Where do clothes in second-hand stores come from and are they hazardous to health?

How to open a second-hand store from scratch. Second-hand stores are incredibly popular. The secret of success is a large selection of high-quality and inexpensive clothing. Beginning entrepreneurs are attracted to the idea of ​​opening a second-hand store due to its 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 comfortable in this area and be ready, at least at first, to work as a seller yourself.

What is second hand?

The concept of “second hand” appeared almost a hundred years ago, when British citizens organized a collection of items in support of the French resistance. After the war, this practice became popular: enterprising people began to buy old clothes from the population for a small fee, put them in order and sell them at a profit. As a result, charity became a business.

Today, a huge flow of American and European clothing is coming to Russia, which makes many entrepreneurs think about how to open a second-hand store. Such products are divided into two large groups:

1. Original. Items are packaged in the same composition in which they were collected. Theoretically, you can find anything in a bag - from cracked dishes and washed trousers to new branded clothes. The original costs no more than 2 euros per kilogram;
2. Sorting. Items are sorted by type and seasonality - jackets, jeans, dresses, shoes. The bag usually contains clothes of approximately the same degree of wear. Sorting is sold for 4–12 euros per kilogram.

Analyzing which products are in greatest demand in 2021 in Russia, wholesale suppliers classify all used clothing depending on its condition. So an entrepreneur can roughly understand what exactly he is buying:

• Stock. Represents completely new things. Stock is made up of unsold store balances, clothing removed from mannequins, last year's collections, as well as warehouse inventory. May have invisible defects, faded paint;
• Cream. Consists of minimally worn clothing and new items without tags. The packages contain models from famous brands and designer items. The cream is quite expensive, so second-hand store owners are reluctant to buy it;
• Lux. Includes items with subtle defects and minor wear. The package may contain up to half of new clothes, including popular brands. It is profitable to sell luxury items by the piece, and not by weight;
• Extra. These are normal everyday clothes from inexpensive brands with minor but noticeable wear. Also, up to a third of new goods can be found in the bag. Items from famous designers are almost never found in packaging;
• 1st category. Represents items with obvious wear in the form of pilling on knitwear, slight deformation, faded colors, torn buttons. The packages contain exclusively casual clothing;
• 2nd category. Consists of items with significant wear in the form of deformation, difficult to remove stains, worn areas and holes, faded paint. Such clothes are the cheapest and are sold only by weight.

Before packaging, items undergo disinfection and temperature treatment, as a result of which they acquire that very specific smell that alarms customers. However, it’s easy to get rid of: you just need to wash your clothes.

Each batch of second-hand goods is packaged in durable bags weighing 50–150 kg and supplied with a hygienic certificate, which indicates the type of chemical and method of processing. Therefore, such clothes are often safer than clandestinely produced consumer goods.

Miniature business plan

What an entrepreneur will need at the start:

• The place is about 40 square meters;
• Product (10–12 kg per square meter);
• Several suppliers that offer free shipping;
• Money to cover rent, utility bills and salaries (for 3 months).

The business will be profitable if the profit from trade covers the costs of rent, utility bills, purchase of goods and taxes.

Possible risks:

• Poor quality of items if the purchase occurs without reviewing the contents;
• Sanctions on the import of second-hand goods from abroad;
• Poorly thought out pricing policy;
• Growth in average income of the population.

Step 1: Analyze the demand for future activities

First, enter the search query “population in the city N,” where “N” is the locality in which your store will be located. If the number of people in the city and surrounding villages is about 10 thousand, you can safely start. Otherwise, think about another type of activity.

Step 2: We are looking for suppliers, finding out the terms of cooperation

You can find a wholesale supplier of second-hand goods through search engines or in the taxpayer database by type of activity. A prerequisite for cooperation is the ability to view items before purchasing them. It is clear that no one will allow you to take several things from a 12-kilogram bale, but this will allow you to evaluate their quality.

Signs of a reliable supplier:

• Official registration in the unified taxpayer database;
• Long time working in this field;
• Ability to view products before purchasing;
• Free shipping;
• Sale “from one bag” (not necessary, but nice).

Some suppliers offer to buy back “unliquid goods” - goods that are not sold within a certain time. The price will be much lower than the purchase price, but you don’t need to think about its removal or destruction. This is stated in the contract. You can also sell leftovers to factories - they need rags to wipe equipment.

If suppliers do not provide the following documents, cooperation with them is impossible:

• Second-hand goods processing certificates;
• Invoices with a signature and seal (or the inscription “without seal”, if there is none);
• Certificate of sanitary examination.

