home Business blogs How to open a stock of children's clothing. Stock clothing store business plan

How to open a stock of children's clothing. Stock clothing store business plan

Perhaps the above question has arisen for you more than once, since you have long been thinking about starting your own business related to the sale of fashionable clothes. After all, what you purchased must then be sold and should more than recoup your investment in it expenses.

Therefore, in order to organize and start your own business in stock business, there is a lot to consider. In this article, we want to point out at least five main questions and areas that you definitely need to think about before starting your own stock business.

The first thing you can’t do without is registration of your official status according to the law. You need to either open an LLC or an individual entrepreneur. And register with all state funds - pension, tax, insurance. Of course, all this is not an easy start, but it is necessary.

The second stage, one might say the most basic, is to find suppliers. Today they are sold by many companies, and finding them will not be a problem, you just need to spend a little time on the Internet. But finding a bona fide supplier is much more difficult. As a rule, only time and experience of cooperation help determine this.

Let's move on to the third step, in which we will talk about renting premises. The correct location of the store where you are going to trade is very important. The main condition is that it can be easily detected and it is located in a place where the traffic of people is quite large. It is also important what is located nearby. Places of social communication, various cafes, restaurants, parks and public gardens - all these are good neighbors that can encourage frequent visits to your store.

The fourth area to consider is your store equipment. There must be fitting rooms, and in sufficient quantity. For example, for a store area of 50-60 sq.m. You need at least two or three fitting rooms. In addition, remember that you will need a lot more. Namely: magnets attached to the product, control stands at the entrance, shelving, cash register and much more. In terms of the price of equipment, it is important not to overdo it and not to spend too much money at first on overly expensive and beautiful equipment, but also to undercut it, which is absolutely impossible, otherwise even very good things in your store will not attract a customer if, for example, they are on nondescript racks.

The fifth aspect is the staff. Experience shows that relatives who have not invested financially in your business are not the best option. Because in relationships with them, sometimes questions begin to arise that would never arise with a person hired for this job from the street. The number of people who need to be hired is usually not large. Most often, one or two people are enough. And think about sometimes performing the functions of a cashier yourself. Many people use this technique to save a little on wages, at least for the first time.

Of course, this is not all that a novice businessman will have to think about, and sometimes even rack his brains about. stock clothing areas, but at first this will be quite enough, enough to get involved in the work and achieve many good results in the future.

Until recently, many compatriots associated the concept of “drain” with domestic sewerage or, in extreme cases, with a river bed. The situation changed dramatically when stores with the same name began to appear en masse.

The name is based on the English word “Stock”, which in this case means “stock” or “warehouse”. Stocks began to be called stores selling surplus original branded clothing that were not sold for one reason or another during the season. For collectible European clothing, for example, the range of assortment changes is about 3 months. And just yesterday, the fashion collection gives way to the next new items and becomes stock. To prevent goods from sitting in warehouses, branded manufacturers organize their wholesale sales at very reasonable prices.

“And why not buy such a thing?” - mass buyers ask themselves. Crisis times have undermined the consumer's solvency, but have not discouraged him from wearing high-quality fashion items. And the label “stock” does not mean at all that this model is already outdated. Often, stock clothing brought from the West reaches us at the same time as fashion, which comes from the same place with some delay.

“And why not sell such a thing at a profit?” - think enterprising businessmen who understand the prospects of the situation. Everything comes together in a winning scenario: product quality, wide selection, reasonable price, consumer interest. This is how the prerequisites for a stock business are born, and stores of a similar profile are now appearing here like mushrooms after a heavy rain.

Features of the stock business

In such a business, where aesthetic taste is needed, women can show their entrepreneurial spirit. Despite a certain saturation of the market with stock stores, newcomers should not be afraid to join the ranks of successful entrepreneurs. Competition here is, for the most part, ephemeral. Firstly, the variety of brands and collections is so great that the likelihood of finding the same items in two different stores is negligible. Secondly, even if there are similar things, the size range of models is not always available in full. If you can’t find the size or model you need in one store, you can successfully shop in another.

