How to open a men's clothing store. What I Expect from a Men's Suit Salesperson (Notes from the Average Buyer)

How not to scare the buyer

Perhaps the main skill of a clothing seller is to be able to talk with customers. It is important, of course, to know the "materiel" - that is, the product, its advantages, availability, prices. It is important to be able to look right - so that the buyer wants to communicate with you, and he began to trust your recommendations. But without the ability to speak, all this has no value.
Here are some sales tips for talking to customers.

• Don't be intrusive. A stunned unfortunate person who is attacked by a seller, not allowing him to examine the goods and orient himself in space, is likely to run away without buying anything. Let the person settle in.
• Don't forget to say hello and let the client know that he can turn to you for help. It is necessary to say hello as soon as the buyer entered the trading floor. with a smile on your face. But to offer help, especially if after a greeting a person looks away and turns away, it is possible and necessary not immediately. And after he gets used to it. Well, if he doesn’t “leave contact” - feel free to say something like “Can I help you?”.
• If you already understand what the client is looking for - for example, if the customer purposefully walked to skirts, bypassing trousers and dresses, you can make the phrase a little more specific: "Help you choose a skirt?". Your task is to seem not intrusive, but helpful seller. Depending on the situation, you can make it clear to the buyer that he may not be able to navigate something himself. And he needs your help. For example, "here - not all sizes, there are still others in stock."
• Just don't ask questions to which the answer is obvious. For example, if the same customer is standing near skirts and sorting through them, the question is completely meaningless: “Do you pick up a skirt?” Well, of course, it's not pants! This can only be annoying, as you will immediately come across as intrusive rather than helpful. If you want to offer help, offer help, and don't distract the person with unnecessary clarification.
• Answer the buyer's questions and phrases. You are not a robot with a “sales program” recorded in your memory and you are not a tape recorder. A very unpleasant person who, with a fanatical gleam in his eyes, “turns on” and begins to broadcast that the buyer is not at all interested. Just listen to what the client asks and tell him about it. Or, having heard what he said, answer him to his remark. Someone is interested in the price, someone is interested in quality, and someone is interested in your personal opinion about the combination of the color of this jacket with the color of your favorite socks. All people are different.
• Tune in to the fact that the notorious "objections" will be. And this is not an “objection” at all, not an argument. Unless, of course, you have not managed to cause a negative attitude towards yourself. These are clarifications. The buyer is entitled to them. This is not a conflict, even if the buyer seems to express disbelief: “Why is it cheaper in the next store?” “And it’s definitely not sewn around the corner, but in France?”.

They share their doubts with you. If you now begin to get nervous and behave stiffly or aggressively, real “objections” will not be long in coming. But if you realize that talking with the buyer on this topic, dispel his doubts, give information - this is your job, and do it calmly and well - the sale will definitely take place. Because the buyer is already interested in this thing.

• Remember that the ultimate goal of your communication is to sell. There are sellers with whom it is very comfortable to talk, but the purpose of coming to the store is somehow lost. Now, keep it in mind, that goal. The conversation should go, basically, not about "birds", but about buying things. And move towards her.

There is a category of buyers who enter the store to wait out the rain, wait for someone or take a break from the heat. Yes, yes, I did not make a reservation - these are also buyers. While they are in the store, they must look at the product and see the benefits of your store, remember it as "good". Then the next time they come in to buy something.

And then there are sellers who are afraid to close the sale. Communication goes on, the buyer does not decide on anything, and the seller also does not dare to transfer the matter to the phase of making a purchase. You don't have to do that. When you see that the buyer has already received all the information and measured everything possible options, feel free to ask which of the things he chooses.

Target seller - sell. Don't forget about it.

This article is an attempt to inform dear readers who are wondering how to open a clothing business in Moscow. More specifically, it will be about opening a small clothing store (with a sales area of ​​approximately 50 m 2).

Russian menswear market

The Russian menswear market is currently actively developing. Since 2010, there has been an annual growth trend of 13%. The fact is that the share of the “gentlemen's attire” market in Russia is about 25% of the total volume of clothing sold, while developed countries demonstrate it at the level of 40%.

