Small Shop Problems?

[coxdabd]

Hi,

I'm in the process of proposing to rent a small kiosk in my local town center and to ust it as a clothing shop. Its shape is a hexagon with each wall measuring 6ft. The door is only a house door.

Do you think people will not enter the as its small along with the door as they will be comitted to buy something?

 

[Lee Jones Jnr]

Is there any glass frontage to help it feel less enclosed?
I would think that something so small was not really suitable for clothing, it sounds more like a changing room than a shop.
Is it for something quite specialist?

 

[coxdabd]

It was a fish mongers and currently has shutters as he would open them and sell to people. Therefore I would need to have three large windows fitted.

Its for Childrens clothing, which there is a need for in my local town. The only competition I would have would be at Tesco...a mile away or so.

 

[Newky]

My first concern with this idea was: "What is your town like? Is it likely to get vandalised? Especially with additional glass front".

 

[coxdabd]

I'm hoping to keep the existing shutters and fit glass windows behind them. The town is large, and quite busy. Doesn't really have much of a problem with valdalism.

In the market square and close to Bonmarshe, Newlook and an accessory shop.

 

[Green_Jelly]

Have you done any research? You could ask local people about whether they would be enticed; how you could make it more appealing; where they currently shop; would they come to you instead - those kind of questions.

Also, do you have a shop designer to use?

 

[coxdabd]

Yes, I have been out and asked locals what their thoughts are. The main response I recieved was positive with many parents saying that they're very limited for variety.

No, I have a very tight budjet and probably wouldn't be able to stretch to a shop designer.

 

[daniel02]

Have you done any research? You could ask local people about whether they would be enticed; how you could make it more appealing; where they currently shop; would they come to you instead - those kind of questions.

Also, do you have a shop designer to use?

i think Green Jelly is right here, try doing some primary market research in the Local area, devise a survey containing all the aspects you are unsure about the shop, and find out what your target market really wants. perhaps you could try outside some clothing stores/childrens shops etc.

hope this helps.

 

[deniser]

The only competition I would have would be at Tesco...a mile away or so.

Don't underestimate the Tesco only a mile away!

As someone who knows quite a lot about the childrenswear market, I can tell you that most people under about 40 are quite afraid to go into an independent childrenswear shop because they think that only designer clothing will be stocked and that they might be cajoled into buying something they can't afford. But your location sounds good and older people love independent baby shops.

To get them in you need to display prices and stock prominently in the window. You also need to leave the door open wide - think how shops in shopping centres have their whole frontage open - and the doorway needs to be wide enough for a double buggy. The shop also needs to be big enough to accommodate several shoppers, kids and pushchairs at one time and have enough space so that muddy pushchairs don't brush past and ruin your stock.

What sort of lines are you thinking of selling?

I wish you luck with this but be aware that the childrenswear business is the most difficult apart from the off licence trade at the moment and very likely to fail (sorry to be so pessimistic but it is true - there are not many survivors in this sector).

 

[Newky]

The most immediate problem here feels to me to be space. Can you comfortably accommodate enough people at one time or will it feel claustrophobic?

 

[vvaannmmaann]

I'd be more concerned about the old fish heads under the floorboards.

 

[Green_Jelly]

Do you have a sound marketing plan for this? an established name / brand and any other routes to market?

 

[Green_Jelly]

Sorry - don't mean to bombard you with questions

 

[coxdabd]

Hi,

No worries, yes I have various marketting ideas I would like to do. Such as for our first week or so to do an 'Everything for £5' or something. Just to get people in anf for them to hopefully come back again. The average price per item is £12 so not overly expensive.

No, unfortunately I'm not established. My original plan was to go internet only though I'm hoping to get the business established through a shop - I'm also hoping to have four or so shops in tye future and create a brand.

 

[huangelaine]

As long as the service is good, business would have for u！！！

 

[Green_Jelly]

I would suggest that although promotions are important, there are a number of marketing tools which would greatly increase success - for example, the launch of the shop is a brilliant opportunity for publicity; you could maybe hold an event, talk with the press etc. Do you have an online presence for the shop? If not a website you could consider Twitter and Facebook too - this would also help to push the promotions.

Shari

 

[Newky]

I'm a bit undecided whether an online shop would add or detract from your effort in the near future.

A small, friendly, local shop that relies on footfall through town, and a web presence could either (in my eyes):

a) work out OK and allow regulars to buy online

or

b) the shop and site could feel like separate entities rather than two parts of the same business (would this harm the brand?).


Not sure which. Hmm...

 

[Green_Jelly]

I think that as long as the branding is done well and both entities enforce the other and point one to the other, etc. that it should add to the brand development rather than take anything away from it.

 

[David Morson]

Nope, I think that it depends upon a lot on how you represent your shop and make it as much attractive for the people to come and visit your shop.

 

[coxdabd]

Many thanks for all of your comments and advice. Interesting reading. I have great desire to make the business a success but have a small concern regarding the supermarkets and there stance on low-priced childrenswear.

The risks are low though for me. I need only to give one weeks notice to get out of the shop if things should not work out. However, I'm incredibly determined and as somebody else mentioned, as long as the marketing is done correctly, it may be very successful.