In modern realities, the knitwear business in our country can be called unprofitable and unpromising. The market is filled with cheap Turkish and Chinese products, and getting into it is almost impossible. This is on the one hand. But on the other - nothing is impossible. In fact, the oversaturation of the segment practically does not affect demand, because clothing is a basic commodity.
Many entrepreneurs are afraid to start the production of knitwear, because they believe that they will not withstand the competition with the Chinese and Turks and their dumping prices. However, the latter never fall below cost, so there are still some limits to the possibilities.
In addition, even in the cheapest products, foreign manufacturers lay a good percentage of profits. Based on this, it can be concluded that the production of knitwear has considerable potential for profitability.
Direction selection
Before opening a factory, you should carefully consider what and how to produce it. It is recommended to start with the manufacture of the simplest things possible. As a rule, the production of multicomponent products is difficult technologically: it requires the availability of expensive equipment, different types of raw materials, good market knowledge. At the initial stage, such factors can lead to a dead end. Another thing is a factory that produces a small assortment of the same raw materials: neither special training nor extensive knowledge is required.
Assortment formation
As we said now, it is necessary to start the activity with the release of the most liquid and best-selling products, in other words, quick-selling products. The business plan of a knitwear factory must necessarily include market analysis, market research. You will have to carefully monitor all trends and respond quickly to changes.
The decor of knitwear (texture, style, fashion trends) usually changes once a year. But the color scheme is about once every six months. Therefore, in these terms, you need to be able to retrofit or reprogram the equipment for knitwear production, purchase the necessary range of threads, dyes for fabrics and so on.
Technological chain
It would be nice not to depend on suppliers and to concentrate the entire production chain in our own hands. Of course, in many cases at first this goal seems simply unattainable. Large one-time costs, arrangement or acquisition of an agricultural complex, etc. will be required. But you still need to strive for this - this is how all large corporations began, gradually absorbing the producers of raw materials and capturing the sales market.
Competition
Mainly compete with the Chinese. First you need to understand what is the secret of their success. Everything is simple here: they conquer consumers with low product prices, which is due to the cheapness of Chinese equipment and labor.
As for the second factor, then of course we can’t keep up with China, but it’s quite possible to buy equipment from them. The Russian manufacturer has its own advantages: local knitwear is not subject to customs duties that foreign suppliers have to pay, and in some cases such enterprises are even provided with certain tax benefits.
Equipment for the manufacture of knitwear
In order to optimize the production of knitwear and maximize the technological chain, you need to buy equipment not only for the manufacture of finished products, but also raw materials. For this purpose, you will need a unit for twisting threads - a ring twisting machine.
Such Chinese-made equipment that has passed certification and state quality control will cost you about 1.2 million rubles. But, having acquired this device, you can produce using natural or artificial fibers a multilayer yarn that is optimal for the manufacture of textile material. You can also mix threads and make high-density fabrics.
The production of knitwear requires a knitting machine. Its cost, provided that the manufacturer is a Chinese enterprise, starts from half a million rubles. Equipment for the manufacture of socks, with a capacity of 350 pairs per day, has a price of two hundred thousand rubles.
A line for knitting mittens and gloves will cost about eighty-one hundred thousand rubles (the price depends on productivity: there are models that produce 260 and 288 pairs of products per day). Thus, in order to fully equip the knitting factory with the necessary equipment, you need to have at least two million rubles in stock. It is assumed that you already have the appropriate premises. Of course, there can be several technological lines. Say, if you open production in a millionaire city, then the release of three hundred pairs of gloves per day is just a drop in the bucket.
What to produce?
When the necessary equipment is purchased, it is worth considering what to release all the same. It is necessary to find such an option in which, under conditions of using a small amount of raw materials, it was possible to produce products that are in stable high demand. Stably high demand means that the product should sell well in any region of the country (if you have an aim to trade not only in your city, but also outside it) and in any season.
An example of such products is knitted socks, t-shirts and gloves. These things are available in the wardrobe of each person, regardless of their gender and region of residence. At the same time, they have a rather short service life and need regular updates.
It is necessary to think about the marketing channels for finished products before organizing production. In the factory’s business plan, include the calculation of the cost of the advertising campaign, carefully consider cooperation with clothing store chains. If you are responsible for the issues of product sales, then the goods in the warehouse will never remain. Good luck in business!
