How to open your own kitchenware store. How to open a kitchenware store - entrepreneurial experience What you need to know when selling dishes
Utensils are used for cooking, for serving and serving food to the table, for storing prepared dishes. These are not all functional purposes, since the dishes can be used as a gift for an anniversary, celebration, or memorable date.
Since it has significant demand and is popular among consumers, organizing a tableware store is a promising direction in business activity.
To organize a successful and promising business for retail sales of tableware, a certain algorithm of actions should be followed aimed at creating and developing a tableware store.
Marketing research
Before proceeding with the organizational issue, you should find out the prospects created business in a certain territory and with specific commodity items. Hold not deep marketing research quite simple, you just need to study the dislocation retail outlets in the place where it is planned to create a kitchenware store.
If a similar retail establishment already exists there, and the assortment matches the expected one, then it is better to look for another place in order to avoid conflict situations. When the assortment is significantly different, and the prices for dishes are significantly lower, then there is no obvious competition, so you can rent premises in the area.
In parallel with the possibility of dislocating a trading enterprise, the demand for a particular category of tableware is determined, how much it is in demand among buyers, and what preferences the consumers have.
Having found out these current issues, you can proceed to the next stage – registration.
Registration of business activities
Today there are no problems with registration, so this procedure does not take a lot of time, effort, or money. All you have to do is fill out the established forms correctly and submit them for registration to the relevant authority.
It is important to decide on the form of the business entity - entity or individual entrepreneur. For retail characteristic organizational form IP, since simplified accounting, allows you to effectively conduct trading activities. More complex business forms, such as LLC or JSC, are more suitable for production processes or multidisciplinary activities.
Also, when choosing an organizational head start, you should take into account the number of founders who are ready to create and develop the activities of a store selling tableware. If there are two or more people, then you can use an LLC, if there is one, then an individual entrepreneurship.
Renting premises for a kitchenware store
The most the best option The kitchenware store will have a separate room in a shopping center or supermarket. Traffic in such places is high, so sales will constantly increase and trade turnover will increase. If this is not possible, then it is better to rent a separate building near a transport intersection, metro stations or public transport stops.
The retail area must be at least 50 sq.m. in order to place goods on display and leave space for customers to pass through.
The retail space must comply with sanitary standards and fire safety rules. If these conditions are not met, the owner of a kitchenware store may have difficulties with the relevant authorities.
Agreements with suppliers and manufacturers
To create a successful and profitable business, it is important to organize the supply of a wide range of tableware and related products. The best option is a dealer agreement with the manufacturer, when the dishes are sold at selling prices, and commission interest is paid as a reward. Under the terms of the agreement, the owner of the tableware store represents the manufacturer's products in a specific region, and at prices set by the manufacturer. Such cooperation opens up broad prospects because:
- no significant investment in a range of cookware is required;
- the price of the product is significantly lower than that of competitors;
- a wide range of tableware, including new items and the most popular items.
These are not all the preferences that can be obtained when executing a dealer agreement, however, they are quite enough to conduct a successful and profitable business for the sale of dishes.
If the manufacturer is located in another country and there is no way to establish business contacts with him, then you can purchase dishes from a large supplier, who in turn can be a dealer of a particular brand. This form of mutual cooperation is also quite promising, since the goods are supplied to order, and its volumes can always be adjusted.
Having resolved these organizational matters, you can achieve high efficiency from the operation of the store and the sale of tableware.
Transparent, colored, plain, with patterns, flowers, checkered and striped - today the choice of plates, cups, glasses and glasses is amazing in its diversity! Previously, such dishes could only be seen on TV, and at best in expensive restaurants.
And now from any “curiosity” there is an opportunity to have lunch simply in your kitchen. And all thanks to entrepreneurs who make it affordable to buy original dishes. Maryana Zemlyanykh has been in the tableware business for seven years, and recently she opened the Posuda store.
– What did you do before? What brought you into the ranks of entrepreneurs?
– I worked at a dairy factory. Gone to maternity leave and after maternity leave I quit there, and it’s unclear what was happening there, everyone was fired, the beginning of the 90s. I was unemployed for a long time, fortunately my husband’s job situation was better. In 2000, I got a job at the Everything for the Home store as a salesperson. She worked there for 4 years. During this time, I very often met buyers who were interested in dishes. That store had a selection of dishes, but not a large one; people always left dissatisfied. And then one day I thought, why don’t I “shape” this choice for buyers myself.
– And what were your first steps?
