How to open your own kitchenware store. How to open a utensils store - entrepreneurial experience What is the turnover for utensils in shopping centers

Transparent, colored, plain, with patterns, flowers, checkered and striped - today the choice of plates, cups, glasses and glasses is striking in its diversity! Previously, such dishes could only be seen on TV, and at best in expensive restaurants.

And now from any "curiosity" there is an opportunity to dine just in your kitchen. And all thanks to entrepreneurs who make it affordable to buy original dishes. Maryana Zemlyanykh has been in the dishware business for seven years, and recently she opened the Posuda store.

– What did you do before? What brought you to the ranks of entrepreneurs?

- I worked at a dairy. Gone to maternity leave and after the decree, she resigned from there, and it was not clear what happened there, everyone was fired, the beginning of the 90s. I sat without work for a long time, since my husband's situation with work was better. In 2000, I got a job as a sales assistant in the Everything for the Home store. She worked there for 4 years. During this time, I very often met customers who were interested in dishes. In that store there was a selection of dishes, but not a large one, people always left dissatisfied. And then one day I thought, why don't I “shape” this choice for buyers myself.

- And what were your first steps?

- Without consulting with anyone, I began to look for ways to implement my plan. First, I asked the owner of the store where I worked how he found suppliers of dishes, he naturally reluctantly told me, but did not specify anything. And so in the papers, I started looking advertisements tableware manufacturers. I didn’t have the Internet at home, I didn’t know how to use it at all.

We can say that my desire to become an entrepreneur accompanied my development, I went to computer courses, I bought a computer, connected the Internet over time and continued my search for suppliers on the Internet, everything is much faster there - there are contacts, phones, I called everyone, I found out everything in detail.

I sketched a business plan in a notebook, and there was little left to do. I had to take at least $10,000 from somewhere to pay the rent (there was no talk about the premises yet, at that time, it was unrealistic for me), for a place in the market and to buy goods.

- Where, if not a secret, did you manage to get the funds?

- I got into a loan, on the security of my husband's car, he became my guarantor. In general, the risk was colossal! Took more than 10 thousand dollars from the bank. My husband almost kicked me out of the house for all my tricks, we swore very much at that time. But, despite this, he supported me, grumbled, but helped.

Was the risk justified? Did the investment pay off?

- Certainly! I collected a variety of types of dishes, provided customers with a wide choice. Then the colors were very fashionable - bright different monochromatic colors, white dishes, transparent from black glass. Today, a square shape prevails, transparent glass with various patterns, vegetables and fruits.

I always try not to miss new items so that my customers can get everything their heart desires. So a year later, I was able to repay the loan, but I must say, I was lucky, there were many customers, the goods sold perfectly. And then it's time to open your store. All circumstances were conducive to the fact that my store opened.

- Mariana, tell me, what difficulties prevent you from working fully today?

Probably competition! It is very difficult today to survive among competitors, but we try, I think we are doing well. And the difficulty still arises in the fact that many still do not understand why special glasses for whiskey or martini are needed, because they either do not drink these drinks, or they will calmly drink them from ordinary wine glasses. Often such goods are sold more slowly.

But even in these seven years, the needs of customers have noticeably changed, even for a family, people began to buy expensive beautiful sets and plates for the dinner table. The buyer has developed his own taste, so to speak. If earlier the French Luminark tableware was bought only for a gift for a wedding or an anniversary, today I already have enough customers who have purchased such dishes for themselves.

It is very difficult to maintain a store without assistants. Tell me who is helping you?

- I have a sales assistant, I pay her wages, everything is as it should be. And, of course, my husband, he has his own business, but he also devotes time to my store.

– Do you sell only table glass or enamelware?

- Mostly glass, crystal, porcelain, but enameled - also abound. Colorful pots, pans, teapots.

- Do you consider selling dishes a profitable business?

– Naturally, the dishware business is a profitable business, since beautiful, original dishes are always popular ... Even our grandmothers loved beautiful dishes, but then there was no such variety. Manufacturers, in turn, advertise their product, for example, with the help of indirect advertising in TV shows, we can see a familiar plate or glass on the kitchen table.

