S&S Activewear

Name

S&S Activewear

Legal name

S&S Activewear

Website

https://ssactivewear.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wholesale Apparel Distribution

NAICS

Clothing and Clothing Accessories Merchant Wholesalers (424350)

SIC

Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130)

akta.pro primary industry

Branded Merchandise & Promotional Apparel Wholesale (CRAOADAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Athleisure & Performance Apparel Wholesale (CRAOADAE), Workwear, Uniforms & Corporate Apparel Wholesale (CRAOADAF), Athletic / Performance & Activewear Brands (CRAAAAAD)

Keywords

• Wholesale apparel distribution
• Blank apparel
• Promotional products
• Screen printing supplies
• Custom decoration apparel

Headquarters

HQ city

Bolingbrook

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices13 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Wholesale Apparel Distribution: S&S Activewear generates revenue through wholesale distribution of blank apparel, headwear, and accessories to decorators, screen printers, and promotional products companies. Business customers receive wholesale pricing with no minimum order requirements. Pricing is based on rates in effect at time of shipment. The company also offers Buy Now, Pay Later options and Net Terms for qualified business customers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

S&S Activewear is a wholesale distributor of blank apparel, headwear, and accessories supplying decorators, screen printers, promotional products companies, and corporate buyers in the US and Canada. The company distributes 100+ brands (including exclusive rights for American Apparel in the US and Gildan's full portfolio in Canada) from 12 US warehouses supporting 1-2 day delivery. It supplements distribution with proprietary technology (ApparelSoft ERP, ApparelSoft IQ machine learning, ZeroTouch automation), the Ninja Transfers DTF product line, and the AllPro apparel brand.

Product overview

S&S Activewear is a technology-enabled wholesale apparel and accessories distributor serving North America. The company operates a platform-plus-modules architecture built around its proprietary ApparelSoft ERP system, enhanced with AI capabilities through ApparelSoft IQ for demand forecasting and inventory optimization. Key proprietary technologies include ZeroTouch production automation (QR code-enabled distribution center automation) and Ninja Transfers (DTF transfers). The company distributes over 100+ branded products including exclusive rights to American Apparel (U.S.), Gildan (Canada), and Legends Apparel (team/corporate channels). S&S also offers own brands like AllPro performance apparel and operates business solutions including FAST for unified procurement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• AllPro: S&S owned high-performance wholesale apparel line featuring polo shirts, quarter-zips, and T-shirts with Pro-Lock and Pro-Flex fabric technologies for color durability and printability.
• Ninja Transfers
• Tultex

Products and services

• Blank Apparel & Accessories Wholesale Distribution Core wholesale offering providing business customers (decorators, screen printers, promotional products companies) with case pricing on blank apparel, hats, fleece, outerwear, bottoms, dresses, and accessories with no minimum order requirement. Customers register business accounts to access wholesale pricing, with orders shipped same day if placed before cutoff time and 1-2 day delivery nationwide.
• AllPro Performance Apparel Line S&S Activewear's proprietary high-performance wholesale apparel line featuring polo shirts, quarter-zips, and T-shirts with Pro-Lock and Pro-Flex fabric technologies for color durability and printability. Budget-friendly and exclusively available from S&S, targeting schools, corporate, and hospitality sectors.
• Ninja Transfers (DTF Transfers) DTF (Direct-to-Film) transfer products offered by S&S Activewear enabling decorators to apply custom designs to apparel. Available as gang sheets and individual transfers for garment decoration businesses.
• FAST (Single Invoice Apparel & Hard Goods) Business solution offering single invoice procurement for both apparel and hard goods, streamlining purchasing for decorators by combining orders across product categories on a unified invoice.