At present, foreign brands, having prepared for themselves a reliable foothold in Moscow and St. Petersburg, have begun a powerful advance into the depths of Russia, into the regions. Therefore, more and more entrepreneurs want to open a men's clothing store. Thus, it is obvious that the Russian market of goods for men is doomed to development in any case. Its volume, according to current estimates of experts, now exceeds $ 30 billion.

Note that it is structured and has constant proportions. The largest part - up to 60% - is occupied by economy class products. It should be recognized that the leading positions in the classic and VIP segments now belong to foreign businesses. The trump cards in the expansion of "overseas merchants" are effective sales, sales technologies and a well-constructed branding policy.

Among the importing countries, the primacy belongs to the Celestial Empire: according to the results of 2012, 42.4% of all imports come to us from there. The second position belongs to Turkey (about 14%).

Styles of men's clothing

However, according to experts, the structure Russian market men's clothing is deformed. It's mostly casual wear. Moreover, this niche is 80% occupied by foreign companies with a high potential for competitiveness. Characteristically, the share of imports in the casual segment is not steadily decreasing. Those who want to open a men's clothing store should take this into account.

Such a stylistic bias is not typical for developed countries, where the share of other styles is more noticeable. Let's briefly consider some of them.

In the last ten years, we have observed a paradoxical situation: casual style is beginning to replace business style even among office workers. Recall that the business style is similar to the classic one - the same elegant and restrained, but with fashionable details.

Worthy further development in Russia and undeservedly ignored for the sake of everyday classics, characterized by good material and elegant simplicity of lines. Unfortunately, the romantic style is rather narrowly represented with its vests, wide-sleeve shirts, exotic-style hats, neckerchiefs. Here it would be appropriate to recall the words of Andrei Myagkov, reincarnated as Zhenya Lukashin, that the spirit of adventurism has disappeared from life. Is that really true? Unfortunately, we have to admit that this is the case.

Recently, there has been a slight increase in the share of military style - with a cut that imitates military clothing, with patch pockets and shoulder straps. The same applies to sports style.

Features of the sale of men's clothing in Moscow

The topic of this article is the practice of opening a Moscow men's clothing boutique. We were forced to limit the possible range of the review, since the modern sale of clothes in Moscow includes huge shopping centers, networks of large branded supermarkets, and trading houses. However, the subject of our study was a relatively small store that can be opened by a Russian who is in the status of an individual entrepreneur.

To paraphrase Bulgakov's Woland, we can say that the Moscow clothing buyer is "spoiled by brands." Accordingly, the trade in men's clothing also has its own characteristics. It makes sense for an entrepreneur to focus on their brand specialization. Decide on the format of your business: how do you see it - mono-brand (selling products of only one brand) or multi-brand (offering suits from several brands).

First you need to "acclimatize" to the Moscow business. In this regard, we strongly recommend starting with the first option, for which you should purchase a franchise. Don't worry, this does not mean that you will have to incur additional costs. Many famous brands provide it for free, requiring only one thing from you - cooperation. Of course you must have suitable premises and financial resources for corporate repairs (if necessary) and for the purchase of goods.

Next, you will have an interview, as a result of which your choice must be approved. retail space. Then a franchise agreement is signed. Of course, before you go to a meeting with representatives of the brand you are interested in, you must develop a business plan for a menswear store. Your sanity and focus on success is the key to future successful cooperation. A well-chosen brand will largely determine the success of trading.

Heed these tips. Even if you had a successful trading experience in another major city Russia, it is not a fact that business in the capital will go on knurled. For impatient entrepreneurs rushing into battle, it is appropriate to recall the advice of the great Arkady Raikin: “Take your time!”

Although you have arguments in defense of a proven business concept, in Moscow it is still better to follow the beaten path. A reasonable solution would be (not without the help of friends) to find a vacant passageway. Get it and your business will have a chance to grow. It is very important, even at the level of a business plan, to comprehend the real positive difference between the expected revenue and the main expense item - rent.

Clothing is not a simple commodity. On the one hand, formally it does not “spoil”, that is, it has a long shelf life. On the other hand, it strongly depends on fashion and becomes obsolete morally. In a highly competitive environment, you need to be able to sell clothes competently, not forgetting the basic laws and merchandising of this specific product. Anatoly KIM, commercial director of the April XXI Century company, which has been producing men's suits for more than five years, shared his advice on how to organize business clothing trade with Business Journal readers.

