How to open a shoe store: starting a shoe business. How to open a children's shoe store

The demand for shoes for children will always be quite high. Children are constantly growing, so we have to buy new things every season. This is the main reason for the constant influx of customers into stores offering high-quality and inexpensive children's shoes. That's why the idea of ​​opening a children's shoe store is becoming so popular among businessmen. Let's take a closer look at this business.

What are the advantages of business

Specialized children's shoe stores have many advantages. The main one is the ability to focus on expanding the range for children of different ages. However, it should be noted that currently competition in this industry remains quite high. For this reason, the issue of opening your own business of this kind from scratch must be approached very responsibly.

The most successful option would be to open an individual entrepreneur, which is primarily due to the peculiarities of accounting and taxation of enterprises of this form of ownership. It should also be noted that when selling children's shoes, a license is not required, but all products must be certified. Also, to register an enterprise, you will need to obtain permission from the SES and the State Fire Inspectorate.

Convenient location for a children's shoe store

One of the most important tasks on the path to creating a profitable business is attracting maximum client flow. However, in a highly competitive environment, certain rules must be followed to solve this problem. First of all, you will need to find a suitable premises.

1. It is best to locate your store closer to the city center or in a residential area next to a road that is in the path of most people. Opening a children's store that offers a rather modest assortment, and relying only on residents of nearby houses, will not be profitable for you from an economic point of view. Large stores with a rich assortment can simply overwhelm you.
2. It is profitable to open your own shoe store in a fairly large area. It is best if the sales area is more than 80 m2. You will also need a warehouse, a bathroom and a utility room.
3. It’s not worth investing a lot of money into the design of a room. It's better to do everything neatly and neatly. To attract little customers, you can use images of cartoon characters, purchase bright shelving and a large TV, so that during fitting the kids watch cartoons and don’t get capricious. Another interesting idea is to dress up salespeople in different costumes. For the sake of going to such a store, children become obedient and calm, and parents will be happy to come to you again.

Selection of reliable suppliers

Another important step on the path to creating your own store from scratch is searching for suppliers. It is best to choose four or five well-proven partners. Working with one or two suppliers has a significant risk of becoming highly dependent. In this case, if force majeure occurs, you will have nothing to offer your clients. It must also be said that cooperation directly with manufacturers has significant advantages.

• By organizing cooperation directly with a shoe sewing workshop, you can save a lot, since any wholesalers still charge their own markup.
• People have always appreciated interesting and unique things. By hiring a good designer, you can place orders for original shoes that will be made especially for you. These shoes will not be available anywhere else, so your customers will come again and again.

Among the stores, the most popular and well-proven shoes are brands such as “Kotofey”, “Zebra”, “Lel”, “Shalunishka”, “Antilopa”, “Top-top”.

Regarding the assortment, among children's shoes you can offer the following product categories:

1. Czechs;
2. slippers;
3. booties;
4. low shoes and demi-season shoes;
5. summer shoes and sandals;
6. footwear for active recreation, sneakers, sneakers;
7. boots;
8. boots, ankle boots;
9. accessories, shoe care products.

Typical projects of children's shoe stores

The range of products can be designed for children from birth to 12-15 years. It is recommended to update the assortment at least every three months: in January, March, late May, August and November. For out-of-season shoes or models from previous years, you can reduce prices and organize special promotions to attract customers.

Necessary trade equipment

To open a children's shoe store, you should purchase hanging shelves for shoes, racks, mirrors, and display cases, which will display related products, for example, various accessories, shoe care products, and children's toys. You also need to buy rugs, fitting chairs, a cash register, a computer, and a table designed for displaying goods. Moreover, it is necessary to buy benches for children and comfortable sofas for adults so that guests of all ages are as comfortable as possible. It is best to choose bright furniture that your little guests will like. The amount of equipment is determined by the size of the store and the features of the assortment.

It's a great idea to set up a play area so kids can have fun and socialize while parents choose the right shoes. Then a trip to the store will turn into a family vacation for your customers, and they will be happy to come back to you again.

In general, about 200-300 thousand rubles should be allocated for the purchase of good equipment and furniture.

