Business with a creative approach: how to open a gift shop. How to open a souvenir and gift shop from scratch

I tried to trade in different groups of goods and I want to note that the souvenir assortment has a number of distinct advantages. Unlike food and, for example, cosmetics, cute trinkets do not deteriorate and have no expiration date.

 

Souvenirs do not need to be certified, there is no need to obtain special permits for the trade in these products, the seller does not have to issue sanitary book. And although souvenirs do not belong to essential items or high-demand goods, they are sold well, and a relatively small turnover can be more than compensated for by high profitability.

Souvenirs "tourist" and "gift"

In my opinion, souvenir products are divided into these two categories in the first place. True, there are also promotional souvenirs, but as a rule, they are not sold at retail. However, some products are equally well bought by the guests of the city as a keepsake, and as gifts - by the natives. An example is souvenir mugs depicting architectural monuments or views of the pearls of local nature. And, for example, Gzhel porcelain in the Ramensky district of the Moscow region will be a “dual-use” product, and in other places it will be primarily a gift.

Of course, sometimes tourists willingly buy souvenirs that have nothing to do with local attractions, just as a gift to loved ones. And yet, IMHO, the conditional division of the assortment into the two above-mentioned categories remains relevant.

To occupy a foothold is the basis of business success

IN retail good location outlet is one of the main conditions for profitable work. Of course, there are exceptions: if you sell something exclusive and at the same time desperately what people need, they are ready to come to you at the other end of the city with two transfers. No one will chase after souvenirs like that, they are already sold at every turn. To trade in "tourist" assortment, you should choose sites near local attractions. It is advisable to first observe whether excursions stop at this place for a time sufficient to make purchases, or whether tourists are quickly “driven” further along the route.

It is good to sell gifts in large shopping centers, in trading floors large grocery stores, on pedestrian streets and at the intersections of major passenger traffic. The only trouble is that all the “bread” places are usually long and firmly occupied by competitors, and if they are suddenly free, then astronomical amounts are requested for rent (this fully applies to the approaches to tourist sites). Instead of a souvenir kiosk or department, you can try to open a trade from a portable tray or using a collapsible tent. But it is sometimes very difficult to obtain permission from the local authorities to operate such a retail outlet (which, however, does not mean that it is impossible).

There is another option: not to look for a permanent place for yourself, but to take part in various exhibitions, fairs and folk festivals on the occasion of large and small holidays. Here you need to carefully follow the calendar of events and apply in advance for the coordination of your participation to the event organizers.

Where to buy or order souvenirs for sale

With souvenirs of a "gift" nature - it's easier. You can make a wide range of wholesale market or in the warehouse of almost any specialized company, something can be purchased from individual artisans (one does not interfere with the other and the third). An independent trip for cheaper souvenirs to China for a novice merchant is too costly.

With the "tourist" range - more difficult. The sights of some (especially small) settlements can be very weakly reflected or not indicated at all in the souvenir products offered by wholesale. Then you have to turn to the services of manufacturing companies involved in the manufacture of souvenirs to order. And here the price of the product is VERY STRONGLY dependent on the size of the lot, the difference can exceed 100%. Most favorable prices sometimes they are offered not by manufacturers, but by intermediaries who place customer orders with their Chinese partners, but in this case we are usually talking about a thousand or even several thousand units, and the production time is several months. However, you can invest decent amounts in one or two items of goods only when ordering the most popular souvenirs.

A good way out can be the purchase of components for souvenirs with a printing insert. The design of pictures with minimal skills can be developed independently, and printed - even on a home color printer (although, most likely, professional design and printing will give better results).

What souvenirs to choose

Which direction is better to choose - tourist or purely gift - depends primarily on the "place in the sun" that you manage to stake out. Although, if the retail space and working capital, it makes sense to cover both in some reasonable ratio. To begin with, it is worth trying to include a variety of souvenirs in your assortment, in order to then decide on the most relevant ones. A variety of fridge magnets, key chains, souvenir plates and mugs, lighters, flasks, products made from natural materials (wood, clay, straw, leather) are well sold.

Should I take mostly cheap goods or more expensive ones? Practice shows that the best demand is usually for goods of medium price category. Expensive products will definitely not sell well from a street stall - for solid gifts, the buyer goes to more respectable outlets.

It should be remembered that souvenirs most often do not have a utilitarian value, and therefore are especially high quality a significant part of buyers may not appreciate the products, and people will regret the extra money. The same applies to the artistic level of souvenir design - alas, few have a developed aesthetic taste, and sometimes tasteless handicrafts are sold much better than high-quality design developments. And at the same time, there is a certain stable demand for author's products. handmade.

