Is it profitable to sell sneakers in winter? How to open a children's shoe store

We offer you a detailed guide on how to open shoe shop from scratch. Useful tips, ready-made calculations and tables in the article.

♦ Capital investments – 450,000 rubles
♦ Payback – 6 months

Reading history books, many are horrified at how it was possible to live in those days when you had to wear boots or shoes to holes, and only then buy another pair.

Why go far: our grandmothers, and some even mothers, remember the Soviet era, when it was impossible to buy beautiful shoes, everything was somehow the same and eerie.

Today, the abundance of shoe boutiques is pleasing to the eye.

It is not for nothing that entrepreneurs often think about how to open a shoe store, because this startup can be turned into a profitable business.

Shoes are a hot commodity, no one walks barefoot these days, and every fashionista has a couple of dozen different types of shoes in her closet.

Conclusion - people will buy shoes regardless of the economic situation, which means you can open a shoe store from scratch.

All you need is to collect start-up capital, carry out specific calculations, think through all the nuances and avoid the main mistakes of novice businessmen.

Features of opening a shoe store

You should not start a new business without understanding all its nuances.

In this way, you can avoid the main mistakes of entrepreneurs who have suffered financial failure.

Owning a shoe store has its own characteristics:

1. According to statistics, it is women who most often visit shoe stores, even if they purchase shoes not for themselves personally, but for their husband or child, so in no case should we forget about the aesthetic design of the interior of a shoe store or display windows.
2. Think through the concept of your shoe boutique from start to finish and stick to it in everything: choosing a place to sell, assortment of goods, pricing policy, etc.
   For example, if you dream of becoming the owner of a shop where expensive Italian shoes will be sold, then you should not rent a tent at the market.
   Despite the high traffic of people in this place, you will not find customers for your product.
3. It is very important to create the right product range, taking into account the latest statistical data on consumer demand:
   60% – women’s shoes, according to the season,
   20% – children’s,
   15% – male,
   5% – out-of-season shoes.
4. Design your store windows correctly.
   Place the most interesting samples in windows that are visible from the street, this will encourage buyers to come to your boutique.
   Many shoe store owners expand their product range with bags, hosiery, and belts.
   This makes sense, but remember that the star of your store is the shoes, so they need to be given the main place in the windows.
5. Don't overprice.
   Remember that it is better to increase turnover due to a large number of pairs of shoes sold, and not due to a high markup on one pair.
   Reasonable prices will attract more customers to you.
6. To sell shoes, you need to have quality certificates for different groups of goods and provide a guarantee to buyers.
   If the shoes do not pass the test within the warranty period, then you are obliged to reimburse the cost to the client or give him another pair.

Disadvantages of Opening a Shoe Store

Shoe store owners can't always turn a startup into a profitable business.

Quite often they have to close their shop because they failed to make it profitable.

Indeed, this business has its drawbacks:

• It is quite difficult to make a store opened from scratch a popular shopping destination for residents of your city;
• high level competition in this sector - take a closer look and you will see how many shoe stores are located in shopping centers, markets and other places;
• the profit from the sale of shoes is not always enough to cover both the entrepreneur’s livelihood, the maintenance of the business, and the purchase of a new batch of goods;
• it is difficult to calculate which particular product will be in demand among buyers, so often the utility room is filled with leftover shoes, which have to be sold much cheaper, just to get back the money spent on the purchase;
• difficulty in choosing a concept: what kind of shoe store to open so that it makes a profit: women's, men's, children's, combined.

Competitive advantages and advertising of a shoe store

No formation competitive advantages and carrying out a successful advertising campaign, a business related to trade is impossible, the same applies to owning a shoe store.

You should think about both before you decide to open a boutique.

Competitive advantages

The level of competition in the shoe sales industry is incredibly high. There are so many shoe stores that it is difficult to attract customers to your own.

But if you don't, you will experience financial ruin.

The competitive advantages of a shoe boutique can be formed as follows:

1. Maintaining a reasonable pricing policy.
   The price of the product you sell must correspond to the quality and financial condition your regular customers.
2. Serving all clients without exception at the highest level.
   Your salespeople must be extremely polite to customers and answer their questions competently.
3. By issuing discount cards to regular customers, encouraging them to visit your store.
4. Being honest with clients.
   There is no need to tell you that Chinese sandals for 800 rubles will be worn for ten years.
   It is better to say honestly that the shelf life of such shoes is short and, if the client is interested in wearing sandals for a long time, then it is better for him to take a closer look at higher quality, but more expensive samples.
5. By locating your store in a place with the highest foot traffic, which will increase the number of random customers.
6. We regularly hold various promotions and shoe sales - all customers love it.
7. Constantly expanding the range of products in connection with the tastes of our customers.

Advertising for a shoe store

Interesting fact:
Mongolian men were among the first to wear high heels to prevent their feet from slipping out of the stirrups while riding.

The turnover of goods and capital in such a shoe center will be large-scale, so the advertising campaign will pay for itself.

If you open a very modest shoe boutique with one trading floor, with an area of ​​20–30 squares, then the following actions will be sufficient:

• order a bright sign that will immediately catch the eye;
• print business cards to hand out to new clients;
• register on the city forum and on social networks under the guise of a satisfied customer who has already made a purchase;
• print small advertising leaflets and distribute them in some public place near your point of sale.

Schedule plan for opening a shoe store

How quickly you can launch a startup depends on the scale of your plans.

If you open a huge market, it will take about six months to receive your first visitor.

If you decide to open a small shoe store in mall, then in 3–4 months you can start working.

How to open a shoe store: the beginning

Opening a shoe store from scratch consists of several mandatory steps that you should follow: registering a business, choosing an area and premises for trading, recruiting staff, purchasing the first batch of goods, etc.

Start with registration, while simultaneously searching for suitable premises.

Registration

In order to open a shoe store, it is enough to register as an individual entrepreneur, although if you wish, you can draw up all the paperwork as an LLC.

Then you register with the tax service and choose a form of taxation, for example, a single tax on temporary income.

If you are going to open a shoe store in a separate room that you own, then get ready for long trips to the offices of the fire service and the SES.

This is why opening a shoe store in a shopping center looks so attractive.

The owner of the building takes on all the difficulties.

Location

It is very important not only to find a suitable retail space, but to locate your shoe store in the right place with high traffic.

It is not so important whether you open your market in the center or in a densely populated residential area.

The main thing is that the range and pricing policy of your product corresponds to the standard of living and tastes of people living in the area.

If you are opening a store from scratch and doubt whether it is worth doing it in a particular location, then it would not be a bad idea to conduct a small survey.

Interview as many residents of the area in which you are going to open your shoe store as possible about:

• what shoes they would like to see;
• at what price;
• how often do they buy shoes;
• what should and should not be in your shoe store, etc.

Analyze the answers.

If people living in this area only buy Chinese consumer goods at a price of 800 rubles per pair, and you want to open a designer shoe store, then you should look for another place for your store, somewhere closer to the center.

Room

If you don't have a big one starting capital, then for starters, a room of 35–50 square meters will be enough for you.

The most suitable premises for opening a shoe store:

• trade stall at the market;
• pavilion in a shopping and entertainment center;
• a small room with a separate entrance on the ground floor of a multi-storey building.

It is advisable to choose a room that does not require major repairs or remodeling, which will help you reduce costs.

The ideal option is to rent a space that once housed a shoe store.

