E-commerce has exploded in the last several years, propelled forward exponentially by the COVID-19 pandemic. Just a few short years following that global pandemic, e-commerce has been cemented as one of the top ways people do their retail buying. Its impact on the way apparel decorators in particular do business has redefined the industry.

But just how much? And what adjustments still need to be made? How can decorators truly succeed in a saturated, often chaotic e-commerce world?

We sat down with Jason Lucash, CEO of Rupt — a supplier of custom promotional products and apparel that emphasizes sustainability — to dissect just how big the e-commerce explosion is within the industry, as well as how it has altered the face of print-on-demand (POD).

Apparelist: On the tail end of COVID and in the years following, e-commerce has exploded. What was the state of this niche before that?

Lucash: Before COVID, e-commerce was already trending upward, but it wasn’t “dominating” the promo and apparel world, especially not for decorators or PSPs. The bulk of business was still happening through traditional distributor relationships, bulk orders, and long lead times. POD existed, but it wasn’t seen as a serious channel for high-volume or high-quality merchandise. It was more novelty than necessity.

Then the pandemic hit and everything flipped. Brick-and-mortar was off-limits, events dried up, and suddenly, e-commerce and POD became the only way to move product. It forced people to reevaluate the way they fulfill, distribute, and even design their merch. A lot of companies who were hesitant to try POD before suddenly had no choice, and many realized it solved more problems than they thought.

Apparelist: Now nearly five years out, how have you seen this segment continue to change?

Lucash: The initial boom led to saturation — everyone jumped into POD, whether or not they were ready for it. What we’re seeing now is a refinement stage. Quality matters again. Experience matters. Speed still rules, but now it’s about pairing speed with design, sustainability, and true brand alignment.

It’s no longer about just being fast or cheap. It’s about being custom, being thoughtful, and making POD look and feel premium.

Apparelist: How has e-commerce reshaped in-person retail and shopping habits for apparel decorating shops’ customers?

Lucash: The lines are blurred now. Consumers expect the same level of customization, speed, and experience from every brand interaction, whether it’s online or in-store. That shift in expectation has trickled into the B2B space.

End-users don’t want to wait six weeks for merch. They don’t want a bulk order of random stuff. They want relevant, customizable, brand-right gear delivered quickly, often drop-shipped to multiple locations. That’s what we solve for at Rupt every day: POD lets us move at the speed of culture, not the speed of outdated supply chains.

It’s not a “nice to have” anymore, it’s table stakes. If you’re a PSP/decorator and you’re not playing in POD, you’re leaving revenue on the table. Full stop.

Clients want flexibility. They want testable inventory and low-commitment entry points. POD unlocks that. It also opens up whole new revenue streams: e-commerce integrations, influencer merch, B2B drop shipping, employee gifting, you name it. You can scale while doing one-piece minimums. You just need the right tech and a different mindset.

Apparelist: What makes e-commerce and POD a natural fit?

Credit: Rupt

Lucash: It’s the ultimate partnership: E-commerce creates the demand, POD fulfills it in real time. No inventory, no forecasting errors, no warehousing. That’s a dream for brands looking to stay lean and agile.

And let’s be honest, e-commerce is built for customization and niche storytelling. POD lets brands go hyper-specific, test micro-collections, and create made-to-order merch drops that feel exclusive. At Rupt, we see this as the future of branded merch. It’s not about what’s in stock, it’s about what you can imagine and deliver quickly.

Apparelist: For any decorators not already utilizing POD in the world of e-commerce, how do they get started?

Lucash: Start with your workflow. You need a platform that supports integrations: Shopify, Etsy, WooCommerce, whatever your customers use. Then invest in a solid front-end experience (mockup tools, product personalization, etc.) and pair it with back-end automation that connects to your ERP system.

On the production side, direct-to-garment (DTG), direct-to-film (DTF), and sublimation are key. But more important than the equipment is the process. How fast can you go from order to fulfillment? Can you render visuals in real time?

Apparelist: How do you see POD playing out in the world of e-commerce in the next five to five to 10 years?

Lucash: POD is going to keep evolving toward full automation, personalization, and sustainability. AI will influence the front-end experience — think predictive design tools or real-time rendering based on consumer behavior. On the back end, faster decoration methods, smarter logistics, and sustainable substrates will be the differentiators.

Also, expect even more vertical integration. Companies won’t just be printing shirts, they’ll be managing content, fulfillment, and even commerce. At Rupt, we’ve already started building that future with tools that compress timelines, reduce waste, and give brands more control. In five years, it’ll be the norm, not the outlier.

POD isn’t just a tech shift — it’s a mindset shift. It requires PSPs/decorators to reimagine their value, rethink volume, and obsess over agility. It’s not about cranking out thousands of units. It’s about building experiences that feel custom, fast, and future-proof.