Composition and selection of professional personnel

To open your own shoe store, you will also need to recruit staff. First of all, you need to find three or four consultants. She must have such qualities as politeness, neatness and, of course, love for children. Each consultant must have good knowledge of the part of the product range for which he is responsible. As a rule, customers are interested in what material children's shoes are made of. Who is the manufacturer, how to properly care for it, and so on. It is worth dividing the entire assortment between employees into categories, for example, sports, classic, summer shoes and so on.

The best option would be if the wages are piecework with a fixed part. This option is very beneficial for both you and your employees, since they will always be sure that they will receive payment of at least the guaranteed portion and will be interested in improving sales.

At the same time, sellers must take part in resolving certain issues: which models need to be purchased, in what quantities, how best to arrange them, which sizes sell out faster, and so on.

In addition, you should hire an accountant, a cleaner and support workers. At the initial stage, all management functions must be taken over. Subsequently, when the opportunity to expand arises, you will have to look for a good manager.

What and how to attract customers correctly!?

Of course, it is simply impossible to open a successful business without advertising. To promote your store, you can use any type of promotion: television, newspapers, magazines, radio, banners, signs around the city, website creation. In addition, do not forget that the store facade itself can be an excellent advertisement. If you decorate the door as a gate to a real castle, the kids will be simply delighted and will not be able to pass by. Promotions, a discount program and various bonuses and gifts will help attract the attention of customers.

Financial plan for a children's shoe store and its profitability

Of course, opening your own shoe store for children without starting capital seems impossible. First, let's try to roughly calculate the required minimum expenses to start a business. The exact amount for each specific case can be calculated only when you have found a suitable location for the store, know the rental amounts, and have also decided on suppliers and the range of products offered. Note that the presented calculations are quite conditional.

Expected running costs:

• rent - from 50 thousand rubles;
• utility bills - 15 thousand rubles;
• staff salaries – from 120 thousand rubles;
• purchase of equipment – ​​from 200 thousand rubles;
• promotion and advertising - 20 thousand rubles;
• purchase of goods - from 300 thousand rubles;
• other - 20 thousand rubles.

As a result, to open a business you will need an amount of 725 thousand rubles. If you draw up a detailed business plan, you can get a loan from the bank to open a small business, which will become your starting capital.

The business of selling children's shoes is highly profitable. According to calculations, the average profit per month reaches 300 thousand rubles. for an average store. Of this, net income comes out to about 100 thousand rubles. As a result, the average payback for stable operation is approximately 7 to 12 months.

* The calculations use average data for Russia

830,000 ₽

Starting investments

450,000 ₽

200,000 ₽

Net profit

7-8 months

Payback period

A children's shoe store can easily be called an anti-crisis business. It is not customary to save money on children, and the demand for children's shoes grows every year despite all the fluctuations in the country's economy.

Most aspiring entrepreneurs often cannot decide in which direction it is advisable to start a business. Typically, a trade-related case is a win-win option. The most important thing in this is to decide on the product category that is in demand among consumers. One of these products is children's shoes. Why is it profitable to sell children's shoes?

According to experts, a child needs at least 6 pairs of shoes per year. In this regard, the children's footwear retail segment is considered more stable and profitable.

Advantages of a children's shoe store:

regular sales. Every parent always buys the best products for their child.

high demand for goods and the possibility of high sales even during a crisis.

large amounts of revenue. Children grow very quickly, so they often need to buy several pairs of shoes for one season. This is the advantage of a children's shoe store over a regular one.

The main disadvantages of such activities are rather fierce competition and a considerable amount of initial investment. If you understand all the nuances of selling children's shoes, you can get good results and build a profitable business.

Review of the children's goods market

Clothing and footwear are among the most in-demand products, second only to food. Every year the number of clothing and footwear stores increases, sales are growing, which makes this business segment quite attractive. In a crisis with reduced consumption, one of the most promising market segments is the sale of children's goods. High demand for children's products has determined the steady increase in the birth rate in Russia over the past few years.