You should not open a shoe store next to a shop selling the same range of goods. You will have to fight for each client, which will negatively affect your profits.

But the proximity to grocery stores, pharmacies, boutiques and bus stops will be a blessing.

What else is needed to open a shoe store?

If you have already completed the registration procedure and rented a suitable premises, then you should move on to the equally important stages of opening a shoe store: equipment, hiring staff, purchasing the first batch of goods.

We will explain how much all this costs and exactly how to proceed, using a specific example.

Let's say that you decide to rent a pavilion with an area of ​​40 square meters. meters in one of the shopping and entertainment centers in your city (not the capital).

The product range includes women's and children's shoes made in Russia, Poland and China, as well as expanding the product range to include belts and bags.

Pricing policy is average.

Equipment for opening a shoe store

One of the reasons that encourages businessmen to open a shoe store is that they do not need to purchase expensive equipment to set it up.

There are enough display cases and hanging cabinets located around the perimeter of the sales area, a rack for storing goods in the utility room, plastic or glass display cases for windows so that the goods can be seen from the street, poufs for customers, mirrors and a table with a chair for staff.

You will also need a cash register.

Expense item	Amount (in rub.)
Total:	100,000 rub.
Showcases	40 000
Shelving	10 000
Hanging cabinets for accessories	8 000
Mirrors	5 000
Poufs for clients	4 000
Staff table and chair	7 000
Cash machine	8 000
Other	18 000

Shoe store staff

Before scheduling interviews with potential employees, decide exactly how your store will operate.

For example, if a shoe store's operating hours are 10:00–20:00, seven days a week, it is better to hire two salespeople to work in shifts.

To encourage them to make more sales, you should assign them a minimum fixed rate+ percentage of sales.

For example, assign sellers 5,000 rubles per month + 5% from each pair sold.

When it comes to cleaning your shoe store, you can hire a cleaner to clean the store every morning, or you can arrange for sales staff to clean the store before each shift for a fee.

If you decide to hire a cleaner, your monthly expenses will increase by another 6,000–8,000 rubles.

Shoe store assortment

It is very important to bring into your shoe store the goods that will be in demand among consumers.

Very often, businessmen take the shoes that suppliers sell cheaper in the hope of earning more, or even rely only on their own taste.

This is wrong, because it is the client who should formulate the assortment of your boutique.

Here are some tips for creating a shoe store assortment:

1. Look closely at what is in demand among customers.
2. Follow fashion trends to be the first in town to bring sandals or shoes that will be worn this season.
3. Don't be afraid to reduce the price of shoes that are not in demand among customers.
   This will help to constantly expand the range.
4. Take for sale not only high-heeled dress shoes, but also more comfortable models, so as not to reduce the number of customers.
5. Don't forget that not all women wear shoes size 37-39.
   There are those who need a size 35, as well as those who are even less fortunate and have a foot size of 42.

We invite you to watch the video

from an interview with the owner of a chain of shoe stores,

in which he shares his knowledge and experience.

Cost table for opening a shoe store

If you open a shoe store, how quickly will it pay for itself?

This is a very difficult question that cannot be answered unequivocally.

The success of your business depends on many things, the most important thing being the intensity of your turnover. How more couples The shoes you sell, the more you earn.

Download a ready-made business plan for a shoe store with quality guarantee.
Contents of the business plan:
1. Privacy
2. Summary
3. Project implementation stages
4. Characteristics of the object
5. Marketing plan
6. Technical and economic data of equipment
7. Financial plan
8. Risk assessment
9. Financial and economic justification for investments
10. Conclusions

Let’s say that by selling the entire first batch of goods purchased for 300 thousand rubles, you managed to earn 800,000 rubles. You sold this product in 3 months.

From this amount should be subtracted:

That is, you are left with 600,000 rubles.

You take 300,000 rubles from this amount to purchase the next batch of shoes, and 300,000 rubles is your profit.

If you manage to make your shoe boutique popular in the city, you will recoup your capital investment within six months.

Useful article? Don't miss new ones!
Enter your email and receive new articles by email

How to open your own business? How to compose? Where to begin? What should you pay attention to first of all, so as not to make common mistakes? These and many other questions are asked by many aspiring businessmen. We know that opening any business, especially if it is done by an inexperienced person, is associated with many problems, difficulties, and incomprehensible situations. In this article we want to tell you how to open your own shoe store, and also give some tips on how to create shoe store business plan.

But before you read the article further, you must clearly understand that any business in the trade sector faces very serious competition. Don't expect any profit for the first few months. It’s very good if you can work without losses, but this doesn’t happen often. Alas, these are the realities of modern business, and there is no escape from them. Of course, maybe you are lucky and lucky with the location of the store (in a large shopping center in a very accessible place), or you put in a super new product that is in great demand. Or perhaps you will have a good seller who can even sell sand on the beach. Yes, there are lucky people who start working at a good profit already in the first month. But this is most likely an exception to the rule, and a very big luck. You shouldn't count on luck when starting your own business. Most likely, the realities will not be so bright, and the calculations presented in the business plan of a shoe store will not always coincide with what will actually happen. You will have to work very hard to build credibility, a client base, and trust from buyers.

Documents required to open a shoe store

The first thing you should start with is collecting the necessary documents that will allow you to do business and run your own business. Such documents include:

• Document on state registration of the subject entrepreneurial activity. Most often, to open a shoe store, I register an individual entrepreneur. In rare cases, if a chain of stores is planned, you can register a legal entity.
• Registration with the tax service and receipt of relevant taxpayer documents. You also need to decide on the taxation system. Most often it is a single tax. If you have a large turnover, or you are going to open several stores, then you can consider other taxation options that will best suit your business plan.
• Lease agreement, or documents certifying ownership of the premises.
• List of products that will be approved by Rospotrebnadzor.
• The fire department's conclusion that the premises are safe for both workers and visitors. In order to obtain such a conclusion, you need to comply with all fire service standards, install sensors and fire extinguishing systems.
• Conclusion from the SES that the premises meets all norms and standards and does not pose a threat.
• An agreement with a company that removes solid household waste.

If you are planning to rent a store in a shopping complex, then the list of documents required to conduct business may be wider. This is due to the fact that shopping center owners often require additional evidence and confirmation of the legality of your business. But, as a rule, collecting such papers is not difficult, and it will take no more than an hour.

I would also like to note that some shoes require mandatory certification. That is, you should always have a quality certificate that confirms the best properties, safety, and environmental friendliness of the product offered. These shoe categories include:

• Children's shoes that are made of leather or rubber
• Rubber and textile sports shoes
• Children's felted shoes
• Yuft shoes
• Chrome shoes
• shoes, the upper of which is made of textile materials, felt or felt
• shoes whose uppers are made of synthetic leather (except army leather);
• shoes, the upper of which is made of artificial leather

It is advisable to have documents for any product that will be presented in your store. Although buyers are not often interested in such documents, regulatory and inspection authorities will definitely ask for their availability. If you do not have certificates, you risk receiving a serious fine.

If you plan to purchase goods from foreign partners, then you should also follow a number of rules and submit the necessary documents. We also advise you to familiarize yourself with the law on consumer protection, and pay special attention to the light industry.

