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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

To want my own shop?

18 replies

Skinit · 07/04/2011 23:56

I really do....I want a shop! I want one which sells lovely things...it's a bad time to ask the bank for money to open a shop isn't it?

Has anyone here ever opened a shop? Is it hard to do?

OP posts:

LaurieFairyCake · 07/04/2011 23:57

I haven't but I'd also love to

so much that I'm using a shopowner as the main character in a book I've just started - it gives me a chance to dream of all the lovely things I'd put in it

Original poster

Skinit · 08/04/2011 00:04

That's what I want Laurie! Lovely things in my lovely shop! I also write...how odd!

OP posts:

Garcia10 · 08/04/2011 00:05

Don't do it!

My parents had a number of lovely shops - selling flowers, pictures, china, cards etc.

It is very very hard work and very competitive especially with many goods being able to be purchased over the internet cheaper due to lower overheads.

They worked seven days a week as it is challenging to find staff who you can trust. They never had holidays and ultimately went bankrupt.

Unless this will just be a hobby for you and you have money to lose I wouldn't even it consider it. It is not as easy as it looks.

Original poster

Skinit · 08/04/2011 00:09

Gah! Garcia! Don't smash my dream! Does it make any diff if you have the perfect location? There's a street in my village which is frou-fou to the max....every shop is a fancy pants one. Dinky flower shop selling flowers and vintage accessories....stylish womans wear shop...well...MN type of styish....there's a swishy bakery and a sweet card shop...an old fahioned buther and a fishmonger...and more...but there's a big gap where MY shop should be! there's plenty of money and people travl to shop here....

AIBU?

OP posts:

Garcia10 · 08/04/2011 00:16

They had great locations! One in a particularly affluent area. It would have been if it they were just doing for pin money but this was their livelihood.

I worked with them in all holidays and weekends and it is so disheartening when you have a bad day which turns into bad weeks and then months.

Don't get me wrong there were good times and we had lots have money at on occasion but downturns really take effect. People don't go to 'lovely' shops when money is tight.

It was an awful experience for us all. I remember my Dad calling to ask how much money we had taken and it is was dreadful when I told him that it had been quiet all day and there wasn't enough money to cover the cheques he had written for the stock.

Because of their experiences I would never be self-employed.

Original poster

Skinit · 08/04/2011 00:19

I'm self employed already...just scrape by. I can imagine the discomfort of not taking anything though!

OP posts:

LaurieFairyCake · 08/04/2011 00:24

a sweet shop would be nice too - like Hope and Greenwood

all bunting and pretty pink shelves and nice sweets

I think people need more than nice stuff in a shop - that tea shop thread today and yesterday made me think about selling tea and cake - in my opinion I go out more to tea shops now I have less money and go out less to dinner. Every tea shop in my area is always busy - people queue and they look like their making money - some sell art work/pottery/cards and candles too.

I love shops like that.

MaisyMooCow · 08/04/2011 00:25

It's a dream many people have, especially me. Without putting a dampner on things all I can say is think long and hard and do your research. I currently work in the property sector and more retail shops are closing and becoming vacant. Business is really hard at the moment and online retailers are taking the major chunk of business away from bricks and mortar businesses.

LaurieFairyCake · 08/04/2011 00:26

I think rents/rates should be massively cut though - its ridiculous having so many empty shops

ninedragons · 08/04/2011 00:32

"Lovely things" is a pretty broad description - what sort of lovely things do you mean?

I agree that bricks and mortar retailers are getting reamed by the internet. What about antiques or handicrafts? At least then if somebody really wants that specific tea caddy/clock/cushion in the window, they can't go home and buy it off Amazon for 30% less than you can stock it at breakeven in your shop.

I say this as somebody who has been thinking non-stop about a fish-shaped letter box I saw in a junk shop three weeks ago. I am about to go back and buy it, even though it's $300 and we live in a flat so don't have anywhere to put a letter box. We will one day, though - I am going to put it away for our future house.

But actually, that illustrates the advantage that antique and secondhand shops have - if you see something you adore, you have to buy it while it's still available. I can't think oh well, I'll come back at the end of the year when we've got our house and get one then.

ninedragons · 08/04/2011 00:42

ooh oooh ooh, you know what else I would have in my shop? A little glass case with charmingly modest antique diamond rings - you can get a lot of really lovely antique jewellery in the 100-500 pound bracket.

Those big solitaires on diamond-encrusted platinum bands are going to look SO 2007, and I predict a fashion for people preferring a charming ring they picked themselves to a blingy ring they bought off the internet.

animula · 08/04/2011 00:50

I want to live in your village, Skinit. It sounds luvverly.

You don't see Ironmongers these days, do you? Maybe if I had a private income, I;d open an ironmongers out of nostaligia.

poppy283 · 08/04/2011 07:11

What about an etsy shop? Www.etsy.com
... As long as you can hand make things. Loads of lovely things on there and only 3.5% commission.
I sell on there and got my jewellery featured in Grazia, it's a great place to start off :)

QuintessentialShadows · 08/04/2011 07:18

If there are already many lovely shops, why do you think yours will stand out, why do you think your will be different. What is this gap in the market?

Unless you are a reasonably good accountant, and plenty of contacts in wholesale, I would not do it.

How much is rent and rates for the shop location you have seen?

Kniternator · 08/04/2011 07:39

I dream of having a wool shop, there is a gap in the Market in our town. I have had plans of how it would all work, down to the homemade quiche I'd serve at knitting workshops. There is the perfect empty shop in town, but I wouldn't have the first idea about how to start up.

Original poster

Skinit · 08/04/2011 08:05

Well....to answer some f the questions. This area is like nappy valley....stuffed with well off young families and also older households. They're all out buying things constantly....the villae acks a shop which sells childrens clothing, toys and really nice household accessories.

There's a kitchen shop on the edge which has tried t fill the gap by selling a lot of naff pottery nd some nice cushions etc but it not cuting it.

The card shop has a range of cheap toys and the childrens shoe shpo does some Joules kds clothing but not much.

I wanted a line of quirky kids clothes and toys....plus some household things.

OP posts:

Callisto · 08/04/2011 08:12

I do some IT work for a shop that sells lovely things in a lovely little town in a wealthy area. The shop is not viable and doesn't make money. Luckily internet sales are good enough to support the shop and the owner keeps the shop going for sentimental reasons. Look at the way things are going on the high street - all shops are struggling because everyone shops online now. If I were you I would start an online business selling lovely things, but you have to be cut throat competative because everyone is doing it.

Punkatheart · 08/04/2011 08:35

Um..it can work but you MUST do your research first. I took over my parent's shop for a while and I did not enjoy it at all. It is hard work, there is a lot of paperwork and you must have a good mathematical grasp of things.

That said - if it's a good area with some money apparent, then source what will really sell. There are places you can go to buy or you could scour auctions etc.

It's all about focus though. You could sell a majority of new things, with a few antiques thrown in....

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