It is not customary to save on children. Therefore, opening a children's clothing store can be quite successful business. The main thing is to approach the organization of such an enterprise wisely.

Even though children need clothes in special sizes and styles (especially for babies), there are not many specialty stores.

Often these are either expensive boutiques common in megacities, or market points more familiar to small towns, where the quality of goods leaves much to be desired.

Under these conditions, the opening of a clothing store with a wide range products for children of all ages can be seen as a highly profitable business that can satisfy users living in settlements of various sizes. We will figure out how to open a children's clothing store from scratch, and what nuances to consider when creating such a business. And what does it take to open a children's clothing store?

Format is everything

Starting a business from scratch is not so bad.

Yes, it will have to be untwisted, and this is not an easy job.

On the other hand, it is possible to choose the concept of the future enterprise. The right format is the key to success.

Funds are spent more rationally, the place is more compact. As for the assortment and advertising, they are more thoughtful, which means they will surely hit the mark. So, the format of a children's clothing store can be as follows:

1. Classical. It implies the sale of products through a full-fledged trading place in specialized departments of hypermarkets or in individual stores in shopping centers.
2. Online. It is quite possible to sell clothes for children through the Internet. Today it is popular and in demand.

Both cases have their pros and cons. For example, in the first option, buyers have the opportunity to see, feel and try on clothes for a baby.

When purchasing clothes through the store's website, they will only have a visual representation of the product, as well as focus on the description provided by the seller. The photo does not always reflect the true appearance of the thing, as well as the declared characteristics may not correspond to reality.

Be prepared for frequent product returns when selling online.

Finding clothes for a child is quite difficult.

Children do not always meet age standards for height, weight and foot size.

At the same time, online sales are beneficial for both the seller and the buyer. The first one saves on renting premises, and accordingly can install more low prices. The latter have the opportunity to purchase products at an affordable cost almost around the clock, without leaving home.

Advertising and promotion

As for advertising, the promotion of an online store will require enhanced measures. A real store is always in front of the eyes of customers passing by, so when they need children's products, they will be the first to remember it.

It is convenient to promote a children's clothing store through specialized resources (thematic forums, groups in in social networks, blogs of successful mothers). Such advertising is quite economical and effective.

Where is the best place to locate a store?

Initially, a large area is not required to open a store. 50 m 2 will be enough.

It's best to start small. This will allow you to study the preferences of customers, determine the most popular products and "fill your hand."

It makes sense to open a store in places with high traffic, preferably the audience for which the product is designed.

Doesn't have to be downtown. Adults buy clothes for children, so points near kindergartens, attractions, playgrounds, clinics, development centers will be appropriate.

It is advantageous to locate the premises near similar stores that are popular with consumers.

This will increase your chances of getting attention. potential consumers. Following the usual store, buyers are highly likely to visit yours.

A high-quality level of service, a well-thought-out assortment and a loyal pricing policy will help to convince a client to buy clothes for a child from you.

Naturally, it is worth considering the rental rate. It may vary several times. However, the location of the store in an expensive shopping center with a high rent does not guarantee a large turnover.

Clothing store for children in a rented premises

The site is the face of the store. It is both a showcase and an office, so it should be interesting, convenient and understandable to the client as much as possible. All the necessary data should be visible (contacts, product order buttons, working hours, sizes, color, availability of goods, prices, advantages of buying on this resource, etc.).

It is better to order a site from professionals. Specialists will not only create a high-quality resource with advanced functionality that takes into account all the wishes of the client, but they will also be able to suggest which domain and hosting to purchase, which structure and color scheme of the site will be more advantageous.

Just creating a website for an online store is not enough. The resource must be optimized for search queries and periodically promoted. This is best handled by experts. You can order a subscription service.

Store decoration

It is advisable to design a children's clothing store in light or bright colors. Paintings with cartoon characters or fairytale heroes would also be appropriate. A good trick that both children and parents buy into is gifts for toddlers.

It will be enough to distribute Balloons, hoops with "ears", cardboard masks, etc. little things. Children's music will not be superfluous. Such a background will contribute to a great mood among buyers.

Bright design for a children's clothing store

Old-timers in this niche are advised to place a children's corner in the store. It can be equipped with a sofa, playpen, TV, drawing table, children's slide or toys. This will allow one of the parents to relax with the child, while the second is busy choosing the wardrobe for the baby.

Legal registration

To operate a children's clothing store, you will need to register an individual entrepreneur or LLC, as well as obtain certificates for products.

To do this, you must submit documents to certain government agencies (tax, FIU, FSS, MHIF, etc.). Registration will take up to 10 days.

Suppliers should be selected who are verified and have the appropriate licenses for manufactured or sold products. Certified products will meet high quality standards, as well as be labeled according to the established standards for clothing sizes.

Assortment of a children's store: embrace the immensity

The initial assortment should be formed according to the season from things of a full size range.

It is better if they are not in one set.

Based on what category of children you are targeting (babies, children under school age, schoolchildren).

Choose the most popular colors (pink, blue, neutral). As products are sold, identify the items that are most in demand.

Depending on the width of the assortment, select staff. He must be sociable, honest, outwardly attractive and polite. For a small store, 1-2 sellers, 1 cleaning lady will be enough.

If you have a dacha or a country house with a plot, you can try yourself as a businessman. On the site you can grow products for later sale. - all about the organization greenhouse farming, calculation of investments and payback.

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Store opening costs

• registration - about 1 thousand rubles;
• obtaining permits - up to 10 thousand rubles;
• rent (if required) - up to 70 thousand rubles;
• repair and purchase of equipment, office equipment, Supplies- up to 250 thousand rubles;
• purchase of goods - up to 300 thousand rubles;
• staff salaries - up to 25 thousand rubles;
• advertising campaign - up to 20 thousand;
• other expenses - about 50 thousand rubles.

The total amount will be approximately 726 thousand rubles. However, in each individual case, it may vary (for example, if there is no need to make repairs).

