Shop by club: how USHPA made a national store feel local
USHPA's member store lets pilots shop by their local club or by athlete, rather than browsing one national product list. Apparel runs unisex, men's, women's and youth across tees, hoodies, sweatshirts, jackets, vests, bottoms, polos and button-downs, with headwear, drinkware, backpacks and custom promo items alongside.
Members belong to a club first
For a membership association, identity is local. Pilots think of themselves as part of their club at least as much as part of the national body, and a single national merch page misses that completely.
The obvious fix — printing club-specific stock for hundreds of clubs up front — was never realistic. The store had to make club-level gear reachable without club-level inventory.
How the store is organised
- 'Shop your favorite club' browsing straight from the homepage
- 'Shop by athlete' sections featuring pilots including Galen Kirkpatrick, Judy Leden, Horacio Llorens and Christian Ciech
- Apparel in unisex, men's, women's and youth: t-shirts, hoodies, sweatshirts, jackets, vests, bottoms, polos and button-downs
- Headwear, drinkware, backpacks and a custom promotional products section
- The association's mission on the storefront, so the shop reads as part of USHPA rather than a bolt-on
Why youth sizing matters
Hang gliding and paragliding are family-participation sports. Carrying youth sizes across the core apparel range keeps the store useful to whole households rather than individual members — and household purchases are what make a member store worth running.
Club and athlete ranges also give members a reason to visit between renewals, which is the hardest part of association merchandising.
Read the full write-up on our case studies page: swagshops.com/case-studies/ushpa-member-store
For other associations
- Let members shop by the group they identify with, not just by product.
- Feature athletes or members — people buy from people.
- Carry youth sizing if families participate in your sport or cause.
- Put your mission statement on the store so it reads as part of the organisation.
FAQ
Can club-specific merch work without holding stock per club?
Yes — on-demand production means club artwork is applied when an order comes in, so hundreds of club ranges don't mean hundreds of stock commitments.
Does a member store need to be members-only?
Not usually. Open stores let supporters and families buy too, which is often where the volume comes from.