Basic tips for opening a second-hand store. How to open a second-hand store from scratch in Russia How to open a second-hand business

In search of business ideas, many decide that it is most profitable not to establish a new production, but to start buying and selling various goods.

If you have a small capital and a great desire to start your own business, then consider starting an online second-hand clothing store. Of course, you should not limit yourself to just one online project, it is desirable to create a retail outlet in parallel, where buyers can try on, feel and inspect the items offered.

Where to begin?

Before you open a second-hand, you will have to find out many of the nuances of doing business in our country. So, if you do not want to face problems that employees of various government bodies can create for you in the first days of work, then do not forget to register your business.

If you open a store, then keep in mind that firefighters, SES specialists, tax officials and many other employees can come to you. Therefore, prepare all the necessary documents in advance and be prepared for visits. For example, if the SES comes, they will check whether you have drinking and industrial water available, look at the means intended for both cleaning and disinfecting the premises. The fire service will be interested in the evacuation plan from the building, the availability of special equipment for extinguishing fires and, of course, fire extinguishers.

If you cannot calculate whether it is profitable to open a second-hand store, then you should not look for specialists. First, try to ask the price, see at what price per kilogram wholesalers sell goods (this information can also be found on the websites of suppliers) and see what price is set for things in similar stores. By figuring out the cost of staff salaries, rent and lighting, you can roughly estimate how much income the store receives.

Setting up work

There are three fundamental keys to success - this is the right assortment of goods, the appropriate pricing policy and, of course, the location of the store. If you decide to open an online second-hand clothing store, then the last point is slightly modified. In this case, it is important to choose the right platform for its placement and hire good programmers who can create a user-friendly website with a clear interface and the ability to order goods through the basket.

But keep in mind that retailing through an online second-hand clothing store is unlikely to be successful. After all, this is a rather specific product that many people want to inspect, feel and, of course, try on before buying.

But to make a site as an advertising platform for a real store or a whole network is a great solution. You can show the available assortment, new clothes, explain the principles of placing goods in retail outlets, talk about discounts.

If you are opening a regular store, then take care to find sellers or assistants, especially if you plan to rent a large area and buy goods in large quantities. Also think about who will provide the financial part of the work: someone should count costs, income, interact with government agencies, pay rent and bills for water and electricity.

Wholesaler classification

Please note that suppliers can be divided into several groups. The first of them is large, their turnover of things exceeds 20 tons per month. You can work with them if you plan to purchase goods in large quantities. Otherwise, you will waste a lot of time aimlessly sorting through hundreds of bags for the sake of buying 20 kilograms of relatively normal things.

The second group is the average suppliers. Their monthly commodity turnover is in the range of 10-20 tons. Like large suppliers, they are independently engaged in the import of goods. It is worth buying things from them immediately after the delivery of a batch of things, because in this case they will not be able to mix stale goods into bags.

The last group includes small wholesalers whose sales volume does not exceed 10 tons. An online second-hand clothing store is often organized by such companies. They offer both retail and wholesale merchandise.

But keep in mind that in most cases they are just repurchasing things purchased from large wholesalers. That is why their cost will be higher than that of large or medium-sized suppliers. By the way, many small wholesalers are the owners of their respective stores, so they often cannot find original and good goods.

How are goods purchased from suppliers?

But the choice of suppliers must be approached very carefully. Remember: a good product cannot be sold at a bargain price. Quality second hand will not be cheap. If you see ads that talk about the best value for money, then you should not rush to them.

Buying a second hand is a rather laborious process, because you need to look through all the things, decide what you will buy. Please note that many wholesale suppliers work according to the following scheme: goods from warehouses are sold in bags, buyers can view the items in each of them and select the appropriate packaging. At the same time, you can’t sort clothes, you need to buy the whole pack at once with everything that is offered in it.

Good and bad second hand

Before you start buying used items, you need to understand that in this area they are divided into 2 categories: original and sorted. The first includes things that come from abroad in the form in which they were sent by the procurers.