Business payback

Is it profitable to open a children's clothing store? The profitability of opening a children's store is quite high.

With a competent organization of a point in a passage place, it will be possible to return the invested funds in a year and a half.

At the same time, tangible profits will appear after six months of stable operation, when the brand becomes recognizable and an audience of regular customers appears. The average markup on products is about 130%.

This business requires frequent updating of the assortment, therefore, constant investments. Do not forget about the seasonality of the business. As a rule, sales fall during the off-season. Therefore, it is advisable to “dilute” the assortment of the store with toys, handbags, accessories, etc. goods.

When opening a children's products store, bet on kids. After all, it is they who will ultimately make the decision to buy this or that thing. Put your soul into your store, and then parents with kids will come to you again and again, feeling the atmosphere of attention and ease. And of course, do not ignore the quality of products. Little shoppers are especially in need of comfortable beautiful things that are resistant to wear and tear.

If you prefer production to other activities, but do not have large finances, then you can realize your idea by creating small production. . Where to begin? What to produce? You will find answers to these questions in the following article.

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The first thing you need to open a children's clothing store is to decide on its format. Children's outlets are those selling things from 0 to 15 years old.

Several types of outlets:

• Clothing for all ages.
• Clothes and accessories for newborns, children of the first year of life (from 0 to 1 year).
• Shop for toddlers (from 1 to 3 years).
• Children's clothing preschool age(from 3 to 7 years).
• Shop for children of school age (from 7 to 15 years). It makes sense to separate by gender in order to offer a quality assortment in sufficient quantity.
• Specialized children's stores: school uniforms, sports, festive or carnival clothing.

Deciding on the format, it is not at all necessary to immediately open an enterprise with a full range of products for all ages - this will require a larger area, large financial costs. Initially, you can focus on narrow groups of consumers, improve as the business develops.

Professional automation of goods accounting in retail. Tidy up your store

Take control of sales and track the performance of cashiers, outlets and organizations in real time from any convenient place with an Internet connection. Form the needs of outlets and purchase goods in 3 clicks, print labels and price tags with a barcode, making life easier for yourself and your employees. Build a customer base with a ready-made loyalty system, use a flexible discount system to attract customers during off-peak hours. Operate like a big store, but without the cost of specialists and server hardware today, start earning more tomorrow.

Market analysis

In order for the store to become successful, it is necessary to conduct market analysis of children's clothing focusing on key aspects such as:

• E capacity and dynamics of the market, the level of demand.
• Main competitors: their shares in total sales, strong and weak sides, prices and quality of goods, advertising.
• The target segment is determined by several criteria: age, income, social status, place of residence, number and age of children in the family.
• Analysis of consumer actions: motivation, identification of needs and expectations, reasons for dissatisfaction, the process of making purchase decisions.
• External factors: economic (inflation rate, bank rates, customs duties, VAT rate), social (number, standard of living of people living near the future store, fashion), legal (changes in legislation, current regulations concerning the future of the business).

A good step before opening own business- work for a while in a children's clothing store as a salesperson or administrator. This will allow you to see the business from the inside, understand the nuances, collect reliable information, make sure that the right choice areas of work.

Comprehensive trade automation at a minimum cost

We take a regular computer, connect any fiscal registrar and install the Business Ru Kassa application. As a result, we get an economical analogue of a POS terminal like in a large store with all its functions. We enter goods with prices in the Business.Ru cloud service and start working. For everything about everything - a maximum of 1 hour and 15-20 thousand rubles. for the fiscal registrar.

Having planned the assortment outlet by age segments, you will get the opportunity to get by with a small starting capital, avoid credit, organize a convenient display, regularly update products on a limited retail space, live up to the expectations of buyers.

It is worth considering that parents with 2 or more children tend to shop in one place, choosing a common store for children of different ages, of different sexes.

When forming an assortment, pay attention to the quality of materials, the content of natural fibers, good design, matching price and quality. It is necessary to take care of the variety, the availability of a size range for each type of product.

Registration of a children's clothing store

When starting a business from scratch, you should decide on the legal form. Most often, young businessmen choose between sole proprietorship or opening a limited liability company. Each of them has pros and cons:

• The registration procedure is simple for both individual entrepreneurs and LLC, it takes no more than 5 working days.
• There are also no special differences in tax obligations: you can choose to work with VAT, pay taxes according to a simplified system, or an imputed percentage of profits.
• The state duty for registering an individual entrepreneur is 800 rubles, for an LLC - 4000 rubles. (2017).
• Opening an LLC will require additional costs: creation of a charter, registration of a legal, actual address, ordering a seal, opening a current account, contributing authorized capital (minimum 10,000 rubles).
• IP pays dues Pension Fund regardless of its work, making a profit, and the LLC is exempt from such payments, subject to the provision of the relevant "zero" documents.
• When lending is needed, banks are more loyal to LLCs, but Self employed may face additional difficulties.
• We should not forget about stereotypical thinking: an organization is a more reliable partner than an individual entrepreneur.

In the event of bankruptcy or repayment of obligations to creditors, an individual entrepreneur risks losing all his property, regardless of whether it is associated with entrepreneurial activity or not, and the LLC is liable only to the extent of the authorized capital or property of the organization (unless otherwise ordered by the court).

A clear understanding of how an individual entrepreneur differs from an LLC will allow you to make a reasonable decision.

Boost your store performance in 1 month

The service will improve the efficiency of the store by reducing losses commodity balances, significantly speed up the process of revaluation, printing price tags / labels, strictly discipline the work of the cashier and limit his opportunities when working with discounts / sales at a free price.

Choosing a location for a children's clothing store

Where to open a children's clothing store to quickly create your own client base, achieve success? It would be very good to open such a retail outlet in the immediate vicinity of children's institutions: a clinic, a kindergarten, a school, a center for additional development.