But this does not mean that the buyer (and these are both wealthy people and not the richest, including pensioners) will come to you. You need to fight for it, and there are plenty of methods.

Stock store: hunting for a buyer

Let's start the fight for the consumer by choosing a location and creating the image of the store. A successful location would be a walk-through location in the central regions. The priority will be a small, cozy room (up to 40 m²) with a domesticated interior, creating a relaxed family atmosphere. Friendly employees who understand the product and can give good advice will add to the charm of the store. As experienced businessmen from the trade sector joke, buyers go “to the seller like bait.”

In order to please a rather fastidious consumer, you have to look for an interesting and unique assortment from wholesalers. A certain category still prefers glamorous things. But with such a product you need to be extremely prudent. Fashionable clothes that are not sold today will remain “dead” ballast on the shelves tomorrow. Therefore, many entrepreneurs try to accustom their clients to practical sportswear models and comfortable “casual” style items. Such clothes will always correspond to the times and will find their consumer.

Classification of waste

Wholesale distributors classify stock clothing into 4 classes. The highest category (A) includes the current assortment in original packaging, which has a full range of models and is valued at the highest price.

If the collection in the package is current, or at least the penultimate one, but the model range is limited, then the price for such clothes falls, and the stock is assigned category B.

The remaining classes of stock clothing (C and D) include collections from “yesterday,” most often coming without packaging and not having much choice in sizes and models. Even minor but correctable defects are allowed. The cost of such things is almost symbolic.

Nuances of pricing policy

The main trump card in the deck of competitive advantages will always be the pricing strategy. A skillful and customer-loyal policy, accompanied by prompt replacement of goods, correct classification and timely applied discounts, can become a guarantor of the reliability and profitability of your business.

Often the markup on stock items exceeds 100%. It is still much cheaper than analogues from boutiques, and many people willingly take the goods. But a stock store is a kind of “reverse auction.” If you take a chance and wait a little, you can buy the same item with a 20, 30 or even 50% discount. True, someone else may get ahead of you. Therefore, buyers do not stand on ceremony and take what they like. The owners benefit from the rapid turnover of funds and frequent updates of goods, and some manage to open several additional points of sale.

To open a stock store, $15 thousand should be enough, half of which will be spent on purchasing goods (up to 600 units) and about $1.5 thousand on equipment of the premises. Based on the high profitability (experts call the figure 70%), the costs are recouped in a negligibly short time (a year, or even six months). The main thing here is not to have your head in the clouds, but to work very hard and wisely use the opportunities provided.

Prepared by editors: "Business GiD"
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Many people think about how to start their own business without starting capital - they are afraid to take out a loan, and their own funds are not enough even to open a small store.

The solution to this situation may be to sell clothes at home. This type of business can be started by purchasing one bag of stock or collecting just one batch of clothes for a minimum amount in the showroom. In fact, some people start to like this type of business so much that they subsequently choose it over a traditional retail store.

It is also not uncommon for store owners, tired of the worries associated with supporting this type of trade, to start selling clothes at home. According to one of these entrepreneurs, Rosa, while she was purchasing goods remotely and there were a lot of rejects in the bags, trade in the store was not going very well. Tired of such “pig in a poke”, Rosa closed the store and began selling houses:

“I arrive on the day of delivery, take 3 bags at once and in 2-3 days I sell for almost nothing, I don’t hesitate to give away the rest to everyone. The profit is obvious and there are no headaches!” - says Rose.

And who will go there?

As with traditional trade, there are two possibilities to attract buyers: with very low prices, or by offering something that no one has offered them before. The first way is a dead end: people will constantly want lower and lower prices, and in the end they may go to someone who can offer it to them. The second way is more promising: you will not only be more competitive, but you will also be able to sell your product at a higher profit.

What is meant by the phrase “Offer something that is not available anywhere else”? No, we are not talking about some exclusive clothes, although this is partly true. What you can contrast with your competitors is your experience in advising on the choice of clothing; that is, you can become an image stylist for clients. When people see that their friends admire the clothes they bought from you, they will become your regular customers and begin to recommend you to everyone they know. Therefore, if you feel that you are ready to open your own “boutique at home,” this path is just for you.