Today, more than 24 million children live in Russia (more than 15% of the country's population). The most significant group is children under 4 years of age – about 9 million people. Children 5–9 years old make up about 8 million, 10–13 years old – more than 5 million, and teenagers aged 14–15 years old – more than 2 million people.

The children's goods market is growing every year. Even during a crisis, it shows growth. There are three main reasons for the development of the children's goods market. First, an increase in the birth rate and government programs that support families. Secondly, successful import substitution in the segment. Thirdly, as a rule, consumers do not save on children, which makes children's products a necessity.

Currently, the following trends are characteristic of the children's goods market:

reduction in the frequency of purchases;

increase in sales in the Internet segment. To save money on buying children's products, consumers are increasingly turning to online stores. At the end of 2016, the volume of online sales of children's goods increased by 7%;

transition of consumers to the low price segment (especially important for children's shoes). Consumers are trying to save money on children's products, shifting demand towards more budget-friendly options of good quality;

the trend of import substitution due to the rise in price of imported shoes. Prices for children's shoes increased by about 30%, which led to the reorientation of stores to domestic products. If in the pre-crisis period the share of imports in the domestic footwear market was 80%, today it is less than 70%. It is expected that in the next two years the ratio of Russian and imported shoes on the market will be 35% and 65%, respectively;

reduction in the supply of imported shoes.

In the structure of consumption of children's goods, clothing predominates - about 35%, games and toys occupy 24%, goods for newborns - 20%, and shoes - about 12%. The most promising area is children's shoes. According to expert estimates, a child needs at least 6 pairs of shoes per year, taking into account wear and the secondary market, the figure may be slightly less - on average, 5 pairs. Thus, the volume of the children's market (1-14 years old - 21.6 million people) can be estimated at 108 million pairs of shoes. Therefore, the children's footwear retail segment is considered more stable and profitable.

Ready ideas for your business

According to experts, selling children's goods is a highly profitable business that, if managed correctly, can pay for itself in 9-12 months. The table shows the key advantages and disadvantages of opening a children's shoe store, which should be taken into account when planning a business.

Advantages and disadvantages of opening a children's shoe store

All these conditions should be taken into account when planning a children's shoe retail business. Also, before starting a business, you should study the niche in detail. Let's try to figure out how to open a children's shoe store from scratch.

Registration of a children's shoe store

No special permits are required to conduct retail trade. To open a shoe store, you will need to collect a package of documents, which includes: a list of products approved by Rospotrebnadzor, a sanitary and epidemiological conclusion from Rospotrebnadzor, permission from the fire inspection, regulatory documents for the store. Contracts for the removal of solid waste, disinfestation and deratization of the premises will also be required.

To conduct commercial activities, an LLC is registered with a simplified taxation system (“income minus expenses” at a rate of 15%). Type of activity according to OKVED-2: 52.43.1 – retail sale of footwear (retail sale of footwear made of any material and for various purposes).

In addition, you need to open a bank account and purchase a cash register, which is subject to mandatory registration with the Tax Inspectorate. When planning to open a shoe store, the question of when to start the business often arises. The main recommendation in this case is not to plan the opening for January, when the demand for shoes is minimal. You should consider opening a shoe store during the fall-spring season change. Traditionally, the peak sales of children's shoes occurs in August. It is during this period that the shoe trade will be most profitable, so it is best to plan the opening at the end of summer.

Choosing a store location

As for any retail establishment, the location of a children's shoe store plays an important role. A favorable location determines 70% of the success of a retail outlet.

The store location assessment takes into account such components as area characteristics, ease of parking, intensity of pedestrian flow, visibility and notability, and proximity to similar businesses.

The most suitable location for a shoe store is considered to be located close to supermarkets, grocery stores, large pharmacies and transport stops.

For a shoe store, either a shopping and entertainment center or a location on a busy street in a residential area or the central part of the city may be suitable. The advantages of locating a store in a shopping center: high traffic, concentration of the target audience. Advantages of locating a store in a residential area: savings on renting retail space, less concentration of competitors.

The store should be in a public place, with a good flow of customers and visible.