Particular attention should be paid to the packaging. Properly packaged goods look and buy much better, spoil less during transportation. Gift wrapping can sell well on its own, some people build their business on gift wrapping.

Competitors, let's live together!

Competition in the souvenir trade is quite strong - sometimes dozens of kiosks and stalls can be counted near the same tourist sites. Sometimes the fight for the buyer takes the form of dumping wars, and as a result, all traders lose their profits. Wouldn't it be better to have a coordinated pricing policy?! After all, tourists, and in the pre-holiday running around for gifts - and our fellow countrymen, for the most part, are ready to fork out for full program. And it is not known whether it will be possible to sell so much more goods at low prices to compensate for the loss in profitability.

From personal experience I can give an example of successful cooperation with a competitor. Together we buy larger quantities of goods and get discounts. Each works with several of their own suppliers, and as a result, we both have twice the range. One person would not be able to organize all these deliveries purely physically, and it is not easy to find a suitable assistant, and there is a great risk of growing a new competitor.

Souvenir calendar

It should be borne in mind that the souvenir trade is seasonal. The main flow of tourists falls on the period from May to August and during the Christmas holidays, and the peak of demand for gifts takes place on the eve of the most popular holidays. It is advisable to stock up souvenirs in advance, otherwise you can stay without goods on hot days. As for purely thematic gifts, such as a symbol of the coming year, there is a great risk of getting large balances of illiquid assets, which then have to be sold at a loss.

Development of your souvenir business

The logic of any business involves development, the alternative to which is decline. And here you have several ways. You can constantly expand and improve the range, find new suppliers, develop an exclusive design for souvenirs. It is possible - to open additional retail outlets and / or expand the geography of outbound trade. And you can - try to become a wholesaler, for starters - at least a small wholesaler. But this is a topic for a separate discussion.

The business idea of ​​selling gifts is profitable throughout the year, despite the fact that some consider such a business to be seasonal. If you build a business model correctly, then at any time of the year you will have customers. In order to have a good profit, the store should not be narrowly specialized, in such a store there should be gifts for all occasions (Birthday, New Year and any other holiday).

Implementation of the gift business idea

In many small towns, such shops are generally a problem, they simply do not exist, or the choice in such “gift shops” leaves much to be desired. And this means that anyone can take this niche, moreover, he will not even have serious competitors. But do not rush, let's take a step-by-step look at what you need to do in order for such a business to bring you profit. You also need to register as an individual entrepreneur or LLC, so that everything is official, we described how to do this.

Location

The more crowded the place it will be the better, it can be both the city center and a place in mall or close to the central market.

You need to choose a place again after you conduct an analysis. The main thing is that this place should not be somewhere in difficult terrain.

Store interior

It is not necessary to invest a lot of money in store design, especially for initial stage. It should be a clean well-kept room and nothing more. The main thing is that the buyer can see all your goods, for this you need good lighting.

You can divide all the goods into categories, for the New Year, for Birthday, Valentine's Day and so on, this will greatly simplify the choice for the buyer and he will clearly see what suits him from the range.

Staff

The number of staff will directly depend on the size of the store, if it is small, one seller will be enough, it is better that at first you yourself be the seller, or at least be in the store, not far from the seller.

This is necessary in order to understand what customers like and what they don’t, this can relate to both the assortment and the design of the store.

You can also order a uniform for the seller, this will only give additional recognition to your store among customers.

If there is no shop selling gifts in the city, this does not mean that there is no competition in this area. , usually such gifts can be bought at the market where they sell toys, cosmetics, etc.

In addition, a deep market analysis will help not only in the analysis of competition, you can also understand which product is in great demand, how much the consumer needs such a product, and so on.

Range

The more assortment the better. But in order to compile an assortment in a particular region, you must first do a market analysis. Whatever the range, you must interest your client.

For example, big bears up to 1 meter 50 cm high, such a gift can be given to a girl on her birthday or on another important date, with such a toy you can get a lot of attention for the store and even make an advertising campaign on it.

You can use many directions to advertise a toy store. But the best advertising will be the assortment of the store itself, if the store has a really interesting assortment, your regular customers will talk about it by word of mouth. But at the initial stage, in order to get these customers, you will need to conduct a small advertising campaign.

