Opening & Operating a Retail Store / Boutique (Brick & Mortar or On-Line) - Page 7

pink.nails · 18-08-2006

I guess if you want to open a shop a big factor depends on a good location!!

If you wanted to start a website, perhaps you could start it as an on the side thing and see how it goes!!!!!

annabel_lee · 23-08-2006

actually...i think you need both because it is sort of a different client base...but also...most of the high-end lines do not allow you to sell online.

Stylebites · 24-08-2006

When I'm spending more than $50 on something I like to try it on first. Just my 2 cents.

pout306 · 26-08-2006

running an online boutique and a "real" store will almost put you in the same price range. Most people think running an online boutique is much cheaper but it isn't. There are many things people don't think about like the upkeep, the graphic designers, someone in accounts payable, photographers, models, the clothes obviously, the web space, people to ship etc. The only difference is you won't be paying rent but ultimately you may end up spending just as much.

plain.jane · 28-08-2006

a lot of factors need to be think thoroughly..
for me, initial cost to set up a boutique is more expensive than online.
you may want to sell online, market it and build yr clientele.. before you set up a physical shop.
i do think lots of ppl buy via online, but then again, your clothes must be "easy" as it, the designs are easily wearable without knowing the exact size or u need to draw up a good T&C for exchanges etc...
hope this helps...

LoveMyBoots · 28-08-2006

I think opening a boutique is much better choice.

Open it up in a good neighborhood & city and you could possibly have a lot of success (of course, depending on what you sell).

Opening an online "boutique" is pretty rare IMO. Like others have mentioned, people will only go to established sites for any designer-priced items. Plus, promoting the site will also take some money. It's going to be hard for people to suddenly "discover" a new brand of clothing and be convinced to purchase it through the net. How are any possible customers going to find the site? Starting out, you're not going to come out in the first page of a google search. So, there comes advertising... $$$

Running a business through a website isn't as easy as you think. You should create a very intriguing/creative design which if you can't, you're going to have to pay someone else to do it. Then, host it... Maintain it with pictures, product descriptions, then do the actual business transactions... If you create an actual boutique you also won't have to pay for any other special skills.

I'm not exactly saying that boutiques are actually going to make more money b/c unless you're extremely successful, it's going to be difficult to make any actual $$$... But, this is all just what I've thought about in a couple of minutes... and I'm not even familiar with creating websites.

Good luck, though!

adi · 13-09-2006

i'm thinking to set up a online vintage boutique, and i have few questions conserning about it..
i do have a web-designer already and the whole desing thing is going to be free for me, so that doesn't take up any money. but should i get accountant? i mean of course i have to pay some taxes if i make the store as "real" with company name and everything.
what about shipping? can i make some sort of a deal with the postal services to ship with certain sum? at the moment i would only ship inside finland but still.. maybe later in the future i could ship also to abroad

i would like to hear everything there is with setting up an online store, pros and cons. is it the same as setting up a real boutique?

thanks in advance

Ameera · 03-11-2006

Quote:

Originally Posted by *Happiness*

i have a question directed to the boutique owners here and those that are paying rent or lease for a commercial space....what is NNN or Triple Net....is this in addition to the monthly lease payment? And is this required for all commercial leases?

Happiness, as far as i know, there are three types: Double net which is NN , triple net which is NNN and bond type.

Double net means that you will pay for everything with the exception of structural repair. in the case of NNN, it means that you, the tenant, will be responsibile for everything including any structural repair which is the case with my shop and many shops here. in my case, i can do whatever i want with the shop and i have to repair everything but once i leave the shop i dont get anything back. BUT every lease is different, and you will have to see a copy of what your lease states. Many leases hold the landlord still responsible for roof repairs and some other repairs. since it is a commercial leasing, contracts and corporations are what you're basically dealing with.Bond lease is when the tenant pays on the lease no matter what even if the building burns down.

i hope this explains

couturerapture · 28-02-2007

hi all, i'm wondering if anyone knows if what i plan to do is actually illegal?
haha...well, here goes, i'm planning to actually purchase different things i set my eyes on from different online shops, asos.com etc and then set up a boutique to sell them. in a way, i am making things alot more convenient for people who can't be bothered to go thru all the hassle of internet shopping...but i cant help but feel that it's sorta illegal?

and can some kind souls please provide me with advice on how to go about setting up a kinda boutique? i know it's not easy...sighs..but i really want to have something that i can call my own..and let my mum be proud of me for once..everyone around me's used to having the easy life, so i can't really turn to anyone for advice

thanks all in advance ...

kissmesweet · 28-02-2007

It's not illegal to buy things and then sell them yourselves. (I don't think you can do it with DVDs and music though.)

