Secrets of the organization of business selling home textiles
Assortment Definition
One of the most important issues that the future merchant has to decide is to determine the range of his shop. On the one hand, home textiles are a product that is always in steady demand, because conscientious housewives always strive to make their living and make their home comfortable. Yes, and sometimes men are not averse to choosing a couple of new towels or a new set of bed linen. But the success of such an outlet will largely depend on its location. Do not be surprised if you do not get the expected turnover if you open a shop in the provincial province.
It is not uncommon for a large part of the population of such towns willingly consume deposits of bed linen, towels, tablecloths, etc., which were stored by their grandmothers from Soviet times. The constant shortage of textile products once forced to buy things for the future. Many kept textiles in the future to betray them by inheritance or as a dowry. It is therefore not surprising that the purchase of modern linen is not a pressing problem for the unassuming population of provincial cities. The hostesses with the Soviet “dowry” become customers of textile goods stores only after the old bedding sets wear out to holes, and the low price becomes the main criterion for the selection of changeable linen. Such buyers have little interest in the reasons for the difference in the price of textiles, so the stories that a high price — an indicator of quality products for such buyers — is an empty sound. The situation is somewhat better in large cities, where the purchasing power of the population is several times higher. And though there will be much more competitors there, but here the potential client will be interested in the composition of the fabric and the design of products, and the price will become secondary.
Despite the rather high demand, we can safely say that the market for textile products is slightly saturated. This is especially true for goods of the average price category. This situation is observed not only in metropolitan areas, but also in smaller cities. If there is at least one small shopping center in the city, be sure that there is already a department for the sale of household goods. Even within the microdistrict, there will definitely be a couple of stores of home textiles.
How to increase competitiveness
When opening a specialized outlet, it is important to remember: the assortment and price policy of a small retail outlet are significantly inferior to retail chains. In order to approach the level of such a network, the owner needs to invest a lot of money in the future store.
The main investments will be used to purchase the first batch of goods. Also in the cost estimate, you need to include spending on staff salaries, room rental and the purchase of necessary equipment and an advertising campaign. This is about 500,000 rubles. The amount of half a million rubles is extremely approximate, since the rental of a room depends on the area and location of the building of the future store. The price of square meters of retail space in the center of a large city varies greatly in value with the rental of premises on the first floor of a high-rise building in a residential area.
At first glance, the prospect of opening a store in a shopping center looks attractive. But in fact, this is not true. If the shopping center is not open yesterday and today, then the store specializing in the sale of such products is likely to already be there. You can hardly make him a worthy competition in price and range. If, by chance, you succeed in significantly reducing prices, no one guarantees that such an outlet with even lower prices will not open nearby.
The advantage of freestanding stores over sites in large shopping centers is obvious. First, depending on the location chosen, you will most likely be able to save on rent. For example: rent per square meter in a shopping center is four times the cost of renting a store in a residential area of the city. And secondly, a large area gives you more room for a decent presentation of the product range.
The advantages of renting premises in a residential area:
cost savings;
possibility of placement and visual demonstration of a greater quantity of goods. This item is especially important for products such as curtains, blankets and bedding.
Agree, these things in the package look less attractive than in the unfolded form.
There are also a lot of minuses in the work of a store in a residential area:
It’s not a fact that buyers living in the other end of the city will want to spend time on the road to you. In this case, the range of goods must be really impressive, and the prices are more than attractive;
in order for you to know as many potential customers as possible, you will have to spend a lot on advertising.
A significant competitive advantage can be the availability of additional services that your store is ready to provide. A good bonus is the availability of free home delivery.