When opening a shoe store, conduct market research

Opening any business involves carrying out detailed marketing research. If you only rely on your feelings, on the advice of friends, or on a fashionable trend in the development of one or another line of business, then the business may end before it even begins. What works for someone in a neighboring city or even region may be completely unclaimed in your case. We recommend conducting the following research:

• First you need to study the demand for the product you sell. Fortunately, there is always a demand for shoes, and it is unlikely to decrease.
• Analyze competitors. Explore the most popular and large shoe stores in your area. Their assortment, pricing policy, ways to attract and retain customers. You can study the flow of customers, conduct some kind of survey among them, determining what they liked and what they didn’t like about this store.
• Explore the area. Choose the best location for your future store. The store should be located in a crowded place, with a good flow of customers, should be visible from different angles, and attract the attention of passers-by.
• If possible, conduct a large-scale study, surveying several thousand area residents about where and how they shop for new shoes. You should be more interested in what format of stores people prefer - discount stores, with big discounts, but not high quality, stores in the middle price category, or stores with goods whose price is above average.

Next, based on a comprehensive study, you need to make a decision regarding the rationality of starting a business. Will you fit into the existing market model? Will your product be in demand? Can you compete with existing stores? Are there any prospects for the development of your shoe store? If the answers are positive and you see real opportunities, then you can start looking for premises and really start developing your business.

I would like to note that such marketing research is not cheap. But it’s better to spend $2,000 on data collection than to open a shoe store blindly and lose ten times more.

Choosing premises for a shoe store

So, you have done marketing research, realized that the business has good prospects and the product is in demand. Now you can move on to choosing premises for your store. Let's look at several options for the location of your store, and highlight the main pros and cons of this choice.

The first thing that comes to mind when you think about a shoe store is shopping mall. Undoubtedly, getting retail space in the center is big success. The advantages are obvious:

• A large flow of potential customers who come to shop and hope to find something interesting, inexpensive, and fashionable. Many people just come to go shopping, but often such “walks” end in successful purchases.
• The shopping center provides you with ready-made premises that require a minimum of investment. All communications have been carried out, the entrance group has been decorated. You just need to take care of the interior, making it in your signature style.
• Many expenses are reduced to zero. For example, there is no need to hire security guards, install alarm systems, install surveillance cameras and fire protection systems. The shopping center has already taken care of everything.

But renting in a shopping center also has a number of disadvantages. Firstly, it is not so easy to get a place in a large and famous shopping center. Of course, if you are not a representative of a global brand or a well-known brand. Even if you somehow manage to negotiate a store rental, will it be profitable? The price is what may put you off. Renting a square meter can cost like a pair of very expensive shoes. And the store is at least 30-40 square meters. Another disadvantage is that you will have to adapt to the rules and regulations of the shopping center, and this may not always be convenient in terms of doing business.

The second option is to rent a retail space somewhere in the city center, or on “living” and “passable” streets. You can decorate the store in your own style, you will not depend on the shopping center’s opening hours, you will be able to manage your time and all the rented space at your own discretion.

And the third option is rapidly developing and built-up residential areas. It would seem that opening a shoe store in a residential area is a little illogical. But if you see that a dozen multi-storey buildings have already appeared in the area in a year, and the same number are in the process, this means that there will soon be many potential buyers here. You can place a store on the first floors of new buildings.

Necessary equipment and personnel of a shoe store

In terms of equipment selection, the shoe store is not very picky. You won't need very much various items interior, and if everything is designed correctly, in a minimalist style, then the costs will be minimal. The store must have:

• Racks and shelves on which shoes will be displayed. If you want to earn additional income, then you should place shelves with socks, shoe care products, and other necessary little things near the racks.
• Try-on areas should be equipped with rugs and poufs. There should definitely be spoons there so that the buyer can carefully try on new shoes. It is considered good practice to have disposable socks that need to be put on before trying on. This is especially true in summer period, when many do not wear socks, or wear shoes that do not need them.
• Mirrors should also be in your store. It is advisable to supply them in several different types. The first ones are small, where only part of the leg will be visible. The second ones are large, where the buyer will see himself in full growth.
• Also, do not forget about cash registers that need to be registered with the tax office.

That's the entire minimum set of equipment. Further arrangement of the store depends solely on your vision and design imagination. You can use some unusual lamps, backlights, glare, reflectors to give the store and products a more interesting and unusual look.

If we talk about personnel, then their choice should be approached with special attention. The success of trade depends on the professionalism of the seller, on how he knows how to present the goods, how he understands the psychology of the buyer, how he can understand what a person wants, and offer him exactly that. If you are opening a serious store, targeting middle- and high-income customers, then take the time to choose a good employee and motivate him with a decent salary. For a small store, up to 30 square meters in size, one sales assistant, who can also be a cashier, is enough. If the store is medium or large in size, has several departments, and is located in a busy place with a large flow of people, then you need to hire three or more salespeople, and a separate cashier. No client should have to wait for a consultant, and everyone should be given due attention. The staff must have a commodity specialist who also performs the functions of a specialist in purchasing goods; an accountant is desirable, but his work can be performed by the entrepreneur himself, as well as communication with the tax office. The positions of security guard and cleaner may be optional.

Advertising and work with customers

Advertising is the engine of trade, and you can’t argue with that. Without thoughtful and competent advertising, you will not be able to win the race against your competitors and attract new customers. Therefore, do not spare money on various methods of advertising your shoe store. But here the question arises: what advertising methods are the most effective?

• Internet advertising. If you have your own website, and you should have one, and you are engaged in sales not only in real world, but also through the network, then it would be logical to advertise on the Internet. Now it is not a problem to deliver goods throughout the country in the shortest possible time, while significantly expanding your sales geography. But if this seems very troublesome for you, then you can simply promote your store using regional queries like “Buy shoes in Ryazan”, or “shoe store Ryazan”. Select the most popular and most in-demand queries, and bring your site to the TOP of search engine results based on them. This way, you can attract many new, potential buyers via the Internet.
• Advertise in local newspapers and magazines. If you have any fashion magazines in your city, you can try advertising there. But here you need to look at the reach of the audience, its age, and ability to pay.
• Advertising on regional Internet portals. Very often, cities have local news resources or sites that talk about city life. They offer banner advertising on the pages of their portal.

It is important to create an information bomb in the first weeks of opening a store. A similar effect can be achieved by posting leaflets, through ordered banners near the store, billboards, through promotions and other methods of street advertising. Declare yourself loudly, declare yourself effectively.

Now a few words about working with the buyer. It consists in meeting the person correctly, paying due attention, presenting the product competently, and helping with the choice of a pair of shoes. You also need to use some secrets from sales techniques that will help to attract the buyer more and “help” him make a purchase:

• According to statistics, 95% of shoppers walk through the store from left to right. Therefore, the most interesting, beautiful, and attractive models should be located to the right of the entrance. This is done so that the person walks in a circle, looks at the entire assortment, and does not stop immediately as soon as he enters the store.
• All products should be located no higher than the eye level of a person of average height. The buyer should not lift his head to look at something, much less stretch and stand on his toes to get the pair of shoes he likes.
• Products must be clearly grouped based on season, gender, age, size, etc. There must be a clear pattern, and no chaos.
• Need to organize comfortable places for fitting, and calculate them in such a way that even with the maximum flow of clients, there is enough space for everyone.

Where to buy shoes

And the last thing I would like to talk about is suppliers. The best option– purchases directly from manufacturers’ factories. In this case, you will have to sign a supply agreement and take a certain volume each season. On the one hand, this is convenient, because you get shoes at a very good price, and without extra markups from intermediaries. But on the other hand, you oblige yourself with a contract, which is not good.