But you have to find reliable sites which WON'T SHARE YOUR CREDIT CARD INFORMATION(GOOGLE ADS ARE OFTEN SAFE AS WELL AS THE FIRST FEW ONE OR TWO PAGES YOU GOOGLE.) let's see: ebay.com is good for wholesale and past-season stuff, although you can get some current-season stuff sometimes.
saksfifthavenue.com - for the high end stores as well as neimanmarcus.com and shopbop.com. You might want to try eluxury.com and perhaps net-a-porter.com and fashionmonsters.com. For trendy/celebrity-stores, try: shopintuition.com and shopkitson.com

couturerapture · 28-02-2007

Quote:

Originally Posted by kissmesweet

It's not illegal to buy things and then sell them yourselves. (I don't think you can do it with DVDs and music though.)

But you have to find reliable sites which WON'T SHARE YOUR CREDIT CARD INFORMATION(GOOGLE ADS ARE OFTEN SAFE AS WELL AS THE FIRST FEW ONE OR TWO PAGES YOU GOOGLE.) let's see: ebay.com is good for wholesale and past-season stuff, although you can get some current-season stuff sometimes.
saksfifthavenue.com - for the high end stores as well as neimanmarcus.com and shopbop.com. You might want to try eluxury.com and perhaps net-a-porter.com and fashionmonsters.com. For trendy/celebrity-stores, try: shopintuition.com and shopkitson.com

REALLY?? it's NOT illegal?? hahaha. now i'm getting all excited,

and big big words have this strange effect of making me all hyped up...so..hahaha.. =D but thanks alot! now i'm wondering how do i make this work...so say i have a shop of my own name, but if i do not re-brand those things i bought from those sites, it's actually fine? but if i do not strike a deal with those sites, i will not be able to get them at a lower price, so i'm wondering if i will actually make money outta purchasing those beautiful pieces at such a high price and selling them at a even higher price(people might not pay that much! and there's really not much i can make from 1 piece)

i really need all the help and advice i can get....

MoMoCiTa · 25-03-2007

My passion has always been to open a fashion boutique selling anything from womens clothing to handbags. I have no idea where i would go about starting. I dont expect it to be a huge store just a small boutique. The store would contain some high-end items as well as affordable purchases. Does anyone know how I would go about starting all this? even a brief explanation would do

homeboy · 25-03-2007

Opening up a fashion boutique isn't any much different from opening up a corner store. A big difference though is that it could be a bit difficult to establish a relationship with high end brands like Bottega Venetta, Chanel and Mulberry since they don't let just anyone sell their bags.
Off course, running a high fashion boutique requires that you have a good fashion sense and know the market, or else you will end up closing within 2 years.

**BetteT** · 26-03-2007

Just merged this new thread into the existing thread already in progress. Please use the search function first to find applicable threads, before starting a new thread. This way we keep all the related information in one place and easy to find.

shelleymelissa · 14-04-2007

Hi,

I'm thinking of opening a shop front here in Australia selling mid-range priced ($100-400) international designs. My question is, how does buying from overseas work? Would I need to travel to buy the designs or can I do it via the internet? How many times a year would I need to go? Because our seasons are opposite those of the Northern Hemisphere would I need to buy stock overseas at the beginning of their season and then stockpile it for 6 months until our season comes around?

I'm a bit mystified as to how this would work. Please help!

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18-08-2006	91
pink.nails scenester Join Date: Dec 2005 Gender: femme Posts: 57	I guess if you want to open a shop a big factor depends on a good location!! If you wanted to start a website, perhaps you could start it as an on the side thing and see how it goes!!!!! __________________ Charming

24-08-2006	93
Stylebites front row Join Date: May 2006 Location: Europe/LA/NYC Posts: 320	When I'm spending more than $50 on something I like to try it on first. Just my 2 cents. __________________ Stylebites: A Fashion Insider's Blog trends, models, bios & career advice: http://stylebites.blogspot.com/ "Fashions fade. Style is eternal." -Yves Saint Laurent

28-08-2006	95
plain.jane front row Join Date: May 2006 Gender: femme Posts: 293	a lot of factors need to be think thoroughly.. for me, initial cost to set up a boutique is more expensive than online. you may want to sell online, market it and build yr clientele.. before you set up a physical shop. i do think lots of ppl buy via online, but then again, your clothes must be "easy" as it, the designs are easily wearable without knowing the exact size or u need to draw up a good T&C for exchanges etc... hope this helps... __________________ fashfix / seamstheory.com/

13-09-2006	97
adi fashion insider Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: finland Gender: femme Posts: 2,479	i'm thinking to set up a online vintage boutique, and i have few questions conserning about it.. i do have a web-designer already and the whole desing thing is going to be free for me, so that doesn't take up any money. but should i get accountant? i mean of course i have to pay some taxes if i make the store as "real" with company name and everything. what about shipping? can i make some sort of a deal with the postal services to ship with certain sum? at the moment i would only ship inside finland but still.. maybe later in the future i could ship also to abroad i would like to hear everything there is with setting up an online store, pros and cons. is it the same as setting up a real boutique? thanks in advance __________________

23-08-2006	92
annabel_lee rising star Join Date: Nov 2005 Gender: femme Posts: 114	actually...i think you need both because it is sort of a different client base...but also...most of the high-end lines do not allow you to sell online.

