Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

💡 Why did the City launch a merch store?

The City of Jacksonville launched its first official merch store to give residents and fans of the city a way to celebrate local pride while supporting community engagement efforts. This is a creative, low-cost initiative that allows people to rep campaigns like River City Readers, I Dig Jax, and other city-led programs — all designed to uplift and engage our community.

This project is about more than t-shirts — it’s about building connection, showcasing creativity, and generating small-scale support for public outreach without spending taxpayer money.

🎨 Who designed the products?

Every item in the store was created in-house by our Public Affairs team. That means:

No outsourced agency
No contractor expenses
No tax dollars spent on creative services

This was a passion project layered on top of already full plates — a true labor of love for Duval.

🧵 Why didn’t you use a local print shop?

We love local businesses and promote them across many city initiatives. But to be clear: this isn’t just about where a shirt is printed — it’s about how a merch store operates logistically and legally.

To work with a local vendor, we would have needed:

A procurement process that fairly selects from many competing businesses
Commission structures to make it worth a vendor’s time
Upfront inventory purchases
Physical storage and shipping operations
Staff time for fulfillment, customer service, and returns

That level of complexity would require staff we don’t have and taxpayer dollars we’re not going to spend.

Instead, Zazzle and Sticker Mule allowed us to launch a store with:

No cost to the City
No risk of excess inventory
No ongoing management overhead
No contracts or special exceptions required

This decision was based strictly on operational logistics — not politics.

🛠️ Why Zazzle and Sticker Mule?

We selected Zazzle and Sticker Mule — both U.S.-based companies — because they offered the best combination of quality, ease of use, fulfillment capabilities, and cost transparency for a small municipal team launching a merch program from scratch.

✅ Production & Fulfillment Capabilities

Zazzle offers a large catalog of print-on-demand items — from apparel and mugs to totes and magnets — with built-in customization tools and direct-to-consumer shipping.
Sticker Mule specializes in high-quality promotional items like stickers, pins, mailers, and magnets with fast turnaround and reliable print consistency.
Both platforms eliminate the need for inventory, warehousing, or order processing by our team.

🌍 Global Supply Chains (Standard Practice in the Industry)

Zazzle and Sticker Mule are U.S. companies that use a mix of domestic and international suppliers — a standard practice among major e-commerce platforms like Fanatics and Printful.
Sticker Mule produces many of its items domestically, while occasionally sourcing components globally based on availability and supply chain needs.

🧾 Ethical Sourcing & Transparency

Both platforms follow U.S. consumer protection, safety, and labor standards.
Products are manufactured on demand, which reduces waste and avoids overproduction — an environmentally responsible model.

💰 Is the City profiting from this?

No — and we want to be completely transparent about that.

Zazzle includes a 10% royalty per item sold (e.g., $1.80 on an $18 t-shirt). These small funds go into the City’s Public Affairs/Relations team budget to support community education and outreach campaigns — per City Ordinance 111.105(c).
Sticker Mule products are sold at cost, with no royalty, commission, or markup. We make no money from them.

Even with Zazzle, we don’t receive any payout until the balance reaches $100, and given that we’re doing no paid advertising, it may take quite a while to see funds. This is not a fundraising effort — it’s a public engagement tool.

🧑‍💻 How much staff time did this take?

This project was developed by our Public Affairs team — all with full-time responsibilities outside of merchandise. We made the store happen with:

Existing skillsets (graphic design, web content, writing)
No new staff or consultants
No overtime
No disruption to core City services

We specifically chose tools that allowed us to create, launch, and manage the store with minimal lift, without pulling focus from the essential work we do every day.

📦 Can I trust the quality?

Zazzle and Sticker Mule are trusted by thousands of artists, organizations, and institutions. That said, they are still mass-market platforms — and experiences may vary by item.

We’re committed to keeping an eye on product quality and adjusting if we receive consistent feedback. And we’re open to exploring alternative production methods like screen printing or embroidery for future limited-edition drops.

If you ever experience an issue, both vendors offer direct customer service and refund options, so there’s no need to contact the City for returns.

🧑‍🎨 Why “swag”?

We know “swag” might not be everyone’s favorite word — but we’re proudly owning it. It’s simple, familiar, and brings the right amount of fun to a civic project built on community pride.

And here’s a local twist you might appreciate: The designer behind the merch — who also manages the City website — is a Jacksonville native with over 35 years of hometown roots. As a kid, she played the Rex hole at Gooney Golf, back when the dino’s mechanical arm raised and lowered a caveman figure like a yo-yo. The trick was getting your timing just right to roll the ball underneath without getting blocked.

The term “swag” might be casual, but the pride is real — and deeply local.

🔄 Will you ever work with local businesses?

Yes — and we’d love to. In fact, here’s what we’re already thinking about:

Design contests featuring local artists
Limited edition capsule collections
Pop-up partnerships with local events or vendors
Collaborations with independent makers

But to do that, we need time, bandwidth, and a procurement process that ensures fairness. As the store matures and proves itself, these kinds of additions are absolutely on our radar.

🌐 Where can I shop?

You can find the store at:
https://www.jacksonville.gov/store

Items are printed on demand and shipped directly to you. New designs will be added over time — so check back often, and let us know what you’d love to see!

Let’s keep building civic pride — one shirt, sticker, and tote bag at a time. 💙 #DUUUVAL