Step 3: Looking for a “fishy” place

The better the location for trading is chosen, the greater the flow of visitors you can count on. A good location for a second-hand store is close to potential consumers. Close to schools, grocery stores, residential areas.

“Nearby” does not mean directly next to another store. This means the path of movement of the buyer to another store. For example, placing a second-hand store door-to-door with a grocery store is prohibited by sanitation standards.

Look for a well-ventilated building for rent with an area of ​​40 square meters or more. If the sales area is poorly lit by a natural light source, you will have to install additional lighting. The rented premises must be divided into a staff room, a mini-warehouse, a cash register and a sales area. There should be a toilet and washbasin nearby.

Place is one of the three pillars on which your business will stand. 30% of success depends on the right location, so it’s better to wait until you find it.

Once you've found the perfect location, speed up the next steps.

Step 4: Register an entrepreneur

Selling second-hand goods is not a business where official registration is acceptable after the promotion of the store. On the first day after opening, the local authorities will be 100% interested in you. Therefore, you collect a bag of chocolate and alcoholic products and go to the tax office. You need to find out from tax agents about the following points:

• KVEDs for conducting activities;
• Preferred form and taxes;
• Availability of local fees for your region.

In Russia, individual entrepreneurs pay a tax of 6% of turnover. If a business owner has documents confirming the costs of purchasing and delivering goods from suppliers, he can change the tax system to a more favorable one (15% of net profit).

Conducting activities as an individual entrepreneur has a big disadvantage - he bears responsibility for debts with his own property. Naturally, people try to get around this disadvantage by registering real estate in the name of relatives.

Running a business as an LLC is safer for the owner - in this case, his liability is limited only to the company’s property. But at the same time, the opportunity to freely manage the money in the account is lost - you first need to pay taxes. This disadvantage is also circumvented by simultaneously creating an individual entrepreneur and concluding an agreement on turnaround financial assistance for the required amount.

To open an official store, you need to collect a package of documents and permits:

• Certificate of business activity;
• Tax registration document;
• Trade permit;
• Permission to trade in this area;
• Lease contract;
• Cash documents;
• Journal of income and expenses (sold in printing or stationery stores) - different options are available for simplification and the general taxation system.

All documents from the list above can be obtained from local authorities or purchased at the store. Some documents for doing business can only be obtained from suppliers, but this was discussed above in the text.

Step 5: Setting up the sales area

While the documents undergo state verification, there is time to prepare the hall to receive the first visitors:

• Minimal cosmetic repairs, layout, installation of lighting lamps are being done;
• Stands and racks are placed around the hall, a cashier's place and a warehouse for storing bales of things are set up;
• A general cleaning of the premises and the road to it from the entrance + 5 meters of the surrounding area is carried out.

Step 6: Purchase of goods

While the tax office continues to prepare documents, it goes for the first batch of goods. It is advisable to find out when suppliers deliver a new batch, so as not to sort through hundreds of bags of “unliquid goods”.

Suppliers at the initial stage are enterprises that purchase goods in bulk from abroad. They buy bags weighing from 100 kg and resell packages of 20–25 kg. For the first purchase, one such wholesaler is enough.

The main condition for cooperation is the quality of the goods supplied. When the second-hand business takes off, it won’t be difficult to find direct suppliers. Unfortunately, they do not show the contents of the bales prior to purchase.

You can predict the quality of items based on the country of delivery: the Germans hand over large-sized and heavily worn clothes, the French supply items made from natural materials and moderately worn. The ideal supplier is England - there are a lot of new, unworn items in bales from this country. This is not strange - London is one of the most expensive cities in the world.

Never order second-hand goods in bulk over the phone! Only personal visits to warehouses guarantee the quality of the purchased goods. Purchases should be made locally, but before that you need to superficially study the meaning of product categories from Europe:

• Cream is the most expensive category, new branded items;
• Luxury - clothing from popular brands of average cost, new or with minimal wear;
• Extras are also branded items, about 10% wear (ideal for diluting regular goods).

Used clothing is divided into 3 grades:

• High-quality items, little worn (ideal for purchasing);
• Partially defective or moderately worn items;
• Things that cannot be worn.

Beginners are recommended to buy sorted second-hand goods of the 1st grade + several bales of luxury items with branded items (they are added daily to stir up the interest of visitors). It is necessary to carefully inspect each item from the offered bales. We pay attention to the following places:

• Cuffs;
• Collars;
• Armpits;
• Knee;
• Tips of socks.

