How eCommerce Stays Competitive as Costs Rise

Episode overview

In this episode, I sat down with Angus Mitchell, Managing Director at Go Custom, a company that has been building and scaling a custom apparel business for nearly 30 years.

We talked about how the industry evolved from fax orders and manual processes to global eCommerce, and what it actually takes to stay competitive in a market that is becoming more complex every year.

Today, labor-intensive businesses are under pressure from rising costs, shrinking margins, and increasing competition. For many, automation is no longer a choice, it’s becoming a requirement.

In this conversation, we break down what is really happening behind the scenes.

What we covered:

• How the custom apparel industry changed over the last 30 years
• Why rising labor costs are forcing businesses to rethink operations
• What automation actually looks like in production and fulfillment
• Why more brands are outsourcing print-on-demand and fulfillment
• The biggest mistakes people make when launching a merch brand
• How fulfillment enables scaling without operational bottlenecks
• Why small orders and personalization are shaping the future of eCommerce
• What it takes to build and sustain a business long-term