“Without consulting anyone, I began to look for ways to implement my plans. First, I asked the owner of the store where I worked how he found suppliers of tableware, he naturally reluctantly told me, but did not clarify anything. And so in the newspapers, I started looking advertisements tableware manufacturers. I didn’t have the Internet at home, I didn’t know how to use it at all.
We can say that my desire to become an entrepreneur accompanied my development, I took computer courses, bought a computer, connected to the Internet over time and continued my search for suppliers on the Internet, everything is much faster there - there are contacts, phone numbers, I called everyone, everything in detail found out.
I sketched out a business plan in a notebook, and there was little left to do. To begin with, I needed to get at least 10 thousand dollars from somewhere to pay rent (there was no discussion about the premises yet, at that time it was unrealistic for me), for a place on the market and to purchase goods.
– Where, if it’s not a secret, did you manage to get the funds?
“I took out a loan, secured by my husband’s car, and he became my guarantor. In general, the risk was colossal! I took more than 10 thousand dollars from the bank. My husband almost kicked me out of the house for all my tricks; we fought a lot during that period. But, despite this, he supported me, grumbled, but helped.
– Was the risk justified? Has the investment paid off?
- Certainly! I collected a variety of types of dishes and provided customers with a wide choice. Back then, bright, different monochromatic colors, white dishes, transparent black glass were very fashionable. Today, the dominant shape is square, transparent glass with various patterns, vegetables and fruits.
I always try not to miss new items so that my customers can buy everything their heart desires. So after a year, I was able to repay the loan, but I must say, I was lucky, there were a lot of clients, the product sold well. And then it was time to open your own store. All circumstances were favorable for my store to open.
– Maryana, tell me, what difficulties are preventing you from working fully today?
– Probably competition! It is very difficult to survive among competitors today, but we are trying, I think we are doing a good job. And another difficulty arises in the fact that many still do not understand why special glasses for whiskey or martini are needed, because they either do not drink these drinks or will calmly drink them from ordinary wine glasses. Often this product sells slower.
But even over these seven years, the needs of buyers have changed noticeably; even for the family dinner table, people began to buy expensive, beautiful sets and plates. The buyer has developed his own taste, so to speak. If previously people bought French Luminarc tableware only as a gift for a wedding or anniversary, today I already have enough customers who have purchased such tableware for their own use.
“It’s very difficult to run a store without helpers.” Tell me, who is helping you?
– I have a sales consultant, I pay her wages, everything is as it should be. And, of course, my husband, he has his own business, but he also devotes time to my store.
– Do you sell only table glass or do you have enamel dishes?
– Mostly glass, crystal, porcelain, but there is also plenty of enamel. Colorful pots, pans, teapots.
– Do you consider the sale of dishes profitable business?
– Naturally, the tableware business is a profitable business, since beautiful, original dishes are always popular... Beautiful dishes Even our grandmothers loved it, but then there was no such variety. Manufacturers, in turn, advertise their products, for example, with the help of indirect advertising in TV series; we can see a familiar plate or glass on the kitchen table.
Now the advertisement is there, the TV viewer has already imprinted it in their memory, some wanted to have such a plate for themselves. Where can I get it? And here entrepreneurs who sell tableware will help the client satisfy his need. It's simple!
– What is the price of your dishes?
– The prices are completely different, there are funny cups for 15-20 UAH. And there are services worth 1500 UAH. (for 19 persons).
– What do you spend profitable money on?
- For necessary needs. And also for self-study, I recently started taking courses in English, I do shaping. For my son's education. There is always something to spend on.
– You must always keep your nose to the wind! And on initial stage think everything over carefully, write a business plan, even a non-professional one will help a lot. After all, starting any business is already a risk.
Be carefull!
In this article we will talk about another product that is in demand among buyers and belongs to the category of home improvement and decoration, namely tableware. We can safely say that this niche is not new and the market already has its own serious players who provide a fairly wide selection of products. And if in large cities the lion’s share of sales in this segment is carried out by large retail chains, then in small town, it is quite possible to compete and make a stable profit. In large cities it makes sense to sell something exclusive, such as dishes self made or be an official representative of some new trademark. This way, you will have minimal competition with retail chains and will be able to provide a fairly unique assortment.
Let's look at how to open a kitchenware store and whether it is profitable to do so. We will try to describe step by step all the main aspects of conducting of this business, so that you have an overall picture and algorithm of actions.
Documentation
As with any business, first you need to know what documents need to be completed. We will provide you with a basic list of those papers and permits that you will need for the retail trade of tableware.
- open IP.
- indicate OKVED for the activity. For Russia it is 47.59.2. For Ukraine – 47.