It is convenient if the store is located in a shopping center, malls with high traffic and the presence of similar departments in the neighborhood to be in sight potential buyers from the first day of work.

The choice of a place should be approached with all care, because attendance depends on it, and, accordingly, profit, the rate of return on investment.

Premises for a children's clothing store

The size of the room can be any, the main thing is that there is enough space for fitting rooms, displaying goods, customers do not have a feeling of crowding if several buyers come at the same time. The store should be interesting for children, convenient for parents!

In the design, it is recommended to use bright juicy colors of yellow, orange, red, green shades, but avoid acidic, “eye-cutting” colors. The interior can be supplemented with images (drawings, figures) fairy tale characters or cartoon characters.

The presence of a children's corner in which the child can draw, play, will provide additional benefits.

How to get the most out of your store

You can increase sales with the help of loyalty systems, they allow you to motivate the buyer to come back again, as well as attraction tools in the form of creating sales or promotions for certain groups of goods, analytics that will allow you to see profit, profitability, revenue and other indicators that will help you see the picture of current sales and will influence the growth of these indicators.

Equipment for a children's clothing store

To open a children's clothing store, you can get by with a minimum set of commercial equipment. Initially, it will be enough to organize a seller’s workplace, a small service room with a bathroom, fitting rooms with mirrors and curtains, hangers, racks, racks and shelves, mannequins, cash machine and a children's corner.

Regularly update the appearance of mannequins - this attracts the attention of potential buyers to a greater extent.

It is good if there are at least two spacious fitting rooms that can accommodate a parent and a child.

Buy a laptop - useful for managing a store group in social networks, communicating with customers; printer (preferably in color) for leaflets, ads and price tags.

Make a workplace for a director or an accountant.

In addition, by hanging screens in fitting rooms with the ability to broadcast your favorite cartoons, you can entertain even the most capricious little customers during fitting.

Name and photo of equipment	The required amount for the premises is not more than 50 sq.m., pcs.	Approximate cost per unit, rub.	Total cost, rub.
Reception desk (seller's workplace)	1	4 000-15 000	4 000-15 000
Service room (locker, chair, table)	1	10 000-20 000	10 000-20 000
bathroom	1	5 000-10 000	5 000-10 000
Fitting room with a curtain and a mirror, fasteners for things	2	9 000-15 000	18 000-30 000
Rack, shelf	2	7 000-15 000	14 000-30 000
Hanger, rack	4	4 000-15 000	16 000-60 000
Shopping cart for sales	2	2 000-4 000	4 000-8 000
Coat hanger	100	20-100	2 000-10 000
Dummy	2	5 000-17 000	10 000-34 000
Cash register (check printing machine)	1	9 000-20 000	9 000-20 000
Sofa (ottoman)	1	5 000-15 000	5 000-15 000
Children's corner, toys	1	10 000-15 000	10 000-15 000
Total:			107 000-267 000

Approximate equipment costs will range from 100 to 300 thousand rubles.

They will depend on the chosen format of the outlet, the price category of goods. Things of the premium segment require appropriate design; in a thrift store, you can get by with the simplest showcases.

Advertising for a children's clothing store

Be sure to organize a loud festive opening with the issuance of discount cards, business cards and booklets.

When issuing discount cards, ask customers to fill out a short questionnaire indicating Email and phone numbers. So you can inform them about promotions, discounts, new arrivals of goods.

How small shop compete with the supermarket

The Business.Ru service will help with this, which will allow you to form a customer base through a loyalty system, which in turn will allow you to attract them to purchases again and again in pursuit of bonuses and special discounts for cardholders. Create happy hours to energize off-peak sales. Work with the rest of the goods correctly, the system itself will show what minimum you need to order and place an order with the supplier in 3 clicks. Small stores can compete with chains, this has been proven by customers of the business accounting service Business.Ru

Suppliers for children's clothing store

Every person wants the thing he bought to be beautiful, safe for the child. Therefore, the choice of suppliers should be approached with great care.

Can work with foreign companies, which have already proven themselves in the market, with newly emerging domestic manufacturers offering cost-effective prices.

The main thing to pay attention to is the quality of products, the stability of supplies, the renewal of the assortment, the availability of the necessary certificates.

Staff for a children's clothing store

Finding good sellers is not easy, but you need to try. It depends on the employees whether visitors want to make purchases on their first visit and come back again.

Service should be kind and polite, but unobtrusive.

Sellers must be patient, be able to find mutual language both with children and parents. The high professionalism of employees is important: knowledge of the assortment, the ability to determine the size of the child by eye, navigate in the directions of children's fashion.

For maximum profit, the store must work seven days a week. You can hire 2-4 sales assistants, set a shift schedule, go to the hall yourself, participate in customer service. This will give important information about customers, employees. Cleaning lady, auxiliary workers can be hired for 2-3 hours a day.

As a business owner, you can leave administrative issues to yourself, but it is better to entrust bookkeeping to a professional.

Minimum staff salary costs:

The level of salary depends on the average for the region.

How much does it cost to open a children's clothing store

To draw up a business plan, you need to include in it all the upcoming expenses for the purchase of equipment, goods, monthly mandatory expenses.

One-time expenses will include:

• registration of a legal entity;
• decoration of the premises;
• purchase of equipment;
• purchase of goods;
• advertising costs.

High margins make the children's clothing trade a very attractive business. The average markup on children's clothes is 100 - 500%.

According to the estimates of entrepreneurs already working in this market, the business is considered highly profitable, with a payback period of about a year.

For example, with an initial investment in a business of 900 thousand rubles, a net income of 200 thousand, a net profit of 100 thousand rubles, the payback period for the store will be about 10-12 months.

Control the work of the store using a mobile application and an online service

Track online revenue, store opening/closing and shifts, as well as the dynamics of checks breaking through mobile application. Set up the cashier's rights, set the ban on sales to minus and form online reports by sales. Try the Business.Ru service and online cash desk with free technical support.

