Opening your own clothing store is what many entrepreneurs dream of. Someone sees it in the format of a fashionable boutique, and someone wants to make a cozy place where you can buy everything you need for your wardrobe at an affordable price. These ideas are radically opposite, but they are united by the fact that at the beginning it is necessary to draw up a clothing store with calculations. This will allow you to study all the nuances of the sphere in advance, calculate the costs and financial results.

Market analysis

As of 2015-2020, the clothing market is worth about 2,000 billion rubles. There is no particular growth in this area; on the contrary, even small declines are sometimes possible. A significant slowdown occurred in 2013-2014. This is due to a significant depreciation of the ruble and the economic crisis in the country. The volume of spending by the population is growing slightly, while prices increase by 4-12% per year on average. From this we can conclude that people:

• prefer cheaper clothes;
• began to buy less clothes due to low purchasing power.

With all this, opening your own clothing store remains a relevant business format. However, it is better to open outlets under famous brand by purchasing a franchise. Development own production will require serious capital investments, and the sale of products from unknown manufacturers will bring much less income.

Consider starting an online store. This option will require a lower start-up cost. In addition, in case of failure, financial losses will be much lower. The work of such a store can be organized independently - create a website, purchase goods and serve customers remotely without involving personnel.

Despite the shift in the interests of buyers towards online stores and mono-brand stores, the entrepreneur has the opportunity to open a successful business in the stationary clothing trade. The main thing in this case is to choose the right assortment and attract buyers.

What is the best clothing to sell?

The business plan of the store implies the need to form a product range. To do this, it is important to decide what kind of clothes to sell. First you need to understand who will be the target audience - women, men or children? Each has its own characteristics:

	Women's clothing	Men's clothing	Baby clothes
Demand level	55%	25%	20%
Competition	high	Moderate	high
Advantages	The highest level of demand. Sustainability of demand even in times of crisis compared to the other two formats. Great needs and financial opportunities.	It's easier to win over the consumer.	Children grow up quickly, so parents are forced to update their wardrobe frequently. High markup on goods.
Flaws	Very high competition, the market is overheated	Men need less clothes. Often they are willing to spend money on their wives and children, and to a much lesser extent on themselves.	High competition. Serious requirements for products.
Possibilities	Sale of shoes and accessories	Sale of expensive accessories (ties, cufflinks, etc.)	Sale related products: toys, baby food, hygiene products, etc.

The ideal option is the joint sale of women's and men's or women's and children's clothing. So the level of profit will be higher.

How to choose a format for a clothing store

There are several directions for dividing clothing stores into categories. So, depending on the number of brands represented, there are:

• mono-brand stores - clothes of the same brand are sold here, most often such outlets operate on a franchise basis;
• multi-brand stores - they present clothes of different brands, this format is more typical for small businesses who independently develop their business.

Clothing stores are also divided by price segments:

1. Premium class. They occupy a small part of the market, but they have a high average bill. They are usually located in the central part of the city in prestigious shopping centers or separate buildings. People with high income come here social position.
2. Middle price segment. They have a fairly stable demand. Prices for goods are relatively low, the margin is much lower than in boutiques. They can be located in shopping centers or residential/office buildings.
3. Lower price segment. This includes second-hand stores, stock pavilions. Prices for such goods are low, but their quality is appropriate. Such stores can be located in markets, on the first floors of residential buildings or in other buildings, mainly in the residential areas of the city.

For a novice entrepreneur, a clothing store of the middle price segment is most suitable. In this case, large financial investments will not be required, the demand for the product will be high.

You can divide clothing stores into two categories and how they will sell:

• Stationary stores. The most common option for beginners. Of the minuses can be identified: the presence of rent, the need to hire staff.
• Online shopping. It is more difficult to develop such a point, since the correct advertising campaign. But the savings are due to the lack of costs for rent and wages (if the entrepreneur takes orders on his own).

If seed investment quite a bit, you can try to start with a showroom at home, and with an increase in the number of customers, create your own online store or a stationary point.

There are many trade formats in the clothing trade. Some use beautiful names without thinking about what they mean. The most common formats today are:

• boutique - clothes here are fashionable and expensive;
• concept store - multifunctional stores with a special atmosphere that reflects the worldview of a person who must wear the clothes sold (often unique or rare, limited products are sold here);
• corner - a small department located in a common retail space (no walls or doors);
• showroom - a store with a showroom, not only retail, but also wholesale purchases can be made here;
• discount and stock centers - specialize in selling inexpensive items with big discounts.