Quantifiable outcome

• 40-60% reduction in receiving labor through ZeroTouch automation integration with Fulfill Engine
• +3 more outcomes

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

AI capability1 record

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Legends ApparelcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 28 April 2026S&S Activewear became the exclusive distributor of Legends apparel products in the team and corporate channels starting June 2026, bringing a premier athletic brand founded in Los Angeles in 2019 to its nationwide customer base. The partnership initially offered nine of Legends' best-selling styles spanning performance and lifestyle categories, featuring moisture-wicking fabrics, four-way stretch, and modern athletic fits with co-branding opportunities. The distribution agreement expands S&S's premium athleisure portfolio while enabling Legends to broaden its wholesale footprint.
• Gildan ActivewearcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 6 August 2025Gildan granted S&S Activewear exclusive wholesale distribution rights for its American Apparel brand in the U.S. imprintables market, alongside an agreement making S&S the exclusive wholesale distributor for Gildan's full brand portfolio in Canada. The Canadian deal aims to provide decorators with improved product availability, swift service, and a streamlined ordering process by combining Gildan's Canadian supply capabilities with S&S's distribution network. Exclusive partnership arrangements took effect on December 28, 2025.
• JaanuuminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 18 February 2025S&S Activewear launched a partnership with medical scrub brand Jaanuu, approximately a month before the February 2025 AllPro performance apparel launch. The partnership expands S&S's offering in the medical and healthcare apparel segment.
• AlphabrodercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024S&S Activewear acquired Alphabroder in 2024 in what was described as the biggest deal in promotional products history, with Alphabroder reporting $2 billion in 2023 revenue. The acquisition combined two major promotional apparel distributors, giving S&S access to Alphabroder's data, brand portfolio, and customer base. The combined data powers ApparelSoft IQ machine learning intelligence layer.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SanMar: SanMar is the largest US wholesale distributor of imprintable/blank apparel and accessories, serving screen printers, embroiderers, and promotional products distributors — the same core customer and business model as S&S Activewear. It is S&S's primary direct competitor in the wholesale blank apparel channel.
• alphabroder: Alphabroder is S&S Activewear's wholly-owned subsidiary following the 2024 acquisition, but continues to operate as a peer brand serving the same decorator and screen printer customer base with overlapping warehouse and brand portfolios. Historically was S&S's closest direct competitor.
• TSC Apparel: TSC Apparel was acquired by S&S Activewear in 2021 but operates in a similar wholesale blank apparel distribution model serving decorators and screen printers with comparable product categories. It represents another owned subsidiary competing within the S&S umbrella.
• Bodek + Rhodes: Bodek + Rhodes is a wholesale distributor of blank apparel and accessories serving the imprintable apparel market with a comparable product catalog and decorator/screen-printer customer base — a smaller direct competitor to S&S Activewear.
• Staton Apparel: Staton Apparel is a smaller wholesale blank apparel distributor serving decorators and promotional product distributors with a similar product mix of t-shirts, sweatshirts, and accessories. Competes with S&S Activewear in the SMB decorator segment.

Emerging players

• Tri-Mountain: Tri-Mountain is an apparel brand and wholesaler that produces and distributes its own imprintable apparel line directly to decorators and corporate customers. It represents a vertical manufacturer-distributor model with partial overlap to S&S's own-brand strategy (e.g., AllPro).

Broad incumbents

• Gildan Activewear: Gildan is the largest manufacturer of basic apparel globally and a key supplier to S&S Activewear. It is also a broad incumbent in the imprintables market with its own Gildan-branded distribution and is pursuing growing direct-to-channel distribution ambitions, making it both a critical partner and emerging competitive threat.

Others

• BELLA+CANVAS: BELLA+CANVAS is a leading apparel manufacturer of premium blank t-shirts and fleece distributed through wholesale channels including S&S Activewear. While not a direct distributor competitor, it shapes the competitive landscape S&S operates in as a major brand supplier.
• Next Level Apparel: Next Level Apparel is a leading blank apparel manufacturer whose products are distributed through S&S Activewear and other wholesalers. It is a key supplier shaping the catalog breadth S&S offers to decorators.
• Stahls': Stahls' is a major supplier of heat-transfer decoration equipment, materials, and services to the apparel decoration industry. It is adjacent to S&S Activewear's customer base (decorators and screen printers) but operates in the decoration services/equipment layer rather than wholesale apparel distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sandsactivewear

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A3 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about S&S Activewear