Quail By Mail
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Shop owners want websites, Website owners want shops....I've heard (and read) on numerous occasions recently of retailers large and small complain (or proclaim) that they want to retail via a different means then what they are currently doing.
I too am wondering whether to get a little shop on a street somewhere for Quail. One lady I spoke to thought I was crazy as she was thinking of selling her 3 high street shops because 2008 has been so dire, preferring to retail online only.
It's a buyer's market! Or is it just a classic 'grass is always greener on the other side of the fence'?
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MarkS
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I think that it depends on the product, the location and the catchment area.
Do you map your buyers locations? do any geosocial analysis?
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kaz
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Location, location, location......
We too have had a very poor retail season in a small town and would not consider another shop when the lease runs out here 
If you decide to get shop premises could you sub-let an area of somewhere like a garden centre rather than a high street shop?
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Jamanda
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Having a shop front for clothes would obviously have the added benefit that people can try the clothes on. I know a number of people who wouldn't buy clothes on line because they can't, and I'm iffy about buying footwear on line.
Who would run the shop? And actually be behind the counter?
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Quail By Mail
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| MarkS wrote: | I think that it depends on the product, the location and the catchment area.
Do you map your buyers locations? do any geosocial analysis? |
The product is organic/ethical women's clothing which has been made in Devon.
Most customers come from Wales, then Scotland, then Essex and then France, Netherlands and at the bottom of the pile is people from the South West!!!!
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Stacey
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Do you do any face to face selling? If so, does the amount you sell lead you to believe that you could make a profit by running a shop?
I woudn't want the responsibility of running a shop myself.
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Quail By Mail
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| Jamanda wrote: | Having a shop front for clothes would obviously have the added benefit that people can try the clothes on. I know a number of people who wouldn't buy clothes on line because they can't, and I'm iffy about buying footwear on line.
Who would run the shop? And actually be behind the counter? |
I always shop online and it is my favourite mode of shopping. Of course shopping is a major pastime in this country so browsing up and down the street appeals to more people. I agree footwear is certainly iffy to buy online! I think I would run a shop myself.
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Mary-Jane
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My Mum bought a little shop and ran it for 6 years until she sold it. She said she knew, from the first day, it was a terrible mistake. Staff problems, thefts, bills, sales...to name but a few drawbacks. She always said the biggest problem was meeting her overheads - she had to make so much profit per month just to keep the place open, let alone pay herself and staff. That, and the fact she was never free of responsibilities...or to go on holiday.
Penny would be a good person to add to this discussion...
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Rob R
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As a producer-retailer we made a concious decision right from the start not to open a farm shop or have a market stall purely because that is time away from the farm. People will be welcome to come to the farm & collect an order but a 'shop' would be too inflexible for such a limited staff of 2.
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Mary-Jane
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| Rob R wrote: | | As a producer-retailer we made a concious decision right from the start not to open a farm shop or have a market stall purely because that is time away from the farm. People will be welcome to come to the farm & collect an order but a 'shop' would be too inflexible for such a limited staff of 2. |
Good call Rob.
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Jamanda
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What is Brixham like? Quite touristy I should think?
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ros
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how about trying a stall at one of the Barnstaple indoor markets in high season. Think that would be pretty lucrative, there are all sorts of stalls on different days, but we often see locally made clothing -- or sometimes imported "hippy indian" stuff and it seams to attract sales.
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Helen_A
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I'd stick to wholesaling personally - get an agent and get them to get your product out there. Or grit teeth at the costs and take a stand at the trades (lots cheaper in the end than the year round costs of retailing) and find yourself retailers that way. I can suggest a couple of decent ones if you like 
The other thing to look at is getting a wholesalers listing on Ethical Junction... it costs these days, but is still pretty good at feeding leads through
Oh - and register yourself with BAsFTS, its the main place that the various fairtrade shops look for when looking for new products.
Helen_A
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Quail By Mail
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| Rob R wrote: | | As a producer-retailer we made a concious decision right from the start not to open a farm shop or have a market stall purely because that is time away from the farm. People will be welcome to come to the farm & collect an order but a 'shop' would be too inflexible for such a limited staff of 2. |
Interesting comment. I live right in the centre of a seaside 'resort' so there's lots of visitors who walk by the cottage on a continuous basis. I'm wondering whether to open the cottage up and have a small display just inside my foyer...not the full collection but a few of the most popular things.
What do you guys think?
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RichardW
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Or a small covered hand cart type thing if you have the space.
Justme
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Quail By Mail
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The other thing to look at is getting a wholesalers listing on Ethical Junction... it costs these days, but is still pretty good at feeding leads through
Oh - and register yourself with BAsFTS, its the main place that the various fairtrade shops look for when looking for new products.
Helen_A[/quote]
I'm awaiting the outcome of my BAFTS application, hopefully this week. I'm already listed on Ethicla Junction but didn't know they had a wholesale section, so will check that out!
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tahir
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| Quail By Mail wrote: | | Jamanda wrote: | Having a shop front for clothes would obviously have the added benefit that people can try the clothes on. I know a number of people who wouldn't buy clothes on line because they can't, and I'm iffy about buying footwear on line.
Who would run the shop? And actually be behind the counter? |
I always shop online and it is my favourite mode of shopping. Of course shopping is a major pastime in this country so browsing up and down the street appeals to more people. I agree footwear is certainly iffy to buy online! I think I would run a shop myself. |
If you choose to run the shop yourself you'll change the focus of what you do, you'll be tied into it, whether you like it or not.
As you've already said most of your customers aren't local, you need to be elsewhere I reckon.
If you're doing OK online I'd look to find a couple of small retailers that would stock your range.
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Rob R
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| tahir wrote: | | If you're doing OK online I'd look to find a couple of small retailers that would stock your range. |
I'd agree with all tahir's thoughts on the subject, especially the above.
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Penny
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You need to be ver sure of the committment you are making before opening a shop. We've had ours now for five years. It's now a good profitable business, but getting to this point has been very hard.
We have to work seven days a week, and get Christmas Day, Boxing Day and Easter Sunday off. Getting a day off involves tremendous organisation, a week is like planning a campaing in a war  It's very very hard work. I spend all day on my feet, then come home and do all the domestic things one has to do to keep body and soul together in a family of five. My husband - Steve, comes home and then becomes financial director and sorts all the bills out, that's almost a full time job in itself when you run a shop.
BUT we wouldn't swap it for any other life or any other job. I never feel depressed about going to work, I feel happy and fulfilled, I may be printing sometimes hundreds of t-shirts a day, but they're our t-shirts!!! When a customer rings up just to say what a good job you've done or bothers to write or e-mail to say thank-you, it really is all worth it.
If you want to do it more than anything else in the world, if you can easily write a good solid business plan, then go for it. If you struggle with either of those, I'd suggest you may want to reconsider.
If there is anything we can help with just let me know
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Quail By Mail
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Just to give people an update, I'm not entirely keen on having a shop at this point simply because my husband and I only just changed our lifestyle with moving out of London less than a year ago, buying an old cottage, renovating it, and launching two businesses.
:: I think having a shop boils down to location, location, location, selling desirable products, footfall and capitalisation.
:: Having a website boils down to 'site optimisation', lifestyle photographs, professional graphic design, desireable products, fluid stock levels, and capitalisation
Both methods must innovate. Both methods must scratch their heads and consider what to do next. Both methods need business plans.
What else?
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Soapnutter
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Had a shop briefly, failed, still paying off associated debts. Would never never do it again.
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