Work on bugs

Today, the main mistake of retail is the lack of any well-formed conceptual approach to the trading place, its design and design. In most Russian regions, merchandising is at a low level, advertising is not always used sensibly, and goods are presented incorrectly. Therefore, I would advise you to start with work on the bugs. Look carefully to see if your entire trading system is built clearly enough that you can fix it on your own right now.

Crossroads of seven roads, here I am!

Any experienced businessman knows: right choice trading space provides 60% success rate. For the successful sale of goods at a retail outlet, the first criterion in choosing a place is traffic (near the metro or closer to passenger traffic, in office areas), the second is the target audience. For a business clothing salon, the audience can be quite extensive, but it is obvious that these are “white collars” - employees of firms, line managers and middle managers who need a “uniform”. Therefore, be closer to them.

Brighter!

Just as a theater begins with a hanger, every retail store begins with a window display. This is his face. Do not skimp on paying for the services of a professional designer, since a shop window is perhaps the most serious tool for increasing traffic. In the collection you can have a model, extravagant and bright, but the chances of selling it are low: it is too unconventional. But she is great way to attract attention (experts call it an eye - catcher), and you must definitely use this property. Put a tuxedo in the window, for example, cornflower blue, and a passer-by will definitely stop his eyes on it. Have a contact? Fine! This means that the chances that a person will buy something have increased significantly.

Bet on the classics, attract with "chic"

The assortment of any store should be updated and expanded every season, so it should be made up of both “attractive”, but not very actively selling goods, and real “hits”. Get the most out of fashionable and trendy items, they are the ones that attract attention, helping to realize the rest of the assortment. The psychology of the Russian buyer is such that, having reacted to something unusual (a large stripe, a breathtaking color), he buys a dark blue suit. This "workhorse" of the collection is sold out of time and season. New items allow the buyer to hope that you keep up with the times. Let me give you an example: once we bought a batch of very fashionable suits in a “crazy” strip - quite large, the color of wet asphalt, which was popularly called the “mafia”. We put them in the hall in a very advantageous place and on the first day we sold 50 collections.

Good to submit!

So, you have formed an assortment and regularly update it. Now we need to carefully look at the interior of the trading floor. How pleasant is the atmosphere in your salon, is it light, spacious? When the store is dim, crowded, the buyer does not have a desire to look inside. A person feels comfortable only in xopo sho lit environment. However, if a dark background creates a feeling of tightness and looks gloomy, then in rooms that are too light, you seem to be lost in space. Again, beige sets you in a hospital mood. When trading classic clothes, it is important to keep the color balance, choose warm, gentle tones.

The level of market development today allows you to choose equipment for every taste and budget. All kinds of metal and wooden "constructors" are truly capable of decorating a business clothing store. Best of all, we look at the bones against the background of a tree - beech, alder. Give preference to these materials, but not to walnut or oak.

And remember: properly selected lighting helps to “serve” the costumes, make them “appetizing”.

Everything on the shelves

For most retailers, merchandising remains a scary and unfamiliar foreign word and not at all a way to increase sales and traffic. But a lot depends on the competent display of goods, on the correct placement. So, it is absolutely necessary to separate clothes by brands in order to find the right brand in the hall easily. The selection by color scheme will not hurt: gray - separately, dark green "separately and dark blue - also separately. Articles are traditionally laid out at eye level. Clearly highlight discounted items. In dozens of stores that I managed to visit, it was not immediately possible to find out where the old and where the new collection was. So, the novelties are in the most visible place, to prove once again: you follow the fashion, and the buyer did not make a mistake by the door, turning to you. Systematization of the collection and proper layout greatly help to speed up customer service. When everything is “in order” in the hall, it is easier for the seller to find the required article and size.

Unobtrusive service

Aggressive sales method is a thing of the past. Modern buyers do not like intrusive service, but prefer a respectful attitude. Otherwise, the customer becomes annoyed and the purchase may fail. This is especially true if you sell business clothes, because the target audience is sophisticated and fastidious.

At the same time, the end user is not so professionally versed in the fabrics of suits and their properties. Your task is to convey this information to him in such a way that it is perceived positively, as the advice of an experienced consultant who knows his product thoroughly. An experienced worker is always a good psychologist, his “trained” eye understands what kind of person is standing in front of him.