Here you have an advertisement, the viewer has already deposited in the memory, some wanted to have such a plate for themselves. And where can I get it? And here entrepreneurs who are engaged in the sale of dishes will help the client satisfy his need. Everything is simple!

– What is the price of your dishes?

- Prices are completely different, there are funny cups for 15-20 UAH. And there are services worth 1500 UAH. (for 19 persons).

- What do you spend profitable money on?

- For the necessary needs. And also for self-study, recently I began to attend courses in English I do shaping. For my son's education. There is always something to spend on.

“You must always keep your nose to the wind!” And at the initial stage, think it over carefully, write a business plan, even a non-professional one will help a lot. After all, starting any business is a risk.

Be carefull!

Dishes are used for cooking, for serving and serving food to the table, for storing cooked dishes. These are not all functional purposes, since the dishes can be used as a gift for an anniversary, celebration, memorable date.

Since it has significant demand and is popular with consumers, the organization of a dishware store, promising direction in business activities.

To organize a successful promising business for retail sales of tableware, a certain algorithm of actions should be carried out aimed at creating and developing a tableware store.

Marketing research

Before proceeding to the organizational issue, it is necessary to clarify the prospects new business in a certain territory and with specific commodity items. Hold not deep marketing research quite simple, you just need to study the location outlets in the place where it is supposed to create a shop of utensils.

If a similar trading establishment already exists there, and the assortment corresponds to the expected one, then it is better to find another place in order to avoid conflict situations. When the assortment is significantly different, and the prices for dishes will be much lower, then there is no obvious competition, so you can rent a room in this area.

In parallel with the possibility of dislocating a trading enterprise, it turns out the demand for a particular category of dishes, how much it is in demand among buyers, and what preferences the consumers have.
Having clarified these topical issues, you can proceed to the next stage - registration.

Registration of entrepreneurial activity

To date, there are no problems with registration, so this procedure does not take much time, effort, money. It is only necessary to correctly fill out the forms of the established form and submit for registration to the appropriate authority.

It is important to determine the form of an economic entity - entity or individual entrepreneur. For retail characteristic organizational form IP, since simplified accounting allows you to effectively maintain trading activity. More complex business forms such as LLC or JSC are more suitable for production processes or multidisciplinary activities.

Also, when choosing an organizational handicap, one should take into account the number of founders who are ready to create and develop the activities of a dishware store. If these are two or more people, then you can use LLC, if one - then Individual Entrepreneurship.

Renting space for a kitchenware shop

by the most the best option for the store, the dishes will be a separate room in a shopping center or supermarket. Traffic in such places is high, so sales will constantly increase, and trade turnover increase. If this is not possible, then it is better to rent a separate building near a transport interchange, metro stations or public transport stops.

The trading area must be at least 50 sq.m. to place the goods on the windows, and leave a place for the passage of customers.

The retail space must comply with sanitary standards and rules fire safety. If these conditions are not met, the owner of the dishware store may have difficulties with the relevant authorities.

Contracts with suppliers and manufacturers

To create a successful and profitable business, it is important to organize the supply of a wide range of dishes and related products. The best option is a dealer agreement with the manufacturer, when the dishes are sold at selling prices, and commissions are paid as a reward. Under the terms of the contract, the owner of the tableware store represents the manufacturer's products in a particular region, and at prices set by the manufacturer. Such cooperation opens up broad prospects, because:

• significant investments in the range of dishes are not required;
• the price of the product is significantly lower than that of competitors;
• a wide range of dishes, including new items and the most popular items.

These are far from all the preferences that can be obtained during the execution dealer agreement, however, they are quite enough to lead a successful and profitable business selling utensils.

If the manufacturer is located in another state, and it is not possible to establish business contacts with him, then you can purchase dishes from major supplier, which in turn can be a dealer of a particular brand. This form of cooperation is also quite promising, since the goods are delivered to order, and its volumes can always be adjusted.

By allowing these organizational matters, can be achieved high efficiency from the activities of the store and the sale of dishes.