You can also consider the option of supplying shoes from abroad. If you need something cheaper and of lower quality, then this is China, Türkiye, Thailand, India. If you want to sell more expensive ones, then it’s the same China, only a different price category, or shoes from Italy. By the way, don't be surprised about China. The guys there do absolutely everything and of completely different quality. If you pay $10, you will get boots worth that amount of quality. If you pay $100, the quality will be much better.

* The calculations use average data for Russia

1. PROJECT SUMMARY

The goal of this business plan is to open a shoe store for the retail sale of shoes and related products in a city with a population of more than 1 million people. The store's products are based on men's and women's shoes, mainly from domestic manufacturers. The store serves the mid- and lower-price segments.

The target audience of the shoe store is retail buyers, 75% of which are the female population of the city aged 18 to 50 years.

Shoes and clothing are one of the most popular products. Every month the average consumer spends 6.5 thousand rubles on shoes and clothes. The peculiarity of the Russian climate forces us to change shoes depending on the season, so the business of selling shoes will never lose its relevance. The main advantages of opening a shoe store are the demand for goods and a high level of profit, which is ensured by a trade margin of 100-300%.

To implement the project, retail space is rented in a residential area of ​​the city on a busy street. The total area is 55 sq. m. m., rent – ​​40,000 rubles/month. Advantages of the location: savings on renting retail space, distance from competitors, proximity to bus stops and location in the street retail zone.

The volume of starting investments is 1,460,000 rubles. Investment costs are aimed at the purchase of equipment, the initial purchase of goods, the organization of retail space, advertising promotion of the company and the formation of a working capital fund until the project reaches payback. The bulk of the required investment falls on the purchase of goods - 55%. Own funds will be used to implement the project.

Financial calculations take into account all income and expenses of a shoe store; the planning horizon is 3 years. After this period, business expansion is expected. According to calculations, the initial investment will pay off after 11 months of operation. Reaching the planned sales volume is planned for the 6th month of operation. The net profit will be 210,000 rubles/month. The return on sales in the first year of operation will be 18%.

The financial plan takes into account the optimistic sales forecast that can be expected due to the favorable location of the store and high traffic of potential customers.

2. DESCRIPTION OF THE FOOTWEAR INDUSTRY

Clothing and footwear are among the most in-demand products, second only to food. The peculiarity of the clothing and footwear market is that it is constantly undergoing changes. This is due to the development of the fashion industry, which introduces new trends, thereby creating high demand for goods from this category.

Every year the number of clothing and footwear stores increases, sales are growing, which makes this business segment quite attractive. Even during a crisis, Russians are not always ready to save on this type of goods. Only 30% of respondents admitted that they had reduced spending on clothes and shoes. On average, Russians spend 6.5 thousand rubles a month on clothes and shoes. The average consumer buys one pair every 1-1.5 months and owns at least 4 types of shoes. The peculiarities of climatic conditions in Russia force one to change shoes depending on the season - i.e. four (at least two) times a year. Thus, the shoe selling business will never lose its relevance.

Figure 1 shows the dynamics of the clothing, footwear and accessories market. The decline in market volumes in 2015 gave way to a slight increase in 2016. The positive trend is expected to continue.

Figure 1. Volume and dynamics of the clothing, footwear and accessories market, trillion. rub. (source: Fashion Consulting Group)

Ready ideas for your business

However, the crisis affected the Russian footwear market. In 2015-2016, the cumulative decline in market volume was 9.6%. In 2016, the volume of Russian shoe retail dropped to the level of 1260.8 billion rubles. in value terms and 270.3 million pairs – in physical terms. During this period, the average level of shoe consumption was comparable to the level of physical wear and tear, namely 2.5 pairs per year per person - which is the minimum indicator for the footwear market. Before the crisis, this figure was 2.8 couples per year. For comparison, in the EU there are 5 pairs per person per year, and in the US there are an average of 7 pairs per person. According to experts, in Russia this figure should be at least five, which is due to the harsh climate and changeable weather. Based on this, the current shoe consumption rate is two times lower than recommended.

The middle price segment turned out to be the most sensitive to the crisis. Due to the rise in exchange rates, products became more expensive by 30-35%, which reduced sales. At the same time, the flow of customers in large shoe chains decreased by 20-30%.

In 2017, the market perked up and felt more confident. According to Fashion Consulting Group forecasts, in 2017 the volume of footwear retail in Russia may increase by 5-10% in rubles due to the accumulated effect of deferred demand.

Thus, the main trends in shoe retail in Russia are:

A shift in demand to a cheaper segment, which is due to an increase in the cost of shoes and a decrease in the income of Russians;

Reorientation of shoe stores to more universal shoe models;

Consolidation of the market, strengthening the positions of large shoe chains and exit of small players from the market;

Strengthening the market for Russian-made products, which is strengthening in the context of the price advantage obtained as a result of the devaluation of the ruble and a shift in demand towards inexpensive, universal shoes;

Active process of import substitution. There is a reduction in footwear imports: if in the pre-crisis period the share of imports in the domestic footwear market was 80%, today it is less than 70%. It is expected that in the next two years the ratio of Russian and imported shoes on the market will be 35% and 65%, respectively;

Today, the portrait of a shoe store client contains the following characteristics: rationalism, reduction in the frequency of purchases, adherence to the established idea of ​​​​the quality of purchased purchases.

Ready ideas for your business

During a period of declining market share of players, there is an opportunity to gain a foothold in an industry that is gradually recovering. Thus, opening a shoe store can become a promising business, especially if the main trends in shoe retail are taken into account. The crisis is good opportunity to start a business when competition is lower.

Retailing footwear is a relevant and versatile business. Table 1 of the business plan shows the key advantages and disadvantages of a shoe store that should be taken into account when planning a shoe trading business.

Table 1. Advantages and disadvantages of opening a shoe store

All these conditions should be taken into account when planning a shoe retail business. Also, before starting a shoe retail business, you should study the niche in detail. When planning, it is necessary to take into account the specifics of running a shoe business:

The greatest demand is for seasonal women's shoes, the share of sales of which is about 60-70% of the total store turnover; about 20% of products sold are shoes for children, and the rest are men's and non-seasonal shoes. Sales of related products (accessories, shoe care products, etc.) do not exceed 5% of sales;

Every season it is necessary to update the shoe collection, take into account changing fashion trends and have a full range of sizes available;

Shoe sales have a pronounced seasonality. Peak sales occur in spring and autumn. This should be taken into account when planning sales and forming the store’s product range;

It is advisable to open stores of highly specialized shoes (sports, designer, etc.) only in cities with a population of more than 1 million people. The exception is children's shoe stores, which have high profitability, regardless of the city's population.

Thus, a shoe store is a profitable type of business, but in order for it to function and generate a stable income, it is necessary to draw up a business plan correctly. It should reflect the following questions: how to open a shoe store from scratch, features of the shoe business, how much it costs to open a shoe store, how to choose the assortment of a shoe store, what risks need to be taken into account when doing business and how much you can earn from selling shoes.