26-08-2006	94
pout306 front row Join Date: Sep 2005 Gender: femme Posts: 217	running an online boutique and a "real" store will almost put you in the same price range. Most people think running an online boutique is much cheaper but it isn't. There are many things people don't think about like the upkeep, the graphic designers, someone in accounts payable, photographers, models, the clothes obviously, the web space, people to ship etc. The only difference is you won't be paying rent but ultimately you may end up spending just as much.

28-08-2006	96
LoveMyBoots V.I.P. Join Date: Jun 2005 Location: east coast via de west Gender: femme Posts: 3,724	I think opening a boutique is much better choice. Open it up in a good neighborhood & city and you could possibly have a lot of success (of course, depending on what you sell). Opening an online "boutique" is pretty rare IMO. Like others have mentioned, people will only go to established sites for any designer-priced items. Plus, promoting the site will also take some money. It's going to be hard for people to suddenly "discover" a new brand of clothing and be convinced to purchase it through the net. How are any possible customers going to find the site? Starting out, you're not going to come out in the first page of a google search. So, there comes advertising... $$$ Running a business through a website isn't as easy as you think. You should create a very intriguing/creative design which if you can't, you're going to have to pay someone else to do it. Then, host it... Maintain it with pictures, product descriptions, then do the actual business transactions... If you create an actual boutique you also won't have to pay for any other special skills. I'm not exactly saying that boutiques are actually going to make more money b/c unless you're extremely successful, it's going to be difficult to make any actual $$$... But, this is all just what I've thought about in a couple of minutes... and I'm not even familiar with creating websites. Good luck, though!

28-02-2007	99
couturerapture front row Join Date: Apr 2006 Gender: femme Posts: 443	helpppp hi all, i'm wondering if anyone knows if what i plan to do is actually illegal? haha...well, here goes, i'm planning to actually purchase different things i set my eyes on from different online shops, asos.com etc and then set up a boutique to sell them. in a way, i am making things alot more convenient for people who can't be bothered to go thru all the hassle of internet shopping...but i cant help but feel that it's sorta illegal? and can some kind souls please provide me with advice on how to go about setting up a kinda boutique? i know it's not easy...sighs..but i really want to have something that i can call my own..and let my mum be proud of me for once..everyone around me's used to having the easy life, so i can't really turn to anyone for advice thanks all in advance ...

28-02-2007	100
kissmesweet V.I.P. Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: Hong Kong/UK Gender: femme Posts: 18,853	It's not illegal to buy things and then sell them yourselves. (I don't think you can do it with DVDs and music though.) But you have to find reliable sites which WON'T SHARE YOUR CREDIT CARD INFORMATION(GOOGLE ADS ARE OFTEN SAFE AS WELL AS THE FIRST FEW ONE OR TWO PAGES YOU GOOGLE.) let's see: ebay.com is good for wholesale and past-season stuff, although you can get some current-season stuff sometimes. saksfifthavenue.com - for the high end stores as well as neimanmarcus.com and shopbop.com. You might want to try eluxury.com and perhaps net-a-porter.com and fashionmonsters.com. For trendy/celebrity-stores, try: shopintuition.com and shopkitson.com __________________ ♥ don't you forget about me. Last edited by BetteT; 28-02-2007 at 12:05 PM. Reason: Just a bit too bold ... really hard to read.

25-03-2007	102
MoMoCiTa scenester Join Date: Jan 2004 Location: Ontariooo Posts: 97	how to open a fashion boutique? My passion has always been to open a fashion boutique selling anything from womens clothing to handbags. I have no idea where i would go about starting. I dont expect it to be a huge store just a small boutique. The store would contain some high-end items as well as affordable purchases. Does anyone know how I would go about starting all this? even a brief explanation would do

25-03-2007	103
homeboy backstage pass Join Date: Dec 2005 Gender: homme Posts: 887	Opening up a fashion boutique isn't any much different from opening up a corner store. A big difference though is that it could be a bit difficult to establish a relationship with high end brands like Bottega Venetta, Chanel and Mulberry since they don't let just anyone sell their bags. Off course, running a high fashion boutique requires that you have a good fashion sense and know the market, or else you will end up closing within 2 years. __________________ Men's Fashion Blog

26-03-2007	104
BetteT V.I.P. Mod Squad Leader Design Team Member Join Date: Jan 2003 Location: Los Angeles Gender: femme Posts: 19,343	Just merged this new thread into the existing thread already in progress. Please use the search function first to find applicable threads, before starting a new thread. This way we keep all the related information in one place and easy to find. __________________ Bette It's All in the Details! http://www.musecube.com/BetteT/

14-04-2007	105
shelleymelissa windowshopping Join Date: Mar 2006 Location: Melbourne Gender: femme Posts: 22	Buying from overseas designers Hi, I'm thinking of opening a shop front here in Australia selling mid-range priced ($100-400) international designs. My question is, how does buying from overseas work? Would I need to travel to buy the designs or can I do it via the internet? How many times a year would I need to go? Because our seasons are opposite those of the Northern Hemisphere would I need to buy stock overseas at the beginning of their season and then stockpile it for 6 months until our season comes around? I'm a bit mystified as to how this would work. Please help!

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