Products
.svg)
.svg)
When autumn arrives, everything feels a little cozier. The leaves turn gold, the air gets cooler, and somewhere you can almost smell warm pretzels and hear the sound of music and laughter.
It’s Oktoberfest.
What started in Munich over 200 years ago is now celebrated all around the world. From big beer gardens in Germany to small-town parties in the U.S, millions of people join in every September and October. They dress up, enjoy food and drinks with friends, and want something to remember the good times.
For print-on-demand sellers, Oktoberfest isn’t just about beer mugs and T-shirts with lederhosen designs. It’s about capturing the happy, festive feeling people want to take home with them. When someone buys a shirt that says “Prost to the Most” or a custom beer stein with their friends’ names, they’re buying more than a product — they’re buying a memory.
And that’s your chance to be part of their celebration.
Oktoberfest isn’t just a fun event — it’s a shopping season in disguise.
Every year, millions of people around the world join in the celebration. The main festival in Munich alone drew about 6.7 million visitors in 2024, who enjoyed over 7 million liters of beer during 16 lively days (Statista, 2024). And that’s just the main event — thousands of smaller Oktoberfest-themed parties pop up across the U.S., Canada, the UK, Australia, and beyond.
And when people celebrate, they shop.
They buy matching shirts for their group, fun hats for photos, mugs to take home, and small gifts for friends who couldn’t make it. In the weeks leading up to the event, Google Trends data shows search interest for terms like “Oktoberfest shirts”, “custom beer steins”, and “funny pretzel T-shirts” climbing sharply — often weeks before the first keg is tapped (Google Trends, 2024).
This isn’t just about souvenirs — it’s about joining in the moment. People want something they can wear or use during the festival, and then keep afterward as a reminder of the good times.
And the best part? You don’t need to reinvent your whole store. By adding just a few Oktoberfest-inspired designs to products you already sell, you can tap into a lively, ready-to-buy market without starting from scratch.
The beauty of Oktoberfest is that it’s playful, colorful, and full of traditions people love to show off. That makes it a dream for print-on-demand — because so many product types can fit right into the celebration.
And shoppers aren’t just browsing — they’re buying. In the weeks leading up to Oktoberfest, Google Trends data shows search interest for terms like “Oktoberfest shirts”, “custom beer mugs”, and “pretzel T-shirts” climbing by 50% or more compared to the yearly average (Google Trends, 2024). That means the demand is already there — you just need the right products to meet it.
1. Apparel That Makes a Statement
2. Drinkware They’ll Actually Use
3. Fun Accessories for the Day
4. Home Décor for At-Home Celebrations
Use lifestyle mockups — a stein in the middle of a toast, a shirt worn in a group photo, a tote draped over a festival chair. These scenes help customers picture your products in their own celebrations.
The energy of Oktoberfest sells itself — you just need to show up in the right way. The most effective marketing feels like you’re joining the celebration, not interrupting it.
Swap “11 oz mug with printed design” for “Your own name on this stein means no one ‘accidentally’ drinks your beer.” You’re not selling ceramic and ink — you’re selling the moment.
Tote on a picnic table, shirt on a laughing friend — let buyers see themselves in the scene.
Google Trends shows searches for Oktoberfest merch start climbing 4–6 weeks before the festival begins. Start promoting early.
Festival-goers often shop for the whole crew. Offer bundles like shirt + mug + tote, or group discounts.
And here’s where GearLaunch quietly becomes your behind-the-scenes lifesaver.
When timing is tight and demand is high, you can’t afford to get stuck on logistics. GearLaunch offers:
Full-service fulfillment & customer support, freeing you to focus on design and promotion
With GearLaunch, you create the designs — we make sure they get into the right hands before the music starts.
By the time the first tent opens, your customers already know what they’re wearing. The planning happens weeks before — in group chats filled with “What are we wearing?” and “Should we get matching mugs?”
This is your window.
Oktoberfest is more than an event; it’s a mood. Your products need to feel like they belong there:
Think about the moment your customer uses your product. If it feels like part of the celebration, you’re on the right track.
The streets are buzzing. Music drifts through the air. Somewhere, a group in matching shirts lifts their steins and shouts in unison — and your design is right there in the middle of it.
That’s the goal. Not just to sell a product, but to be part of a memory.
The way to get there is to start now, while the excitement is building. The earlier your products are live, the more likely they’ll be part of someone’s festival plans.
Reliability matters too. No one wants to worry whether their merch will arrive on time. That’s why many sellers trust GearLaunch to print, pack, and deliver with speed — reaching customers in Munich, Milwaukee, or Melbourne before the first beer is poured.
Because when that first stein is raised, you want your products to already be there — in the photos, in the cheers, and in the stories people tell long after the tents come down.
.svg)
.svg)
.svg)