There is no need to remind you that you will have to constantly improve your professional skills - be aware of fashion trends and at least know a little about the history of fashion; monitor media devoted to clothing and fashion. Moreover, to improve the quality of work with clients, you will also have to become a little psychologist, like a personal hairdresser. But believe me, it will pay off in spades.

Remember that the best assessment of your work is when your clients’ friends ask for your phone number.

What to sell?

When selling clothes at home, you can make the same mistakes as when selling stock in a retail store. But working independently from home, you have a serious advantage: you can quickly find out the needs of each of your clients. When purchasing goods for the first time, we recommend that you adhere to the following rules:

Where to hang it

Despite the fact that equipment costs when trading at home are significantly lower than in a store, they still exist.

According to the stockbiz portal, it is best to equip a home showroom consisting of one or two clothing racks, two good large full-length mirrors located at an angle to each other, and a bright lamp with soft natural light. It is better to take the same lamps as those used in branded clothing stores.

It is better to make the equipment mobile - this way it can be moved when you are not trading.

All clothing must hang on hangers. Buy the required number of hangers, preferably wooden ones - they do not bend under the weight of things and look “more solid” than plastic ones. Create a certain “boutique” feel - do not show or offer people wrinkled clothes; to bring things into a salable condition, purchase a steamer. All these techniques will allow you to sell clothes at a higher price.

Don't forget to buy covers for your clothes. This will protect both your clothes and you from excess dust. It is better to store the clothes themselves in a closed closet.

Bring your money

As with any trading, there are a lot of difficulties. And a significant part of them when trading at home is associated with personal relationships with buyers - they become those with whom you were recently on friendly terms. But if people come into the store of their own free will, then when working from home, at first you will have to actively invite people to your place, and not everyone will be ready for this. And those who come will expect some special treatment.

According to the story of one of the owners of a home-based business, all her friends are trying to buy an item at a maximum discount or even on credit.

“As a result, they don’t give it away for months. And my friends are generally afraid to come to me and buy - otherwise I’ll get rich. If you want to lose a friend, then lend him money...”

And there are a lot of such situations. According to another entrepreneur -

“When selling at home, as I know, taking on debt is a regularity. And with money, as they say, we’ll buy it in the store...”

Here everyone must decide for themselves how to behave in such situations. But if you decide to start selling clothes at home, you need to be prepared for this. Anna advises:

“Apparently, it is realistic to sell to those people with whom it is possible to keep a distance. Or, as an option, to say that you yourself took the goods for sale and at your own price, out of the kindness of your heart and friendship. This, however, is for those who knows how to honestly lie))))"

Allergies have no place here

People susceptible to household allergies should not engage in clothing sales at home. At all.

Invisible dust always flies from any clothing. Most entrepreneurs who deal with clothes will confirm that after working with clothes for a long time, unpleasant sensations often arise: itchy nose, frequent sneezing. Therefore, unfortunately, for those who have allergies, especially to dust, the path to this business is closed. Because health is more important.

In order to minimize the amount of dust at home, we recommend using covers for clothes and, if possible, storing them in a separate closet.

But the source of problems in home trading is not only clothing. As Polina, one of the entrepreneurs, notes:

“You must be prepared that people will come sick and bring children with snot. And buyers who have already been and know your address can come without calling.”

Rose disagrees with her:

“No one has ever come to me without a call or warning. I think you shouldn’t be afraid of this. And snotty children don’t scare me)) patients can walk on the playground or in the sandbox. ... In extreme cases, the father can look after the child watch while you're busy)".

IP or not IP? Is it worth registering with the tax office?

According to some, there is no point in registering: it’s a stretch, but home trading can be called the sale of personal belongings by a private person.

But this is all for the time being. But in order not to feel like a deceiver, it is still worth registering as an entrepreneur: at least in order to replenish your pension savings as an individual entrepreneur. Again, we should not forget about promises to reduce the tax burden for self-employed citizens.

