This article is an attempt to inform respected readers wondering how to open a clothing business in Moscow. More specifically, it will be about opening a small clothing store (with retail space about 50 m2).
Russian market of men's clothing
The Russian market of men's clothing is currently actively developing. Since 2010, there has been an annual growth trend of 13%. The fact is that the market share of “gentlemen's furniture” occupies about 25% of the total volume of clothing sold, while developed countries show it at 40%.
At present, foreign brands, having prepared for themselves a reliable springboard in Moscow and St. Petersburg, have begun a powerful advance into the depths of Russia, into the regions. Therefore, more and more entrepreneurs wish to open a men's clothing store. Thus, it is obvious that the Russian market of goods for men is in any case doomed to development. Its volume, according to current estimates of experts, now exceeds $ 30 billion.
Note that it is structured and characterized by constant proportions. Most - up to 60% - are economy-class products. It should be recognized that the leading positions in the classic and VIP segments now belong to foreign business. The trump cards in the expansion of the “overseas merchants” are effective sales, sales technologies and well-designed branding policies.
Among the importing countries, the Middle Kingdom belongs: according to the results of 2012, 42.4% of all imports come to us from there. Turkey has the second position (about 14%).
Men's Clothing Styles
However, according to experts, the structure of the Russian men's clothing market is deformed. These are mainly casual clothes. Moreover, this niche is 80% occupied by foreign companies with high competitive potential. It is characteristic that the share of imports in the casual segment is not steadily decreasing. Those who want to open a men's clothing store should take this into account.
Such a skew style is not typical for developed countries, where the proportion of other styles is more noticeable. A brief look at some of them.
In our last ten years, a paradoxical situation has been observed: everyday style begins to replace the business one, even among office workers. Recall that business style similar to the classic - the same elegant and restrained, but with fashionable details.
A classic that is undeservedly ignored for the sake of everyday life is also worthy of further development in Russia, characterized by solid material and elegant simplicity of lines. Unfortunately, the romantic style with narrow vests, wide-sleeved shirts, hats of exotic styles, and neck scarves is rather narrowly represented. Here it would be appropriate to recall the words of Andrei Myagkov, reincarnated as Zhenya Lukashin, that the spirit of adventurism has disappeared from life. Is that really true? Unfortunately, we have to admit that this is so.
Recently, there has been a slight increase in the specific gravity of the military style - with a cut that imitates military clothing, with patch pockets and shoulder straps. The same goes for sports style.
Features of the sale of men's clothing in Moscow
The topic of this article is the practice of opening a Moscow men's clothing boutique. We were forced to limit the possible range of the review, since modern clothing sales in Moscow are huge shopping centers, and chains of large branded supermarkets, and trading houses. However, the subject of our study was a relatively small store that can be opened by a Russian who is in the status of an individual entrepreneur.
To paraphrase Bulgakov’s Woland, we can say that the Moscow clothing buyer is “spoiled by brands.” Accordingly, the trade in men's clothing has its own characteristics. It is advisable for an entrepreneur to concentrate on his brand specialization. Decide on the format of your business: how do you see it - mono-brand (selling products of only one brand) or multi-brand (offering suits of several brands).
First you need to "acclimatize" to the Moscow business. In this regard, we strongly recommend starting with the first option, for which you should purchase a franchise. Do not worry, this does not mean that you have to incur additional costs. Many famous brands provide it for free, requiring you only one thing - cooperation. Of course, you must have the right facilities and financial means for company repairs (if necessary) and for the purchase of goods.
Next, an interview awaits you, as a result of which your choice of retail space should be approved. Then a contract for a franchise is signed. Of course, before you go to meet with representatives of the brand you are interested in, you must develop a business plan for the men's clothing store. Your sanity and focus on success is the key to future successful cooperation. A well-chosen brand will largely determine the success of trade.
Listen to these tips. Even if you had a successful trading experience in another large city in Russia, it is not a fact that business in the capital will follow the thumb. Impatient entrepreneurs rushing into battle, it is appropriate to recall the advice of the great Arkady Raikin: "Take your time!"
Although you have arguments in defense of a tried and tested business concept, in Moscow it’s better to follow the beaten path. A reasonable decision would be (not without the help of friends) to find a vacated passageway. Get it, and your business will have a chance to develop. It is very important, even at the level of the business plan, to comprehend the real positive difference between the expected revenue and the main item of expenses - rent.
Answering the question of how much money should be invested to open a small men's clothing store (from scratch in Moscow), entrepreneurs usually name the amount of $ 150 - 200 thousand.
Rent
And now we’ll try to illuminate the question: “How much does it cost to open a clothing store in Moscow?” But, let's start with a rental, since for many this is the only option. You will need to rent a retail space of 50 m2. Do not make a deal, only a superficial assessment of the room. Ask if it is dry, how it is ventilated, what is the condition of the walls, whether the power supply is convenient, how securely the room closes. Check which sign is allowed. Monthly costs for such a lease will be from 8 thousand rubles. per square meter, depending on the area of Belokamennaya.
Novice entrepreneurs are usually interested in how to promote a clothing store. We will show you the best way. Since it makes direct sense to open such a business in lively, crowded places, it is recommended to focus on the rented sections of shopping centers. However, keep in mind: the administration of the shopping center is unlikely to provide such a place if the presented brands are little known. At the same time, breaking into the "cage", you will take off many of the costs in the future.After all, instead of you, the administration of the shopping center will be forced to communicate with the inspecting and controlling authorities. So it's worth the sweat.
