Ticketed merchandise has retail price tickets (or UPC/barcode labels) attached before it reaches the store - so staff don't have to price each item.
Types of Tickets
- Price tickets - hang tags showing the retail price, attached with a swiftach
- UPC/barcode stickers - scannable codes linked to the retailer's inventory system
- Size stickers - adhesive size indicators for folded goods
Where Ticketing Happens
Ticketing can happen at the factory, at the retailer's distribution center, or through a third-party ticketing service. Factory ticketing is cheapest but requires the retailer to share price and UPC data early; distribution-center ticketing is more flexible.
Ticketing Accuracy
Tickets must match the retailer's system exactly. Wrong prices mean lost margin or angry customers; wrong UPCs mean inventory chaos at the register. Ticketing errors are cheap to prevent and expensive to fix.
FAQs
- What's the difference between ticketed and tagged?
- Tagging usually means hang tags (brand info); ticketing means price/UPC. Often done together.
- Who provides the ticket data?
- The retailer - prices, UPCs, and formats come from their systems.
- Can ticketing be automated?
- Yes - print-and-apply systems handle high volumes at distribution centers.
Glossary: see the full fashion glossary for more apparel industry terms.