By appearance potential buyer, the seller determines the size, “size”, helps to choose color scheme and, most importantly, choose a pair in the price range available to the client. In general, in the costume trade, as nowhere else, the rule is true: the more you know, the more you sell!

Briefing "combat vehicles"

During my six years of manufacturing and selling business wear, I have traveled to hundreds of stores in Europe, Asia and Russia. Unfortunately, the monitoring of the Russian regions revealed a very negative trend: perhaps the weakest link in modern retail outlets is insufficiently trained personnel. Although some kind of movement is planned, for example, in Moscow and St. Petersburg, sellers are quite well versed in the product and know how to be polite. The reason for the poor training of the staff of the "front flank" is often the illiteracy of the store owner himself. As a rule, if he knows his product to the subtleties, then he is able to “on his fingers”, in simple terms to convey information about fabrics, about production, about brands to ordinary sellers. “An hour of work will teach more than a day of explanation” - a quote from Rousseau is only partly true here. By itself, the problem of inexperienced personnel will not be solved "in the process." We need to take concrete action. For example, we recently published an annotation for sellers. This document described in detail how to talk about our collections. We focused on the sales technique, emphasizing the uniqueness of the costumes we produce. Much is difficult to remember by heart, memorize. Game forms of education become an alternative to cramming: trainings and seminars, the costs for them will certainly be justified if competent sellers meet buyers in your store.

up and down

Seasonality in the clothing trade is an inevitable evil. However, in practice, the matter is aggravated by the fact that wholesalers do not always deliver products on time. This applies to both business clothing and casual and other product groups. As a result, retail simply does not have time to prepare for the high season on time. Another problem with "hit" models is closely related to the ability of the manufacturer to quickly bring to market something that sells particularly well. This is due to the long production time of the products. Because they the production cycle is at least 120 days, it turns out that it is not possible to finish the running assortment in time.

It is useful that by the way, and not on time - (any good turns into a vice)

It is almost impossible to sell all the goods by the end of the season. Inevitably, "stocks" are formed - unsold collections. Trade balances - headache any clothing retailer, regardless of its style and direction, because working capital is frozen. And although business classic suits “suffer” less, we also experience the influence of seasonality. What is usually done with inventory? There are two ways: organizing your own sales and "eliminating" unsold goods with the help of specialized "stock" stores. Today, getting rid of the remnants of the collection properly is hindered, on the one hand, by the inability of the seller to do it in a timely manner, and on the other, by the lack of wide interest in sales among the population. The fact is that in Europe and the United States a culture of sales has been formed, we still treat discounted goods with apprehension. Therefore, we must wait a few years until shopping during the discount season becomes a tradition. Even today, you can gradually accustom the client that sales are great! The basic rule that should be followed by the owner of a retail clothing store is to arrange sales at your own time, not when the season has already ended, but a month or two before it ends. For example, December is traditionally considered a good “selling” month, which means that you need to start already on December 15, no later.

Be sure to promote sales with stickers, banners, and billboards. Products with a discount "separate" from the main and new collections. A common mistake retailers make is trying to "freeze" unsold merchandise until next year. But it is better to sell it now cheaper than to deprive the company of working capital.

Tips were recorded by Ekaterina Chinarova

We have previously considered various options clothing trade, but today we will talk about another direction in this area, namely the opening of a business selling men's clothing. We can say one thing, in comparison with the women's departments, here you need to use completely different approaches and methods for selecting the assortment.

Business features and location selection

Men are less likely to buy clothes and other wardrobe items, this is due to the notion that there are jeans, a few sweaters and shirts, and this is quite enough. But lately, this trend has changed a bit. During the crisis, men have become even more economical in their purchases, so the emphasis should be on inexpensive clothes that look good. You say there is none? There are many examples of this, you just need to look for suitable suppliers. It is not worth saving on belts, and especially on shoes, if your department sells them too. Such accessories are usually purchased expensive, as in the case of wristwatches.