3. DESCRIPTION OF SHOES STORE PRODUCTS

This business plan involves opening a shoe store for the purpose of retailing shoes and related products. The store's products are based on men's and women's shoes, mainly from domestic manufacturers. The store serves the mid- and lower-price segments. This choice is due to a shift in consumer demand towards more budget-friendly shoes. At the same time, consumers place high demands on products in terms of price and quality of footwear. In order to meet demand, the store’s assortment is mainly formed from domestic products, the cost of which is lower than imported ones.

Ready ideas for your business

Product range is a key parameter when planning to open a shoe store. Before forming an assortment, you should conduct a thorough analysis of the market, suppliers and assortment of competing stores. This will allow us to determine consumer demand and select products in such a way as to create a unique offer on the market. A competent approach to choosing an assortment will allow you to avoid excess inventory, reduce the likelihood of illiquid stock, increase turnover, create competitive advantages and attract potential buyers.

The assortment must be formed based on the needs and preferences of the client, and also take into account fashion trends and the climate of the region. Also, the store's assortment is determined taking into account the size of the store. The main condition in this case is that the display cases are completely filled, but there is no clutter of goods. Half-empty stands can scare away customers, and cluttered display cases can be very difficult to navigate. Don’t forget about related products (shoe care products, socks, belts, house shoes, etc.) - they can increase sales by 5-7%.

The economic crisis affected not only the level of sales of shoe stores, but also their assortment. Today, shoe stores are striving to optimize their assortment to adapt to new conditions and satisfy customer needs. What should a shoe store's assortment be like during a crisis? Analysts note several factors that could improve shoe sales during a crisis:

Environmentally friendly. Fashion for everything natural and healthy image The footwear segment has not been spared either. Many buyers take care of their body and place high demands on shoes. This category is represented by models with innovative technologies (for example, waterproof coating), sports and orthopedic shoes;

Shoes taking into account anatomical features. Every year, the number of people who have some non-standard anatomical characteristics is growing, which complicate the process of choosing comfortable shoes. For such buyers, the main criterion when buying shoes is their comfort, so the assortment should include shoes of non-standard sizes, shoes with anatomical insoles, etc.;

Fashion footwear. Shoes belong to the category of goods that are highly influenced by fashion. Therefore, when forming an assortment, trends should be taken into account. It is necessary to diversify the assortment with bright, fashionable models that can attract the attention of demanding customers. However, the basis of the assortment should be classic models. If part of the assortment is not sold, it will be much easier to sell classic shoes in the future than products that have gone out of fashion.

Thus, the correct assortment policy will allow you to attract buyers and maintain your position in business even during an economic crisis. The most important thing in shoe retailing is to be flexible enough to quickly adapt to changing market trends.

It is planned that the assortment of this store will be represented by a wide range of shoes made of different materials (leatherette, genuine leather, textiles, rubber). In this case, the emphasis will be on classic, multifunctional shoes. The purchase of goods will require an average of 700 thousand to 1 million rubles.

The format of customer service in the store is individual.

Thus, the project provides for the opening of a shoe store with the following competitive advantages:

Variability of the assortment. It is planned that the product range will be represented not only by classic, but also fashionable models, which will satisfy the demand of different categories of buyers;

Availability of eco-friendly and anatomical shoes in the range;

Price policy. A large share of the assortment will be made up of budget products, presented in various versions;

Excellent service, polite and competent consultants;

Customer loyalty system. This store will provide a discount system and regularly hold various promotions;

The assortment is predominantly represented by products from domestic manufacturers, which guarantee high quality at affordable prices.

4. SALES AND MARKETING OF A SHOES STORE

The target audience of the shoe store is retail buyers, 75% of which are the female population of the city aged 18 to 50 years. Consumer profile: average income, prefers high-quality, comfortable, functional shoes.

An advertising strategy is formed in accordance with a specific target audience. Shoe store advertising can be divided into two types - passive and active. Passive advertising includes signs, banners, pillars, etc. Active advertising involves distributing leaflets, distributing business cards, advertising on radio and television, as well as on the Internet.

Since competition in the segment is quite high, it is necessary to carefully consider the advertising strategy. The following tools can be used for market promotion:

1) A designed store window that will attract the attention of potential customers. Marketing research results indicate that 70% of customers enter a store because they are attracted by a beautifully designed display window. The cost of window dressing is on average 25,000 rubles. The display window should contain the most interesting models, capable of attracting attention and attracting new customers to the store.

2) Competent design of the sales area. According to statistics, women are the main audience of shoe stores, and their choice is influenced by the aesthetic design of the store. Today, every store should have a pleasant interior that will arouse the interest of customers. It is also necessary to pay attention to the location of the product - each position must be visible and have easy access so that the buyer can carefully examine the product. There are several techniques to consider in shoe merchandising:

Products that may be of most interest to customers are best located to the right of the entrance. As practice shows, the vast majority of buyers (90%) when entering a store first look at the display windows on the right. Therefore, it is better to place the most popular models on the right side. It should also be noted that it is better to place on the right women's shoes, and on the left - male;

The racks should not be very high so that it is convenient for the buyer to choose the product of interest;

Shoes should be placed in groups according to certain characteristics. Shoe merchandising involves structuring the placement of shoes on racks by style, functionality, color, price, brands, size, season, size, accessory (men's, women's, children's). Separately, regardless of the chosen shoe classification, it is customary to highlight a new collection;

The layout of shoes, regardless of the chosen principle, should be changed at least once every two weeks;

Shoes should be well lit, but there should be no direct impact of lighting devices on the shoes, as this entails the effect of heating the shoes, which can lead to damage to the goods.

3) You can start promoting your store even before it opens. This will arouse the interest of potential buyers in advance. Such advertising can be the distribution of leaflets with a discount coupon, advertising on the radio, or on the Internet.

5) Event marketing. It is advisable to time the discount promotion to coincide with the opening day of the store or offer the first visitors a loyalty card. You can spread information about the opening in the media or hand out flyers inviting you to the store.

The approximate plan for promoting a shoe store is presented in Table 2. According to calculations, it is planned to spend 60,000 rubles on promoting the store. The bulk of promotional activities are planned for the first months of the opening of the shoe store.

An active marketing strategy allows you to speed up the process of payback on the funds invested in opening a store.

It is quite difficult to calculate the income of a shoe store, because... it is necessary to take into account many factors (season, markup on goods, etc.). The markup on goods can range from 100% to 300%. In this project, the income of a shoe store is calculated based on the cost of purchased goods (taking into account the average markup of 200%) and the monthly sales rate of 35% of the assortment. Then the store’s monthly income will be: 800,000*3*0.35= 840,000 (rubles). It is planned to reach the planned sales volume within 5-6 months of work.

It will take an average of 3 to 6 months to promote the store and reach the desired sales volumes - during this time, customers have time to learn and get used to the new outlet. When planning sales volumes, you should take into account some seasonality of sales - the peak of sales occurs in the spring and autumn months, and the decline in sales occurs in the winter and summer.

5. PRODUCTION PLAN FOR A SHOES STORE

The project implementation includes the following stages:

1) Business registration. To conduct retail trade in footwear, no special permits are required. To open a shoe store, you will need to collect a package of documents, which includes: a list of products approved by Rospotrebnadzor, a sanitary and epidemiological conclusion from Rospotrebnadzor, permission from the fire inspection, regulatory documents for the store. Contracts for the removal of solid waste, disinfestation and deratization of the premises will also be required.