We always recommend using A complex approach, that is, combine different types advertising. For these purposes, we believe that the most effective types of advertising will be the distribution of leaflets (with an advertisement for a store in the city center and near the store), word of mouth and, of course, the Internet. The first two are clear, but as for we will talk about it in the step below.

An ideal addition for the store would be the creation of its electronic version as well as getting new customers through social networks. Many entrepreneurs have already begun to actively develop the network, but far from all have done this, but in vain. By creating a website, you can get hundreds or even thousands of site views every day, and these are dozens of potential customers.

In addition, the social network will give you a connection with your customers, and when you have a big sale, promotion or just a holiday period, you can let them know through the group. This is a unique opportunity to keep in touch with customers 24/7, besides, they can ask you questions they are interested in, and such things inspire additional confidence in the store.

These are not difficult steps, you will need to do to open a store. As you can see business gift ideas, not so difficult, you only need a little money to rent a room and purchase goods. But if there is no money, there is also an option, to find a person who makes toys with his own hands and offer him to sell his goods, if there is no money for rent, you can start by selling in in social networks, thus for the implementation you do not even need to have an initial capital. If you live in a city of up to 1,000,000 people, you may be interested in other business ideas for small towns, read more.

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Some enterprising people make a profit using their imagination and creativity. The production of souvenirs is quite a promising area of ​​activity. Such products are in demand even in difficult economic conditions because people never spare money for gifts to relatives and friends. If you want to open the production of souvenirs as a business, you should understand in more detail all its nuances.

Where to begin?

Before you open the production of souvenirs, you should decide on the goals. It is important to understand whether this activity will become a source of additional income for you, or you want to make it your main activity. In addition, you need to know whether you will retail souvenirs in a small shop or you are more interested in large orders from different companies and enterprises.

Business registration

At first, in order not to spend money on renting a room, you can work from home. In this case, you can not register your business and, accordingly, do not pay taxes. When the business begins to develop, it is advisable to open an LLC and choose an OKVED production of souvenirs. Thanks to this, you will be able to conclude contracts for the supply of goods with legal entities. This activity is not licensed, so you do not have to obtain any additional permits and approvals.

room

To save money at the start, you can work in the garage or any other heated room at home for the first time. By the way, souvenirs are one of the most promising. If you don't have a home suitable place to install equipment for the production of souvenirs, you can rent a room on the outskirts of the city. This will allow you to significantly reduce costs. When the business begins to develop, you will need a spacious building for production workshops, warehouses and an office. It is desirable that the production and sale of souvenirs be carried out in one place. To do this, you can open a small shop near the enterprise.

Souvenir types

For the manufacture of souvenirs, you can use different materials:

1. Acrylic products strongly resemble amber jewelry. They are produced in two ways: mechanical and casting. The first method is used to make tombstones and logos. The pouring method allows you to place different objects inside the material. The result is unusual original souvenirs;
2. Metal products are always in great demand. But their manufacture is a rather laborious process that requires certain skills. Souvenirs are made of brass, aluminum or bronze. Finished goods polished, then decorated with engraving, inlay or enamel;
3. The stone is usually used to make ethnic souvenirs. The master must fully feel the material so as not to disturb the natural pattern. Such work requires great patience;
4. Glass souvenirs are made according to a complex innovative technology consisting of several stages. The greatest demand is for laser art design and 3D images on glass;
5. Wood. Craftsmen who have already worked with wood can easily manufacture custom-made souvenirs. You can earn decent money on original products made of natural wood;
6. Business souvenirs are the most serious and responsible business. Such products should carry a maximum useful information. The manufacture of souvenirs with a logo should be treated very responsibly, since it is a marketing ploy of the company. In order for corporate customers to be satisfied, you need to hire an experienced craftsman and a professional designer. Such souvenirs can be made from any materials - stone, glass, wood and others.

Equipment

Before you buy equipment for making souvenirs, you need to decide what products you will offer to customers.

In any case, it is much more profitable to purchase Chinese equipment. This is a fairly successful option, which is distinguished by affordable prices and decent quality. Such machines are designed for six months of intensive continuous work. During this time, you will be able to understand whether it is worth investing heavily in these popular businesses. If the business begins to flourish, you can purchase better units. For example, milling machines for the production of souvenirs, it is best to buy in Germany.

Sales market

If you are engaged in the manufacture of souvenirs at home and produce them in small volumes, products can be handed over for sale to stores located in crowded places.

Solid production requires more serious distribution channels. It is advisable to conclude contracts for the manufacture of souvenirs with big companies and enterprises. In this case, you will be guaranteed to receive a stable high income.