The market is a place where everything is constantly changing. Moreover, changes and changes also apply to such segments, where there seems to be nothing to change. For example, in the area of ​​selling the most elementary household items - dishes.

It seems that you can’t think of any special innovations or tricks here, but there are subtleties everywhere, including in the sale of dishes. And knowing some of them can increase sales at times. What are the wonders of marketing? And what needs to be done to successfully apply them?

Who? Where? When?

Let's start with the most basic - with the buyer. There are three questions to be answered here:

• who buys your dishes?
• when does he buy?
• where does he do it?

The first question concerns the price segment, which can be economy, medium and premium. Everyday economy dishes will be constantly bought by 80% of the population (because it breaks from time to time). 40% of the middle class will be tempted to the medium (and very, very rarely, since they will use it only on holidays). And a maximum of those 10% of the population that have become “big people” and now take care of the external attributes of their status consumption will spend on premium. Which, by the way, is very good for the seller, since high-status consumers have to follow fashion trends that are constantly changing even in the field of kitchen utensils (although not as fast as in clothes).

In the meantime, it remains to decide when and where people buy dishes? With regard to the economy segment, the answer will be banal: as needed and during long trips to supermarkets (when products are purchased immediately for the whole week). That is, on the shelves of related products. But for a medium and premium dishes, people may not be too lazy to go to specialized stores that are located ... where? This is an interesting question.

Anchor for the buyer

Let's start with the fact that a specialized dishware store does not have to be located in the business center of the city. Firstly, for economic reasons - the rent of retail space in such areas is too expensive. And secondly, in the view of even a rich person, kitchen utensils are not such an important acquisition to go for them somewhere very far away.

Therefore, it makes sense to open a dishware store even in a residential area, since many of these areas themselves represent cities with a population of over 100,000 people. But even here there is a subtlety: a shop selling utensils should not be located completely on its own. It must be located next to other shopping centers, which in modern cities play the role of "anchors" of consumer demand.

So a shop selling utensils can be either a separate building or a cell in a shopping center - the main thing is that it catches the eye of potential buyers more often. The rest will be a matter of technology. If, of course, it is applied correctly. In any case, knowledgeable people are sure that any product can be made a financial "goldfish" if three conditions are met:

• hire good sellers;
• choose the right assortment;
• competently organize merchandising (that is, the supply of goods).

At eye level

Let's start with the range. Experienced retailers say that most of the products in shopping malls belongs to the middle price segment. For very cheap and very expensive goods, no more than 15-20% of the assortment remains.

However most revenue, as already mentioned, is brought by expensive and average goods. How do sellers achieve this ratio?

First of all - due to merchandising. The simplest of merchandising rules is the location of the most hot goods on shelves 110-130 cm from the floor, at eye level. Goods of the medium segment, which are in a conspicuous place, provide up to 40% of sales. Above are more expensive goods, and below the level of the hands (50-60 cm from the floor) - quite an economy segment.

Let's start with an elementary technique - specialized corners that can draw attention to certain types of goods. Plates and dishes will look much more solid in a specialized department facing the buyer.

If a potential buyer suddenly sees a table served for dinner in a supermarket among long rows of shelves, then this will certainly attract his attention. And if the table is served and decorated in accordance with all the rules, and there are nice consultants next to it, ready to talk about the action of a company that specializes in the production of tableware of such and such a brand, then with a probability of about 90% it can be assumed that the name of the company is the buyer will remember. As well as the appearance of her products. And on occasion, such dishes will buy.

However, supermarkets are usually not eager to arrange such performances. But they have other tricks. For example, a combination of medium-class dishes and souvenirs made of porcelain or faience in one department. The combination of smart trinkets with plates turned to face the buyer creates an upbeat mood that helps a person decide on a purchase. But expensive premium-class dishes are usually exhibited in glazed mirrored display cases-slides, which by their own appearance should emphasize the luxury of the proposed product. Ideally, such showcases-slides should be rotating and backlit. Silver and gilded cutlery sets are sometimes even placed in jewelry counters. As for more prosaic kitchen utensils (knives, ladles, pots, etc.), instead of horizontal shelves, vertical perforated panels are fitted for them, on which these items are hung.