To ensure good display of purchased goods, it is necessary to use a premises for a shoe store with an area of ​​at least 30 sq.m. In addition, utility rooms for personnel and a warehouse should be provided. Thus, the total area of ​​the premises for a shoe store must be at least 40 sq.m.

When choosing a retail space, you need to pay attention to the layout - the sales area should be square or rectangular in shape, without unnecessary bends - this will make it more convenient to place display cases and make the most efficient use of the available space.

It is also desirable that the premises do not require major repairs or redevelopment, which will reduce costs and speed up the process of preparing the store for opening.

This project provides for the rental of space in a shopping and entertainment center. The location is advantageous because it reaches a wide range of consumers and has high foot traffic. Rent of retail space with a total area of ​​40 sq.m. on average for the regions it costs about 40,000 rubles per month. It is planned that 30 sq.m. will be allocated for the sales area, 6 sq.m. – for a warehouse, and 4 sq.m. – for technical premises.

Retail space equipment

The retail space should be well lit and have a pleasant interior that would favorably highlight the product. No special design is required, so 20 thousand rubles will be enough to transform the interior. The main element in the design of a shoe store is retail equipment - shelving, display cases, a cash counter, a cash register, as well as poufs and mirrors. When determining the amount of commercial equipment required, you should rely on the volume of goods. It is not recommended to place them too close to each other so that a potential buyer can easily see each sample.

The table shows the main costs for equipment, which amount to 170,000 rubles.

Equipment costs

Search for suppliers and purchase of children's shoes

Suppliers should be looked for in person, visiting wholesale centers in the city, or via the Internet. The first method is convenient because during a personal conversation it is easier to agree on partnership terms; the second is that you can save on transportation costs, reach a wide range of potential partners, find more favorable conditions and enter into contracts with suppliers not represented on the local market. It is recommended to use a mixed method of working with suppliers: buy some of the goods immediately, and take some for sale.

Today there are many domestic manufacturers of children's shoes on the market: “Top-top”, “Kotofey”, “Antelope”, “Skorohod”, “FLAMINGO” and others. It is necessary to establish cooperation with suppliers at the initial stage of opening a store. Domestic shoe factories are expected to be suppliers. At the same time, it is necessary to work with several suppliers to avoid delivery disruptions and failure to meet deadlines.

Having decided on suppliers, you should purchase goods for the store. It is planned that the formation of the initial assortment will require about 500,000 rubles. Based on the specifics of demand and the conditions of suppliers, it will be necessary to purchase additional goods. The main thing in this matter is to correctly calculate the required volume of goods in order to diversify the assortment, but to avoid oversaturation of product shelves.

Formation of an assortment of children's shoes

The target audience of a children's shoe store is retail buyers and young families with children. Consumer portrait: average income, prefers high-quality, comfortable children's shoes.

The store’s assortment must be oriented towards the mid-price segment and the below-average segment. This choice is due to a shift in consumer demand towards more budget-friendly shoes. At the same time, consumers place high demands on products in terms of price and quality of footwear. To meet demand, the store’s assortment is mainly formed from domestic products, the cost of which is lower than imported ones.

Ready ideas for your business

Product range is a key parameter when planning to open a shoe store. Before forming an assortment, you should conduct a thorough analysis of the market, suppliers and assortment of competing stores. This will allow us to determine consumer demand and select products in such a way as to create a unique offer on the market. A competent approach to choosing an assortment will allow you to avoid excess inventory, reduce the likelihood of illiquid stock, increase turnover, create competitive advantages and attract potential buyers.

The assortment must be formed based on the needs and preferences of the client. Also, the store's assortment is determined taking into account the size of the store. The main condition in this case is that the display cases are completely filled, but there is no clutter of goods. Half-empty stands can scare away customers, and cluttered display cases can be very difficult to navigate. Don’t forget about related products (shoe care products, socks, belts, house shoes, etc.) - they can increase sales by 5-7%.

Another criterion when forming an assortment is seasonality. The assortment should change seasonally. The table shows an approximate list of children's shoes that should be presented in the store by season.

Assortment of children's shoe store by season

Orthopedic shoes should be added to the store’s assortment, since these products are especially popular in the children’s segment. A correct assortment policy will help you attract customers and maintain your position in the business.