So, in civilized countries, there are 2 models of second-hand blanks: assembly at home and from containers into which people throw things they do not need. As a result, you can find absolutely everything there, from exclusive model items with tags, gold jewelry, left money and ending with ordinary garbage, including scraps and used hygiene products.

Despite the fact that second-hand stores have appeared on the territory of the Russian Federation for a long time, this business area still remains interesting and profitable for business entities. Many Russians who want to improve their financial situation decide to open their own second-hand store, where representatives of different social strata will buy things.

Why are secondhand stores popular?

Many people do not understand why second-hand stores are popular not only among low-income, but also financially accomplished Russians. The whole secret lies in the system of work of such outlets, where you can buy both used items and clothes of world famous brands. Second-hand stores often get the most, as well as shoes, jewelry, and various accessories. In such outlets, not only representatives of the beautiful half of humanity, but children and men can dress. To open their own second-hand, Russian citizens need to act in strict sequence, as well as to know what difficulties they can face on the way to success.

What is second hand?

Thinking about the fact that in the Russian Federation, novice entrepreneurs should pay attention to the sphere of trade. What is second hand? This is a store that sells new and used clothes at affordable prices, as well as shoes and accessories coming from the countries of the European Commonwealth. Some people may have a natural question: why do Europeans strive to get rid of not only old things, but also never worn ones? This can be explained by the peculiarities of their mentality. It is customary for residents of European countries to get rid of junk and things that they do not use for a long time. To do this, they have a large number of collection points, where they hand over for a nominal fee all things that are no longer needed.

Abroad, all used and new things that the population hands over to special collection points are subject to mandatory sanitization. These activities are carried out in factories where the appropriate equipment is installed. At the factory, clothes, shoes and accessories are cleaned, after which they are thoroughly disinfected and sent to a separate workshop for sorting. After things have been sorted, they are packed and passed on to implementation.

How to open a second-hand store from scratch in Russia?

Before that, in Russia, each business entity must find start-up capital and develop a clear strategy for further actions. A well-written business plan will help with this, which will cover both the financial, organizational and technical aspects of the project.

Advice: as practice shows, such goods are imported to the territory of the Russian Federation by large companies and individual entrepreneurs, who later cooperate with both small retail outlets and wholesalers. If a novice businessman concludes an agreement with such an organization, he will be able to save money on intermediaries.

To open a second-hand store, business entities must act in a certain sequence:

• develop a business plan;
• register as an individual entrepreneur or LLC;
• find a room;
• purchase commercial equipment;
• hire staff;
• purchase a batch of goods;
• start implementation.

Is it profitable to open a second-hand shop in Russia?

In recent years, more and more people have begun to save on clothing due to the decline in their income levels. They buy things made by little-known companies, the cost of which is several times lower than the clothes of popular brands. Despite this, many people have not been able to get rid of the habit of wearing quality items, so they are forced to look for them in second-hand stores. In such stores, Russians can find items from fashion collections that, despite long wear, have retained their appearance.

Every year, the popularity of second-hand stores is growing in direct proportion to the decline in the income level of the population. If a business entity competently approaches the organization of this business, it will be able to return the initial investment in record time, after which it will receive a constant profit.

Advice: budding entrepreneurs should pay great attention to creating a business plan. If they understand economics, they can independently perform all the necessary calculations. Otherwise, they need to seek professional help. Experienced accountants, financiers or economists will be able to create an interesting and cost-effective business project that will allow you to achieve your goals.

Unlike the e-commerce business, secondhand cannot be seen as a seasonal source of income. Such outlets always have their own consumer audience, which, thanks to regular updating of the range, is rapidly expanding.

Where to start a business?

Every novice businessman who plans to open a second-hand store in the Russian Federation must undergo state registration, during which he will be given the status of an individual entrepreneur or legal entity. Experts recommend doing this business in the status of an individual entrepreneur, choosing a simplified taxation system. For state registration, Russian citizens need to collect the following documents:

• identification tax number;
• passport;
• receipt of payment of state duty.

