Interview with Sjeurt.nl

Sjeurt is a Spreadshirt partner shop from the Netherlands – a shop with humourous and graphically sophisticated designs which certainly work on the international stage. And because others could learn a little something about shop design and marketing from Sjeurt, we thought we would take a look at the man behind the scenes, Marcel van Wijk.

How long have you been using Spreadshirt?
I opened my shop in 2006 and started right off with a premium account because I saw its potential.

What inspired or motivated you to open a shop and how did you learn about Spreadshirt?
I already had the idea to put my designs onto t-shirts for 2 years but didn’t know how I could do this. After having a conversation with the Dutch community website Hyves about designing t-shirts I was told that Hyves was already using Spreadshirt. They thought that I had known Spreadshirt, but I didn’t so I immediately googled ‘Spreadshirt’ when I got home and the world of t-shirt making opened for me. For the next 3 months I sat at my Mac and worked on my Spreadshirt shop. My t-shirt adventure had finally started.

How much time do you invest in your shop and what do you spend the most time with?
This differs quite a bit: sometimes I “spreadshirt” 3 hours an evening, converting my brainwaves into t-shirt designs. I stop working on it when I’m done. However most of time I’m updating the website sjeurt.nl with new advertising, making new contacts and most recently updating the designs. One of my main rules is that I only activate the design if I myself would buy it.

What is your favourite design in your shop?
My favourite design is my first…* (boombox)!

Why?
It’s nostalgic for everyone, makes you think of the eighties and simply because it’s so old school!

If you think back from the “opening” of your shop up to now, what was the most important insight in your Spreadshirt career so far?
There have been some moments which were special: articles in magazines and newspapers, offline sales and of course ‘my’ tv-moment. One of my shirts, named ‘Swaffelkoning’ was worn in the Dutch tv-program called ‘Spuiten & Slikken’. It only took 8 minutes before the first orders were coming in - already during the show: fantastic!

What do you like about the Spreadshirt platform what could we improve?
It is and has remained a wonderful platform with lots of possibilities and freedom. At the moment there’s not really something I think needs to be changed. But if I were working at Spreadshirt I would definitely increase the colors for the Hanes T-Fit. Personally I feel that the AA shirts are a bit too expensive and decreasing the commission possibilities. And the Marketplace could be better organized by deleting the BUTT-designs - that would increase the overall quality.

Where and how do you market your shop and make it well-known?
Mostly on the Dutch Hyves (http://sjeurt.hyves.nl). My best buddy Jeroen and I take new photos and post them on the site, of course branded with the name and website. I also use Google Adwords in the summer and in November/December and sponsor a radio DJ - he posts the new shirts on his blog.

How many T-Shirts do you sell a week (or a month)?
Pff, 2008 has been the best year so far. It went so well that I had to invest a lot on the site and marketing to fully brand the shop as Sjeurt.nl. Looking at the stats, an average of 100 shirts are sold a month, of course with up’s and down’s.

Who do you think your customers are?
I aim for the target group boys and girls between 15 and 25 years old. I think that I’m doing a pretty good job with them.

What was your biggest achievement up to now (with or without Spreadshirt)?
This all tastes for more: unfortunately for Spreadshirt, I’m setting up my own t-shirt brand which will go live this spring. However, Sjeurt.nl will continue to exist. I’ll keep you guys posted.

Have you ever seen someone you don’t know walking around in the streets with your t-shirt on?
This is of course what we are all doing it for: to see someone wearing your t-shirt. It has happened several times now. Friends of mine have also spotted Sjeurt t-shirts at parties.

What do you do for a living, or better said: what do you do when you are not fiddling around with your shop?
I work full time as graphic designer for a lovely designing agency.

If you were a t-shirt, how would you look?
Check out the photo superman/teenwolf tee!

Which question have you always wanted to be asked and what is the answer?
To be or not to be…? …To be!

Many thanks to Marcel van Wijk of Sjeurt.nl!