Another trick: frying pans and other small utensils (spoons, spatulas, ladles, etc.) are displayed several units at a time - from 3 to 10 pieces. This layout makes the product prettier and "richer", and at the same time creates an association with inventory, which in itself instills confidence in the soul of the buyer.

"20 to 80" in a china shop

Then the question arises: if large supermarkets are familiar with all the know-how to increase sales of tableware and use them, then what about a single store that is going to do the same? How can a small shop (colloquially "china shop") compete with the sharks of the big china business? Will it work?

The answer is simple: it will work if you remember about the “20 to 80” rule, which we have already talked about.

To put it simply, super and hypermarkets do business on those 80% of buyers who spend 20% of their money on dishes. And a specialized dishware store will be faced with the task of attracting those 20% that the remaining 80% will spend. But how to do this if all the ways to attract customers are already known and used?

First, not all are used. In supermarkets, it is still extremely rare to find themed corners. You can understand the owners of supermarkets - retail space should give a quick return. And when and to whom can an exemplary served table in trading floor? But this question will no longer be before the owner of a dishware store.

Secondly, the owners specialized stores There are other ways to promote your products as well. For example, sales different types dishes can be enlarged if they are displayed on display windows not in the form of empty plates, but with contents. Of course, not real, but various dummies. This effective method increasing sales has long been used in Japan. Another way to attract consumer interest is the creation of corners of dishes associated with national cuisine. This move is promising because it is in this area that the influence of kitchen fashion is present.

Again, if space permits, 4-5 square meters can be allocated in the store to conduct workshops on the proper handling of exotic dishes. These events can be recorded on video and posted on the store's website, then the club of loyal fans will eventually form by itself.

And, of course, the staff. It is preferable to recruit women aged 40-45 as sellers in a dishware store. They come across as seasoned kitchen experts in their own right, and buyers will tend to heed their advice.

The wholesale base "Posuda" began its history in the 90s. It was a warehouse and showroom - next door to the production workshop toilet paper. The first deliveries were from Ukraine, from where inexpensive dishes were transported in whole trucks. In 2013, the company created its online store on the platform, and in two years the site's turnover increased 30 times. How to open an online tableware store and how such a business works - this was told to us by development manager Rustam Musifullin.

How to open a cookware store from scratch and become the first in a niche

“Wholesale warehouse “Posuda” appeared in 1998, and now it is more than 15 years old,” says Rustam. - Then, in the 90s, everyone was looking for the best way to make money, they tried to sell everything in a row, up to car parts. And then we thought about the business of selling dishes.

A small dishware warehouse worked next door to a toilet paper factory. They were mainly purchased from Ukrainian factories: they were transported by trucks! Now those factories are not in sight, and the utensil business is alive. Our “horse” is domestic dishes. From abroad we carry almost nothing. Among our suppliers are such giants as the Kuban, Dulevo, Dobrush porcelain factories, Experimental glass factory ... More than 50 enterprises.

More than 20,000 items are presented in the online store: dishes and souvenirs, porcelain, faience, glass, enamel, aluminum, galvanization, non-stick, souvenir, household group, plastic. Everything a hostess might need.

We do not work for the end user

In the 90s, the company focused on the local market and some neighboring cities. Now it is export all over Russia. To the south - to the Astrakhan region. To the west - to the Lipetsk region. To the north - to the Arkhangelsk region. The main buyers are from Bashkiria, Tatarstan, Samara region. There is no region where the company would not carry dishes: there are buyers even in the metropolitan regions.

We focus exclusively on wholesalers. Clients - the same wholesale bases, markets, shops, points in the markets with household goods. And an important limitation: in the store, so that retail customers would not be interested in ordering one or two products, we set a minimum order threshold.

Our online store is not a standard store. This is a catalog store

Dishware businesses are not very fond of the Internet as a sales channel. Before creating an online store, we had a small website with product photos. So, like a catalog, nothing special: you can look - you can’t order. At that time, business trips of managers were the main way to sell goods: they traveled around the regions and looked for outlets.