Franchise Clothing Stores

Statistics show that the proportion of children in the total population of Russia is currently about 16%. And according to forecasts, this figure will grow annually thanks to government programs to support families with children.

Thus, children's retail trade, with proper organization, is not threatened with bankruptcy. However, one should not discount the crisis that hit all areas of business. Opening a retail outlet under the franchise of a well-known partner, selling goods of a well-known brand that has won the hearts of buyers, will help a novice entrepreneur to protect himself from financial failure.

Advantages retail franchised baby items:

• well-known brand, promoted name, reputation of the franchisor;
• providing a quality product;
• support of the company during the opening and operation of the store;
• training;
• advertising campaigns at the expense of the franchisor, incl. and in the federal media;
• reducing risks to zero;
• low purchase prices;
• ensuring constant profit.

Using a franchise has several disadvantages:

• Mandatory thorough observance of the franchisor's standards in all matters: from the mode of operation to a strictly regulated assortment.
• Franchise purchase costs.
• In case of bankruptcy of the franchisor, the sale or cancellation of the franchise is possible.

You can open a clothing outlet for children by franchising companies: Next, Shark, Stilnyashka, Orby, Ivashka, PlayToday, Born, Button Blue, Gulliver, etc.

When choosing a company that sells franchises, you should pay attention to companies that invest their ideas, experience and skills in partners, and do not consider franchisees only as an additional way to sell goods.

Franchise your own children's clothing store or fill your own bumps - the choice is yours. Children are the most precious thing we have. And we will always strive to give them the best - development, toys and of course clothes. In any case, children's clothing is always in demand, and a children's goods store is a profitable enterprise, regardless of the change of seasons or sizes. locality where the opening is planned.

As an option for your own business, it has been and remains extremely popular, so all kinds of outlets appear constantly. Merchants try their hand at competing for a buyer by testing various types of trade and groups of goods in practice. How to open baby store clothes from scratch, is it worth it to deal with this particular group of goods and what prospects can this business have? Consider the issue from all sides, this will help determine the choice of assortment and direction of work.

The specifics of a children's clothing store: why is it profitable?

Even at the decision-making stage, businessmen are interested in a completely legitimate question: is it profitable to open an online children's clothing store, will good sales really go? If we compare the need to purchase new clothes for children and for adults, it turns out that the turnover rate in the children's category is several times higher. The reason is extremely simple: babies actually grow very quickly, and buying dresses and trousers for growth in our society has long been out of the question.

The child's need for a practical wardrobe that successfully combines smart and everyday things - all this contributes to the fact that clothes for a child are bought more often than for an adult. Here, of course, it should be understood that this statement can only be considered as a kind of average result. There are families of different incomes, somewhere the preponderance can go in favor of one or both parents, and families without children are not taken into account. However, on average, this is exactly the situation, and the vast majority of parents admit that children's clothing and shoes are a significant expense item. That is why businessmen are interested, from scratch, what profit it can bring and what you should pay attention to in the first place.

Action plan for opening a children's clothing store

When opening any outlet, there is a standard action plan that has been tested by many businessmen. So, you have decided to open a children's clothing store. Where to begin?

The order of execution of the points may vary slightly, but the general course of the process remains the same:

• choice of area and premises for the store;
• analysis of the consumer audience;
• determination of the price category of goods;
• preliminary formation of the assortment;
• final formation of the budget;
• registration;
• store design and recruitment;
• opening.

Each of these points can be adjusted to the specifics of the city or district, but registration is standard everywhere. For this you need to contact tax office at the place of residence and register as an entrepreneur. When thinking about how to open a children's clothing store from scratch, you first need to consider the legality of your actions and include the costs of appropriate clearance in your business plan.

You can draw up documents as a taxpayer of an entrepreneur both independently and by entrusting all the chores to professionals. Many firms specialize in settling formalities as quickly as possible.

Premises selection and area analysis

For the success of your future business, you should take into account the specifics of the area in which you plan to open a store. If this part of the city can already boast several such points, then it would be reckless to enter into a tough competition especially when other options are available. In most cases, competition requires significant financial investment, effort and time, and it is better to spend it on business development. Before thinking about how to open a children's clothing store from scratch, it would be worthwhile to first understand where exactly it is most needed.

Children are a rather specific category of consumers, it is not always convenient to walk around stores with them, so proximity to customers is an advantage. The absence of a children's store where there are many children is a clear sign of a free niche. However, there is another way to cover almost all areas of the city, and maybe even the country. E-commerce has its own advantages and can be carried out simultaneously with the development of a brick-and-mortar store. Many are wondering how to open an online children's clothing store, what is needed for this and how such a business differs from standard solutions. By and large, such trade is distinguished by a more friendly attitude towards buyers and the opportunity to save on renting premises, utility bills and selection of personnel.

How to decide on a price category

Expensive or cheap? Children's clothing, like adult clothing, can be affordable or cost a lot of money. This is worth thinking about even at the stage of thinking about how to open a children's clothing store. The business plan should include an analysis of customer demand, this will allow you to predict possible profits and development commercial enterprise. The profitability of the entire enterprise directly depends on the price of the goods and the purchasing power of the main part of the visitors.

In a place populated by middle-class people, a store with luxurious clothes from well-known brands is unlikely to be appropriate. It is better to open such points in the city center or in large shopping centers, because their potential buyers are unlikely to walk. For a sleeping area, goods of medium price and good quality are more suitable in order to maintain the reputation of the store.

Is it worth it to open a children's clothing store in the market, because there are many buyers there by default? The market is just the place where it is better to cover the lower price segment, from cheap things to the average cost.

Formation of the assortment

What determines the profit of any retail store? This is best seen in the example of a standard supermarket, where you can buy everything you need from provisions, plus In the same way, it is worth forming the assortment of your future store with children's goods. The ideal option is when customers can buy everything that is necessary for a child on the spot, from underwear to a winter jacket, otherwise they will go to competitors.