Well, it’s trivial - it’s calmer.

High technologies in everyday life

The further you go, the more and more often you can see successful examples of home trading using the Internet. Having even minimal computer skills and a digital camera, you can take photographs of the clothes you sell and post them on photo hosting sites or in a group on social networks. Having a smartphone will also help you - the Yula and Instagram applications provide a lot of opportunities for doing business: photographed - posted - sold.

Those who are very familiar with the Internet can even create a separate website - if time and skills allow. Here it’s more convenient for anyone.

Total

Selling clothes from home is a good way to try your hand at trading, gain entrepreneurial skills and, if done correctly, accumulate initial capital to open something bigger. If you are not afraid of difficulties and are ready to learn from your own experience, go for it!

"We also started with the same mix" at home". We just called all our friends, and then we went to friends of friends. ;-) As a result, after a month we collected funds for a store. We did not use the Internet for these purposes, we probably had enough friends... who are now our grateful clients in store.
Anna, entrepreneur.

Many people these days prefer to buy clothes from stock stores rather than from expensive fashion boutiques. First of all, this is explained by a noticeable difference in price: stock stores allow you to purchase things several times cheaper than they originally cost. Such discounts can be associated with various factors: residue from production, clothes are out of fashion, the season has ended, there are some defects (even minor ones).

That is, such stores are in demand and interesting to people. This means that your own stock center is an excellent business idea that can bring you significant income in the near future.

Step 1. Registration of activities

How to open a stock store? Taking into account the specifics of the product itself, registration of this type of activity requires the collection of a large package of documents. This:

permission to start activities from the city or district administration;
placement license from Rospotrebnadzor;
industrial sanitary control program;
regulations;
sanitary and epidemiological conclusion regarding the condition of the premises;
contracts for disinfection, deratization and disinfestation;
other documents.

To quickly deal with bureaucratic issues and get to work, you don’t have to deal with all the necessary documentation yourself, but entrust this task to a specialized company.

Step 2. Selecting a room

The second question that will face you one way or another is where is the best place to open a store? It is important that it is located in a place with good traffic or in a densely populated residential area. Such stores are especially popular among young people, and therefore an excellent choice would be to locate them on campus, not far from the dormitories.

But in the very center of the city it is not worth opening a stock store: there are plenty of their own boutiques there, which also sell off the remains of their clothes and make significant discounts on them.

The minimum area of the room should be 50 m2. However, we would advise you to find an area of about 150-200 m2. This space is enough to accommodate the entire assortment and arrange fitting rooms. In addition, customers will be able to move freely around the hall and will not interfere with each other.

Step 3. Purchase of equipment

Speaking about how to open a stock clothing store, it is worth mentioning separately that everything needs to be organized in such a way as to ensure the maximum possible access to the product and, of course, its safety.

First of all, magnetic stands displayed at the entrance to the store, as well as magnets attached to the goods themselves, are responsible for safety.

Naturally, you will also need to buy racks, mirrors, hangers, and a cash register.

1 thousand USD is enough to equip the entire store. e. You should not buy too expensive items - the whole situation should make the client understand that this outlet sells cheap clothes with small markups.

Step 4. Product range

This is the most important stage in the entire business organization. How to open a stock clothing store without actually purchasing the clothes?

It is believed that for a retail outlet with an area of 50-150 m2, the norm is 300-400 units of goods. At the same time, the main part of clothing (about 80%) should consist of youth and women's clothing, and the remaining 20% should be men's and children's clothing.

Of course, the main product will be seasonal clothing. But jeans, T-shirts and knitwear are in demand regardless of the time of year, and this also needs to be taken into account. Many stock centers simultaneously sell all kinds of accessories, luxury items, etc. But we do not recommend selling hats - their cost in this case will not differ in any way from the prices in stores of other types.

Since finding good children's clothing can be quite difficult, you can focus on this area.

You can purchase stock clothing directly from manufacturers and retail chains (unsold items during the season, defective items). However, in this case you will have to negotiate separately with each supplier. It is much more convenient to enter into contracts with wholesale suppliers of stock items - they will do all the “dirty” work for you, and all you have to do is pay for the product and wait for it to be delivered.