We tell the supplier where to deliver the goods, wait for loading and go with him. By this time, you will officially be an entrepreneur.

In addition to clothing, you need to purchase equipment:

• Large mirrors for fitting rooms;
• Hangers;
• Cash registers;
• Several mannequins;
• Boxes for storing personal belongings;
• Scales for weighing goods in the hall and at the checkout;
• Cash registers;
• Table for packing purchased goods into bags.

Step 7: Order advertising

From the standard - a sign, advertising in local newspapers, flyers for distribution. Flyers are difficult to distribute - people are embarrassed to take them in front of everyone, but you can negotiate at the post office - they will be attached to mail notifications (for a small fee). If the store is located in a residential area, we agree on the placement of signs and directions - people must be 100% sure where to go. Without this, you may lose some visitors.

Advertising is built on associations. To ensure that the budget for the advertising campaign is not in vain, keep the room clean. If buyers see dirt, they associate used items with dirt. This will scare off middle-income buyers.

Step 8: Lay out the goods

After receiving the goods, you need to determine its retail value. There are 2 pricing options:

• Sell ​​by weight, reducing the price daily;
• Sell ​​at a fixed price.

In the first option, it is enough to hang things by category, in the second you need to sort and mark up each item separately. Some new clothes are sold at the checkout at a fixed price. All good things must be sold with a markup of 100–150%, otherwise the business risks not being profitable.

We divide things into the following categories: women's clothing, men's clothing, children's clothing + toys. It is advisable to use hangers of the same color.

You can do the first layout yourself, and hire people for subsequent ones. You can hang a notice on the door: “We need employees to display goods. Contact the number: +7ХХХ ХХХ ХХ ХХ.”

Step 9: Opening

Good marketing is a guarantee that many buyers will come on opening day. It is advisable to place an arch of inflatable balloons at the entrance - this will attract random passers-by. Make sure that customers do not threaten other merchants - if the second-hand store is located in a shopping center. Try to be as courteous as possible with guests - the first day will be remembered for a long time.

Make sure that video surveillance is installed in the store before opening - cutting off tags and buttons, removing designer ones will reduce the attractiveness of many things.

Step 10: Hiring Employees

For a month of work, you need to determine the approximate amount of revenue per day - this will help in assessing the work of staff. If the store is popular and brings in regular profits, you can think about hiring employees.

People are divided into 2 types - those who buy second-hand goods or those who hate everything connected with it. It is advisable to hire the first to fill a cashier position. They may steal a little - put things aside for the last day, take the best on the first day, sell to friends at a lower price. But they won’t look at visitors with disgust, and a well-thought-out system of motivation and remuneration will help get rid of theft.

The latter ones are better suited for arranging things - they definitely won’t be stolen. Payment is set at 30–50 kopecks per kilogram. You can place an advertisement on the door looking for employees with your number - those who are willing will find themselves.

In addition to cashiers and merchandisers, you will need security guards or cooperation with a security company - entrepreneurs calculate what is more profitable for their region.

Step 11: Expansion

When the store gains momentum, it’s time to look for a good manager-manager. He will be involved in procurement and control the sales process. You might think about opening another department in this or a neighboring city. Remember to visit the tax office regularly.

Allocate money to develop a website where the store brand will be promoted. Here you can place offers for the sale of the best things, create a section to attract wholesale customers. If you can establish direct deliveries, you can start selling sorted bags of clothes to other stores.

Business Features

When choosing which store to open in a small town or in a regional center, domestic entrepreneurs are wary of the idea of ​​selling used items. This skepticism is explained by the peculiarities of the Russian mentality: citizens willingly wear the clothes of their relatives or friends, but are embarrassed to purchase shirts or dresses “from someone else’s shoulder.” Meanwhile, declining income makes them think about saving. Therefore, today people are beginning to understand that it is better to buy high-quality European second-hand goods than Chinese consumer goods, which will fall apart or fade after the first wash. As a result, every second Russian citizen has second-hand items in his closet. Second-hand stores are becoming especially popular among low-income residents of the province and young people who have not yet found a good job.

Used clothing is very diverse, so entrepreneurs, in an effort to open second-hand clothes, prefer to choose narrower niches. There are several categories of such outlets:

• Price shops. This format is used for the sale of quality items in the Cream, Luxury and Extra categories. Each item is priced individually and displayed on display with its own price tag;
• Weight stores. It is more profitable to sell clothes with minor defects by weight. This is also convenient for buyers - for a small amount you can buy several things at once. To stimulate turnover, prices are gradually reduced after import;
• Online stores. When choosing what is best to sell in an online store, again you should pay attention to piece goods in the Stock, Cream and Lux ​​categories. It is impossible to sell goods by weight this way: for each product you will have to determine the dimensions;
• Specialized stores. Such outlets sell only certain types of goods individually. For example, you can think about how to open a second-hand children's store or focus on women's handbags;
• Collapses. This type of open-air second-hand store is essentially an ordinary flea market, where things are piled on cots. The assortment includes both clothes from your grandmother's chest of drawers and almost new wardrobe items.