Is it profitable to open a children's clothing store? If the assortment allows you to reliably retain the buyer and encourages him to become a regular customer, then this is definitely beneficial. In retail, one-time customers are just a nice addition, and the bulk of the revenue is made by regular customers who evaluated your work and made a choice in favor of your company.

One of better ways to form an assortment is to put yourself in the place of the buyer. To do this, you do not need to be limited by your own imagination, an analysis of the work of other stores helps a lot. It is worth exploring what other stores specifically lack, what you can do better, how to meet customer demand. It is necessary to make a purchase of goods based on the conducted research.

Store decoration

After you have decided on the area in which you will open your store, have found the premises and are almost ready to start working, you should pay attention to the design of the premises. In addition to attractive design, there is another important aspect - practicality and foresight. It is no secret that people come to such stores with children, so you should think about the safety of goods. Restless kids will certainly try to restore their own order on all the shelves that they can reach. Therefore, it is worth taking care that goods are placed on the lower shelves in such a way that there is nothing breaking or very expensive. You may ask, what can break in a clothing store? In the supermarket example, toys or baby care products can be used as related products, and they can be broken by accident.

It is much easier to develop a design if you open a franchised children's clothing store - usually the general design of the outlet is specified in the contract package, since it must comply common project chain stores. For example, Chicco brand stores have design recommendations, and the quality of goods is confirmed by many buyers.

Recruitment

Another important element of the store's success is qualified staff. Working with children's goods has its own specifics. Sellers should be ready to give comprehensive information on any type of product, to answer many questions. Buyers in such stores are especially picky, and THEY can be understood, because we are talking about children. What does it take to open a children's clothing store? Sometimes they don’t even think about the staff, and it is the seller who can directly influence the success of the work.

In addition to the ability to advise the buyer and sell him the necessary goods, sellers must have a high degree of stress resistance, be able to handle other people's children, and be able to quickly and effectively stop conflicts. At first glance, any person can work as a seller in such a store, but not everything is so simple. It may even be necessary to organize special training, and this is already a material investment in staff.

Online store for children's clothing

Another business option that is often overlooked is to open an online children's clothing store, from scratch or as an addition to an existing outlet. What is needed for an online store and how does it differ from the usual form of trade?

In most cases, the advantage of an online store is the absence of the need to rent or buy premises for trading floors, to hire sellers. This is not entirely true, premises are still needed, although not, but rather, warehouse space, where, in addition to storing goods, orders can be quickly and efficiently generated. You can’t do without staff at all either – someone has to take orders, conduct consultations online or by phone, complete the ordered goods and deliver them to customers.

At the same time, you can choose an inexpensive room, on the outskirts of the city, you do not need to pay impressive amounts for advertising lighting and utilities, and a qualified online consultant is able to capture a much larger number of buyers than one seller on the trading floor. And yet, how to open an online children's clothing store?

In this case, the same procedure remains true, which has already been discussed above, but with some amendments. If you don’t need to design trading floors, then you still have to spend money on website design and creating functionality that allows visitors to comfortably place an order directly on the site.

Thrift store selling children's things

Due to the fact that children really grow up very quickly, many parents are faced with a situation where some nice jacket or dress was not worn at all or managed to be worn a couple of times. What to do in this case - throw it away, give it to someone or try to sell it? It is a pity to throw away, there is no one to donate, and there is no time or talent to sell. A thrift store can be considered an excellent outlet, useful for both the seller and future buyers, who can purchase almost new thing at a reduced price.

How to open a children's clothing consignment store and will it be profitable? By and large, the procedure for opening a thrift store is no different from any other store, but there are certain advantages here. By accepting things for a commission, you do not spend money on the purchase of goods. The initial seller himself takes care of bringing the children's clothes to marketable condition, bring her to the store. The profit in this case is made up of the margin that the store takes for itself for the provision of retail space and the services of the seller.

At the same time, you can combine the types of profit and open a commission department in a regular children's clothing store. At the same time, the store owner sets the rules for accepting goods on his own, for example, only things of a certain price category and only in perfect condition can be accepted for a commission.

How to develop a business?

After the grand opening of the store, harsh everyday life begins, the flow of visitors gradually decreases. This is a natural decline after the hype, so it is worth considering how to maintain trading and grow further.

If you have correctly decided on the question of where to open a children's clothing store, and there are really a lot of children around, there is Kindergarten and school, then a stable flow of visitors is ensured. It is important to turn visitors into buyers, for this you need to constantly analyze customer demand. The attentive attitude of the staff towards visitors can help, because it is the seller who compiles the initial survey and provides data on requests that the store could not satisfy.

If the work of the store is duplicated on the Internet, then this gives an additional volume of sales and expands the territorial coverage of the service. Considering that the store has its own warehouse space, the cost of creating an online store will be relatively small.

A loyalty program for regular customers can help promote a business - discounts and bonuses are well received by consumers. In addition to standard advertising, you can unobtrusively remind customers of yourself. For example, order special questionnaires for customers and send congratulatory messages on a child's birthday, while mentioning the replenishment of the assortment.

At the same time, the assortment should be expanded, because even in a children's clothing store you can add toys, accessories, goods of impulse demand. In the price category, it is better to stick to the chosen policy if it suits the buyers, but it is good to have an assortment of the adjacent category. If in one store you can buy both an expensive item and its more affordable counterpart, this can benefit the business.

Children's goods are well sold always and everywhere. It is not customary to save on descendants. In addition, there is no alternative to buying clothes or shoes for babies. After all, children cannot wear clothes for adults, and they grow up quickly.

At the same time, there are certain standards regarding the design, tailoring and quality of things. If we compare a store with a point on the market, then the first one has a lot of advantages. The first and foremost of these is comfort. At a stationary point located in the building, it is convenient to measure clothes (there are mirrors, sufficient lighting and heating).

In addition, by properly organizing the space, you can contribute to a longer stay of customers in the store, which will undoubtedly affect the number of purchases.

