Zazzle Embroidery Review by UF

University Fashions is an indirect competitor of Zazzle so naturally this review may be bias. However with that said, it can not be denied that Zazzle's prices are far higher than the average embroidery shop that you would go to in your neighborhood. Most Zazzle users or customers say that you are paying for the convenience of using their superior customization software. But is this true? The answer is yes and no. It's undeniable that the software team over at Zazzle has created something unique and original and superior to it's competitors. But, all of that research and development costs money. And who pays for it?...the customers do. If you want the fancy personalization platform, you have to pay for it. The cost to develop such software is translated in the price markup of their custom apparel. Some will say that they are willing to pay a few extra bucks to have complete control over the appearance of their design and custom apparel, but you are paying for more than just the superior technology. That is right, you heard me correctly. If you haven't noticed the price of an embroidered shirt from Zazzle isn't just a little bit more expensive than other embroidery shops. Zazzle is a lot more expensive and it's not just because of the cool personalization platform. There are several reasons why Zazzle's prices are so high and the cost of developing and maintaining the platform is just one of them.

The second reason for the price hike is that Zazzle does not do their own customization. Zazzle is a customer focused / web focused company. Which means they do not have the time, money, or expertise to bring their screen printing, embroidery, or direct to garment printing in-house. Zazzle outsources all of it's work to a network of embroidery and printing shops. Yes they have mastered the art of outsourcing and are able to negotiate exceptional prices with their network of embroiderers and printers but it translates into a markup none the less. Whether the markup is small or not, it's a markup and means you would pay less for going straight to the source for your embroidered or screen printed apparel

The third and final reason why personalized apparel from Zazzle is so expensive is that the majority of products being sold on Zazzle's site are being sold by resellers. So in other words, products aren't marked up twice but three times before they reach your hands. So an embroidered polo shirt that would normally cost you around $25 may cost you $50 or more on Zazzle's site. This isn't a problem if you have deep pockets or find something really unique on their site that you can't get anywhere else. But if you are a sports team, organization, company, or a price conscience individual, this might be a serious problem.

In conclusion, Zazzle has a great customization software platform and a wide variety of products but absurdly high prices that will make you think twice about buying. The site is perfect for someone looking to resell products online with their own create design because of the ability to  design a variety of personalized products and create your own custom online store. The site is also great for someone looking for a unique, one of a kind t-shirt design or shoe design. But for the majority of customers needing a few personalized shirts for team members or members of their organization, Zazzle is a rip-off