Store staff selection

The main personnel in the store are sales assistants. The success of trading largely depends on them. Portrait of a sales consultant: a smiling girl, polite, knowledgeable about the assortment, able to convey information to the buyer in an understandable manner. Practice shows that it is this type of seller that inspires the greatest confidence among the average buyer. The key criteria when selecting personnel are communication skills, responsibility, politeness, and the ability to work with people. It is also advisable that sellers have medical books.

Before starting work, sellers must undergo training, familiarizing themselves with the range of products, their characteristics and sales technology. The sales consultant must know the range of products and fabric textures, as well as the basics of organizing the trading process. A cashier position should also be provided. A small store will require two sales assistants and two cashiers. The store will be open 7 days a week, so you need to establish a shift work schedule. Each shift has one sales assistant and one cashier.

Support staff (cleaning lady and accountant) can be outsourced. The wage fund with such a staff will be about 150 thousand rubles.

Advertising for a children's shoe store

An advertising strategy is formed in accordance with a specific target audience. Since competition in the segment is quite high, it is necessary to carefully consider the promotion strategy.

The following tools can be used to promote a store on the market:

Decorated shop window that will attract the attention of potential customers. Marketing research results indicate that 70% of customers enter a store because they are attracted by a beautifully designed display window. The cost of window dressing is on average 25,000 rubles. The display window should display the most interesting models that can attract attention and attract new customers to the store.

Event Marketing. It is advisable to time the discount promotion to coincide with the opening day of the store or offer the first visitors a loyalty card. You can spread information about the opening in the media or hand out flyers inviting you to the store.

Proper design of the sales area. Today, every store should have a pleasant interior that will arouse the interest of customers. It is also necessary to pay attention to the location of the product - each position must be visible and have easy access so that the buyer can carefully examine the product. There are several techniques to consider in shoe merchandising:

• Products that may be of most interest to customers are best located to the right of the entrance. As practice shows, the vast majority of buyers (90%) when entering a store, first of all look at the display windows on the right;

the racks should not be very high so that it is convenient for the buyer to choose the product of interest;

Shoes should be placed in groups according to certain characteristics. Shoe merchandising involves structuring the placement of shoes on racks by style, brand, color, price, size, season, accessory (for girls/boys). Separately, regardless of the chosen shoe classification, it is customary to highlight a new collection;

the layout of shoes, regardless of the chosen principle, should be changed at least once every two weeks;

shoes should be well lit, but there should be no direct impact of lighting devices on the shoes, since this entails the effect of heating the shoes, which can lead to damage to the goods.

Ready ideas for your business

You will have to spend at least 40,000 rubles to promote the store. The main part of promotional activities should be planned for the first months of opening a children's shoe store. It will take an average of 2 to 5 months to promote and reach the desired sales volumes - during this time, buyers have time to learn and get used to the new outlet.

The preparatory stage lasts about two months, during which it is necessary to go through registration procedures, establish partnerships with suppliers, search for suitable premises, select personnel, purchase equipment and goods, as well as design a retail space. In order to save money, the entrepreneur performs the basic functions of a manager - goes through all registration procedures, recruits personnel, negotiates with landlords and suppliers, and coordinates the purchase of goods.

Calculating income and expenses

First, let's answer the question, how much does it cost to open a children's shoe store?

To open a shoe store, you need to calculate the amount of initial investment. To do this, you need to determine the costs of purchasing equipment, the initial purchase of goods and advertising promotion. The main items of initial costs are shown in the table.

Initial Investment

Variable costs also need to be calculated. They consist of the costs of purchasing goods and transporting them. To simplify financial calculations, the amount of variable costs is calculated based on a fixed trade margin of 200%.

Fixed expenses consist of rent, utilities, payroll, advertising costs and depreciation. Fixed expenses also include taxes - this table shows their approximate amount, because... they are calculated based on the revenue indicator.

Fixed costs

Thus, fixed monthly expenses were determined in the amount of 250,000 rubles.

How much can you earn selling children's shoes?

