Clothing Boutique

[hazele]

I would like to start a small clothing boutique with clothes done by mostly unknown designers, I'm just not really sure what kind of agreements I would need with the designers. If anyone has any suggestions into what I should look into or tips about running a boutique they would be greatly appreciated.

[PatrickAlain]

It depends how you wish to run your business. You can look into consignment (you would display the clothing in your store on behalf of the designers, a portion of the sale would go to you and a portion would go to them... based on your agreement). Alternatively, if they are simply treated as suppliers, you would purchase the garmets from them and sell them in your store. In this case, the designers are simply suppliers and that doesn't require much of an agreement (other than repayment terms).

[fthom]

I'd go for treating the designers as suppliers whereby you buy from them and then sell in your shop with a certain markup...this would make it simpler than having to work our portions of profit to go to different people.

[hazele]

Under what circumstances would a boutique find consignment the most useful?

[fthom]

I guess under the circumstances that you don't have the money to pay for the products (clothes) upfront so have to get in the money for them first.

[hazele]

I think I would go with treating the designers as suppliers but what should I do about space? What I mean to say is do boutiques give more space to brands they feel will sell more or the brands they want to sell more? And how do you decided which is which?

[jonstyles20]

I read in a magazine that clothing inddustry has one of the highest profit margins... good luck!

[fthom]

I think I would go with treating the designers as suppliers but what should I do about space? What I mean to say is do boutiques give more space to brands they feel will sell more or the brands they want to sell more? And how do you decided which is which?

I think you really have to know the market and what it's likes and dislikes are so no, you have to give the space to what will sell more - as that should be what people want to see in your shop!

[andymayhem]

how do you decide what brands sell more. well... experience. but you not open yet so how about creating a some sort of viral marketing campagne targetting your potential buyers to a website asking them what they want?

[fthom]

how do you decide what brands sell more. well... experience. but you not open yet so how about creating a some sort of viral marketing campagne targetting your potential buyers to a website asking them what they want?

I don't think you should ask them what they want...this would only show weakness on your part! Just get stuff that you know people will want and then have some kind of a big launch for the shop!

[andymayhem]

so asking them what they want and giving it to them wont work...

[hazele]

I have a great idea about what my customers want, I was just trying to figure out how space is decided for every supplier. Since I plan to get a lot of merchandise from generally unknown suppliers would it be a good idea to have them take down any merchandise they sell through me from their website or have any agreement of some sort that while they sell it online they must put that the line is available in my store and that they can't go lower then the price I'm selling it for.

I know that seems as if I'm trying to stop the designers from making money outside of my stores but if their lines get popular through my stores and they're selling online for a lower price it will kill my business.