Collecting employee sizes and home shipping addresses should take minutes, not weeks. But most HR teams are still doing it the hard way—sending reply-all emails, maintaining a master spreadsheet, and manually re-entering data when it inevitably changes. There is a better system, and it does not require a spreadsheet at all.
Why Spreadsheets Fail for Employee Size and Address Collection
Spreadsheets fail because they are static documents in a world of constant change. Employees move, change preferred sizes, or never reply in the first place—and HR is left chasing every single update manually.
The average distributed team of 100 employees will have roughly 20 to 30 address or size changes per year due to relocations, new hires, and preference updates. Every one of those changes requires a human to hunt down the right row and type in the correction.
Beyond the maintenance burden, spreadsheets also create a privacy problem. A file containing employee home addresses and clothing sizes sitting in a shared Google Drive is a data exposure risk that HR teams rarely have time to properly audit.
What Is a Redemption Link and How Does It Solve This?
A redemption link is a unique URL sent to each employee that opens a personalized checkout flow where they enter their own size, select their preferred item, and type in their own shipping address—no HR involvement required after the link is sent.
Instead of asking employees to reply to an email, you send them a link. They visit it, make their selections, and submit. The platform captures everything automatically: size, address, item chosen, and order status.
This flips the data collection model entirely. Employees own their own information. HR never touches a spreadsheet. And the data feeds directly into production—so the item is printed or embroidered and shipped to the address the employee provided, with zero manual handoff.
Merchloop's company store platform operates on exactly this model. When you set up a private employee store with login-only access, each employee logs in, picks their size and style, enters their address, and checks out. The order goes straight into Merchloop's in-house production queue with no spreadsheet in between.
How Does Merchloop's Redemption Flow Work Step by Step?
Merchloop's redemption process runs in four steps: store setup, link distribution, employee self-service checkout, and automatic fulfillment—all without HR managing a single address or size manually.
- Set up your free company store. Merchloop Lite has no setup fees, no monthly fees, and no design fees. You can configure a store and load your branded products in under 24 hours.
- Load your swag budget or credit. Assign a per-employee credit (for example, $50 toward any item in the store) so employees can redeem without a company credit card.
- Send employees their unique link or store access. Each employee visits the store, chooses their size and preferred item, and enters their shipping address themselves.
- Orders print and ship automatically. Because Merchloop operates a zero-inventory, on-demand model, each item is printed or embroidered after the employee orders. Standard production is 7 to 10 business days, with rush production available in 3 to 5 business days for a 30% surcharge.
HR's role ends at step two. Everything after that is self-service.
How Does This Compare to Other Methods?
Redemption links through an on-demand company store are the fastest and lowest-maintenance method for collecting employee sizes and addresses. The table below compares the four most common approaches.
| Method | Who Enters Data | Data Accuracy | HR Time Required | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reply-all email + spreadsheet | HR manually | Low (typos, outdated info) | High (ongoing) | Teams under 10 people |
| Google Form or Typeform | Employee self-entry | Medium (still manual export) | Medium (export + match to vendor) | One-time campaigns |
| Swag vendor bulk order | HR submits CSV to vendor | Medium (depends on spreadsheet quality) | High (requires accurate CSV) | Large identical orders with fixed sizes |
| Redemption link via company store (Merchloop) | Employee self-entry at checkout | High (employee owns their data) | Low (send the link, done) | Distributed teams, any size, ongoing programs |
Does the On-Demand Model Work for Remote and Distributed Teams?
Yes—the on-demand model is specifically built for distributed teams because every order ships directly to the address the employee provides, not to a central office for redistribution.
Traditional bulk swag requires someone at HQ to receive a box, sort by size, repackage, and ship to individual employees. That process adds 1 to 2 weeks, introduces sizing mix-ups, and scales poorly past 50 employees.
With Merchloop's zero-inventory model, there is no central receiving step. The item is produced only after the employee redeems their link and submits their address. It ships directly from Merchloop's US-based production facility to wherever the employee actually lives—whether that's across town or across the country.
For HR teams managing anniversary and milestone swag programs at scale, this direct-to-employee fulfillment model eliminates the biggest logistical headaches entirely.
What Happens When an Employee's Address or Size Changes?
Because employees enter their own data at checkout, an address or size change simply means sending a new redemption link or letting the employee update their profile before their next order—no HR intervention needed.
This is the core advantage over a spreadsheet. The spreadsheet is always a snapshot of the past. A self-service store reflects the present, because the employee is the one entering current information at the moment they order.
For ongoing swag programs like quarterly kits or work anniversaries, this means HR never needs to run an annual audit of sizes and addresses. The data stays current automatically because it is always collected at the point of order.
How Do You Handle Sensitive Size Information Respectfully?
Redemption links sidestep the awkwardness of asking for sizes entirely because employees enter their own size privately at checkout—they are never asked to share that information with a manager or HR representative.
This matters more than many companies realize. As explored in detail in our guide on fun ways to ask for employee sizes without the awkwardness, the traditional approach of requesting sizes by email can feel invasive and reduces participation rates.
When employees choose their own size in a private checkout flow, participation rates go up. There is no social pressure, no reply-to-all visibility, and no HR person holding a list of who wears what. The employee picks the size that fits them best—including plus sizes, extended sizes, or any preference they would not otherwise volunteer.
What Does It Cost to Run a Redemption Link Swag Program?
Merchloop's company store setup is free with no monthly fees, no setup fees, and no design fees under the Merchloop Lite plan. You pay only per item ordered, with transparent per-item pricing and no hidden fees.
There are no minimum order quantities, which means you can send a single redemption link to one new hire or 500 links to your entire company—the economics are the same either way. You are never paying for inventory that goes unused or for sizes that go unclaimed.
Rush production (3 to 5 business days) carries a 30% surcharge over standard production pricing. Standard turnaround is 7 to 10 business days from the time an employee places their order. Item pricing varies by product and brand—Merchloop carries premium retail brands including Nike, The North Face, TravisMathew, Marine Layer, and YETI, all available with no minimum order requirement.
Build the Kit
Shop the welcome kit.
Every item below is on demand and unlocked at zero minimums in the Merchloop catalog. Combine them, edit colors, add your logo, and ship to one address or fifty.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I send redemption links to employees without setting up a full company store?
Merchloop's platform is designed as a company store that each employee accesses to self-select their item, size, and address. Setting up a store through Merchloop Lite takes under 24 hours and has no setup fees, so the barrier is very low even for a single one-time campaign.
What if some employees don't redeem their link?
Because the on-demand model carries zero inventory, unredeemed links cost you nothing. No item is produced until an employee actually completes checkout and submits their order. You only pay for what gets ordered, which eliminates the risk of over-ordering that comes with traditional bulk swag.
How do employees know what size to choose if they are unsure?
Merchloop's store listings include size guides for each product. Because employees are selecting for themselves in a private checkout, they can take their time and refer to sizing information without any social pressure—leading to more accurate size selection and fewer misfit items.
Is employee address data stored securely?
Employees enter their shipping address directly into the checkout flow at the time of order. This keeps address data out of HR-managed spreadsheets and shared drives. For specific data retention and security policies, contact Merchloop directly before launching a program that involves sensitive personal information.
Can this work for ongoing programs like anniversaries or quarterly kits, not just one-time drops?
Yes. Merchloop's company store model is built for recurring programs. For anniversary or milestone programs, a new redemption link or store credit can be issued each time the trigger occurs, and the employee re-enters current address and size information each cycle—keeping data fresh automatically with no spreadsheet maintenance required.