The monthly sales rate is 30% of the assortment (500,000*0.3=150,000 (rubles));

Markup on goods – a 300% markup is applied for calculations.

In this case, the store’s monthly income will be: 150,000*3=450,000 (rubles). Then the amount of net profit is 200,000 rubles per month. With such indicators, the payback period will be 7-8 months. It is possible to achieve such results with proper business organization and effective use of opportunities. All this will ensure a sufficient level of sales.

Also, when planning sales volumes, you should take into account some seasonality of sales - the peak of sales occurs in the spring and autumn months, and the decline in sales occurs in the winter and summer.

What difficulties may a store owner face?

Risk assessment is an important point in a business plan for a children's shoe store. The specifics of retail trade in children's shoes determine the following operating risks:

increase in purchase prices for goods, unscrupulous suppliers. In the first case, there is a risk of increased costs and, as a consequence, the selling price, which may negatively affect demand. In the second case, the risk is associated with interruptions in the trade process due to a shortage of goods. It is possible to reduce the likelihood of these threats by choosing suppliers wisely and including in the contract all the necessary conditions that provide for financial liability of the supplier in case of their violation;

seasonal decline in sales. It is possible to mitigate the risk with an effective advertising policy and carrying out various promotions to additionally attract the audience, discounts, and special offers;

reaction of competitors. Since the footwear and children's goods market is quite saturated and highly competitive (particularly from large retailers), the behavior of competitors can have a strong influence. To minimize it, it is necessary to create your own client base, constantly monitor the market, have a customer loyalty program, create competitive advantages and create unique selling propositions;

insufficient level of demand. This risk is one of the most likely and can arise both due to low solvency of demand and high distribution costs. It is possible to reduce the risk with careful planning of the store’s activities and financial results, competent formation of the assortment and selection of retail premises, holding various promotions and discounts, stimulating repeat purchases, flexible pricing;

refusal to provide rental of retail premises or increase in rental costs. Loss of space threatens losses: firstly, these are the costs of moving equipment; secondly, the move will take a certain time, during which the store will not function and, therefore, will not make a profit; thirdly, the loss of a place familiar to customers and additional advertising costs to promote a new place. All these consequences can lead to significant losses. To reduce this risk, you must enter into a long-term lease and choose your landlord carefully. In the future, it is worth considering the possibility of purchasing your own retail space;

problems with personnel, which mean low qualifications, staff turnover, lack of motivation of employees. The easiest way to reduce this risk is at the recruitment stage by hiring employees who meet all the requirements. It is also worth considering improving the qualifications of employees and their bonus motivation;

a decrease in the store’s reputation among the target audience due to management errors or a decrease in the quality of services. It is possible to mitigate the risk by constantly monitoring the quality of goods and service, receiving feedback from store customers and taking corrective measures.

822 people are studying this business today.

In 30 days, this business was viewed 219,772 times.

Calculator for calculating the profitability of this business

rent + salaries + utilities, etc. rub.

Ivan tea of ​​Russia. Healing fees. Health know-how. Elixir of life.

1. Introduction
2. Market research
3. Objective of the project
4. Project Description
5. Organization of activities
6. Room
7. Range of services provided
8. Equipment
9. Personnel, work schedule
10. Marketing plan
11. Total costs of project implementation, distribution of funds
12. Expenditure part
13. Profitability, profitability, payback

Introduction

This manual is a standard business plan for opening a children's shoe store. It contains a detailed description of the project, justification for the feasibility of opening a store, and its economic efficiency. Along with the business plan, there is a financial calculation model and a description of some legal subtleties that will be useful for a novice businessman to know. A business plan can serve as a visual aid, serve as the basis for obtaining a bank loan, or be presented as a presentation to a potential investor.

Objective of the project

The goal of the project is to justify the economic feasibility of opening a children's shoe store and obtaining investment.