Relevance of the business idea

Shopping at a second-hand store will no longer surprise anyone. These stores have long ceased to be a haven for those who do not have enough to buy new clothes. Today people here look for exclusive and unique items, select outfits for fashionable parties, and even find evening dresses and suits. There’s nothing to say about children’s second-hand clothes: children grow up too quickly to buy them new clothes.

Assortment of second hand goods

How to open a second-hand store, where to start? In order to start trading, you need to study the local audience and find out who exactly will buy second-hand items and what category of goods these customers are interested in. This will help you create the right assortment for your store:

• The optimal ratio is 60–70% women's clothing, 15–20% men's clothing and 15–20% children's clothing;
• If there are children's institutions nearby, it is advisable to increase the share of inexpensive but high-quality children's things;
• Near universities and college towns, it is reasonable to sell bright youth clothing in the Luxury and Extra categories;
• Small towns, working-class neighborhoods, and rural areas are the best places to sell durable, inexpensive everyday items.

As noted above, the entrepreneur receives the goods almost blindly, without knowing what exactly is in the bag. Therefore, all items should be sorted by season and gender, and also inspected for defects that affect their value - abrasions, puffs and stains. Further:

• New clothes and items without signs of wear should be put in order and put up for sale individually. To do this, you need to understand market prices;
• Extra and Lux ​​must be placed in a dedicated shopping area and a common price tag must be set for items - for example, “All clothes for 400 rubles”;
• Items with visible defects can be put into storage and put on sale at a discount. It is better to sell such things by weight;
• Clothing with significant damage, which can be up to 10% in any bag, is easier to dispose of or sell to factories in the form of rags.

To reduce unsold balances, it is necessary to set discounts and arrange sales. The following scheme is often practiced: on the day of delivery, the discount is zero, and then it increases by 5–10% every day until the goods arrive again. As a result, on the first day, lovers of quality items come, then ordinary consumers, and on the last day, those who want to get maximum savings.

Pricing

When goods arrive at the store, bales of items must be weighed, then quality goods must be sorted from rags. What you classify as rags most likely will not be able to be sold - it will be a loss that must be covered by selling good things.

After this, the degree of wear and tear of each item is assessed, based on which the price is set. In this case, special attention is paid to the condition of the tissue in the armpits, collars, elbows, and sleeves. After sorting, things are grouped into price categories with a fixed price tag, for example, “Everything for 300 rubles.” New or branded clothing is priced individually. Items with minor defects are placed on sale with a 50% discount.

Some used European clothing stores sell items by weight. However, with such trading, it is necessary to ensure that a margin of at least 100–150% is maintained for a quality product.

How to register a second hand item?

An entrepreneur asking himself the question: “I want to open a second-hand store - where to start?” - First of all, you should be concerned about registering your activities. As a rule, stores are registered as individual entrepreneurs, which simplifies reporting and facilitates access to the cash register. The following OKVED codes correspond to the sale of used items:

OKVED codes for second hand goods

The list of available taxation systems is probably known to an entrepreneur who knows how to open a lingerie or women's clothing store from scratch:

• On the simplified tax system, with a turnover of 900,000 rubles per month, you will have to pay 45,300 rubles in tax;
• On UTII the fixed payment will be 12,400 rubles. The area of ​​the hall is up to 150 m².

Selling used items does not require licensing, so you need a standard set of documents to operate. Before opening a second-hand store in Russia, you need to prepare or obtain:

• Certificate of registration of individual entrepreneur;
• Premises rental agreement;
• Agreements with public utilities;
• Permits from Rospotrebnadzor and Gospozhnadzor;
• Production control program;
• CCP registration document;
• Contracts for the extermination of rats and insects;
• Agreements for the removal of waste and mercury lamps;
• Agreements for washing goods and sellers’ uniforms;
• Ventilation maintenance contract;
• Sellers' health records;
• Safety certificates for goods from suppliers.

Business registration

The easiest way is to register a business in the IP format. To do this, submit an application to the local Federal Tax Service with a copy of the entrepreneur’s passport and pay a fee of 800 rubles. Registration will take no more than a week. Then you need to open a bank account: this can be done remotely through online banking.