There are other formats of clothing stores (outlet, Pop-Up Store and others), but they are not very common in Russia.

clothing store franchise

In the last few years, the franchise network has been actively developing in Russia. Now there are more than 500 offers in this area. And more than 50% fall on the sphere of trade, and the undoubted leaders are clothing stores. Here are some of the franchising programs:

1. Foreign companies do not learn on their own Russian market. They sell the master license to the largest wholesalers, and they are already promoting the brand through a franchise.
2. Domestic brands themselves develop a development strategy, a business project. Such organizations are interested in expansion. Typically, the brands themselves are deployed in large cities (Moscow, St. Petersburg), where the market is already overheated and there is not enough retail space, and the franchise is sold to developing regions, where demand for goods has been actively growing over the past few years.

Foreign franchises are quite expensive, while among domestic companies You can find relatively budget offers. Here are some popular franchise programs today:

As can be seen from the proposed options, opening a clothing store, even a small area, will require serious investments. In this case, this is due to the fact that the cost of branded goods is quite high. These stores usually do not charge an entry fee or royalties, they make a profit by providing businessmen with clothes of their own production for later sale.

Location where to open a clothing store

Half the success will depend on the correct choice of the location of the clothing store. Beginners should be especially careful about this issue. Often they do not have large savings and one mistake that led to failures and financial losses can mean the end of all endeavors.

Mostly shops open in rented premises, building your own building will be very costly and time-consuming. In the case of a lease, the following options can be used:

• detached building;
• place in the shopping center;
• place in the clothing market.

Each of them has its own characteristics, advantages and disadvantages. Let's consider them in more detail:

	Detached building	Place in the shopping center	Place in the clothing market
Who will suit?	Experienced entrepreneurs who are ready to invest a large amount in the development of their store	Beginners with low or medium initial investment	Entrepreneurs with a small budget
What products to sell?	Premium segment products	Medium or high price segment (depending on the prevalence of the shopping center)	Medium or low cost
Possible formats	Boutiques, showrooms, brand stores	Pavilions, shops, corners	Pavilion, shop
Advantages	High income, high average bill, loyal customers	No need to resolve issues with firefighters, SES. Quick start. Low repair costs. The premises already meet the requirements of supervisory authorities. No need to spend a lot of money on advertising	Low costs for opening and renting a place, the presence of a large number of visitors
Flaws	The high cost of rent, serious investments (more will be spent on the purchase of goods, payment utilities, repair), increased risk. You will have to independently resolve issues with the SES	The high cost of rent. The presence of competitors nearby	low income, high competition, ineffectiveness of almost any advertising, minimum amenities for the visitor, almost no loyal customers
Accommodation Recommendations	Downtown. Need high traffic, good transport interchange, availability of parking	It is important to choose the right direction of the shopping center. For example, it makes no sense to open in a construction shopping center. Neighbors should be the same clothing stores, entertainment centers. It is important to evaluate the patency of the place. It is better to place the store at the entrance to the store	At the entrance or in the walkways of the market
Minimum costs	2,500,000 rubles	1,500,000 rubles	500 000 rubles

The most popular among entrepreneurs are pavilions in the shopping center. Although they require more rental costs than in the case of the clothing market, they allow you to get loyal, solvent customers who will come for high-quality and beautiful clothes again and again.

You will not only have to choose a room, but also bring it into proper form. In the case of the shopping center, the points of sale are already equipped with sewerage, lighting, ventilation and other conditions. Entrepreneur enough to carry out repairs. It will take about 150,000 rubles.

Business registration

Opening a store will require registration as or. Beginners most often choose the first format. Before starting work, you will also need to collect a package of documents:

1. conclusion of the fire inspection;
2. conclusion of the SES;
3. Goskomstat codes;
4. official lease agreement;
5. certificates or declarations of conformity for all products, depending on the type of goods sold;
6. list of goods;
7. permission to outdoor advertising, if one will be used;
8. sanitary passport;
9. an agreement for the removal of solid waste and garbage (it is not required in the shopping center, since the owner of the shopping center is responsible for this).

To sell clothes, an entrepreneur does not have to obtain a license or certificates. The latter are provided by suppliers. A businessman is required to establish sales.

Before opening a clothing store, it is important to determine the types of activities according to OKVED. They must be specified in the application during business registration. For clothing stores, the following codes are suitable:

• 51 - "Retail trade textile products in specialized stores";
• 71 - "Retail trade in clothing in specialized stores";
• 71.1 - "Retail sale of men's, women's and children's clothing in specialized stores";
• 71.2 - "Retail sale of underwear in specialized stores";
• 71.5 - "Retail sale of sportswear in specialized stores".

This list can be supplemented if the entrepreneur sells something else in the store.

At the start of a business, it is also important to decide on the tax system. In the case of a clothing store, you can use the following options:

• (income-expenditure form is more preferable);
• (based on physical indicators - area, if such a regime is applicable in a particular region, but total area should not exceed 150 m2);
• (the patent is applicable for retail trade if the area of ​​the store does not exceed 50 m2).