Market description

One cannot but agree that children's shoes are one of the most popular products for children. On average, the growth of the children's goods market at the end of 2011 ranged from 15 to 20%. At the same time, clothing and footwear are the largest segment on the market. The growth is explained very simply. So, according to statistical research, a child over the age of one year needs an average of 3-4 pairs of shoes per year. Often this figure turns out to be even higher, since the level of well-being of the average Russian family allows it to make such expenses. Another factor is the very dynamic demographic growth that has been observed in our country in recent years. Based on all of the above, we can assess the children's footwear market as very promising.

Organizational aspects

To open a children's shoe store and conduct business, you will need to register a legal entity. The recommended form is “Individual Entrepreneur”. This category of entrepreneurial activity falls under a preferential tax regime, therefore the recommended form of tax accounting is the Unified Tax on Imputed Activities (UTII). In regions where it is not available, it is recommended to choose the Simplified Taxation System (STS).

Choosing a room, location

The choice of the location of the future store must be approached as carefully as possible. The best option would be a shopping and entertainment center located in a busy part of the city, or the first floor of a residential building converted into commercial real estate in a densely populated residential area. It is desirable that the houses in the area were of modern construction, since it is in the new houses that mainly young families with children live. Considering the fact that owning an apartment is not a cheap pleasure, one can judge the high level of well-being of those residents who allowed themselves to buy an apartment in a new building.

The area of ​​the future store should be 50-60 square meters. m.

The premises need to be renovated. It is recommended to invite an appropriate specialist to create an interior design. The interior design should be bright to primarily attract children. The same goes for signage.

Selection of suppliers

You should also pay significant attention to the selection of suppliers. Supplier companies must have an impeccable reputation and good reviews from partners. The quality of the shoes supplied directly affects the reputation of your store. It is recommended to enter into agreements with several suppliers in order to maximize the variety of the presented range. Among the goods presented there should be products from both foreign and domestic manufacturers. Reputable manufacturers are “Antilopa”, “Zebra”, “Kotofey”, “Lel”, “Top-top”, “Shalunishka”.

Range of products presented

The store plans to present products in the following categories:

1. Booties
2. Czechs
3. Summer shoes for boys and girls
4. Shoes, low shoes, demi-season for boys and girls
5. Outdoor footwear
6. Boots
7. Boots, ankle boots, boots
8. Shoe care products
9. Accessories

The range of products presented must be designed for children from infancy to 9 years. The assortment should be replenished approximately every three months: in March, late May, mid-August, early November, mid-January.

Necessary equipment

To open a store you need to purchase the following equipment:

• Showcases
• Shelving
• Upholstered furniture, incl. children's and adults
• Mirrors
• TV
• Cash registers
• Computers
• Exit security system

Staff, store opening hours, work schedule

The store is open every day, without lunch breaks or weekends. Opening hours from 9.00 to 21.00. To ensure the normal functioning of the staff and to avoid violations of labor laws, it will be necessary to hire five employees: a manager (his role is performed by the owner of the business), two senior managers and two sales consultants. Employee work schedule - 2x2.

Remember that the staff is the face of the store. Employees must have a pleasant and attractive appearance, be sociable and confident, as well as relevant work experience. To increase the number of sales and personal motivation, it is recommended to assign employees a floating salary, consisting of a constant (salary) part and a variable (percentage of sales). The business owner, who performs the function of a manager, conducts the search and training of personnel independently.

Marketing policy

• Creation of a website on the Internet, official pages on social networks
• Advertising on city information portals on the Internet. Preference is given to those aimed at a female audience.
• Viral advertising on women's forums in the city
• Advertising on TV and radio
• Production of discount cards
• Flyer distribution
• Sales
• Draws among regular customers
• Advertising on billboards and banners

Total costs for project implementation, distribution of funds (Graph 1)

Decoding the graph

Expense part (Graph 2)

Expenses, traditionally for such types of business activities, are divided into two categories:

• Cost of production costs. The weighted average markup on cost is on average 100%.
• General expenses. This includes: rent of premises, payment of wages, administrative and other expenses, advertising, payment for accountant services, taxes

Decoding the graph

Children grow up quickly. This is especially noticeable in shoes - boots, boots and shoes bought just a couple of months ago may now be tight. In turn, this means that there is always a demand for high-quality and inexpensive products for babies. Entrepreneurs may view this in a different way. And right now we invite you to learn about how to open a children's shoe store.