Reliable and well-established companies in this area are Clothes Stock.Ru, Stock-N.Ru, StockMag, Maldim.Ru, RealStock, S-Klad.Ru, BrendStock, Lemonti and others. You can also find out where online stores in your city purchase goods - usually, the cost of goods in them, even taking into account the markup, is lower than in regular ones.

On average, you will need about 2-4 thousand dollars to initially fill the store with things.

Step 5. Search for personnel

But here everything couldn’t be simpler. One or two people will be enough for the work. At first, you can also be a cashier - in this case, you can save on the salary of a salesperson-cashier. Immediately select the appropriate remuneration option: fixed or a percentage of the sale of goods.

Step 6. Formation of pricing policy

How to open a stock clothing store that will bring you real income? Be sure to analyze the pricing policy. Unlike regular stores, everything is not so simple here. Wholesalers typically sell items in batches. But sometimes they give you the opportunity to select goods selectively, if you purchase at least 100 units. In this case, the cost of any item will be the same, regardless of the type and quality of the product. Roughly speaking, you will pay $15 for both cool branded jeans and a light summer top.

When creating a stock center, it is necessary to correctly build a pricing policy. So, for some things it makes sense to set a markup of 80%, some are more logical to sell at cost, and others even at a loss. However, you should remember one rule - the sale of the entire purchased batch must fully compensate for your expenses and, of course, generate income (approximately 400%).

The question of how to open a clothing store arises for many entrepreneurs. Firstly, high-quality, branded items are sold at discounted prices. Secondly, the format of a “discount” establishment does not require any complex finishing and design work or special layout of things. Thirdly, the store can and even should be located in a residential area, away from the center and fashion boutiques.

The advantages of creating such a project can be many, but only professional development of business processes, in particular, interactions with suppliers and development of assortment policy, will help a startuper organize a profitable business.

How to open a stock clothing store: interaction with suppliers

There are three formats for interaction with suppliers.

Firstly, you can purchase large wholesale quantities of discount clothing. It won't cost much. However, such volumes can be afforded by mature companies with large retail spaces.
Secondly, the purchase of lots or MIXes. Such orders can include a wide variety of clothes, for any season, from last year’s or older collections, slow-moving sizes, etc.
Thirdly, the purchase of small wholesale quantities of items of the businessman’s choice: independent selection of assortment, assessment of the pre-sale condition of each item, checking tags, etc.

How to open a stock store: assortment policy

Discount or stock clothing is made by reputable manufacturers, has brand-appropriate tags, is of high quality and is popular in the market. Due to the fact that the models were released in previous seasons, have a small defect or a slow-selling size, the cost of the stock assortment is reduced.

To ensure that goods do not linger on shelves, you should select the most popular models during the off-season. If there are leftovers, you should reduce the price and prevent storage: the appearance of things is lost, and the retail space is spent irrationally.

The most popular models should be posted in a prominent place. Children's products are extremely rare among the stock assortment. But discount clothing for children allows you to increase the flow of customers by 10-15%.

How to open a discount store and avoid common mistakes

An error in the process of operating a discount store can be considered a discrepancy between the format of the sales floor and this type of trade. The main category of consumers are people of average income. If a startup creates the semblance of a prestigious boutique with bright windows, mannequins and a whole team of sales consultants, then the buyer may feel awkward.

And further. Items that have not been sold for a long time become stale: there may be an unpleasant smell in the room, some models look unmarketable. It is necessary to ensure the responsible storage of residues, and also enter into an agreement with the atelier and dry cleaners to carry out work on the care of clothes.

These are just the main points that may arise in the process of stock trading. In addition, an entrepreneur may encounter seasonal fluctuations in demand, theft, or sales of popular goods by store employees “outsourced.” All these problems must be resolved as quickly and competently as possible, since the competitive environment does not tolerate delays.

The Business Youth project team gives newcomers the knowledge of how to organize productive work in a competitive environment.