The most attractive format is UTII. The disadvantage of this system is that it is necessary to pay tax regardless of the results and the fact of doing business.

Equipment

After the repair of the premises, it will be necessary to purchase and install all necessary equipment. It doesn't take much to work. Minimum will be needed:

• racks for clothes;
• hangers;
• showcases;
• mirrors;
• fitting room furniture;
• counters for cashiers;
• computer.

Additionally, it is worth installing an anti-theft system - it will reduce the amount of possible shortages. It is also better to spend money on installing a specialized software for clothing stores. It will allow you to monitor the volume of goods, demand, surpluses, generate reports and make summaries. All together it will cost the entrepreneur no less than 300,000 rubles, if we are talking about the opening of a prestigious store in the shopping center. Of course, opening a point in the clothing market will be much cheaper.

Before starting a business, you need to arrange the supply of goods. If you work with a franchisor, this problem will not arise. If the entrepreneur works alone, he will have to find wholesale suppliers and conclude contracts with them. Before the opening, you need to create a stock. This can take 1,000,000 - 1,500,000 rubles and more for a full-fledged store in a shopping center.

Staff

The operation of the store is impossible without staff. Sellers will be key. At least 2 salesmen must work in one shift. You can emphasize the status and high level of service by hiring an additional security guard and administrator.

You may not need an accountant. At first, you can deal with everything yourself or contact an outsourcing company. In fact, this format of service is cheaper and better.

Sellers and other employees of the trading floor must have sanitary books and undergo scheduled inspections on time. But they do not need special education. When looking for suitable sellers, you should pay attention to the following factors:

• ability to work with a cash register and specialized software;
• marketing skills;
• smile and responsiveness;
• attentiveness and accuracy;
• responsibility;
• neatness;
• nice appearance.

An employee who has all these qualities will be able to provide the customers of the store with the required services at the highest level.

Advertising

For successful work clothing store when drawing up a business plan, it is necessary to draw up and marketing strategy. Most effective methods will be:

• placement of outdoor signage;
• installation of a pavement sign at the store or shopping center in which the store is located;
• advertising on TV and in local media (for big stores);
• distribution of leaflets;
• advertising in the elevator;
• Internet advertising;
• creation of discount programs, loyalty programs;
• distribution of leaflets;
• holding promotions and other events.

There is no point in creating a website if the entrepreneur does not subsequently plan to sell goods via the Internet.

How much does it cost to open a clothing store

The business idea of ​​a full-fledged clothing store will require quite serious investments. Together with equipment, the creation of inventories, repairs and registration, it will take at least 1,900,000 rubles. For a small shop, starting costs start at 400,000 - 500,000 rubles. A large brand boutique will cost no less than 2.5 - 8 million rubles.

How much can you earn

The level of earnings directly depends on the breadth of the assortment, the size of the inventory, and the sales area. It is also important when drawing up a business plan for a clothing store to lay down a real mark-up with which customers will want to buy goods. In the middle price segment it is about 100%, in the premium segment it can reach 150-300%.

The total revenue for an ordinary store in a shopping center is about 1,000,000 rubles. Of these, the cost will be:

• purchase of goods - 500,000 rubles;
• wage- 100,000 rubles;
• rent - 70,000 rubles (the cost of rent in a shopping center varies from 800 to 2,500 rubles per 1 m 2);
• advertising - 15,000 rubles;
• taxes - 40,000 rubles.

From here, the net profit will be 1,000,000 - 725,000 = 275,000 rubles per month. Therefore, the profitability will be 275,000/1,000,000 = 27.5%. The store will pay off not earlier than in 7 - 12 months.

Conclusion

Opening a clothing store interesting idea, which does not involve serious bureaucratic formalities in comparison with grocery stores. However, the implementation of a business plan will require serious financial investments, a detailed analysis of the market and competition. Beginners should try to work on a franchise - this direction in the field of clothing stores is the most promising and minimally risky today. The main thing is to choose a reliable franchisor interested in the success of their partners.

All calculations are current for 2020.

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A fairly popular area in the field of small business is the clothing trade. It is very difficult for an entrepreneur who is just starting to imagine how to open and develop this direction. And here it is not even the format of the future enterprise that is important, that is, whether it will be a store with children's, women's or men's clothing, but the process of opening and development itself.

In the dashing nineties, clothes were delivered by the so-called shuttles and sold on the so-called clothing markets. Today, most buyers for clothes come to boutiques or shopping centers. Clothing, on the other hand, is usually purchased from suppliers or directly from manufacturers. Below in the article will be presented how to open your own clothing store from scratch, step by step instructions.