OKVED code: 47.71 - Retail sale of clothing in specialized stores.

You will need permits from Gospozhnadzor and Rospotrebnadzor, as well as a trade permit from the local administration.

You may be interested in: Opening a flower shop - all the nuances of a profitable business

The taxation system is simplified (for example, the simplified tax system Income with a rate of 6% on revenue or Income-Expenses with a rate of 15% on net profit).

How to find a place for second hand?

If an entrepreneur is not going to open an online second-hand store, he will have to worry about finding a good place. You need to focus primarily on high traffic: no one will go to a retail outlet located away from the main pedestrian and automobile routes. Besides:

• In elite areas, you shouldn’t open an obvious second-hand store. But a store with branded stock may become in demand here;
• It is profitable to open a second-hand store in areas of budget new buildings if you focus on children's items and clothes for young mothers;
• In older neighborhoods populated primarily by retirees, a store with inexpensive everyday items will be popular;
• Regardless of location, there should be no competitor stores operating in the same niche near the outlet;
• Being close to a local food market, inexpensive shopping center or supermarket will be helpful. You need to look for such points of attraction in the area;
• The entrance to the store should be slightly away from the main street. The fact is that many people are still embarrassed to buy used items.

Selecting a room

The target audience of thrift stores is people with below-average incomes and creative youth of any income. Therefore, there is nothing wrong with looking for premises in a residential area of ​​the city. Firstly, your main audience clearly does not live in a respectable center. Secondly, rent there will be cheaper. The proximity to a large food market or clinic will be beneficial. It is important to have a public transport stop within walking distance.

The thrift store concept eliminates the need for storage space, but having a utility room for staff is important. Provide a convenient and visible entrance for customers, equipped with a ramp if possible. Monthly rental costs start from 20,000 rubles.

How to prepare a second-hand store?

Having decided where to open a second-hand store, you need to choose a suitable premises for the store. You can make money on such a product only due to volume, so the area of ​​the object should start from 50–60 m². Most likely, you will have to put it in order, but there is no need to invest in luxurious renovations: it is enough to ensure a clean, bright and neat appearance. The store should have a sales area with areas for men's, women's and children's goods, an administration office and a rest room for salespeople. In the process of preparing the premises for work, it is necessary to remember that:

• Second-hand stores can be opened on the ground floor of a residential building, in a public building or a separate pavilion, as well as in shopping centers;
• The store should not be located near food warehouses and shops, children's and medical organizations, in hotels and hostels;
• The retail outlet must be equipped with a separate entrance and emergency exit intended for loading products;
• To open a second-hand store yourself from scratch, you need to select premises with a ceiling height of at least 2.5–2.7 m;
• Surfaces in the sales area should be covered with materials that do not accumulate dust and tolerate wet handling during cleaning;
• Windows in the room can be closed if artificial sources provide illumination at a level of 250–400 lux;
• To remove the chemical odor of treated clothing, you need to install supply and exhaust ventilation with a capacity of at least 10–15 m³/h per 1 m² of room area;
• The store should provide a supply of clean water, sewerage and heating from a centralized network or its own boiler.

Cost of goods

To calculate the price, you need to take into account all the funds you spent at the preparation stages:

1. The starting price is the amount you invested to open a second-hand store and purchase goods.
2. Rent. Its cost is set every month, depending on the conditions under which you cooperate with the landlord.
3. Expenses for transport services . – Pledged in case of transportation of your goods either by a third party or by your own forces.
4. Employee salaries . A monthly payment that must also be covered by your income.

Typically, the markup in such stores is set at 20 percent of the final price. And from this amount comes the final cost of the product at which it will be sold on your shelves.

However, each item must be checked at the time of markdown due to quality, since you are not always selling new items. Look at the percentage of wear and small nuances that may catch the buyer's eye. Honesty will work in your favor.

In some second-hand stores, low-quality goods are sold by weight. But normal things are always displayed individually on the sales floor. It is optimal if things of different quality are also located in areas fenced off from each other.

In the case of a second-hand store, there is no need to inflate prices, because the buyer initially goes to your point, expecting to see a low price tag. If his expectations are disappointed, then don’t expect him to come to you anymore. Things in this kind of store need to be sold not more expensively, but faster, like in fast food.

Don't forget to ventilate your sales area frequently. This need is due to the fact that after disinfection and other treatments in factories, clothes can leave a specific and not pleasant smell for everyone, which is better to get rid of quickly.