Advice: registered business entities can start to engage in such trade only if they receive an appropriate certificate valid for 3 years. This document is issued by factories that have sanitized used items.

After receiving a certificate of state registration, an individual entrepreneur must apply to the Pension Fund and receive taxpayer status there. In the future, an individual entrepreneur (or a commercial organization) will pay insurance premiums to this off-budget fund not only for himself, but also for each employee.

How to choose and equip a room?

To open a second-hand store, business entities need to find a suitable premises. The ideal option would be a detached building, which has several rooms and a plumbing unit. Businessmen need to take into account that the area of ​​the trading floor must be at least 40 sq.m. Only those Russian citizens who have an impressive start-up capital can purchase suitable premises. If start-up entrepreneurs are very limited in funds, they should consider the option of a long-term lease.

When choosing the area in which the store will open, several nuances should be taken into account:

1. When opening a second-hand store, one must take into account the sanitary standards in force in Russia. Such outlets cannot be located on the same territory as grocery stores.
2. If an individual entrepreneur plans to open a store in an elite area, then it will be difficult for him to find the target audience there.
3. Such retail outlets located in residential areas and on the outskirts will be very popular. As a rule, not only low-income people live there, who do not disdain used items from Europe, but also quite wealthy Russians who can periodically buy branded items.

When arranging such stores, there is no need to purchase serious equipment, for example, or refrigeration units. The first thing that a business entity should do is to bring the premises into proper shape. If there is a need, then you need to change the wallpaper, paint and whitewash the surface. After that, you can proceed to the installation of commercial equipment. Without fail, there must be counters on the trading floor, as well as showcases, racks and mannequins on which various items of clothing can be placed.

For the convenience of customers, several fitting rooms should be installed, which should have a rubber mat, a chair, several coat hooks and a mirror. It is allowed, as well as an ATM, if buyers decide to pay for the goods in cash. When arranging a trading area, a business entity must arrange the goods in such a way that each client can reach them. Experts strongly recommend dividing children's, men's and women's goods into departments. Thus, for buyers, the process of finding the right thing will be significantly simplified. As for the place of the cashier, here, in accordance with the regulations of the Federal legislation, a cash register must be installed. In the immediate vicinity of the cashier's place, it is recommended to place a table on which the seller will pack the items purchased by customers.

Personnel search

Each business entity must approach the issue of personnel search with full responsibility. This is due to the fact that employees will have direct access not only to commodity values, but also to cash. If dishonest people are accepted into the state, then, most likely, the individual entrepreneur will have to deal with theft at regular intervals. The search for personnel should be started among your acquaintances, about the decency of which business entities have at least some idea. If among friends and relatives there were no people willing to prove themselves in the trading field, then store owners can contact specialized recruitment agencies.

The staff of the store should include people of the following professions:

• cashier;
• salesman;
• accountant;
• loader;
• cleaning woman;
• driver.

Some employees may work part-time, such as movers, driver and cleaning lady. They can come on demand, so they can not be officially entered into the state, but cooperate with them on the basis of a temporary employment contract.

Supplier selection and pricing policy

In order for the store to offer visitors a good assortment, a business entity needs to take the issue of choosing a supplier seriously. If he turns to a large company in which he will buy large quantities of goods, then he will be able to count on discounts. Small wholesalers, as a rule, will not be able to get any discounts, since they are resellers and seek to extract the maximum profit from the process of reselling things.

The ideal option would be cooperation with factories specializing in the processing of second-hand items. This can be done if the business entity speaks a foreign language, for example, English. If his knowledge does not allow even a primitive dialogue, he should involve an interpreter in the process of making a deal. All contact information that the store owner may need can be obtained on the official websites of such factories. Finding them is quite simple - a thematic question is entered into the search bar of any browser, after which all the specialized factories will be displayed on the screen.