Where is the best place to open a men's clothing store? There are two most suitable options here:

1. It is to rent an outlet in the market. In this case, the emphasis should be on inexpensive clothes. Buyers go to the market for a discount, so you need to offer it. And let the assortment not be fashionable, but at a low price, you will always have buyers. Especially if you focus on middle-aged and older men.
2. Renting space in a shopping center. Here, your target audience will be young men, so the assortment needs to be imported more modern, and the price tag may be higher.

We do not consider trading in expensive men's clothing, because during a crisis it is not profitable, and this boutique will be relevant only in a big city, but in a small town, the two options presented above work and develop quite well.

Premises and equipment

The size of the room should be looked for depending on the volume of goods that you plan to purchase for the assortment. So in shopping malls you can see options from 20 sq.m. Please note that you will need to equip a fitting room, which will also take up some of the space.

Of the equipment for the men's clothing trade, you will need:

• glass showcases with mannequins;
• hangers on which you will place, for example, shirts, jackets or sweaters.
• racks for storing trousers and other packaged goods with various sizes;
• dressing room with a mirror;
• hooks for belts;
• furniture for the workplace of the seller;
• cash register.

Range and suppliers

When developing a business plan for a men's clothing store, you will need to competently work out the entire list of assortment, and determine in which direction you will focus. It is clear that you can clearly define the running positions only after working a little in this area, but still it is worth considering.

Here are the main product categories of the men's clothing store:

• outerwear;
• suits;
• jackets;
• sweaters, golfs;
• trousers, jeans;
• shirts;
• summer clothes (t-shirts, shorts, t-shirts);
• accessories (ties, belts) and so on.

These are just the main trends in classic clothing.

Now it is very fashionable to sell casual style clothes, which are great for both work and spending time with friends.

Clothing suppliers can be found directly at wholesale clothing markets. Also, some items can be purchased directly from manufacturers, such as shirts or trousers.

Advertising

In addition to the standard ways to attract customers, such as distributing leaflets with discounts or holding promotions, you can also use modern options sales on the Internet.

So, for example, you can sell men's clothing through an online store, for this they carry out search engine optimization your site, also at first you can connect contextual advertising.

How much money do you need to start?

In fact, everything will depend on the format in which you plan to open a men's clothing store and on the price segment of your assortment. For approximate calculations, we present the main items of expenditure, but you will work them out in more detail in your business plan.

• Room rental - $200 - $250
• Taxes - $150
• Salary to the seller - $ 200
• Initial purchase of goods - $7000 - $9000
• Purchase of equipment - $1200 - $1800
• Advertising — $250 (+ online advertising)
• Transport costs - $60.

What income can you expect?

It should be clarified that the margin is usually higher in the cheap segment of goods, so when trading on the market, you can make good money by selling inexpensive goods. But even in the shopping center, when your store is already unwinding, you can make a good margin on part of the assortment.

The average markup on men's clothing is 40% - 80%.

For accessories - 70% - 100%.

Based on these values, you can estimate the required sales volume in order to go monthly in plus.

Conclusions. The menswear business is good decision for start-up entrepreneurs. You need to make a bias on the cheap segment, and at the same time it is very important to choose the right place for trading.

What can you say about this business idea? We are waiting for your thoughts in the comments.

The plan of earnings on men's clothing.

Personally, I like classic menswear. I myself wear mostly classic clothes. I like strict sweatshirts, coats, t-shirts, shirts and jeans, and under all this good shoes. Now I'll try to find what I like and attach it below:

These are the clothes I like, and the idea of ​​the store is to sell such clothes.

In fact, many people are looking for similar clothes and finding it is not always easy. I certainly do not say that this market is free. It is very saturated, but competition is an indicator of demand.

In general, the idea is this: Open a point of sale of classic men's clothing.

Now you need to think about where to look for suppliers.

You can consider different options.

