echo many other posters in saying that I will have to strongly reconsider purchasing shirts if you move to an overseas supplier and/or the quality/fit/longevity of the shirts changes. My husband will love that I'm buying less t-shirts... but my closet will be sad.

kipin wrote:Just adding my voice that if the new woot shirt quality is lower than the AA shirts currently used I will be abandoning shirt.woot! which I have come to love so much

Just so the woot finance department can project potential lost customers due to manufacturing changes, my shirt.woot purchases since 7/20/2009:

Good luck woot, please don't piss off your customers.

My online banking won't let me perform quite the same operation as that, so I started manually adding it up on a calculator. Right around the time I hit 600, I quit. First purchase 2/28/2009.

My closet is filled with hangers, filled with woot shirts. I have around 4 non-woot shirts that I wear, and they pale in quality.

I support the spirit of the quoted poster.

don't know about the rest of you, but my last
woot shirt, my first at $12, (blossom, feb 5), was definitely a thinner tshirt than my previous
woots (8 shirts). this is my first white shirt,
if it matters.
not worth returning but i doubt i buy again.

odd that no one else has commented the same,
but higher price + lower quality = no sale
for me.

cm

I received a Fruit of the Loom "Best" blank in a Barrels of Crud recently.


I'm sure it was only a coincidence.

If the supplier changes....well regardless of the design for a while you won't see any business....not going to jump into a shirt purchase without even having a look at the quality of it. Woot shirts from AA are amongst my favorite...and that's before the design even goes on them!

Is this an Amazon effect trickling down?.. say it ain't so.

I just want to wait and see what the decision makers say before I jump on the "Boycott Woot!" bandwagon.

I will say that I love the current quality of shirts, e.g. the thickness, durability, softness, etc. If the new T-shirts will have the same quality and will be made by people making a living wage in a healthy working environment, I will be content.

Well, I guess that clears up a lot!

Phase 1: Collect underpants--er, shirts
Phase 2: Change suppliers
Phase 3: Profit

taternuggets wrote:I received a Fruit of the Loom "Best" blank in a Barrels of Crud recently.

I'm sure it was only a coincidence.

Those came out of the 5-pack blanks.

rlorenz89 wrote:Well, I guess that clears up a lot!

Phase 1: Collect underpants--er, shirts
Phase 2: Change suppliers
Phase 3: Profit

That implies that they weren't profiting before this, which is untrue. They wouldn't have stuck with the exact same business model for over four years if they weren't profiting from it sufficiently to keep the business going.

I'm pissed, Woot. Why won't you tell us what's going on? It's clear the decision has already been made, so just tell us what's going to happen and let us decide what we want to do with that information.

bluetuba wrote:Just noticed that shirt.what is down in protest.. anybody posted about this yet?

http://www.shirtwhat.com/madeinamerica.php

I wondered what that was all about. I'm fairly new to Woot, but the shirt I bought was pretty comfy. Seems like a lot of people here agree.

I am pretty excited about getting these for $14.99. I used my Jumbo Woot coupon and got them for $9.99 ($3.33 a shirt). I will give the new supplier a chance if a shirt comes up that I want. However, until then Carpe Diem!

Narfcake wrote:" As we prepare to make some changes to our shirt supplier" ...

Ummm ... I'm not sure I like the sound of that.

As someone who's been around since the beginning... before wooting from our iPhones and having handy-dandy sites assisting with attaining the ever-elusive Blue Öyster Cult, I too am concerned about the supplier change.

I've been eagerly watching the new weekly sales, hoping for a reprint of Dramatic Jackalope and Now Let Me Get This Straight, both of which I purchased when I was a medium, but both of which are now tight around a sad, expanding mid-section...

But, I digress. Now if these designs do surface in a sale, but the shirts don't fit like my American Apparel I go out of my way to find when I'm not purchasing at woot... well, that makes me sad.

Guess I'll have to hit the gym and make those trusty old shirts fit again!

I just finished telling my wife how excited I was that I finally found a Tshirt brand with a fit and feel that I like. I had pretty much decided that woot shirts would be the only Tshirts I would buy from now on. It's a good feeling to know exactly how a shirt is going to feel when you order it. Regardless of what the new blanks turn out to be, we're at least going to lose that. I hope that the new blanks don't end up being as disappointing as I'm anticipating them to be.

Sad to see this change. As others have noted, the AA fit, feel and quality are excellent (and made in USA). Hopefully the change will be for the better, but we shall see.

missmelis wrote:That implies that they weren't profiting before this, which is untrue. They wouldn't have stuck with the exact same business model for over four years if they weren't profiting from it sufficiently to keep the business going.