Businesses should be aware that used items come from suppliers in the form of heterogeneous goods. They should be classified as follows:

Category	Description
Suite	Items with store labels. It is allowed to include in this category clothing, the percentage of wear of which does not exceed 5%
Extra	New things. It is allowed to include in the category used clothing (wear does not exceed 10%), which is in perfect condition
Cream clothes	Things that were worn for a short time. May be included in the category of clothing with factory defects
Clothes 3 grades	Clothes and shoes that are very worn and in poor condition
Clothes 2nd grade	Defective items and badly worn clothes
Clothes of the 1st grade	Defective items, quality clothes, shoes and accessories

When forming the price policy of the store, the business entity must initially divide the goods into groups. Things that are in critical condition are best sold by the kilo as rags, so they should not be overpriced. For better items and clothes that are in perfect condition even after being worn, you can set different prices, the value of which can be influenced by the following factors: the presence of scuffs and puffs, holes, stains and other damage. For things that belong to the luxury category, it is quite possible to try to set a markup of 100-150%. Garments with defects or minor flaws should be on sale and each item sold at 50 percent off. Those things that do not have special financial value, but are in decent condition, should be sold at a reasonable price, for example, put them in a separate trading area and put a price tag “everything is 350 or 400 rubles”.

Second hand advertising

Before opening a store, a business entity must conduct an advertising campaign that will attract the attention of residents of the area in which the work will be carried out. To do this, you can use outdoor advertising, advertise on radio or local television, hire leaflet distributors. Directly on the opening day, you need to decorate the entrance to the store with colorful balloons, and prepare a pleasant surprise for each visitor.

How to open a second-hand store - business plan

In order for the store to bring a steady income, a business entity needs to draw up a business plan. This project should describe not only organizational, but also financial aspects. You can understand what a business plan is approximately, as well as what calculations should be carried out in it, using an example:

The business entity opened a store with an area of ​​40 sq.m.:

• Rent - 55,000 rubles;
• Purchase of commercial equipment - 65,000 rubles;
• Purchase of a consignment of goods - 380,000 rubles;
• Salary for full-time employees - 55,000 rubles;
• Advertising campaign - 14,000 rubles;
• The cost of delivery of goods - 27,000 rubles.
• Total expenses: 596,000 rubles.

A business entity needs to have approximately 600,000 rubles of start-up capital, thanks to which he will be able to open a second-hand store from scratch. As practice shows, investments pay off in 11-12 months after the start of trading. If an entrepreneur offers the target audience a constantly updated assortment, then the payback period of a business project can be significantly reduced.

Save the article in 2 clicks:

When opening a second-hand store, every Russian citizen must act in accordance with the regulations of the Federal legislation. He must necessarily obtain legal status or the status of an individual entrepreneur in order to pay taxes to the state in the future. Starting entrepreneurs should pay much attention to questions about finding premises, staff, and a supplier. It is worth noting that the actions of a business entity must exactly correspond to the points of a pre-developed business plan. If a novice businessman follows a clear strategy, then his store will be able to quickly recoup the initial investment and begin to generate a stable income.

In contact with

Secondhand stores are incredibly popular. The secret of success is a large selection of high-quality and inexpensive clothes. The idea of ​​opening a second-hand store attracts aspiring entrepreneurs with small investments at the start and a fairly quick payback.

You can open a store from scratch and with a minimum of funds, for which you need to understand clothes, feel calm in this area and be ready, at least at first, to work as a seller yourself.

Second hand is translated from English as "second hand". Actually, the name of the stores explains the essence of their activities - second-hand stores sell clothes that have been in use, but are of such high quality and neat that thrift and cultural norms do not allow throwing them away.