Step 1. Create a legal basis

It is believed that the most successful option for a children's shoe store is to open an individual entrepreneur. This is primarily due to the accounting and taxation features provided for this form of ownership.

Another question that is often asked by those who are interested in how to open a children's shoe store: “Do I need to obtain special licenses to work in this area?” Our answer is no, it is not necessary. However, absolutely all products must be certified.

Among other things, before starting work you will need to obtain permission from the State Fire Inspectorate and the SES.

Step 2. Select a premises for the store

How to open a children's shoe store from scratch? One of the most important tasks you will face is attracting the maximum possible flow of customers. In a highly competitive environment, this is not easy. But the right choice of premises, one way or another, is a kind of guarantee of future success.

What criteria should you focus on when choosing it?

1. It is best if the store is located in the city center or in a residential area, on a busy street.
2. When drawing up a business plan for a children's shoe store, many novice entrepreneurs try to save on retail space. But opening a store with a large area (from 80 m2) is profitable. In addition to the sales area itself, you will also need utility rooms, a warehouse and a bathroom.
3. There is no need to spend money on expensive design. The main thing is that the store looks neat and tidy.

There are some unique “tricks” that will help you make your store a favorite place for little customers and their parents. For example, these could be bright shelving and drawings of cartoon characters. Or a large TV on the wall - during fitting, the children will not be capricious and cry. Or you can get creative and dress up the sellers in funny, bright costumes.

Step 3. Looking for suppliers

When thinking about how to open a children's shoe store, it is better to immediately find reliable suppliers of products. The best option is cooperation with 4-5 partners. If there are few suppliers (only 1-2 companies), you risk becoming heavily dependent on them. That is, in the event of force majeure, you will not be able to offer anything to your customers.

The most preferable option, undoubtedly, is direct cooperation with manufacturers. In this case, you save significantly, because all wholesalers in any case take into account their own markup.

Step 4. Planning the assortment

Now is the time to talk about what exactly you will sell in your store. There are many options, but we will consider the most popular product categories:

• slippers;
• demi-season shoes and low shoes;
• sneakers, sneakers and other footwear for active recreation;
• summer sandals and shoes;
• ankle boots and boots;
• boots;
• booties;
• Czechs;
• a variety of accessories and shoe care products.

The products that will be presented in your store can be aimed at different age groups - for children from birth to 12-15 years.

In order to attract more customers, you can organize promotions and sell models from previous years or seasonal shoes at discounts.

Step 5. Buy equipment for the store

If you are interested in how to open a children's shoe store from scratch, you should think about where to purchase all the necessary commercial equipment.

The basic equipment set should include:

• shelves for shoes;
• racks;
• display cases for related products (accessories, children's toys, shoe care products);
• mirrors;
• fitting chairs;
• rugs;
• cash machine;
• table for goods registration;
• computer.

It is important that the store has not only benches for children, but also comfortable soft sofas for adults. Try to choose furniture in colorful, bright colors - your little visitors will definitely like it.

In general, to purchase all the required equipment you will need about 200-300 thousand rubles.

Step 6. Looking for workers

If you have already decided what to name your children's shoe store, found a suitable premises, completed all the documents, entered into agreements with suppliers and purchased the necessary equipment, you can move on to the next stage - personnel selection.

First of all, you will need trained consultants (3-4 people). Among other things, they must have such qualities as neatness, politeness and love for children. Each of the consultants should know well the part of the assortment for which they are responsible, and be willing to tell clients about the manufacturers, the subtleties of care and materials for the production of shoes that this or that company uses. Therefore, the entire assortment should be divided between employees by category (summer, classic, sports, etc.).

As for payment, a proven option is piecework wages with a fixed share. This option is beneficial both for the store owner and for the employees themselves - sellers are always confident that they will receive an amount no less than the guaranteed portion, and at the same time have an incentive to increase sales.

In addition, you will need the services of an accountant, cleaner and support workers. At the first stage, you can take over all management-related functions. Over time, when business processes are streamlined, you can think about finding a good manager.