To conduct commercial activities, an LLC is registered with a simplified taxation system (“income minus expenses” at a rate of 15%). Type of activity according to OKVED-2:

47.72. Retail sale of footwear and leather goods in specialized stores.

When planning to open a shoe store, the question of when to start the business often arises. The main recommendation in this case is not to plan the opening for January, when the demand for shoes is minimal. You should consider opening a shoe store during the fall-spring season change.

2) Selecting a location. As for any establishment dealing retail trade, the location parameter of the shoe store plays an important role. A favorable location determines 70% of the success of a retail outlet.

The store location assessment takes into account such components as area characteristics, ease of parking, intensity of pedestrian flow, visibility and notability, and proximity to similar businesses.

The most suitable location for a shoe store is considered to be located close to supermarkets, grocery stores, large pharmacies and transport stops.

For a shoe store, either a shopping and entertainment center or a location on a busy street in a residential area or the central part of the city may be suitable. The advantages of locating a store in a shopping center: high traffic, concentration of the target audience. Advantages of locating a store in a residential area: savings on renting retail space, less concentration of competitors.

The store should be located in a crowded place, with a good flow of customers, should be visible from different angles, and attract the attention of passers-by.

To ensure good display of goods, it is necessary to use a premises for a shoe store with an area of ​​at least 40 sq.m. In addition, utility rooms for personnel and a warehouse should be provided. Thus, the total area of ​​the premises for a shoe store must be at least 55 sq.m.

When choosing a retail space, you need to pay attention to the layout - the sales area should be square or rectangular in shape, without unnecessary bends - this will make it more convenient to place display cases and make the most efficient use of the available space.

It is also desirable that the premises do not require major repairs or redevelopment, which will reduce costs and speed up the process of preparing the store for opening.

This business plan provides for renting premises in a residential area on a busy street. The location is advantageous as it covers wide circle consumers, who are primarily residents of residential areas. Distance from competitors, lower rent, proximity to bus stops and location in a street retail area are the advantages of the selected retail outlet. Rent of retail space with a total area of ​​55 sq.m. on average it costs about 40,000 rubles per month. It is planned that 40 sq.m. will be allocated for the sales area, 9 sq.m. – for a warehouse, and 6 sq.m. – for technical premises.

3) Equipment of the retail space. The retail space should be well lit and have a pleasant interior that would highlight the product. An amount of 50,000 rubles is allocated for the renovation and decoration of the premises.

The main element in the design of a shoe store is retail equipment - shelving, display cases, a cash counter, a cash register, as well as pouffes and mirrors. When determining the amount of required commercial equipment, it is necessary to rely on the volume of goods. It is not recommended to place them too close to each other so that a potential buyer can easily see each sample. The most popular models should be located in the most prominent places in the display case. Table 3 shows the main costs for equipment, which amount to 245,000 rubles.

Table 3. Equipment costs

4) Search for suppliers and purchase of goods. Suppliers should be sought in person, visiting wholesale centers in the city, or via the Internet. The first method is convenient because during a personal conversation it is easier to agree on partnership terms; the second is that you can save on transportation costs, reach a wide range of potential partners, find more favorable conditions and enter into contracts with suppliers not represented on the local market. It is recommended to use a mixed method of working with suppliers: buy some of the goods immediately, and take some for sale.

It is necessary to establish cooperation with suppliers initial stage store opening. Shoe factories are expected to be suppliers. At the same time, it is necessary to work with several suppliers to avoid delivery disruptions and failure to meet deadlines.

Having decided on suppliers, you need to purchase goods for the store. It is planned that the formation of the initial assortment will require about 800,000 rubles. Based on the specifics of demand and the conditions of suppliers, it will be necessary to purchase additional goods. The main thing in this matter is to correctly calculate the required volume of goods in order to diversify the assortment, but to avoid oversaturation of product shelves.

5) Personnel selection. The main personnel in the store are sales assistants. The success of trading largely depends on them.

Portrait of a sales consultant: a middle-aged woman, smiling and polite, knowledgeable fashion trends shoes and knowledgeable about the characteristics of the assortment, able to convey information to the buyer in an understandable form. Practice shows that it is this type of seller that inspires the greatest confidence among the average buyer. The key criteria when selecting personnel are communication skills, responsibility, politeness, and the ability to work with people. Before starting work, sellers must undergo training, familiarizing themselves with the range of products, their characteristics and sales technology. The sales consultant must know the range of products and fabric textures, as well as the basics of organizing the trading process. A cashier position should also be provided. A shoe store will require four sales assistants and two cashiers. A shift work schedule is provided, with one sales assistant and one cashier working in each shift.

It is also planned to hire a merchandiser for the position of senior manager, who will serve as a specialist in purchasing goods. Support staff (cleaners and accountants) are planned to be outsourced.

6. ORGANIZATIONAL PLAN FOR A SHOES STORE

The preparatory stage lasts about two months, during which it is necessary to go through registration procedures, establish partnerships with suppliers, search for suitable premises, select personnel, purchase equipment and goods, as well as design a retail space.

In this project, the entrepreneur performs the main functions of a manager - goes through all registration procedures, recruits personnel, negotiates with landlords and suppliers, and coordinates the first purchase of goods.

To carry out the trading process, a sales assistant and a cashier work in the store. Since the store is open daily, a 2/2 shift schedule should be established.

The shoe store's opening hours are from 10:00 to 21:00. Based on these conditions, the staffing table is formed.

Thus, the full staff consists of 10 people, and the total wage fund is 250,900 rubles.

Table 4. Staffing and wages fund

7. FINANCIAL PLAN FOR A SHOES STORE

The financial plan takes into account all income and expenses of the shoe store; the planning horizon is 3 years. At the end of this period, it is planned to expand the business and open a second sales point.

To start a project, it is necessary to calculate the amount of initial investment. To do this, you need to determine the costs of purchasing equipment, the initial purchase of goods, advertising promotion and the formation of working capital, which will cover the losses of the initial periods. The initial investment for opening a shoe store is 1,460,000 rubles. The bulk of the required investment is in inventory – their share is 55%; 17% falls on working capital, 17% on the purchase of equipment, and the remaining 11% on advertising, business registration and arrangement of retail space. The project is financed by equity. The main items of initial investment are reflected in Table 5.

Table 5. Investment costs

Variable costs consist of the costs of purchasing goods and transporting them. To simplify financial calculations, the amount of variable costs is calculated based on a fixed trade margin of 200%.

Fixed expenses of a shoe store consist of rent, utilities, fund wages, advertising expenses and depreciation charges. The amount of depreciation charges is determined linear method, based on the useful life of fixed assets of 5 years. Fixed costs also include tax deductions, which are not presented in this table, since their amount is not fixed, but depends on the volume of revenue.

Table 6. Fixed costs

Thus, fixed monthly expenses were determined in the amount of 356,200 rubles.

8. EVALUATING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF A SHOES STORE

The payback period for a shoe store with an initial investment of 1,460,000 rubles is 11 months. Net monthly profit when reaching planned sales volumes will be about 210,000 rubles. Reaching the planned sales volume is planned for the 6th month of operation. The annual net profit for the first year of operation will be about 1,520,000 rubles.

The return on sales in the first year of operation will be 18%. The return on investment ratio is 12.4%, and the internal rate of return exceeds the discount rate and is equal to 9.8%. The net present value is positive and amounts to 1,101,000 rubles, which indicates the investment attractiveness of the project.