Niche selection

Choosing the direction of the future store is one of the important tasks that must be solved even before launching your business project. The most common niches for clothing stores are:

• stock;
• second hand;
• multi-brand;
• franchise;
• monobrand;
• boutique.

Let's take a closer look at each of the directions below.

stock store

Stock points of sale sell branded items that are left after the end of the season. In such shops there is an opportunity to purchase new good branded items from past collections. The margin here usually does not exceed 100%, so the prices for branded items are quite acceptable for a wide range of buyers.

Second hand stores

The main characteristic of things in such a store is that someone has already worn these things. These things are usually purchased in countries Western Europe and America.

Used items are usually sorted into large bales, depending on the season, the degree of wear and other criteria. The markup in second-hand stores can be up to 300%.

What is attractive about this format is that it is not necessary to have a solid background to open it. start-up capital. It should be noted that such enterprises are very popular among the population. Moreover, buyers in such stores are, by no means, only poor citizens.

Multi-brand store

In multi-brand stores, products of various brands and firms are sold. Typically, these boutiques are aimed at buyers with an income above average.

What does it take to open a clothing store representing various brands? Such a salon should have qualified personnel. You should also pay close attention to merchandising. This is due to the high competition in this niche.

Franchise Store

Franchising has both pros and cons. The advantages include brand promotion, advertising and support for the franchise holder. The disadvantages include fixed minimum monthly purchases and royalties.

To start in this niche you need start-up capital. You will need to follow the franchisor's instructions when selecting premises, recruiting staff, and so on.

Monobrand store

In such salons, clothes of one company are presented. It could be like big stores mass market, and points of sale expensive designer clothes one brand.

Read also: Business plan for a children's toy store with calculations

Naturally, if these are expensive clothes for VIP clients, then the staff here must be qualified. As a rule, the circle of buyers in such salons is not very large and buyers should be motivated for long-term relationships.

Boutique

As a rule, boutiques are small shops up to 20 square meters selling expensive clothes. In order to open such a store, you need to have a solid start-up capital.

The boutiques practice an individual approach to each client. The store staff is also highly qualified and knowledgeable. The interior in such establishments should correspond to the status of things that the store sells.

Direction of activity

Starting to think about opening a store and before calculating a business plan for opening a clothing store, it is worth considering who you will sell clothes for. It could be:

• baby clothes;
• women's clothing;
• men's clothing.

It is easy to guess that the most demanded and popular are clothes for children. Women's and men's clothing is also not a bad choice. But it is worth remembering that even in times of crisis, people try to give their children the very best.

Paperwork

Where to start a business? In order to have a legal point of sale and income, before starting a business, it is necessary to issue all permits.

In order to open a clothing store, you can register as an individual entrepreneur (IP) or register a company with limited liability(OOO).

Making an IP is cheaper, making it easier and less time-consuming. If your goal is a simple store with clothes of an average or low price category, then it will be enough for you to issue an IP. If you are planning to open an expensive boutique, then it will be more solid to open an LLC.

Shop space

Starting to deal with the premises for the future boutique, first of all, you need to think about the location of the premises. Right choice places are the basis for future successful trading.

In order not to make a mistake with the choice, you need to think about where people prefer to buy clothes. Naturally, now the most popular places for shopping are shopping centers or stand-alone stores. Both options have both pros and cons.

A shopping center, so to speak, provides a large flow of potential customers, as people go to shopping centers to make purchases. The downside is the higher rent and the fact that the best places are already taken.

The main disadvantage of a stand-alone store is that you will need to attract a flow of customers yourself. But this disadvantage can be turned to your advantage. You can put up colorful advertisements, hand out flyers, and the like. In this case, you will not need to ask permission from the management of the shopping center.

If you plan to open a franchise point, then, as a rule, the place where the outlet should be located is agreed and described in detail in the franchise agreement. In this case, you don't really have to choose.

Store equipment

The shop usually houses commercial furniture. This furniture is represented by racks, showcases, various cabinets and, finally, mannequins. In addition to furniture and mannequins, hangers of various sizes and a cash register are needed from the equipment.

It is necessary to equip booths for fitting. It is good if it is a small separate room, which is equipped with a large number of mirrors.

Suppliers

When looking for suppliers, you need to pay attention to the following criteria:

• reliability;
• quality.

One of the most popular areas in small business is the clothing trade. But many aspiring entrepreneurs cannot imagine how to open and develop their own business in this area. The format of the point is not so important, whether it is a boutique, a women's, children's or workwear store, a showroom. Problems and production nuances will be the same.

Since the nineties, the business has undergone significant changes. Previously, clothes were brought to Russia by shuttles and sold in special markets. Today, people buy clothes in specialized stores or shopping centers. Individual entrepreneurs no longer carry products, but purchase them from factories or suppliers.