I'm pissed, Woot. Why won't you tell us what's going on? It's clear the decision has already been made, so just tell us what's going to happen and let us decide what we want to do with that information.

How do you know margins haven't gone down because of supplier pressure? Are you in the industry? If you are, then I'd like a detailed report. Jeezus man, it was a joke--take a chill pill.

I cannot afford to lose my tee supplier.
Woot, please be open regarding your business situation. Your customer base is riddled with business geeks and generally intelligent people.

llandar wrote:Thank you! Change can be upsetting, but let us screw it up before you decide to hate us forever.

More information, less pissed?
More information, more pissed?
Right now, I'm simmering. And waiting.

Never liked the quality of AA shirts. Looking forward to what they bring in.

missmelis wrote:I'm pissed, Woot. Why won't you tell us what's going on?

It's almost as if we're putting together an official announcement to hopefully answer all your questions in one place rather than let random pieces of rumor run around the site.

Check back at midnight!

I don't think American Apparel deserves any particular brand loyalty besides liking the quality of the shirts. They're a pretty horrid company, with a fairly putrid founder, and exploitative advertising. Also pretty badly run as well, hence the rise in cost for blanks, I imagine.

A Chinese brand might actually be a step up.

llandar wrote:It's almost as if we're putting together an official announcement to hopefully answer all your questions in one place rather than let random pieces of rumor run around the site.

Check back at midnight!

what fun is that? I just spent a fortune on torches and pitchforks, this announcement better be terrible!

bluetuba wrote:Just noticed that shirt.what is down in protest.. anybody posted about this yet?

http://www.shirtwhat.com/madeinamerica.php

I want to be clear it was not put up in protest, threat, ultimatum, or in righteous outrage, etc. I will absolutely hold my decision making on the subject until all available information is presented (and I fully respect woot's right to make their decisions about their company and present the information as they feel is necessary). In the meantime, I made the decision to make it clear where I stood on this particular issue (and snarky forum posts aren't my style).

CaptainTr1pps wrote:A Chinese brand might actually be a step up.

I doubt it. Watch China Blue.

odysseyroc wrote:what fun is that? I just spent a fortune on torches and pitchforks, this announcement better be terrible!

Well, at least the ruckus raised so far has pushed up "the announcement later this week" to tonight.

llandar wrote:Thank you! Change can be upsetting, but let us screw it up before you decide to hate us forever.

You already have screwed up. You're liquidating your inventory, which means you already have a replacement supplier, and you've made this massive decision with absolutely no input from the community at large.

If I had to bet, I'd say this is a psychological power play. You already know what the change will be, but if you tell people now they will be angry with the change. This, however, allows people to be angry with "change" so by the time you actually announce what is going on, hopefully that anger will have subsided.

I do hope that I end up being wrong, but I highly doubt it at this point.

Narfcake wrote:Well, at least the ruckus raised so far has pushed up "the announcement later this week" to tonight.

I don't get why they didn't just have such an announcement ready today when they started the blank sale and told us they were getting rid of AA.

I mean they are fully aware of how rabble-rousing and excitable their forum community is, lol

mrwednesday wrote:You already have screwed up. You're liquidating your inventory, which means you already have a replacement supplier, and you've made this massive decision with absolutely no input from the community at large.

If I had to bet, I'd say this is a psychological power play. You already know what the change will be, but if you tell people now they will be angry with the change. This, however, allows people to be angry with "change" so by the time you actually announce what is going on, hopefully that anger will have subsided.

I do hope that I end up being wrong, but I highly doubt it at this point.

What an interesting, well-thought-out, and not-at-all insane post.

llandar wrote:What an interesting, well-thought-out, and not-at-all insane post.

You're right. It definitely makes absolutely no sense to provide an upfront and detailed explanation of the changes going on from the outset when major changes like this are made so that the consumer has the information to make an educated decision.

I also learned in business school that best practices were to leak major business moves as thinly veiled offhand text as part of a BIG SALE!!!!!!!!!111exclamationpoint!!1!11!!

bluetuba wrote:I don't get why they didn't just have such an announcement ready today when they started the blank sale and told us they were getting rid of AA.

I mean they are fully aware of how rabble-rousing and excitable their forum community is, lol

That is true.

llandar wrote:What an interesting, well-thought-out, and not-at-all insane post.

Congratulations, Mr. Wed. - may a caricature of you end up gracing one of our future Woot calendars much like a certain Mr. Addison Erlenmeyer does in this year's.

(But seriously, I'm feeling it's all just a misunderstanding of when you're serious and when you're sarcastic.)