- enter into a lease agreement for the premises.
- have quality certificates for the goods.
- if necessary, obtain trade permits from the SES and fire service.
- recruit staff.
- decorate the buyer's corner.
In order to do everything correctly in the legal field, we recommend seeking advice from a lawyer.
Do you need a product niche that would be in high demand and at the same time be able to compete with other stores? The most attractive option is opening a hardware store. All the details are in our article at the link above.
Premises and place for trade
At the second stage, you will need to take care of choosing the location of the retail space, as well as its size. The shopping center is considered very good place for any store, including a newly opened kitchenware store. Although there are also disadvantages: the problem will be to find free space, and the rent in large shopping centers, as a rule, “bites”. But the big plus is the continuous flow potential buyers. In fact, your store will receive customers without initial promotion.
When starting in such a business, it is necessary to pay due attention to interior design. The right atmosphere, the choice of suitable colors and wall textures are very important. To do this, you can use wallpaper or Venetian plaster in pastel shades, it is advisable to select paintings or place photographs on the walls. It will be useful to create a sound design. Quiet, pleasant classical music - good decision. You can negotiate with suppliers about branded racks, where the display of dishes will look even more impressive.
Another way is to launch a store in a separate room. In this case, in addition to the same repair costs, you will need to think about security and promotion, and this also additional investments funds.
The average area of a small tableware store is 25 – 50 sq.m. This is quite enough to arrange the shelves and arrange the presentation of the entire assortment.
Equipment
The third stage is the purchase and installation of commercial equipment. When starting a business selling tableware, you will need to calculate everything necessary investments into these devices.
You will need:
- racks with shelves.
- showcases.
- hanging shelves.
- furniture for the seller's workplace.
- security alarm.
- display lighting system.
- accessories for room decoration.
As mentioned above, the main thing is to create a cozy atmosphere with beautiful presentation product groups. This is especially true for exclusive tableware or handmade products.
Assortment and suppliers
The fourth stage of drawing up a business plan for a tableware store is drawing up an assortment.
The first thing you need to decide is the type of product: exclusive, everyday kitchenware or handmade products. The second is the price range and the presence of target customers. The third thing is the manufacturers with whom you will cooperate.
I would like to note that if we talk about opening a department with dishes in a big city, then we can consider all options. But if your choice is a small store in a small town, there is no need to experiment and it is better to choose dishes for daily use as the basis of the assortment, and have 80% of cheap products and 20% of more expensive manufacturers in stock.
Main product groups:
- kitchen utensils (watering cans, lemon dispensers, spatulas, meat hammers, etc.).
- kitchen utensils (pots, pans, saucepans, etc.).
- storage utensils (jars, trays).
- glasses, glasses, decanters.
- children's dishes.
- for microwave ovens.
- knives.
- plastic dishes.
- tableware (bowls, plates, sets, cups, forks, spoons, etc.).
In general, there are universal utensils that are in demand at any time. This porcelain tableware is white and dark in color. It is popular in restaurants, cafes, and is used very often in every home. Food on white plates looks impressive, and it goes well with any tablecloth.
Black dinnerware sets (with or without a pattern), as well as white ones with a colored pattern, are also in high demand. Experts say that the most popular are sets of dishes for everyday use. Cooking utensils and gift sets account for only about 30% of all sales.
When opening a kitchenware store, it is advisable to immediately start working with several manufacturers, including domestic ones. Study prices and see where you can compete with similar product outlets. Always take quality certificates for goods, this will protect you from unnecessary fines that may follow after an inspection by a special commission.
Suppliers of tableware can be found on the Internet. You can contact manufacturers directly and ask them to provide the number of the nearest official dealer in your region.
Staff
A guarantee of successful operation of a store selling tableware will be the presence of a skillful and competent sales consultant. Your employee must understand the product range and be sociable. After all, people who can advise on a suitable option, orient on the quality of the manufacturer, the purpose, and who know how to cook and set the table, inspire more confidence in the buyer. And the most important thing is that the sellers themselves like the assortment, because only under this condition will they be able to easily convince even the most skeptical client to buy the product offered.
As an entrepreneur, you can take on the responsibilities of an accountant and manager.
Advertising
It is very good if you take care of advertising your business. You can create an online store, order outdoor advertising(it’s good if it’s unusual and memorable), place advertisements in local media, including culinary magazines and newspapers. But you can also rent out utensils for culinary events, and negotiate with chefs conducting master classes to advertise your utensils store.