They took packs of catalogs, disks with them, offered to look through the site-catalog. In general, they worked in the old fashioned way. And it worked! But in 2013, we decided to take a more thorough approach to online product promotion and created a website with the ability to order dishes.

The method, when the manager goes on a business trip and gets acquainted with the buyer on the spot, still remains the most effective. But now a potential buyer can see and order a batch of goods directly in the online store. All photos, all current balances, all discounts for customers registered in the store are in the online store.

We chose AdvantShop as a platform for creating a store website. The platform is convenient for the most unenlightened person in Internet technologies. You don't have to think: just insert pictures, edit and catalog.

We almost do not promote the online store of dishes: we do not work with contextual advertising, with SEO optimization, all this is useless. In the dishware market, everyone already knows our base. We go the most simple way: through a live dialogue with a potential client.

How to open a cookware store to stand out from the competition? The most important advantage is efficiency. The goods arrived - we immediately take pictures. Everything that is in stock immediately appears in the store.

How to work with a store client

We work like this: a store customer examines the assortment, adds the product to the basket, and the manager immediately starts working with the order. Now the order is his responsibility.

This scheme is not quite traditional for an Internet business, but we rely on personal communication with a client, even if he comes from the Internet. By phone, for example, we can resell something or offer an alternative to a product that the client needs, but we do not have it.

The manager tells the client about the system of discounts that he is entitled to depending on the volume of the purchase. The discount also depends on the distance of the region to which the goods are delivered. The further the customer more money eat up shipping costs. It also depends on the amount of goods that the customer is willing to buy. Now the average order in the online store is 40,000 rubles.

What departments does the dishware business consist of?

The structure of the company then and now is based on the principle: supply department, sales department, showroom, warehouse.

• Sales department. Its experts know how to sell the dishes that we buy from suppliers. This dish appears on the pages of the online store. Sales managers work with customers who come from the online store: they call, talk, place an order and monitor payment.
• Showroom serves local clients. The minimum purchase amount for wholesale prices is 4000 rubles.
• Stock. All dishes are delivered here and sent to customers from here.
• Purchase department works with all suppliers, factories and companies that are ready to work on barter. Suppliers consult with the sales department to understand what is most often taken and what the client needs: in order to understand how to sell dishes, you need to know exactly the seasonality of this product.

Holidays are always a surge of interest in our product: February 23, March 8. People are actively buying dishes. For men - men's sets and assortment. Women - sets, gifts, souvenirs. In summer, this is a household group: buckets, goods for working in the garden. Goods for children's camps, glassware, glasses.

How we work with carriers

The most common method is the formation of a route: for example, we gather together all the customers of an online store from Bashkiria, and the truck goes to all these points. There are other ways - for example, containers, rail transportation, air transportation.

All dishes are delivered in factory packaging. If the goods are delivered "in bulk", then we put them in boxes so that there is as little fight as possible. The fight arises - we pick up on acceptance.

How sales in the online store increased in 2 years

Photo-operation helped us to open an online store of tableware from scratch. In the first month of operation, the online store brought in a very small amount, but there were very few photos in the store.

Dishes are very reluctant to take photos of the goods, infrequently, and supplier plants provide images of their products. Many factories simply do not have photos of the goods, and the contracts do not state that they are obliged to provide them.

And we take a lot of pictures ourselves. And we do it quickly. Our difference is speed. Goods arrive - we quickly upload photos to the store.

Now sales and the number of orders of the online store are now constantly growing. We believe that the platform is a great tool for working with both new customers and old ones.

Download checklist for launching a store

Kitchenware stores are willingly visited by female customers, and the success of the enterprise depends on your ability to form an assortment and find a convenient place for a retail outlet. What points should be considered when opening a store.

Most women love to buy dishes. We can say that they visit dishware stores with almost the same pleasure as cosmetic ones. In the foreseeable past, the assortment of china shops upset and discouraged - sets that differ slightly in pattern, but are the same in shape.

Cups with poor flowers. Plates with a joyless border. The object of desire of many housewives in times Soviet Union There was a red tea set with white polka dots.