However, this idea is not easy to implement in practice.

All parts of the business process are important, starting with suitable personnel and premises before the formation of a "running" assortment.

You can't do without a document that will spell out the main cost items, the nuances of the organization and consumer policy. For those businessmen who are attracted by the prospect of becoming the owner of such a profitable business, we will give a business plan for opening a children's clothing store with calculations as an example.

Deciding on an idea

Before you start drawing up a business plan for a children's clothing store, you need to decide on an idea. The fact that it is supposed to trade in children's clothing is a direction. It is important to understand who exactly to sell and what.

Knowing target audience and their needs, it will be easier to come up with some kind of "chip" that distinguishes you from similar stores. If you can come up with something interesting that gives a special touch to the business, then buyers will prefer you, even if the prices of competitors are lower. Positioning is what will contribute to the success of the store.

Assortment of clothes for children

When an idea is found, it becomes clear which format is more convenient and beneficial for its implementation. Design is important trading floor, type of service, principles of location so that they fit into the size of the room. From here the advertising company will also “dance”.

In the clothing trade segment, children's clothing wins in many respects. Children grow up quickly and clothes have to be bought frequently, which is beneficial for the entrepreneur. : expenses, legal registration, payback and business organization.

About the features of the sales business household chemicals read .

* Calculations use average data for Russia

Investments from:

Store area:

35-145 sq. m.

Profitability:

Payback period:

How to open a children's clothing store and succeed? Olga Kuznetsova, a consultant on franchising, launching and developing a retail business, a member of the Board of Directors of RIKKI-TIKKI, shares her experience.

- Olga, tell us what your company does.

In 2002, together with partners, I opened a children's clothing store RIKKI-TIKKI. This store was conceived as a new direction for a company that was engaged in a different business - the import and production of tights. Actually, the store was my idea, completely my brainchild. The partners remained to support the old business, and I plunged into the turbulent and incomprehensible world of retail for me. And until the end of 2010, I was engaged in the development and management of first a store, then several, and then a group of companies RIKKI-TIKKI.

Now I have started a project to organize online training for entrepreneurs who plan to open their own store, for those who already have stores, as well as those who are going to buy a franchise.

Now the RIKKI-TIKKI chain of stores is one of the largest children's clothing chains in Russia, it has several dozen stores throughout Russia. This is a group of companies that is the exclusive distributor of leading children's TM from Poland and Canada, owns and operates twelve own stores and also opens franchise stores.

Was it easy for you to decide to become an entrepreneur? How did you come up with the idea to start this particular business?

I feel like I've always been in business. First, in the 90s, my husband and I started "buy and sell" wholesale business, sold Italian tights. My husband took responsibility for finances and security, and I got everything else. The rest is the search for premises, organization of the process, sales, employees, suppliers, advertising.

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It was then that I realized what an interesting and invigorating process it is - starting a business, developing it and bringing it to a profitable level. Then there was manufacturing business, and in 2002 retail began, which we have been focusing on recently.

In those days, there was no stability, so I did not suffer from a special fear of instability. But there was no way to get the necessary information, to learn something, to get advice, to find qualified personnel. And the criminal risks were very high.

- How long did it take to implement the idea?

When I decided to open a store, of course, I first of all began to look for a direction. At that time I had a fairly wide circle of contacts - I asked my friends and acquaintances - what stores and goods they lacked. Thus, I have identified several themes. One of them was children's clothing.

And just then, at the exhibition, I met a Polish company - a manufacturer of children's clothing under the brand name Coccodrillo. I liked both their clothes and the representatives of the company themselves.

An additional argument in their favor was the fact that we had already established business and friendly contacts with Polish entrepreneurs and I had repeatedly visited Poland. Also, I myself had an eight-year-old son, for whom I could not find clothes that would suit me. By the way, this reason is called by the majority of business owners in the "children's direction".

The first store was immediately conceived as a pilot. I wanted to check the demand for the chosen brand. Now Coccodrillo is in the top five most famous TMs of children's clothing in Russia, but then I was not sure that the style, unusual for that time, would be in demand. Therefore, the store was sold quickly enough.

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Yes, and it was not a store at all, but a small pavilion of 15 sq.m. at the Moscow market Sovenok. I rented an area, bought the simplest shop equipment, completed all the documents and opened a point. It took about a month for everything. The testing was successful. The clothes were well received and sold well.

- How did you embody the idea from its idea to the final implementation?

I have been preparing for the opening of the first real store for a long time. I started preparing even before I decided to open a test point. I approached this quite seriously, since from the very beginning I was going to open not just a store, but a retail business.

Having a background in marketing, I naturally started with research. Conducted desk and field research of the Moscow market retail sales clothing in general, and children's clothing in particular. As a result, I received structured information on the state of the market, its trends and conjuncture. Thus, I made sure that my idea with a mid-range children's clothing store had the potential to develop.

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Then I started looking for an idea for a store. A small study was conducted - a survey (about 150 people). The survey was conducted by students of Moscow State University, future marketers near good schools, kindergartens, and expensive covered markets. The purpose of the study was to confirm several hypotheses and collect the opinions of potential buyers, namely:

For a store that plans to work in the middle price niche, the name must be "foreign".

Basic needs: safety, stability, environmental friendliness. Safety was interpreted very broadly: from a child-safe store to safe clothing.

With the results of all these studies in hand, I came up with the name of the future store and was able to compose technical task designer to develop a logo and image of the trading floor. Further, having already convinced that Coccodrillo was to the taste of the buyers, I began to look for a place for a store.

In general, it is now clear that it was possible to open a store like this only in those days when demand exceeded supply and there was practically no competition. I had no idea about the assortment matrix, turnover, return and conversion. I didn’t know how to properly assess the place, what the premises should be like, what sellers should do. Thank God that I quickly guessed to hire an experienced administrator who set up processes and work with sellers for me. And also suggested a little on assortment management.