Choosing a dot format is an integral part of starting a business. Today there are more than enough of them. The most popular store options:

• Second hand.
• Stock.
• Multibrand.
• Monobrand.
• Franchise manager.
• Boutique.

Second hand

In such an institution, clothes are sold that have already been used by someone. There are companies in Europe and other countries that buy clothes from the population for little money. Then employees sort things and send them to chain stores.

The main criterion for clothes that fall into second-hand is the degree of wear. This will determine the price for which the product will be sold.

The margin in such stores may be at the mark in 200-250 percent. You don't need a lot of start-up capital to start. The organization of such a business is relatively simple, while the demand for such establishments among the population is quite high.

Stock

Stock stores specialize in items that were not sold out in previous seasons. You can also find branded clothes in them, which turned out to be in excess.

The markup at such points is usually does not exceed 90-100 percent Therefore, it is there that you can buy quality items at low prices.

Multibrand

Multi-brand establishments are aimed at middle and high class customers. They feature products from leading designers. Such a store sells clothes of several brands, thereby providing customers with a wide choice.

When opening, it is necessary to take into account that there will be many competitors. When organizing the trading process, you need to hire qualified sellers, as well as pay Special attention merchandising.

Monobrand

Usually only one brand is represented here. Such establishments are aimed at middle and high class buyers. Buyers usually belong to a narrow circle of customers outlet. The store places high demands on the staff, as it is necessary to maintain long-term relationships with customers.

franchise

A store opened in this way can be both a profitable project and a failure. On the one hand, trading through a franchise has the advantages of a popular advertised brand, help and support from the franchisor. On the other hand, it can become a disadvantage, as purchases and monthly fees can be expensive.

To open such a business, you must have start-up capital. In addition, you need to carefully follow the instructions from higher people. The essence is quite simple: you have capital, you are offered to do business using a promoted brand. Your task is to divide the profit between the franchisor and yourself.

Usually you need to make some initial contribution, the amount of which varies greatly from company to company. Next, you must pay monthly payments on total sales. Also, some franchises may charge advertising fees.

Boutique

The boutique is a small area store, within 15-20 square meters. They mainly sell clothes of expensive brands.

The target audience is clients with medium and high income levels. Opening such an institution will be quite expensive, so you need to look for an individual approach to almost every client. In this case, only qualified sellers should be hired.

Institution directions

Also, stores can be divided into several areas:

• Men's clothing.
• Women's.
• Children's.

Based on market analysis, it is safe to say that best way to open a shop women's clothing because women pay more attention to their wardrobe.

Step-by-step instructions for organizing such a business are presented in the following video:

Company registration

To sell clothes, you need (IP) or (LLC). For opening a small store in a small or medium-sized city, registration as an individual entrepreneur is better suited. This will allow the businessman to save on taxes and other obligations.

You also need to purchase cash machine and register it. It's best to do this after you've rented trading area.

Point location selection

The flow of customers and, accordingly, income will depend on the location of your store. To choose the best place, you can ask your friends where they prefer to buy things. You can also arrange a survey on social networks and determine where they like to go shopping the most.

There are several location options:

• Shopping and entertainment centers.
• Separately standing shop.

If the store is located in a shopping center, then it has some advantages:

• The shopping center has a large flow of customers.
• The rent for retail space is not that high.

The disadvantage may be that the best places in the shopping center are already taken. Renting other places can be an unprofitable solution, since the profit received depends on the location of the point. You should not rent a place that is located on the upper floors, as there may be very few buyers there.

It is advisable to open a separate establishment only in the place where it will intersect with a large flow of customers. For example, you should not open a clothing store for young people in a residential area of ​​the city.

The advantage of a stand-alone point is that it is owned by the owner, and he is responsible for it.

Let's consider each option separately:

• A second-hand store is best opened as a stand-alone store with a small area.
• The stock version will also work great as a separate room.
• It is desirable to place a multi-brand one in a shopping center, preferably on the 1st or 2nd floors.
• Mono-brand, as well as multi-brand, can be opened in the shopping center on the 1st or 2nd floors. It can also be placed as a stand-alone establishment.
• The franchisor, who will analyze the market and potential competitors, will decide on the location of the point selling clothing under the franchise.
• The boutique should be opened as a separate store. At the same time, it is necessary to take care of its presentable appearance.

Necessary equipment

Before you open an institution, you should take care of purchasing the necessary equipment.

For a clothing store, you need to buy:

• mannequins on which the presented products will be hung;
• showcases and racks;
• fitting rooms, hangers;
• cash machine;
• special scanners for credit cards.