Business Profitability

Experts believe that the manufacture of souvenirs as a business is quite a profitable business. In order for the income to be tangible, it is necessary to include advertising costs in the business plan. If you constantly apply effective marketing tools, in the near future you will have a lot regular customers. But the most the best advertisement is the quality of the product.

The easiest way to determine the profitability of a business is by example. A small wooden box costs 3,000 rubles. Its production costs 500 rubles. If you make products to order, you can earn even more. are usually highly profitable, since entrepreneurs do not spend money on renting premises and salaries of staff. In addition, materials for the production of souvenirs are inexpensive, which can significantly reduce the cost of production.

Expenses

You don't need a lot of money to start your own souvenir business. If you plan to work on your own, you need to invest 60-150 thousand rubles. This is the cost of purchasing equipment and advertising. A master who has all the necessary tools and machines needs to find only 20-30 thousand for advertising and consumables. , you decide, but you should remember that souvenirs bring good income even during a crisis. In addition, this is a very exciting creative activity. If things go well, you can eventually open your own souvenir shop and hire experienced craftsmen.

Making souvenirs from high-strength cast stone

Advantages and disadvantages

Experts characterize this area of ​​​​activity only on the positive side:

• The price of products is 3-4 times higher than its cost;
• Minimum expenses;
• High demand for products allows you to receive a stable income;
• A business can be organized right at home, thanks to which it is possible to significantly save on renting a room.

The only drawback that scares off start-up entrepreneurs is seasonality. Sales volumes increase significantly before official holidays - New Year, Christmas, March 8 and others. But this does not mean that the rest of the production will be idle. If contracts are entered into with corporate clients more than enough work. In addition, you can engage in other activities during the off-season. , just like the production of souvenirs, requires a creative approach and a flight of fancy. Therefore, you can try your hand at this area. Photobooks on order is a new direction of entrepreneurial activity, but, despite this, such a service is already very popular.

Summing up

Handmade souvenirs are always unique and therefore very attractive to foreign tourists. If you produce aesthetically beautiful products from environmentally friendly materials, they will always be in great demand. Such a business brings good profits and is highly profitable. But in order to work in this direction, you need to have talent or an appropriate education.

Even in times of crisis, people continue to do something pleasant for loved ones - to give Original gifts, flowers. Not every consumer thinks about the issues of survival: buying food, clothing, housing. Although human relations have given way to material well-being, they have not lost their importance. Therefore, the idea of ​​opening a gift and souvenir shop can be very promising.

How to open a gift shop from scratch

Starting any business starts with competitive analysis. This stage is very important, since the presence of nearby chain store souvenirs or a retail outlet with a large assortment reduces the client flow by half. And vice versa: the original product, which is not available in nearby stores, will attract buyers from all over the city.

Don't forget about appearance stall or department. Places that immediately catch the eye, stand out from the background of other departments, are easy to remember. When a visitor needs an original thing or a holiday souvenir, he will remember about an unusual store.

Items for sale can be found directly from manufacturers, purchased from wholesalers, or in China, India or other countries. With a skillful search on the Internet and social networks, there are creative personalities whose products will appeal to dozens of visitors. Another source of contact with suppliers - international exhibitions gift manufacturers.

Before you open a gift shop, do a consumer demand analysis. Observe what type of products are selling better from competitors, think about what alternative you can offer customers.

You can open a business in the following areas:

• sale of premium brands;
• "cool" gifts for young people;
• souvenirs for men, women;
• gifts for colleagues and managers;
• original products for scenery;
• goods of one and popular countries.

A successful example of a business on gift products is presented in this video:

Planning to open a gift shop in small town or an area where the population has an average income, it is better to refuse to sell luxury goods. Don't even start entrepreneurial activity in the premium segment during the crisis in the economy.

Secrets of a Successful Business

Sale of souvenirs - seasonal business. The store will bring good profits during the holidays and go out in a small plus in the rest of the months. By December, February and March, a thematic assortment is needed, which loses its relevance after the holiday.

For renting premises, connection cash register, the purchase of goods will need registration legal entity. Trade area should not be less than 10 meters - if you open a smaller department, it is difficult to place shop windows in it and move freely for the seller.

The cost of opening a business starts from 1 million rubles and varies from the planned scale of activity.

The success of a gift and souvenir business depends on the level of competition, competent market analysis, the choice of exclusive goods and the right selection of premises. In a large shopping center, it will take at least 6 months to promote a project with financial expenses over 1 million rubles.