And if you managed to get pots and boxes for bulk products of the same color, you could be proud of yourself. If dishes that were inherited from great-grandmothers were accidentally kept in the house: elegant porcelain cups, a tureen that did not even allow the thought of borscht, or a teapot that children were strictly forbidden to touch, suspicions crept in that the dishes should look somehow different.

Today, fortunately, the choice in stores is much richer and respect for dishes is gradually being revived. We are happy to buy dishes not because a cup has broken, but we need to drink from something, and not in order to install a service in a sideboard for beauty. Crockery has become a very popular commodity, which enjoys quite good demand. We consider opening a glassware shop a good business idea with significant financial investments and good prospects.

Today, a huge variety of dishes of all shapes, colors and sizes is produced. Buyers are on all the most inconceivable and strange tableware delights and on very laconic household items intended for ascetics. Many dishes are traditionally bought as gifts for weddings, anniversaries, housewarmings and others. similar cases. A lot of people just can't get past the vending cup or coffee pot, salad bowl or candy vase.

And yet, with all the seeming simplicity of selling dishes, you need to know some rules and follow them if you want your business to develop successfully.

Kitchenware store location and premises

You can equip a separate store or department in a shopping center. According to experienced businessmen, it is better to choose a place among other stores or outlets. Then your store will be guaranteed a constant influx of customers. Experience tells us that buyers rarely come to a china shop purposefully, but very often they come along the road for groceries, and, having entered, they rarely leave the store empty-handed.

It is also believed that a dishware store will be popular in a residential area, where there are many new settlers and people are much more likely to think about arranging their homes. The area of ​​the store depends on your financial capabilities and plans. Areas of 50-60 sq. m is quite enough, but you can stay on 150-200 sq. m. In any case, when placing dishes, you must follow the principle of zoning:

• tableware
• Cooking utensils
• Gift sets of tableware, etc.

Purchase of goods

Experienced entrepreneurs advise starting a dishware business from a store selling several brands. Foreign suppliers, if you arrange direct deliveries with them, provide the store with trade software with professional lighting, which will save a lot.

However foreign manufacturers work, as a rule, on an advance payment. If the amount of purchases reaches tens of thousands of dollars, you can count on discounts of 7-10%. At the start, the purchase of goods will require about $100,000. Further, the cost of the purchase will dictate the turnover.

Range

When starting a tableware business, it is difficult to choose an assortment that will be profitable to work with. It can be argued that white dishes will be a win-win option. It is universal and suitable for any interior, serving and dishes. Transparent dishes are just as democratic and versatile, and therefore are in steady demand. With catchy and bold design solutions, it’s better not to rush until you decide on the preferences of buyers.

Porcelain remains the most favorite material. This material has excellent thermal conductivity, it is hygienic and products made from it look aesthetically attractive. It is not uncommon for large companies to buy batches of white china cups to have their logo printed on them for use as gifts and promotional items.

Introduce dishes made using new technologies to your assortment. Such novelties appear not so often and are always in demand. Pay special attention to the environmental friendliness of dishes, buyers now attach importance to this quality when choosing. This is especially true for middle-class buyers.

Recruitment

Friendly and knowledgeable salespeople are a must successful business. Sellers must understand not only the dishes, but also the technology of cooking and serving, in order to convince the buyer of the need for one or another serving item.

Therefore, we can recommend middle-aged women as sellers, who give the impression of experienced housewives who know a lot about dishes and cooking. Customer confidence is very important factor. The seller's salary is about $300-400 (the seller simultaneously acts as a consultant and cashier).

Financial investments

• Registration of individual entrepreneurship and documents (5,000-15,000 rubles);
• Room rental (15,000-30,000 rubles);
• Salary of sellers (20,000-40,000 rubles);
• Purchase of goods (100,000-250,000 rubles);
• Purchase of equipment and machinery (40,000-80,000 rubles);
• Advertising (5,000-10,000 rubles);
• Other costs (10,000-20,000 rubles).

To start a business, you need 200,000-450,000 rubles. The income of the store, depending on the prices in the region and the chosen place, will be 80,000-140,000 rubles. Net profit - 35,000-90,000 rubles. The business will pay off in 5-8 months.