Custom Corporate Apparel & Employee Stores for Chattanooga Businesses

Most people know The Athletic Shop for team uniforms, but a growing part of what we do has nothing to do with a scoreboard. Businesses across Chattanooga come to us for the same thing coaches do: apparel that looks professional, holds up to daily wear, and represents their brand well. If your company needs branded gear for your team, customers, or an event, here’s how we can help.

Custom Corporate Apparel, Built to Represent Your Brand

Whether you need polos for a customer-facing team, jackets for a trade show, or matching shirts for a company event, we handle the design and production in-house. That means one point of contact from concept to delivery, not multiple vendors to coordinate.

Common requests we see from local businesses include:

• Embroidered polos and button-downs for client-facing staff
• Branded outerwear and jackets for warehouse, field, or outdoor teams
• Custom t-shirts for company events, trade shows, or onboarding kits
• Uniforms for retail, hospitality, and service teams
• Branded hats, bags, and accessories for giveaways or swag

Embroidery vs. Screen Printing for Business Apparel

The right decoration method depends on what you’re producing and how it’ll be used.

Embroidery

Embroidery gives a polished, professional finish that holds up wash after wash, which is why it’s the go-to for polos, button-downs, jackets, and anything client-facing. It’s stitched directly into the fabric, so there’s no cracking, peeling, or fading over time.

Screen Printing

Screen printing is the better choice for bold graphics, bulk orders, and lower cost per item, think event t-shirts, giveaways, or large all-staff orders where budget matters more than a premium finish.

Not sure which one fits your project? Our design team can walk you through it based on your budget, order size, and how the apparel will be used.

Online Stores for Businesses: Two Ways to Use Them

One of the most useful tools we offer isn’t a piece of apparel at all, it’s a custom online store built around your brand. Businesses tend to use this in one of two ways.

1. A Branded Merchandise Store

If you want to sell branded gear to customers, fans, or the public, we can build a storefront featuring your logo and colors on apparel and accessories. Customers order and pay online directly, no inventory for you to manage, no fulfillment headaches. It works well for restaurants, gyms, breweries, event organizers, and any business with a following that wants to wear the brand.

2. An Employee Store

If the goal is internal, outfitting your team rather than selling to the public, an employee store solves a different problem: getting the right uniform sizes to the right people without your HR or office manager becoming a full-time apparel coordinator. Employees log in, pick their sizes, and order what they need. You can restrict the store to approved items only, so branding stays consistent no matter who’s placing the order.

Employee stores also work well as a rewards and recognition tool. Businesses use them to let employees redeem points, bonuses, or service milestones for branded gear, jackets, bags, or premium apparel that feels like a real reward rather than another polo shirt from a supply closet.

Why This Matters for Growing Teams

As a company grows, apparel logistics get messy fast, different sizes, different departments, new hires needing gear on day one, and someone inevitably tracking orders in a spreadsheet. An online store removes that burden. Orders are tracked automatically, sizing issues drop off since employees choose their own, and you get visibility into what’s been ordered without managing it manually.

Why Chattanooga Businesses Choose The Athletic Shop

• One vendor for everything: design, embroidery, screen printing, and the online store are all handled under one roof.
• Local and responsive: you get a real person to talk to, not a support ticket queue.
• 50+ years of experience producing quality apparel for teams and businesses across the region.
• Nationwide shipping if your team or customers are spread beyond Chattanooga.

Get Started

Whether you need a one-time order of branded polos or a fully built-out employee store, we can help you figure out the right approach for your business. Contact our team to talk through your project.

FAQs About Corporate Apparel & Business Stores

Q: Can you build a store just for our employees, not the public?
A: Yes. We can set up a private employee store that’s only accessible to your team, ideal for uniforms, onboarding kits, or a rewards program.

Q: Do you handle both design and production?
A: Yes. Our in-house design team helps refine your logo and layout, and we handle embroidery or screen printing production from there.

Q: What’s the minimum order size for corporate apparel?
A: It depends on the item and decoration method. Contact our team with your project details and we’ll walk you through options for your order size.

Q: Can employees pay for their own gear through the store?
A: Yes. Stores can be set up so employees pay for personal items themselves, or so approved items are fully covered by the company, depending on what fits your program.