1. Buying clothes on alibaba.com is a wholesale store in China, this is Ali Express only wholesale. On this site you can find a lot of goods. The main thing is to make sure that it is good quality. From my own experience, I’ll say that when buying clothes from Aliexpress, sometimes a completely “different” thing comes, in the picture it looks very even, but when you receive it, you will be disappointed. This happens, but not always. The main thing is to look at the rating of the seller and look at the reviews about the product, usually those who have already purchased this product post it real photo- that's what you need to look at. Another disadvantage may be a long delivery, things from Alibaba and Aliexpress go from two weeks or more. It happens that the parcel goes about 2 months.
2. Buying clothes in wholesale online stores in Russia is also an option. The main thing is to find good things and a reliable online store. Usually in such stores there is a minimum order amount, it averages about 15,000 rubles, sometimes 10,000 rubles, sometimes 30,000 rubles. It is important here to look at how much things cost and their quality. Remember that you will then still need to make a markup and sell this thing.
3. Purchase through intermediaries. There are people who live in Moscow or, for example, in Bishkek and can help you with the purchase. How? It's simple, they go to the wholesale market of their city, take pictures of the category of things you are interested in there, for example, “classic sweaters” and find out the price. And they send you, you choose what you need, send them money, they buy the goods and send them to you. What do they get out of it? Percentage of the total purchase amount different people these percentages can vary from 5% to 15%. For example, if you take clothes worth 100,000 rubles, then you will need to pay from 5 to 15 thousand rubles for the services of such a person. Of course, in this case, there are also disadvantages, for example, it is problematic to find such people, and the second disadvantage is to think about how to make sure that you are not thrown when you send them money for the purchase.

Once you have decided on the lineup, you need to think about how to sell it all.

First of all, of course, you need to make a VKontakte community and fill it with photos of your things. Well, of course, it’s better to take a short review of each item in general, so that the “model”, the one on whom the item is dressed, turns in front of the camera for 7-10 seconds. Agree on the pictures it is difficult to understand whether a thing looks good, but on the video it is much easier to do. And for each item, make a separate post, for example: 3 photos of a jacket + video review of a jacket + jacket price. And in this format, lay out as many things as possible, starting, of course, with the most beautiful ones.

After you fill the group with content - photos and videos of your things. You need to recruit people from your city to this group. Make it possible different ways. If you don’t know how to do this, I can help you for a fee, I will qualitatively bring at least 500+ people interested in your product from your city to your group. If you want to take advantage of my offer, just write to me on VKontakte https://vk.com/azat_zagid

So, after you have a working VKontakte group filled with content and people, do these actions with the following social networks. networks and instant messengers: instagram, telegram, whatsapp.

As a result, you will have your own VKontakte, Instagram, Telegram, WhatsApp group.

After that, in fact, you should already have the first sales, after that you will already have the first revenue and it is advisable to spend it on renting a place in order to open a store there.

How to choose a location for a men's clothing store.

In order for the trade to "go" - you need to find a good place. Whether it is good or not depends on a number of factors. The most significant factor is how many people pass near the entrance to your store and see the sign or even see the assortment. It happens that 500 people pass near the point a day and it costs 7,000 rubles a month, and it happens that only 100 people pass near the point a day and it costs the same.

In order to check how many people pass by the point, you need to stupidly stand there and count. The main thing is to do this for several days and at different periods, for example, on weekends and weekdays, and in the morning, at lunchtime and in the evening.

My advice to you. To get started, choose for yourself 10 favorite points where you would like to open a store, then do not be lazy and count how many people walk near each of them. After such an analysis, you will see how much the indicators differ and you will immediately understand where it is best to open a men's clothing store.

The look of your store is very important.

The more beautiful, stylish and comfortable it will be in your store, the more people will enter it. But here, too, you should not go too far, since most people will be afraid to go to too “refined” because they think that there are very high prices.

Pricing in a men's clothing store.

Now it's worth talking about how to set the price for men's clothing. The most interesting thing here is that if the clothes you sell have beautiful view and good quality then the markup on it can be from 50 to 200 percent or more. Here, of course, it is important at what price you can find good things for your store. For example, I was able to find good models jackets from 250 to 370 rubles per piece. These are prices as of October 24, 2017.

Thus, if you sell 3 sweaters per day for 800 rubles each (from one sweater, clean 400-500 rubles), several T-shirts, for example 4 pieces (150-250 rubles each), a pair of shirts (300-400 rubles each) profit from each). You can earn about 3,000 rubles or more net per day.

There are a lot of variables here, so it is difficult to give exact numbers. From this net profit, you need to take away the seller's salary, rent, utility bills and taxes.

In general, with “frail” sales, you can earn from 1000 net rubles per day.

If you have any questions, then ask them in the comments to this article, I will be glad to answer you.