Equipment for selling second-hand goods

Complex and expensive equipment is not needed to open a second-hand store from scratch: a business plan should include the purchase of the most ordinary shelves and display cases, storage units for weighing clothes and hangers for pricing. You also need to take care of ventilation, security and video surveillance. To equip a store with an area of ​​50–60 m² you will need the following:

Equipment of the trading floor

In addition, the entrepreneur needs to take care of equipping the workplaces of administrative staff, providing employees with minimal amenities and special clothing. What you need to open a second-hand store:

Other equipment

Calendar plan

Planning of the most important types of work.

Second hand store employees

The key employees of a second-hand store are sellers. When determining their number, you need to allocate one worker for every 25–30 m² of hall area, and then multiply the result by two, since they will work in shifts. To select the best specialists, you should pay attention to the presence of such qualities in candidates as:

• Responsibility. You should not hire a person who is constantly late or forgets to complete assigned tasks;
• Age. A salesperson who is too young will not command respect from retirees, and an older one will not evoke respect from a student audience. The employee must be of a similar age to the clients;
• Accuracy. If a person does not even take care of himself, he is unlikely to maintain cleanliness and order in the workplace;
• Communication skills. A closed salesperson will avoid contact with customers, and an overly sociable salesperson will be distracted by communication with colleagues to the detriment of customers;
• Initiative. An active employee will be able to better monitor the assortment and inventory, and give advice on improving the quality of service.

In addition to salespeople, the store will need a cleaner and an accountant. For small volumes of work, you can hire such employees part-time or, in general, outsource these responsibilities:

Second hand store workers

Risks and payback

During the implementation of a commercial project, threats may arise to the business activities and financial results of the enterprise. Before opening a store, it is important to assess the likelihood of certain unfavorable factors. Next you need to start looking for ways to minimize them.

The profitability of a business depends on the quality of the product and its exclusivity. The costs of creating a second-hand store, under favorable conditions, will pay off after 5 months of the store’s operation. To trade on an ongoing basis, the number of monthly buyers must be at least 390.

How to find second hand suppliers?

To find out whether it is profitable to open a second-hand store, you need to solve the problem of product supply. It is clear that the entrepreneur will not personally go abroad to organize the reception of things from the population there. Therefore, he will have to look for intermediaries with favorable terms of cooperation. Can:

• Organize wholesale supplies from factories in Europe and the USA. This requires serious capital, since the weight of the minimum batch starts from a ton. You will have to personally go to negotiations, study customs legislation, find carriers;
• Contact suppliers from the Baltics. Here, order sizes are smaller, logistics are already organized, and the entrepreneur does not need to learn a foreign language or look for a translator. However, payments should still be made in foreign currency;
• Contact Russian wholesalers. There are five or six large and several dozen small suppliers on the local market. They buy lots in 120–150 kg bags, and then sort the items by quality and pack them into smaller bales.

A budding entrepreneur should pay attention to the country in which the second-hand goods were collected. The fact is that things from different regions differ from each other:

1. Germany. Pedantic Germans usually wear their clothes to holes, so it is very difficult to find the Luxury and Extra categories in batches;
2. USA. Things are usually very worn and huge in size. In addition, Americans are not known for their reverent attitude towards fashion;
3. Great Britain. Supplies good quality fashion items, including well-known brands. Larger sizes are harder to find here, however;
4. Italy. Sells fashionable designer items in good condition. Lots often contain expensive brands;
5. Canada. Clothes from this country are of high quality—things with labels come across all the time. But there is a significant size discrepancy;
6. Australia. This is where excellent summer clothing comes from light and bright fabrics. But there are no autumn and winter items in the batches due to the warm climate of the country.

Typically, wholesale suppliers allow you to view the contents of the bags and select the best assemblies. However, you cannot sort things - the entrepreneur must purchase the entire package. The price depends on the quality and type of things:

Wholesale prices for second-hand goods

Product range

It plays a very important role in your business and needs to be calculated based on various factors. So, for example, if, nevertheless, the area in which your store is opening is full of new buildings, then most likely it is inhabited by many young families who are buying apartments. This means that an assortment of children's products will come in handy. This will immediately increase sales and the range of women's clothing.

But if the point is located in an industrial area, you should pay more attention to jeans and various shoes. Keep in mind that many parents, when buying clothes for their children, often look for themselves as well. Therefore, it is worth having a variety of products, focusing on one or the other.