Room repair
A presentable type of store is a necessary condition for further successful trading activities. The average finish price per square meter will range from $ 200 to $ 400. As you can see, opening a men's clothing store is not a cheap pleasure. And some entrepreneurs generally prefer professional design. The price of such a project is negotiable, it all depends on the company, which is taken to make a doll from your store.
When planning the cost of repairing a room, it is advisable to consider reformatting the lighting. Trading activities will be more successful with adequate coverage. Fragmented touch on the theory. Tissue trade is sensitive to color rendering index. For fluorescent lamps, it is 70%.
This means that 30% of the color gamut of fabrics is visually distorted. And for metal halide lamps, it is 90%. The interior of the men's clothing store, as well as the presentation of the product, will clearly benefit from balanced lighting.
What are the costs? Relatively small. The cost of a luminaire with fluorescent lamps is from 600 rubles. The price of a metal halide lamp is 2500–3500 rubles. In addition to general lighting, it is advisable to use an accent in the interior of the room to revitalize walls and vertical surfaces. Mirrors are of great importance: they visually expand the boundaries of the cabin, make it brighter, and indeed complement the style and even hide certain flaws.
Equipment
The main mission of the trading equipment is to most effectively demonstrate your goods to customers. Therefore, investment in it pays off with an increase in sales volumes. Before you open a men's clothing store, you should rationally place the proper equipment in it: modular systems, counters, racks, racks, economic panels, a set of display cases for clothes and underwear. All purchases, if carried out sparingly, will cost you $ 5 - 7 thousand.
Modern equipment will significantly save the usable area of the trading floor. We will call the estimated prices of individual modules (by the way, it is better to give preference to equipment from a domestic manufacturer - because of the best price / quality ratio):
- Wall shelving (90x53x230 cm) - 4-5 thousand rubles.
- Counter (90x50x130 cm) - 3-4 thousand rubles.
- Hangers and racks for clothes - 5-6 thousand rubles.
- Modular systems - 12-15 thousand rubles.
- Male mannequins - 7-8 thousand rubles.
- Wall-mounted showcases (60x35x200 cm) - from 7-10 thousand rubles. and higher.
- Fitting rooms - 3 thousand rubles / m2.
Staff
It happens that the owner, in spite of the appropriate financial investments made by him, does not go in for business. And he, in the literal sense of the word, clutching his head, is frantically looking for mistakes. And such an entrepreneur, racking his brains in search of an answer to the question: “What is needed to open a clothing store?”, I would like to recall the words that have already become winged: “Cadres decide everything.” It is about the sellers and the role they play in the store.
There are no trifles here. Both external data and the ability to communicate with the client are important. Mandatory criteria are competence in the fashion world, an innate sense of style, the ability to competently advise customers, gently pushing them to make a purchase. A sales assistant must not only know how to sell men's suits, he must be able to do this.
At the same time, the buyer sees the seller as a like-minded person trying to help him make the best choice. And, of course, the seller’s smile is his calling card. People with a stone face should not work in this profession. About appearance, you probably can not mention. Well, who will buy the costume from the seller in a stretched sweatshirt?
Staff motivation
The outlet owner should not only hire staff, but also establish a mutually beneficial system to stimulate sales growth. Practiced reception, when in addition to the salary, wages include a percentage of revenue. Entrepreneurs, as a rule, establish a premium to sellers of 20 thousand rubles or more. Well, here, as they say, who is what.
In addition to contractual relations, a worthy business level of informal communication of an entrepreneur with employees is important. It is no secret that the profitability of your business depends on the psychological and advisory skills of sellers.
Do not skimp (of course, within reasonable limits) by hiring a qualified and adequate current accounting system for an accountant who is online with you.
Purchase of goods
What could be sadder than a store without goods? This will be another answer to the question: “What is needed to open a clothing store?” Since it is customary to conclude long-term supply contracts with manufacturers six months before the actual delivery of products, when planning to open a store, try to take this moment into account and not miss it. Moreover, the store, even before its opening, makes an advance payment, which amounts to approximately 10-30% of the purchase price of the goods. Thus, the retail allowance you set will fully generate your income.
If you do not enter into the above-mentioned agreements for the supply of goods for the future, you will have to conclude them with intermediaries (commission trading), but in this case you lose a certain percentage of the revenue that goes to paying commissions.
Important! Separately, make sure that the goods delivered to you are necessarily accompanied by quality certificates.
Marketing and advertising
Any business (clothing store is no exception) is unthinkable without marketing and advertising. First of all, get a catchy original sign. Stands and billboards proved to be quite good.
In addition, the use of discount cards is encouraged. With their help, an entrepreneur economically attracts profitable customers and stimulates them to use the services of his store. Further, the mobile phone number provided by the client upon receipt of this card can be used to read SMS news (for example, about the receipt of a new product in the store).
It is also recommended that twice a week for a limited time, distribute leaflets to potential customers about the range, prices of the store and its location.
Conclusion
Let us summarize everything that an entrepreneur who wants to open a men's clothing store in Moscow should do. Such a responsible decision requires, firstly, the reorientation of the owner to follow one or more brands.
This will be followed by the phase of choosing a worthy rental object, and you may even have to wait until it appears in the shopping center.
And now, when the issue of profitable rent is resolved, it becomes urgent for the individual entrepreneur to purchase a franchise from a well-known brand company. The starting batch of goods is ordered.
The entrepreneur makes repairs, purchases and installs equipment. After the delivery of branded goods, the trade itself begins, that is, the men's clothing store opens. I wish you success!