If you break down the opening of such a business into stages, you get the following:

• Stage 1. Drawing up a business plan. The project is being implemented "on paper". The approximate cost of equipment, premises and personnel is calculated. The image of the store is created - its name, target audience, choice of clothes.
• Stage 2. Business registration. Opening an individual entrepreneur or registering a legal entity, registering with the Pension Fund, collecting the necessary documents.
• Stage 3. Choosing a room. Depends on available funds, product and future buyers. A family clothing store will pay off in a residential area, but youth or branded clothing is better sold in large shopping areas.

Sorting and preparing goods for a secondhand store.

• Stage 4. Search for business partners and purchase of goods. A very important stage, because if you do not immediately find good and reliable suppliers, you can bitterly regret it in the future. You need to check the goods personally, and it will not be superfluous to know from experience how to distinguish a quality item from a fake.
• Stage 5. Search and recruitment of personnel. For a very small retail space, staff may not be needed. But, as a rule, such stores require experienced salespeople who understand clothing and the many subtleties associated with it.
• Stage 6. Promotion. Signboard, store design, its position. If an entrepreneur is talented, the advertising campaign he devised and launched, even if it is quiet, will play a big role.

Some stages can be swapped, depending on the situation. The most important thing is to correctly calculate when the store will start working - this will minimize losses and reduce time.

Even just an open IP, without additional costs, requires at least 40,000 rubles a year - as deductions to the FIU and taxes.

Start of work and delivery of goods

Where does the product come from, how to find a supplier, what will they buy? These points should be emphasized.

Products come to Russia, as a rule, from Europe. Large sales are usually carried out by weight. There will most likely be some amount of marriage and outdated clothes in the goods.

But the owner himself has the right to set a price for the product, so a small amount of really good things will help to stay afloat.

Second-hand clothes for young people are in equal demand among both sexes, and you can open a specialized store for children's clothes, especially if the premises are located near parks and kindergartens.

How to choose the right place for a second-hand store, see the tips in this video:

Business plan: income and expenses

Suppose you want to open a small clothing store "for everyone." As a start-up capital - only 300,000 rubles.

• Room rental. Let's say we need 30 square meters in a residential area. Given the average cost of commercial real estate, the premises will cost about 30-40 thousand per month. If you're lucky to find a municipal square, the amount can be halved.
• Equipment. Cash registers, security systems, mirrors, hangers, etc. About 70 thousand rubles.
• Staff. A month of work of two people will require another 50 thousand.
• Business registration. From 3 thousand rubles.
• Advertising and design. About 20 thousand rubles.
• The rest of the money is for the purchase of things for sale.

The first purchase of a product is the most important. If it is unsuccessful, then the discovery may turn into a failure. In such a case, it is always better to have an insurance amount.

What is the profit? With the right combination of circumstances, a store of this magnitude will earn about 50 thousand a month in net profit.

This means - taking into account the purchase of goods, wages and other costs. But at first, it will probably be much less until the store becomes quite popular.

• Shop traffic should be higher than that of grocery outlets. Obviously, clothes are much less often bought just like that, on the way home - this is usually a purposeful action. The more the store is noticed, the more often they will look into it.
• Quality is more important than quantity. No one needs a huge assortment of rags if it is not sold at a very ridiculous price.
• Stocks are business assistants. Real discounts, special offers, branded products promote the store and attract new customers.

Classification of second-hand by Russian wholesalers in terms of composition and price. Photo: moneymakerfactory.ru

• Don't skimp on safety. A store with expensive things needs cameras. By their presence, they already influence potential but indecisive shoplifters and reduce costs.
• A large selection is needed even if there are few things. That is, alternatives are needed. A buyer may not like a thing of one type, and what will it give him if there are two dozen more similar things in addition to it?
• Second hand without fitting rooms is a market stall. Fitting rooms should be clean, with washed mirrors.
• And a little about mirrors. It may seem strange, but they have a very big impact on the success of a clothing store.
  People look different in different mirrors. In a good mirror and with the right lighting, a person likes himself - which means that he will surely like the clothes that he tries on.

Conclusion

With a quick payback for second-hand stores and the seeming simplicity of launching a store, they quite often “burn out”.