Now this method of discovery is a very big risk. Even at that time, I was forced to quickly close my first store due to a mistake in choosing a location. And only the second store really became successful, laying the foundation for the development of the network.

What you need to do to open a store now:

You should start by learning the basics of the retail business. The retail business model is radically different from wholesale sales and any other type of sales. There are many features in retail, ignorance of which is critical to the survival of a business. It is because of ignorance of the laws of the retail business that so many new open stores closed in the first year.

The next stage is the search for an idea, positioning. If, for example, you want to open a children's clothing store, this is not an idea. This is the direction. The idea is WHAT you are selling and to whom. The solution of what problem or the “fulfillment” of what desires, for which specific buyers. How will your store differ from others, what is its “trick”. Why do buyers come to buy from you, and not from others, more famous, cheaper, etc. What place in the minds of your customers are you going to take. It's not an easy process, it takes time and work, but it's really necessary for the success of the store.

The next step is format development. If the general idea is created, the store format will be quite easy to determine. The format is the size, assortment, type of service, design of the trading floor, location principles, that is, the choice of a place for the store.

And then search and selection of suppliers, retail space, trading floor project, commercial equipment.

After these steps, you can already make a more or less real business plan, with an updated financial part.

In parallel - all legal issues. Open a company or register an individual entrepreneur, a bank account. If the room is separate, and not in the shopping center - permits from firefighters and SES.

Repair and equipment of store premises.

Development of business processes, regulations, accounting systems, security systems. Here you can at first use standard documents. Then, in the process of work, adapting them to your needs.

Think over methods and techniques for promoting the store. Activities to attract buyers.

Hire staff, purchase and deliver goods. And good luck.

Some of these stages can be performed in parallel, some only sequentially. If you spare no time and effort, then after going through all the steps correctly, you can get a beautiful and successful business.

- What difficulties did you encounter at the initial stages of doing business?

Complete ignorance of the subject gave rise to a large number of errors. There was not enough money, there were no rules and laws.

According to your estimates, what is the minimum amount with which you can start this business today? Name the main items of expenditure.

If we talk about opening a franchise store of our company - it depends on the format of the store, the condition of the premises - from 1 to 2.5 million rubles. If we talk about an independent concept - there is also a wide range - it depends on the size, price level, I also think from 1 million to ... Here the boundaries are determined by the owner's imagination. Here's how to count possible term returns and whether it will be - not all owners know.

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The cost of opening a store is divided into two parts - investment and working capital. Investments - the cost of repairing and equipping the retail space, organizational costs. Working capital - funds for the purchase of goods.

The main composition of the costs and their approximate value. Shop 35-45 sq.m.

Cost item	Amount, rub.
Rental deposit (100,000 rubles per month for 1 month)
Lighting + repair + installation
Trade and optional equipment, hangers, mannequins
Architectural and design project project
Transport services
Purchase and service maintenance KKM
Registration persons, permits
Wage before the store opens
Stationery, office equipment, telephone, computer, printer, 1-C program
Anti-theft system (optional)
Product (subject to mid-season opening)

But generally speaking, investing in a children's clothing store is no different than investing in an adult clothing store. The difference is mainly working capital, which depends on the size of the store and on the average cost of a unit of goods.

- How to approach the choice of a place for a children's store?

The main buyers of children's clothing are mothers. Therefore, it is better to open a store in those places that are often visited by women of the right age for the purpose of shopping. Because when a woman goes to buy something, she pays attention to other stores.

Or where women often play the role of mothers and at the same time have some free time. There it is good to open specialized stores for a certain profile. For example, next to large Palaces of Culture, where there are many circles, large schools and kindergartens, in new areas, where there are many young families with children.

Also as a place to open can be considered shopping centers. In this case, it is better to open a store next to a large department store for children, which will create a flow of customers, that is, be an anchor tenant. Or next to other children's stores in different directions.

There is no need to be afraid of competition. If you are worried about a clear concept, the store has its own face and its customer - such a store will not dissolve among others. And the variety and choice will attract more buyers.

In general, it is always worth looking for the target stream. What is "target"? What characteristics determine whether it is targeted or not? There are many such characteristics, they differ for each particular store. But there are also common ones, for example:

Price expectations of buyers. If you place your store with an average price of goods in a very visited but cheap place (market) - this is a mistake. And the question is not even that people with low incomes come there. People with average incomes come there, but they come to buy something cheap, and your prices will look higher than they are in reality.

indirect competition. For example, a circus or a large children's entertainment center. It would seem that this is the target flow, they are visited by families with children who have enough money for entertainment. But, firstly, they are set up for a carefree vacation, and buying something, especially clothes, is a kind of work. Secondly, visiting such places is a guaranteed expenditure of a certain, rather large amount of money. Parents will subconsciously assume that they have spent enough for today.

- Are there any additional administrative requirements for the premises?

If we talk about a children's clothing store, then no. There are restrictions on clothing for newborns and toddlers, but they do not affect stores. Rather, it is for open market outlets.

All employees need medical books. Of course, certification is required for children's clothing, but this is more a matter of suppliers. If you open a store with only clothes, the optimal area for a start can be considered 40-60 meters. If you add other categories - shoes, toys - then you need to carefully look at the assortment. But starting with a store more than 150 meters is very dangerous in any case. It is impossible to make a balanced assortment for such an area without experience. Essential characteristics commercial premises is the shape of the trading floor, the size of the shop windows, how well the entrance to the store is visible and convenient.

What can you save on and what should you not save on?

This is a very complex issue. In the retail business, there are such concepts as format, format business model, concept. They must be developed before the store opens. When they are, it becomes clear the necessary and sufficient level of spending on all the elements that make up the store itself, as a system.

Somewhere you can save on staff, but invest in repairs, somewhere on rent and choose a less passable place, somewhere vice versa. All stores are different, or better to say that they should be different. There are no common "magic pills" here. That is, they do not heal.

- How long did it take you to pay back the initial investment?