Supplier search

After you have chosen the direction of the institution, registered a company, rented a room, bought equipment, you need to find suppliers. The supplier must first of all deliver a quality product that can satisfy the tastes of visitors in a timely manner.

Finding suppliers is not difficult. Factories can become suppliers from Europe, America, China and Russia. The main problem may be finding an original product that will set you apart from competing stores.

Note! To find interesting product for your establishment, you can attend special clothing exhibitions, fashion shows.

If you want to work with a specific brand, then for the delivery you need to contact the supplier. You can find contacts of such companies on the Internet or learn from friends who are engaged in the same business and work with this brand.

Staff

Naturally, you will need to hire professional sales consultants. These employees will determine how often customers will purchase goods in your store. From this, in turn, will depend on revenue.

A qualified specialist must have a presentable appearance, confidently understand the product, be able to find an individual approach to each client.

The outlet's revenue depends on approximately 70 percent of the actions of sellers, so it is important to select good specialists who already have experience in sales.

You can place job advertisements in newspapers, on television and radio. You can also give information on the Internet or use the services of recruitment agencies.

In addition to sellers need to hire accountant, cleaners, administrator, security guards.

Do not forget that employees need to be constantly motivated. This will improve the quality of their work and productivity. It is necessary to conduct certification events once a year.

Also do not forget that salespeople will have to be trained if someone does not have the necessary work experience.

Costs, funding sources

The costs will look something like this:

• Registration individual entrepreneur- 2,000 rubles.
• Obtaining permits - 10,000 rubles.
• Rent - 30,000 rubles.
• Design and decoration - 100,000 rubles.
• Purchase of goods - from 200,000 rubles.
• Advertising - from 20,000 rubles.
• Salary to employees - 180,000 rubles.
• Equipment - from 70,000 rubles.

Possible funding sources:

• Small business development loan.
• Private investor.
• Own or borrowed capital.

Advertising

You can advertise the point with the help of television, radio, social networks. On the first day of sales, you can give away special cards regular customers who will give a discount on goods.

On the first day, you can also arrange a contest with various prizes. Do not forget about gifts for visitors for the holidays.

Possible profit

On average, a clothing store can payback in 1-2 years. If the business organization has been properly built, the products correspond to the quality, an acceptable pricing policy has been developed, then the projected revenue can be reached in six months.

Remember that opening such an institution, you must constantly update the range of products to maintain a constant demand for your product.

How to start a clothing business?

The business of selling clothes has long proven its profitability. Things have always been bought, and will be bought, no matter what kind of business it is: a business selling women's clothing, men's or children's. Many aspiring entrepreneurs often face the question: “Which business format is better?”, “Where is it more profitable to start?”. The questions are really difficult, because you can open wholesale organization and become a supplier, you can open a standard retail store, or you can start with a simple online store. The choice is sufficient, so you need to analyze this question “from and to”, so that later it does not turn out that the choice made is a big mistake.

Clothing business formats

There are three business options for selling children's clothing, men's and women's.

1. Wholesale trade.
2. Retail through a general store.
3. Sale through an online store.

Wholesale clothing- this is a kind of store, the purpose of which is still the same: the sale of goods. Only the target audience not customers, but retail stores. That is, the process is as follows: a wholesale store buys goods in large quantities, becomes a supplier and begins to look for options for selling products. These options are retail stores. Thus, a small chain is obtained: manufacturers, from which the wholesale company is purchased, - the wholesale company, from which retail stores are purchased, - retail stores that sell their goods to customers.

Retail- This is a regular store, in this case, specializing in clothing. The target audience is consumers. The main characteristics that are inherent in all retail stores are:

1. sales floor area,
2. level customer service,
3. number of commodity items,
4. product placement technology.

These characteristics are both distinctive and, thanks to them, the stores have their own identity.

Selling through an online store- a popular method today. It involves organizing and doing business online. Customers can shop without leaving home. To do this, they just need to choose the right item and pay for the goods either with a card or with the help of payment system. The main condition for organizing an online store is to make the process of making a purchase as comfortable as possible for customers so that they want to return to shopping.

The process of opening a wholesale company

Opening a wholesale company, regardless of the type of clothing and the target buyer (mono-brand or multi-brand store, stock, second-hand, boutique), has common components:

1. a detailed business plan for a wholesale warehouse;
2. building;
3. storage equipment;
4. suppliers;
5. employees (usually from 5 to 10 people);
6. set of permits.

First of all, you need to get acquainted with competitors, collect maximum information on sales in this region, and identify its dynamics. It will not be superfluous to talk with dealers. Before opening a wholesale store, it is necessary to make the maximum detailed business plan, which will reflect all financial information.