But it’s not enough to choose your future product, you also need to order it at a profit. And suppliers of second-hand clothing differ in all respects, from price to country. For example, English suppliers have recommended their products as high quality items. Among their products there are many new products, as well as so-called “glamorous” models. It will help if your second-hand store is aimed primarily at young people. However, remember that the same suppliers from England often have problems with the availability of large sizes.

But their abundance is observed from suppliers from Germany. But in terms of quality they are no longer so good. The same is true for goods brought from Russia’s neighboring countries. Therefore, the best option would be to combine supplies from different companies. This way you can replenish the store’s assortment as diversified as possible and satisfy the demand of a larger number of visitors.

As for quality, it is, of course, better to purchase the Extra or Lux category. A product of lower quality and with a higher percentage of defects will not be popular enough.

How to advertise second hand?

It is not enough for an entrepreneur to simply decide: “I want to open a second-hand store.” If he does not accurately determine his target audience and does not find effective channels for informing them, then potential customers simply will not know about the opening of a new store. Working with each consumer group has its own specifics, but some advertising tools are suitable for any situation. So:

• A large illuminated sign should be placed above the entrance. The name should not leave passersby in any doubt about what is being sold here;
• A pillar should be placed not far from the entrance. You can write about current promotions on it or indicate the amount of the current discount daily;
• If the sign and entrance to the store are not visible from afar, bright and visible signs can be hung on nearby poles and buildings;
• If you are planning to open a second-hand store from scratch, a week before the launch you need to hang a banner above the entrance, distribute leaflets in nearby public places;
• On the opening day, you can decorate the entrance with balloons, turn on music, invite promoters in full-length suits;
• In the future, flyers should be placed in the mailboxes of neighboring houses on the eve of interesting promotions or before the delivery of goods;
• The same information can be sent to customers via SMS, if you first consider filling out the customer base;
• Piece and branded goods can be sold online. In this case, you will have to think about how to promote an online store from scratch yourself;
• Be sure to create groups on social networks with photos of the product and information about promotions. They are even more effective at attracting an audience than a website;
• Information about the store and its sales can be published on local forums, in popular city communities, and on message boards.

Marketing plan

Store shelves should not be empty, and things should not linger. The assortment of such stores requires frequent updating. The best sales tool is word of mouth. To launch it, you will need a bright, attractive sign, a good assortment and a thoughtful pricing policy.

1. Establish discounts on the eve of the delivery of a new batch of goods, send out a newsletter to customers.
2. Distribute flyers and leaflets - hand them out on the streets, to nearby houses.
3. Make posts in city groups and public pages.
4. Try advertising in elevators.

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How much does it cost to open a second-hand store?

How much money does it take to open a second-hand store? You can make the simplest renovations in a room for 2,000 rubles/m², and purchase commercial equipment for 600 thousand rubles. To determine inventory, experienced entrepreneurs advise proceeding from the amount of 10–12 kg of clothing per square meter of room area:

Investing in second hand goods

Obviously, such start-up costs are unacceptable for entrepreneurs thinking about how to start a business from scratch without start-up capital. In addition, in the process of work, the store owner will also have to spend money:

Current costs of second-hand stores

In the case of second-hand stores, this is a separate topic for conversation. Advertising in your case does most of the work of attracting customers. Especially if your point opens in a place that is not very visible to a large number of people. But it doesn’t make sense to use everything you can get your hands on. Pay attention to the demographic your store’s products are designed for and specify what kind of advertising will be effective for this particular audience. So, for example, if the basis of your store is children's things, then it would be a good step to launch advertising on social networks , namely, in groups for mothers. Please note that word of mouth in this case will work even faster and more efficiently. Therefore, it is better to please a potential client the first time.

If your audience is workers in industrial areas who spend very little time on the Internet, use another available method - posting advertisements about store openings. Taking steps like this will help you avoid spending too much money on initial advertising.

You can find another 1000 best business models in the sections: Business ideas or Franchise

Is it profitable to open a second-hand store?

Is it profitable to open a second-hand store? Success depends on whether the businessman can find a high-traffic location in some densely populated area. The experience of entrepreneurs and statistical data show that:

• An active advertising campaign will attract 1-1.5% of the population. In the absence of competitors, you can count on a zone of influence with a radius of 3 km from the store;
• The population density in large cities is 4,800 people per square kilometer. Accordingly, up to 35,000 citizens will live in the specified area;
• If you open a medium-sized second-hand store in a residential area of ​​Moscow, you can count on 350 customers making purchases with each delivery;
• With an average bill of 600 rubles per week, the retail outlet will earn 210,000 rubles. Revenue for the month will be 900,000 rubles.

