Each year as the months wind down and business owners prepare for what’s to come, we like to look back at what the major industry disruptors have been. What technology has changed the apparel decorating community? What styles have defined and dominated the year’s trends? What is the state of the industry?

But it’s perhaps more important to also look ahead at what the following year holds. As we wrap up 2024, apparel decorators must look ahead to 2025 and be as prepared as possible for different economic happenings, new style trends, disruptive technology, and more.

Joining us for this bonus episode of the Apparelist podcast are Carleen Gray and Josh Ellsworth of STAHLS’, who take a deep-dive into how 2024’s trends and technology shaped the apparel decorating community. They also break down some of the things decorators can look forward to in 2025.

Key Takeaways for State of the Industry

• Industry disruptors and connecters: Shop management software that can handle print-on-demand (POD) orders has made its way onto the scene, signifying the explosive growth of low-quantity and custom orders
• The industry has seen a lot of refining and retooling of business practices, implementing automation, better hiring practices, and efficient workflows
• There’s a spirit of optimism going into 2025, with exciting new technology and trends offering more opportunities to decorators to increase profit