Finding a location is not the most important step. When opening a wholesale company, an advantageous or good location is not required at all, since retail stores will either come to pick up the goods themselves, or even provide all the work to the wholesale company. Therefore, the optimal location will be the most important. The building can be found ready-made or built for specific purposes (depending on the availability of available funds). Before renting or buying a ready-made premises, you must make sure that it is suitable for a warehouse.

After the building is rented or purchased (built), you need to start arranging the premises: it is worth dividing it into sections (loading, unloading, receiving, picking, storing goods). Equipment will also be needed, depending on the range, weight and dimensions.

The supplier selection stage is different for each store type. If the target audience is stock stores, then you need to buy clothes either from manufacturers or from stores that have leftovers. Secondhand stores are the most economical option (purchasing clothes is cheap, unlike others). Suppliers are companies that collect things. Multi- and mono-brand items, as well as expensive and elite items for a boutique, are purchased directly from manufacturers.

The wholesale store will need employees.

1. Boss.
2. Additional workers, in the amount of 5-10 people.

To make it easier for retail stores, you need to make access roads convenient and free. A good option is a building on the outskirts of the city, where you can easily and without traffic jams.

Store opening process

Opening a store begins with drawing up a business plan for selling clothes. After that, registration (LLC or IP) begins. Next, the most important step is finding a location. It should be in a passable place where there is a large flow of people every day. It can be a shopping center or a freestanding store in the city center on a busy street. It all depends on the type of clothing sold and its target audience.

The size of the premises also varies depending on the type of clothing sold. For example, a second-hand store does not require a large room. After the premises are rented, the search for suppliers, the purchase of equipment and the hiring of personnel begins.

Suppliers by and large will be wholesale companies. You can search for them either through friends or through ads on the Internet. Equipment also depends on the store. If this is a boutique, then everything should be expensive, and if it is second-hand, then a lot of equipment will not be needed and, in principle, they will not pay attention to it.

Hiring staff is another crucial moment, since the profitability of the business (its profitability) depends on the employees. And the last step is advertising. More about opening retail store(its stages, main advantages and disadvantages regarding each type of clothing) can be found in previous articles.

Opening an online store

The business of selling clothes online is as follows. The first is the search for suppliers. It is very important for an online store to have a quality product. You can create your own warehouse where the clothes will be stored, or you can agree with the supplier that the clothes will be picked up from his warehouse for each order. The second option is cheaper regardless of the clothes, their quality and brand.

To open an online store, you need a website. For the site - hosting and domain, which can be found low prices. Hosting is paid every month. You will also need to register entity(LLC or individual entrepreneur), so as not to have problems with the tax office.

It is important to provide for payment and delivery methods, there must be a choice so that the buyer finds something suitable for himself.

When suppliers are found, the site is created, you need to attract buyers. To do this, you need to start active promotion: contextual advertising ordered in Google or Yandex. It will attract to the store those who see this advertisement and follow the link. There is another option - advertising in boxes. You can create your own affiliate program so that buyers bring their friends and acquaintances and receive interest on their purchases.

Promotion is a means to form a base of regular customers. It is aimed at sales (20% of regular customers = 80% of sales). To retain customers, you need to permanent promotions and discounts, give coupons and send messages with great deals.

Online shopping has its pros and cons. Of the advantages, it is worth highlighting simplicity and minimal costs, and of the minuses, it is unlikely that it will be possible to achieve high incomes (of the three options, this one has the minimum profitability), unlike retail or wholesale stores. There are also limitations on target audiences.

Any business selling clothes can make a profit. All this will happen only for different periods of time. Retail store has the fastest payback period.

And the easiest method of organization is an online store. A wholesale company, on a par with an online store, is not characterized by such high costs. But the profit retail higher. Each business option has its pros and cons. Therefore, each entrepreneur must independently make a choice based on their experience, capabilities (including financial ones) and desires.

In this article, we will consider the question of how to open a clothing store, what is needed for this, an example of a business plan for opening it.

The profit of a clothing store - a boutique - will directly depend on the type of goods sold - "luxury" branded clothing, exclusive, economy class, etc. For example, the markup on elite clothing will be up to 100%, and on items for the middle class of consumers - up to 200%. In any case, this type of business is quite profitable.

Boutique business is perhaps the most profitable business in Russia, Europe and the USA. According to experts, the annual turnover of funds in this industry is incredibly high. All over the world, new malls and shops are being built, selling everything from cheap Chinese consumer goods to expensive glamorous exclusives.

Business plan

We present to you for free finished example a business plan for opening a clothing store that will help you start your own business in the field of trade. With this example, you can estimate your future expenses and income when doing business.

Plan implementation scheme:

1. register IP;
2. choose a supplier;
3. rent (buy) premises;
4. we hire staff;
5. we sell goods.

