What’s It Like Running a Merchandise and Apparel Business in Sydney

Running a merchandise and apparel business in Sydney isn’t just about printing logos on mugs and t-shirts. It’s about managing deadlines, solving unexpected challenges, and keeping both customers and staff happy—day in, day out. As Australia’s trusted bulk supplier of merchandise and apparel, we built this balance through years of fast growth, quick turnarounds, and large campaign deliveries.

In this episode of The Promo Playbook, Charles Liu (founder of Cubic Promote) and Wendy Lee (General Manager) offer a behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to keep a nationally recognised merch operation running smoothly.

With more than 30 years of combined experience in Australia’s promotional items and apparel industry, they walk us through what it means to lead from the front, manage large-scale orders, and maintain a hands-on culture in one of the country’s most fast-paced sectors.

Juggling People, Clients, and Chaos—Every Single Day

One frequent question that businesspeople get asked is, “What does your typical day look like?” While it’s easy to throw in some answers, Wendy mentioned that her day doesn’t follow a fixed routine. Her role spans multiple departments, and she wears several hats. She still manages a handful of her clients while overseeing operational flow, checking the website, coaching staff, and solving day-to-day challenges.

“I don’t call myself a general manager—more like a helper,” she said.

She splits her time between customer service, backend operations like website updates, and staff support. She also reserves time for those unexpected problems that pop up without warning, which, in this industry, is almost daily. Charles agreed with this mindset. From his perspective, everything ultimately comes back to the customer experience, which centres around making it convenient for our customers.

“The first thing is always the customer experience. Everything we do supports that.”

This relentless focus on service is what keeps Cubic Promote competitive, even in a fast-moving environment where expectations are always rising.

What Happens When a 10,000-Piece Order Lands?

Large purchase orders aren’t rare. We often receive last-minute requests for thousands or even tens of thousands of pieces of custom merchandise. For most businesses, this would be a logistical nightmare. For Cubic Promote, it’s business as usual. Our production process begins with confirming pricing and securing artwork approval. If it is urgent (and many are), our in-house design system allows us to prepare digital proofs in under an hour. At the same time, Wendy is calling suppliers, checking internal capacity, and shifting team resources to meet the deadline.

“We’ve had print machines running till midnight… Sometimes with rotating teams, so production never stops.”

From there, items go through our internal quality control process, which includes visual checks, branding confirmation, and count verification. Only after each piece is reviewed, packed, and signed off does the team book the courier. Every step is carefully controlled, even when timelines are tight. That’s how we deliver complex orders with consistency, even when clients give us less than 48 hours to deliver.

The biggest challenge isn’t the volume of orders. It’s about ensuring that each part of the business responds quickly, communicates effectively, and maintains quality standards throughout.

Step In and Get It Done—That’s the Team Mentality

One of Cubic Promote’s biggest strengths is its team culture. All of us chip in, regardless of their job title. When deadlines are tight or workloads surge, the entire team, from senior managers to sales representatives, steps up to the challenge. Wendy recalled one campaign that required labelling 8,000 boxes overnight. We all stayed back—account managers, administrative staff. Even Charles himself, helped out to finish the job before morning.

“We worked till noon one night labelling 8,000 boxes,” Wendy said. “Everyone just got on with it.”

This willingness to jump in is part of what makes the company work. This also builds trust among us and ensures that our clients never hear about excuses, only results. Charles even mentioned that taping boxes and folding clothing is a regular part of his daily routine, especially when large orders accumulate. It’s not about hierarchy. For us, it’s about teamwork.

The Tow Truck Story: Solving the Impossible

Now and then, something happens that makes you stop and think, That really shouldn’t have worked. In our case, it was a rush order for branded beach umbrellas, a 24-hour deadline, and a tow truck that came to the rescue. A client needed everything in place for a beachside event in Sydney—fast. After completing a quick print job, the team encountered a new issue: the boxes were too bulky for same-day couriers. That didn’t stop Wendy. She started calling tow truck companies.

“We called a tow truck company,” she said. “It was the only way to move the goods on time.”

Eventually, a driver agreed. The delivery arrived at 11 pm. The client’s team was still awake and waiting. They unpacked the boxes and set up the umbrellas overnight. By sunrise, the beach was ready for the event. Wendy even received a photo of the setup that morning—a reminder of what’s possible when you think creatively. The client never saw the stress behind the scenes. All they saw was a successful event.

What Do You Do When a $4,000 Order Goes Missing?

In any business that relies on suppliers and couriers, things will go wrong. Packages get lost. Deliveries get delayed. But how a business responds defines its reputation. One recent example involved $4,000 worth of printed banners shipped to Queensland. The courier dropped them off but didn’t leave a usable photo or contact details. Charles went so far as to Google the surrounding area and cold-call neighbouring buildings to track them down. It didn’t work. Rather than argue with the courier or delay the client’s timeline, the team reprinted the banners immediately.

“Even though the mistake wasn’t on our end, we replaced them—no questions asked,” Wendy said.

That kind of decision costs money. But it builds trust. Clients come back not because everything always goes perfectly, but because we have a team that makes it right when it doesn’t.

Behind Every Smooth Order Is Hard, Fast Work

Promotional merchandise is more complex than it looks. It’s not just printing a logo and sending it out. There are production limits, drying times, artwork approvals, courier coordination, quality checks, and packaging—all on tight timelines. But that’s exactly what makes it exciting for people like Charles and Wendy. They thrive on fast turnarounds and problem-solving. It’s the behind-the-scenes hustle that drives them.

“The truth is, there’s a lot of complexity in our industry…What the customer sees is the finished product. But behind the scenes? That’s where the real work begins.” Charles mentioned.

For us, every minute does count. We all have a part to play in making it all come together. When we ship something out, it’s not just a product with a logo. It’s something a client trusted us to get right.

Partner with a Team that Gets it Done

Cubic Promote is designed for businesses that require custom merchandise to be delivered on time, every time. Whether it’s 100 units or 50,000, the team will find a way to make it happen. They’ll rework schedules, find new couriers, and, if necessary, call tow trucks.

If you want branded products without the stress, work with the team that takes the necessary steps to deliver. Contact our team today to explore custom merchandise ideas, request a quote, or arrange a one-on-one meeting.

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