The financial plan for a shoe store takes into account the optimistic sales forecast that can be expected due to the store's favorable location and high traffic of potential customers.

Integrated project performance indicators and financial plan are presented in Appendix 1.

9. POSSIBLE RISKS OF A SHOES STORE

To assess the risk component of a shoe store, it is necessary to analyze external and internal factors. The specifics of the footwear trading business determine the following operating risks:

Increasing purchase prices for goods, unscrupulous suppliers. In the first case, there is a risk of increased costs and, as a result, the selling price, which may negatively affect demand. In the second case, the risk is associated with interruptions in the trade process due to a shortage of goods. It is possible to reduce the likelihood of these threats by choosing suppliers wisely and including all necessary conditions, which provide for financial liability of the supplier in case of their violation;

Products going out of fashion, their irrelevance. Shoes are a specific product that quickly becomes obsolete. This risk entails a decrease in purchasing value, freezing of positions and, as a result, a decrease in the overall profitability of the business. To minimize this risk, it is necessary to carefully formulate the assortment, monitor various sources of information, and also hold regular sales to sell the remaining goods;

Seasonal decline in sales. It is possible to mitigate the risk with an effective advertising policy and carrying out various promotions to additionally attract the audience, discounts, and special offers;

Refusal to provide rental of retail premises or increase in rental costs. Loss of space threatens losses: firstly, these are the costs of moving equipment; secondly, the move will take a certain time, during which the store will not function and, therefore, will not make a profit; thirdly, the loss of a place familiar to customers and additional advertising costs to promote a new place. All these consequences can lead to significant losses. To reduce this risk, you need to enter into a long-term lease and choose your landlord carefully. In the future, it is worth considering the possibility of purchasing your own retail space;

Insufficient level of demand. This risk is one of the most likely and can arise both due to low solvency of demand and high distribution costs. It is possible to reduce the risk with careful planning of the store’s activities and financial results, competent formation of the assortment and selection of retail premises, holding various promotions and discounts, stimulating repeat purchases, flexible pricing;

Competitors' reaction. Since the footwear market is quite saturated and highly competitive (particularly from large retailers), the behavior of competitors can have a strong influence. To minimize it, it is necessary to create your own client base, constantly monitor the market, have a customer loyalty program, create competitive advantages and create unique selling propositions;

There are three areas of activity that are win-win for starting your own business - food, clothing and other everyday goods. When it comes to children's shoes, it can be noted that parents often buy them for their kids, as they grow, and in fact, for every season they need new couple the first 10-12 years of a child’s life (while the leg is forming).

But the problem is that finding high-quality shoes at an affordable price, despite the existence of many stores, is very problematic, so the issue of opening your own store is urgent. If you've been thinking about starting your business from scratch, this might be the right option. Let's look at how to open a children's shoe store from scratch, what you need for this - what documents, costs.

Any business project starts with three things:

• with the desire to create your own business;
• collecting start-up capital;
• creating a business plan.

If the first two points are purely individual, then the third can be somehow generalized and get a general picture of the current situation. If you are not confident in your abilities and believe that such routine work as drawing up a business plan is only within the competence of experienced specialists, then you can contact them, eventually receiving detailed calculations. However, it will be necessary detailed consideration process to understand the picture.

Preparation of papers and documents is one of the most important stages of starting a business. The first thing you should pay attention to when starting to open your own business is the organizational and economic form of the enterprise. It could be a face individual entrepreneur or Society. In the first case, it is worth opening a small store with one or more hired employees, in the second, it will be possible to create authorized capital with other persons and organize a business.

Where to open a store

Basically, this is the first step to start a shoe business. The level of your income largely depends on the choice of the location where the boutique will be located, so you need to approach it correctly. Let's consider several of the most convenient options for places that may be suitable for starting a business.

If this is a large shopping and entertainment center, in this case it is worth taking care of creating beautiful and high-quality advertising so that it is bright, attractive and informative. A room on the ground floor of a residential building that has been converted for commercial use is also suitable. Such a building may be located in a residential area with large in number residents.

Note: You will get an advantage if you consider an establishment in a new building, since this is where apartments are most often purchased by young families.

An advantage will be the presence of parking in the area adjacent to the store, and it is also important to provide access routes to make it convenient to get to you. The area depends on how you plan to arrange your storefronts, as well as on how much money you are willing to invest in business development. It is this aspect that is difficult for many entrepreneurs.

Read also: How to open a lingerie store from scratch

Usually the desire to open their own business completely embraces people, but the lack of money makes itself felt. In this case, you can open a mid-level store for people with average income. A small area of ​​50 square meters will be sufficient. m with one or two sellers. In this area, you will place shelves with racks, and as a result, the buyer will be able to feel free in the room. If you use additional wall shelves and do not use an island layout, you can fit into 30 square meters. meters. In general, the cost of an average premises will be about 100,000 rubles per month, and this amount refers to the initial costs.

Sleeping areas are ideal for trading these goods

Equipment

What will you need in a children's shoe store so that you can accommodate all models of shoes and at the same time provide customers with comfort:

1. Racks, display cases and shelves. In fact, the choice of commercial equipment is currently huge, so the purchase will depend on imagination and financial capabilities. You can purchase used equipment: this will save money, but will limit your choice.
2. An important role is played by the choice of lighting equipment, which should look good and demonstrate all your products from the most advantageous side.
3. Will need to purchase cash register and other attributes for selling goods.
4. Think over to the smallest detail the choice of air conditioners, ottomans for trying on shoes, spoons for ease of putting on. You can place children's toys around the sales area.

Thus, total amount the cost of purchasing equipment will be about 100,000 rubles (for a store of 30 sq. m.), for a retail facility with an estimated area of ​​50 sq. m. m. will require more financial costs, up to 200,000 rubles.

Expand your assortment whenever possible

Working with suppliers and purchasing goods

The success of your business depends on the reliability of your supplier, so you should also pay attention to his choice. Due to the fact that children's shoes are produced in huge volumes, there are currently no problems with the supply of goods in bulk, so ordering shoes directly from the manufacturer will not be a problem. On average, to load a small store with an area of ​​up to 50 sq. m will need to purchase shoes for 200,000 rubles.

Note: foreign brands offer a huge number of products that fit freely into all key aspects within the price/quality framework.

Range

He can be anything. It is important to decide on the specialization - will it be all children's shoes from the youngest to 13-14 years old, or will it be exclusively shoes for preschoolers. Consider your specialization: winter shoes, summer shoes or off-season models.

Understand all the nuances regarding how to open a children's shoe store, and you can become the owner of a profitable and promising business

♦ Capital investments – 700,000 rubles
♦ Payback – 7–10 months

Buying and selling is one of the most common and profitable types of business activity.

The main thing is to choose the product that is most profitable to sell.

Today, many experts call such a product (in addition to food) shoes, but not ordinary ones, but children's shoes.

Babies grow quite quickly, so parents often have to buy them clothes and shoes.

If you understand all the nuances relating to this, you can become the owner of a profitable and promising business.

How to open a children's shoe store: the pros and cons of starting a startup

To understand whether you should strive to open a children's shoe store from scratch, or whether it is better to do something else, you should familiarize yourself with the pros and cons of this startup.

The most obvious advantages:

1. High profitability.
   Large shoe markets can boast of revenues of millions of rubles.
2. Fast payback.
3. Relatively small capital investments.
4. Opportunity to create competitive advantages.
5. You will sell goods that people always need.
6. You don’t need to rent a huge space to start selling shoes.
7. Large capital turnover due to a diverse range of goods.