How to open a clothing store

So, let's consider information on how to open a clothing store from scratch point by point.

Choose a format

It is necessary to decide what format the boutique will wear - mono-brand (sells products of only one brand) or multi-brand (respectively, several firms and brands).

The first case is preferable if it is planned to work under a franchise or under an agreement directly with a commodity producer. Such a clothing store, although losing a certain segment of customers, nevertheless, by implementing an already promoted brand, has a chance to earn the favor of the buyer.

The multi-brand format is more dynamic and flexible. The owner himself chooses the assortment of goods and its price category. As a rule, such boutiques offer clothes for different wallets, which attracts visitors.

Franchise Store

franchise agreement

Buying a franchise is a common way to get started own business. Sales professionals believe that to build own shop clothes "from scratch" can only be an entrepreneur who already has experience in the fashion industry. So, the franchise agreement - a good option if before that you did not have the opportunity to try yourself in this field.

Buying the rights to implement a promoted brand, an entrepreneur is 80% sure that his business will do well. Why 80% and not 100? Because a lot depends on the location of the clothing store and the specifics of the market (city, country). The system, which includes a new boutique, has been working for a long time and brings profit to its owners, and these are certain guarantees.

In addition, along with the product, the entrepreneur receives recommendations on its implementation, recruitment, and marketing policy.

How to choose a franchisor?

To do this, you need to answer a number of questions:

• what is the price segment of the clothing boutique;
• profitability of the franchisor's store (sample finance);
• what is the cost of advertising this brand;
• who makes up the competitive environment of your clothing store;
• how unsold goods will be returned to the supplier;
• what is the franchisor's strategy and the degree of its penetration into our market.

The downside of a franchise is its cost. The price for the brand of a domestic manufacturer will cost about 50 thousand dollars. Brands of foreign manufacturers are two to three times more expensive.

Choosing a retail space

There are a number of recommendations on where it is more profitable to open your clothing store from scratch. For example, experts advise not to save on the space of a boutique, because the number of sales directly depends on the area of ​​the sales area. IN small shop it seems to the buyer that the choice of clothes is too small.

One of best options clothing store placements are shopping centers focused on the sale of clothing. It is believed that, despite competition, the level of sales in trading floors higher than in stand-alone stores.

When choosing a location for a clothing store, the following are taken into account:

• store image;
• competition in your market segment;
• the intensity of pedestrian flows near the store;
• level of financial and economic development of the region;
• the presence in the neighborhood of other points, cafes, bio-toilets, parking.

Trade inventory

To organize the work of a clothing store, you will need the following equipment: racks, shelves, a rack, several mannequins, a cash register, hangers, a fitting room, mirrors. Furniture elements and their price will depend on the style of the boutique interior.

Store design

Image affects the flow of visitors. In branded clothing stores concept appearance developed by design and marketing experts. But even if you do not claim a unique design for your store, you still have to do the repair and preparation of the premises for work.

Product Suppliers

As a rule, the owners of multi-brand boutiques buy from distributors of certain brands or go abroad to buy goods (Turkey, Bulgaria, China, Europe, America). Having decided on the assortment, you need to choose the best supplier, taking into account the ratio of quality and price.

Working staff

Sales personnel play a significant role. Shop fashion clothes- not an exception. The selection of good sales consultants is another component of successful work. In addition to external data and the ability to communicate with a client, an employee must understand fashion, have a sense of style, and be able to choose what suits the client.

The number of sellers depends on the size of the clothing store and the assortment sold. Most often, the seller's wages are piecework: a fixed rate plus a percentage of sales. The staff of a large store also includes a director, manager and accountant.

Advertising and marketing

Business risks

The main risks when trading clothes:

• unpredictability fashion trends . The dynamics and variability of fashion can ruin a clothing store: today the product is popular and quoted, but tomorrow it is no longer.
• Insufficient demand. To prevent this problem, it is important to work on creating the image of the outlet.
• Shortage or overstocking of goods. This is often faced by new business owners. The fear of "half-empty shelves" results in excessive purchases, and as a result, the ruin of a clothing store.

Estimated costs

So, how much does it cost to open a business like this:

• Franchise - from 45-47 thousand dollars.
• Rent commercial premises- from 1.5 thousand dollars / month.
• Equipping a clothing store - from 3.5 thousand dollars
• Repair - from 5 thousand dollars.
• Advertising - 500-1000 dollars.
• Purchase of the first batch of clothes - from 10 thousand dollars.
• Salary - from 3 thousand dollars / month.
• The set of initial costs for opening a clothing store from scratch is from 70 thousand dollars.

Business income

The trade margin can range from 50% to 200% or more.

In this scenario, the payback will be from one and a half to two years.