Well, we closed the first store in half a year. The second paid off in one and a half, the third in a year. Now the average payback period is 1.8 years.

- What can you say about the profitability of this business?

Normal profitability for a children's clothing store, and not only children's clothing, can be considered:

15% of the store's turnover

50% of total costs including working capital

100% on working capital.

- Is there seasonality in your business? How do you solve the problem of low seasons?

Yes, and significant. This is one of the biggest shortcomings of our market. At RIKKI-TIKKI, we have tried many different options to smooth out the decline in sales in the spring-summer season. At first, of course, we tried to find a solution to this problem through the sale of a non-core assortment - all kinds of summer toys and entertainment. But the fact is that the summer decline is present not only in clothing, but also in other categories of children's goods. Only products for newborns do not have this feature.

Now RIKKI-TIKKI manages the assortment so well throughout the year that we simply collect revenue in other months. After all, seasonality has two ends: if there is a time of recession, then there is also a time of peak sales growth. The main thing is not to miss it.

- How is the purchase of goods, the process of forming an assortment and margins?

world standard trade margin for clothing stores is a markup of 110-130%. This is subject to purchases against a placed seasonal pre-order from the supplier's warehouse. With successful cooperation, the supplier may give a small deferred payment. For example, RIKKI-TIKKI has developed a special marketing policy for its franchisees, which includes deferred payment, deliveries according to a certain payment schedule, and even commission conditions. Naturally, all these preferences are conditioned by the observance of certain standards, rules, payment and other discipline.

- What specialists does the company's staff consist of? What payment scheme do you practice?

The key employee in the store is the administrator. Without his quality work, the store is not viable. The position of an administrator requires certain competencies, especially in the field of personnel management (salespeople), experience and serious leadership qualities. The reason many entrepreneurs fail is that they decide to take on admin duties without having necessary qualities and experience.

For the successful operation of the store, a clear system of distribution of duties and responsibilities of employees, control over their work is necessary. This system is framed in a set of regulations, instructions, reporting forms, described business processes.

Sellers most often work in shifts, two days of work, two days off, as stores are open 12 hours a day, seven days a week and public holidays. Of course, the material motivation of the store staff should be based on the results of personal sales, and also include a component of the overall sales of the store. Do not forget about the system of punishments and rewards for compliance with all rules and regulations.

But, one should not think that only one system financial incentives you can get a perfectly working labor collective. No less, and often more significant contribution to the store's revenue is made by the emotional mood of people. Non-material motivation - corporate culture, sellers' trust in management, loyalty to the company, perception of it as part of one's life - are extremely important factors for business success.

- How did you select key employees?

First by trial and error. Now there is already a system of selection, recruitment and training. As I already wrote, the key employees for a retail business are store administrators. The problem is that from good seller Rarely is a good manager. It's actually different people, and the seller does not always want, and can, take on the functions and responsibilities of the manager.

Therefore, most often our administrators are recruited from outside. Then they work as interns under supervision experienced staff while undergoing serious training in the company. Sometimes it happens that a seller grows good manager. This is the best option for the company.

RIKKI-TIKKI has developed a proprietary competency model for all positions (positions) of the company, on its basis it is planned to develop and train personnel, it is also the basis for determining criteria for hiring and selecting employees.

Obviously, during your work you have tried various ways of advertising. Which advertising media proved to be effective, and which ones did you eventually abandon?

I would use the term promotion. Advertising is only part of a set of measures aimed at attracting and retaining customers. Our company - federal network. We have two levels of promotion - the brand and the chain itself and the stores themselves.

Our stores have small area- 70-130 sq.m. Therefore, we use ATL advertising very limited. But the choice of advertising media depends on the location of the store. Oddly enough, the effectiveness of advertising media has a high spread, depending on the city.

To be honest, being the director of marketing and development, I did not understand why this is happening. In some cities advertising works great on transport, somewhere local or cable TV, in some cities there are very effective local magazines, or federal ones are very popular, but published for this region.

And so there are dozens of methods of low-budget promotion. Only they must be understood, tested and correctly made. Often advertising fails not because of media choice error, but because of poor execution.

- What can you say about the competition in your business?

Pretty high, like everywhere else now. But there is still room. You just need to differentiate.

- Has the economic crisis affected your business?

Oh sure. At the end of 2008, RIKKI-TIKKI, like many others, experienced a sharp drop in sales, especially in the regions. Although not many shops closed, due to the large number of unsold goods, we were in a difficult financial situation.

To make matters worse, this was not just a temporary drop in sales. Over time, it became clear that the behavior of our customers, their values ​​and priorities have changed dramatically. I had to learn to do it again efficient business in the new reality, learn to work for "new" customers. It took a lot of time and effort, but now we can already say that there is a result. The stores that we are now opening are successful.

- What other pitfalls does this business have?

The retail business, especially the clothing business, has high demand risks. And children's clothing is no exception. The vagaries of the weather, changes in the solvency of the population - all this can greatly affect the profitability of the store.

Also a big risk, however, common to any stores, is a change in the path of the customer flow. For example, a wonderful place was found, the store worked for six months and everything is fine, but just before the entrance, work began on laying some pipes. And the stream went on the other side.

- Based on your experience, what would you advise to those who are just planning to start this business?

There are hundreds of mistakes that lead to failure in the retail business. But there are not so many reasons why these mistakes are made. Still, based on my considerable experience, not only my own, but the experience of RIKKI-TIKKI's franchisee partners, I realized that the owner of a small and medium-sized business is, in a sense, a profession that requires a certain level of knowledge and competencies.

Therefore, my advice is before opening a store, and not only a store, before starting any business, not just collect general information, but find a way to get to the bottom of it, to understand how it works in reality. Understand what knowledge and skills will be needed from the business owner, what kind of people he will need and why. This can be done by going through various training programs, which are now sufficient. You should not save 15-20 thousand rubles, and then lose hundreds, or even millions.

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