Is it worth opening a second-hand store in such conditions? First of all, you need to estimate the store’s income taking into account the increasing discount:

Second hand sales

Analysis of the ratio of income and expenses shows that this business has good economic efficiency. If you remember how much it costs to open a second-hand store, you can calculate the payback period for your investment:

Profitability of second-hand goods

Staff

If the store is small, one cashier is sufficient. If the area of ​​the premises is more than 100 square meters, it is better to hire a couple more sellers. They will advise customers and also counter possible theft of goods. In case of large turnover, it is necessary to hire an accountant. Additionally, you can hire a cleaning lady.

Since the success of a business largely depends on sellers, their selection should be taken very seriously. The owner of the outlet also needs to provide the staff with the most comfortable working conditions. This will increase productivity and contribute to quality customer service.

Second hand store franchises

An entrepreneur who does not feel confident and does not dare to open a second-hand store from scratch on his own should think about the prospects of creating a business under the guidance of a more experienced partner. This decision involves the purchase of a franchise, within which the newcomer receives from its owner:

• Consultations on choosing a location for a store;
• Assistance in compiling the assortment;
• Preferential conditions for purchasing goods;
• Consultations on inventory calculation;
• Step-by-step instructions on how to open a second-hand store;
• Assistance in selecting and training sellers;
• Manager support when opening a retail outlet;
• Marketing strategy and layouts of advertising materials;
• Business consulting.

A newcomer will not have to look for a partner for too long to open a second-hand store: only three or four companies in Russia are currently offering to create a business using the franchising model. Among them:

Never mind

The package from the largest wholesale supplier "Trading House of Holland" includes two work schemes - "Economy" for the sale of inexpensive items and "Premium" for the sale of luxury goods. Terms of cooperation:

• First installment - 15,000 rubles;
• Royalty - 1250 rubles;
• Investments - 150,000 rubles;
• Payback period: from 3 months.

Euro Mania

The franchisor offers a profitable opportunity to open a second-hand store in a supermarket format with an area of ​​at least 300 m². The range is designed for any client - from students to retirees. Terms of cooperation:

• First installment - 300,000 rubles;
• Royalty - 3% of turnover;
• Investments - 1,800,000 rubles;
• Payback period is from 10 months.

Stock Center

With the assistance of the company, the franchisee can undergo training in one of the already operating stores and open a second-hand business from scratch. The offer also includes preferential delivery schemes for goods. Terms of cooperation:

• First installment - 100,000 rubles;
• Royalties - no;
• Investments - 1,300,000 rubles;
• Payback period is from 10 months.

Advantages and disadvantages

Pros:

• special prices for the entire range;
• recommendations for business promotion and advertising support;
• small investments;
• quick return on investment for the franchise;
• working business plan;
• verified suppliers will not deliver defects;
• the opportunity to work in two directions - Economy and Premium, in the Economy class casual clothes, in the Premium class clothes without wear;
• soft franchise conditions - there are no special requirements for the premises or skills of the franchisee.

Minuses:

• shortages are possible, and product control systems are expensive;
• some “low prestige” of the niche.

How I came up with the idea of ​​making money on second-hand items

Over time, I chose a few stores that I visited every weekend. My friends and I knew exactly what days the delivery was, what the lowest price was, and where we could find shoes.

I lived in a dorm, ate with my neighbors, but went to Lacoste, Prada, Stone Island. I once bought a Tommy Hilfiger T-shirt for 250 rubles, which my neighbor really liked.

He bought it from me for 400 rubles and was very pleased. After a couple of weeks, regular customers appeared in the hostel. I gathered my friends and pitched them the idea of ​​a startup.

What did we do

I photographed the washed and ironed items against the background of a white pillowcase. I learned how to measure sleeve length, waist and other parameters if there was no tag. Accounts on Instagram and VK received the first 100 subscribers, most of whom are my virtual friends.

I agreed with several similar sellers about mutual advertising, and the first orders began to arrive. The buyer was offered two options for receiving the goods:

• personal meeting in St. Petersburg;
• Sending by post with cash on delivery or with full prepayment.

On Instagram, I posted 10 stories every day (every hour from 11.00 to 21.00). Of these, 5 were actual items indicating the price, brand name and size. Another 5 stories were of an entertaining nature: stylish looks of all sorts of Beckhams/Stathams, funny videos, fights, and so on.

VKontakte operated on the same principle, creating posts on the wall. Over time, separate albums were created for different categories of things. There was no need to invest in advertising or targeting: satisfied customers always recommended the account to their friends.