But the main disadvantages of this business look like this:

1. Considerable monthly expenses for renting premises and salaries for staff.
2. Difficulties in finding good suppliers in order to be able to sell only high-quality goods.
3. High level of competition.

How to open a children's shoe store: creating competitive advantages

As already mentioned, the level of competition in the children's shoe sales sector is quite high.

In order not to burn out in the first year of a shoe store’s existence, you need to create competitive advantages in advance.

It could be:

1. Huge range of goods.
   So that any customer who enters your store does not leave you without purchasing.
2. Reasonable pricing policy.
   Artificially inflating prices in your children's shoe store, opened from scratch, will cause you to lose customers.
3. Various promotions for different product groups.
   The more you reduce the price, the higher the chances of getting rid of the remaining stale goods.
4. Bright interior of the room so that kids will enjoy being in your children's shoe store.
5. Sellers who get along well with children and also wear interesting costumes.
   Then the kids themselves will drag their parents to shop in your store.
6. Convenient location to attract the attention of casual customers.
7. Loyalty program for those parents with children who constantly make purchases from you.

How to open a children's shoe store: advertising campaign

Interesting fact:
Indians in South America receive rubber shoes absolutely free. They dip their feet in the fresh juice of the rubber plant - Hevea. The juice hardens in the air, and you get quite practical rubber galoshes.

A shoe business opened from scratch is not so different from others, which means it needs advertising to get the word out about it. short terms learned as many people as possible.

1. Order space in the most popular media in the city.
2. Inform your residents settlement using social networks and the city forum.
3. Distribute leaflets in the area where you decide to open a children's shoe store.
4. Post notices around the city, on public transport, etc.
5. Organize an interesting opening with competitions, refreshments, and distribution of discount cards.

You also need a large and beautiful sign that can be seen from afar.

To make it look as advantageous as possible, you should think about what to name the children's shoe store.

The name should be short, memorable, and appeal to both kids and their parents.

How to open a children's shoe store: calendar plan

If you decide to open a shoe store from scratch and do not have much entrepreneurial experience, then start implementing a startup with.

Be sure to indicate in it how much time you need to implement one or another stage.

If you find a premises for your shoe market that does not need major renovations, and quickly conclude agreements with suppliers, you can open a children's shoe store in 4 months.

If at least one of the stages (registration, renovation of premises, equipment, recruitment, formation of assortment) slows you down, then the launch of a startup may take an indefinite period.

How to open a children's shoe store: business plan with calculations

Starting any business from scratch is quite difficult.

We need to try to reduce the initial and running costs, build up a client base as quickly as possible, and take care of other nuances.

If you decide to open a children's shoe store, then we are ready to offer you this business plan as an example.

Our hypothetical store will not be too large (60 sq. m.) and we will open it in a large city.

Registration

Children's shoe stores can operate as individual entrepreneurs, so you should limit yourself to this simple and inexpensive form of business registration.

As for taxation, this expense item can be optimized if you pay tax according to the UTII system.

The registration procedure should not take you more than two months.

Room

It is very important to position your shoe store correctly: so that as many people as possible pass by it every day.

Some of these passers-by will become your clients.

It is best to open a children's shoe store, either in the center or in a densely populated residential area at the intersection of important pedestrian routes.

You can open your own market either in a separate building or by renting space in a shopping center.

The area of ​​our conventional store is 60 sq. m. 40 square meters will go to the sales area, the rest to the staff office, where you can equip a rack for storing leftover goods, and a bathroom.

It is very important to invest money in renovations, because your main customers are children, and they adore bright colors and fairy-tale characters.

If the amount of starting capital allows, then you can hire a professional designer to create a unique interior for your shoe store.

Equipment

Since the area of ​​our conventional children's shoe store is not too large, we need to carefully consider what equipment should be purchased in order to demonstrate the product to the buyer as profitably as possible and not clutter the sales floor with boxes with size charts.

For our conditional store we will purchase the following equipment:

Expense item	Amount (in rub.)
Total:	180,000 rub.
Racks and shelves	30 000
Showcase for socks, shoe care products and other small items	7 000
Closed lower cabinets where you can store boxes of shoes	15 000
Soft poufs for trying on	15 000
Sales counter	8 000
Mirrors	5 000
Cash machine	10 000
Computer or laptop	20 000
Printer	10 000
Other	60 000

In addition, you need to equip a bathroom (at least 15,000 rubles) and an office office by purchasing furniture there:

As you can see, you need to spend at least 250,000 rubles on store equipment.

Staff

If you decide to open a children's shoe store, then you should prepare for the cost of staff salaries.

If you want the store to bring you maximum profit, then you should hire two shifts (salesperson + cleaner) so that they work in turns:

If you want sellers to try to sell as many shoes as possible, pay them not a fixed salary, but a small rate +% of sales.

There is no need to skimp on a cleaner, because a store with a dirty floor will not look attractive to visitors.

You, as the owner of a children's shoe store, will have to deal with organizational issues, order goods, look for new suppliers and do accounting.

Range

The more diverse the assortment, the higher the chances that the client will leave with a purchase.

You should sell:

• sandals, slippers, sandals and other summer shoes;
• boots and boots (winter and demi-season);
• footwear for active recreation (sneakers, sneakers);
• slippers;
• Czech shoes, dancing shoes.

The size range should be formed from the smallest – up to 36 inclusive. Select the assortment according to seasonality. Shoes that are out of season can be sold at discounts.

Update your assortment at least once a quarter.

Organizing sales at least twice a year revives the business: for summer and winter shoes.

As for suppliers, you can sell both domestic children's shoes (quality brands - Top-Top, Kotofey and others) and those made abroad.

Parents especially trust shoes made in Poland, Italy, and Germany.

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

Shoe markets are not startups that require huge capital investments, but still, to open a children's shoe store, you will have to shell out at least 700,000 rubles.

But in addition to the starting investments, which amount to over half a million, you are expected to have mandatory monthly expenses:

what kind of shoes should you choose for your baby?

so that it does not harm his health:

What kind of income awaits those who decide to open a children's shoe store?

Be careful when setting your shoe store's pricing policy.

If you set a markup that is too small, for example, 30–40%, you are unlikely to quickly gain profit, and you won’t have a price gap to make sales.

A markup that is too high will cause customers to consider your product too expensive and go to another store.

The optimal markup is 60–80%.

It is quite difficult to calculate the monthly revenue of a children's shoe store.

Get ready for the fact that in the first few months, customers will be wary of the new market, preferring proven sellers, so you will have to work hard to win a customer base.

If at least 10 people visit you daily, 5 of whom make a purchase for 2,000 rubles, then your monthly revenue will be about 300,000 rubles.

Half of this amount will be spent on mandatory monthly expenses, part will have to be set aside for a new purchase of goods, but 80–100,000 rubles will remain for you as net profit.

With such indicators, you can recoup your capital investment in 8–12 months.

If you can increase sales, then your market’s earnings will be much higher.

This is, of course, a very rough business plan.

If you are interested in how to open a children's shoe store, then you will definitely have to draw up your business plan, focusing on prices in your city and the scale of your future business, so the amount of capital investment to launch your startup may differ significantly from that indicated.

Useful article? Don't miss new ones!
Enter your email and receive new articles by email