Don’t forget also about holding various promotions, competitions with prize draws, and consider a system of discounts. Then every person who visits your store at least once will want to become a regular customer.
Factors influencing increased sales
Many changes in society entail an increase in sales of tableware. For example, an increase in the number of weddings, according to statistics, invariably leads to an increase in sales of this type of product.
An increase in sales in the real estate market also leads to a greater need to purchase this type of product: a new apartment with new furniture and, of course, new dishes.
In addition, market development factors in this area are the ever-growing range of tableware and the fashion for exclusive and interesting sets. Fashion dictates a lot, and the color of the plates and their shape may vary depending on the direction. Previously, all plates were equally round, but today there are all sorts of plates: round, square, triangular, oval-shaped, and even in the shape of various figures - for every taste of the buyer. Table setting in our time is an entire art, and restaurants are constantly looking for the most interesting options for tableware sets in order to surprise the client. And if you decide to become the owner of a tableware store, try to take care of the diversity in the assortment and the constant replenishment of the counter with new items.
The way you present your product in store windows and counters also significantly affects the number of sales. For example, the “warehouse” format, which is familiar to sellers, is inconvenient for the buyer.
Experiment with the arrangement, plus you can make several stands designed for specific brands of manufacturers. People should imagine how these dishes will look in their kitchen.
How much money is needed?
Now let's move on to financial side consideration of a business plan for a crockery store, namely a description of what it costs. We will indicate only the basic costs, and you will substitute the values for your region and your product range, the final amount will be different for everyone.
Starting investments:
- cosmetic repairs – from $120 per 1 sq.m.
- purchase of equipment – from $2000
- paperwork – $200
- purchase of assortment of goods – $7000 – $10000
- corporate identity and decor (signboard, business cards) – $250
Monthly investments:
- rent for the premises – from $7 – $10 per 1 sq.m.
- utilities – $20 – $30
- taxes – $120
- salary – from $200 per employee
- advertising – $50
- replenishment of product range – $1500 – $2000
Using this list as a basis, you can adjust it to your requirements and add missing expense items.
How much can you earn?
The average markup on dishes is 25% – 30%.
For example, for plastic products it can reach – 50% – 100%.
Everything will depend on the manufacturer and quality of the product.
The payback period for a business selling tableware is from 1 year.
Conclusions. Opening your own kitchenware store is a profitable niche for entrepreneurs who want, and most importantly, know how to work in competitive environment. Here you will either offer unique products, or a very wide range of goods, or you will charge a lower price. But in any case, it is possible to compete and make a stable profit.
Do you have experience in this niche? We look forward to your feedback below.
Tableware market operators note that for last years consumer preferences have changed: buyers have become more demanding of the quality and design of tableware and kitchen utensils - they want to see in the kitchen beautiful and high quality dishes. The market is constantly changing, following changing tastes, fashion and style, but the rules of successful and effective sales, knowledge and application of which will allow any market operator, be it a large commercial network or a small retail store, keep your customers.
Tableware market, like any market in general, is obliged to take into account differences in the preferences and purchasing abilities of different consumer groups. There will always be a clear price gradation of goods: economy, medium and premium segments. Accordingly, any tableware market operator, first of all, decides for himself a key question: what will his the target audience? In other words, each retailer chooses its own buyer. And the assortment list and price level on the shelves of a particular store will depend on this choice. Secondly, the retailer answers the conceptual question: what should its store look like? This is a question of positioning, a question of design, interior and exterior design, a question of recognition.
At the level of assortment formation retailer determines the percentage of goods in different price categories. As a rule, the lion's share of large format stores (hyper- and supermarkets) falls on products in the mid-price segment; No more than 15-20% of the assortment is allocated to products in the high and low price segments. However, operators that include several networks solve the problem of price differentiation by special positioning of each individual network and its geographical location, taking into account social factors and the solvency of the population. Most operators believe that it is impossible to achieve good profitability from tableware sales in a small area, since this product sells well only if it is presented in a wide range.
Specialized kitchenware stores designed for a narrower category of buyers, offering products in the middle and high price ranges. Often they are exclusive representatives of foreign factories, thanks to which they can offer special - one-piece - goods that no one else has. At the same time, in contrast to the middle and low price segments, where supply exceeds demand, competition in the high price segment is minimal: the buyer of expensive tableware is ready to pay for the product he likes.
Almost all market operators agree: the usual product group a store can be turned into a “cash cow” if three components are present: qualified salespeople (and quality service), a properly selected assortment and well-organized merchandising.
Merchandising, which takes into account the psychology of consumer preferences and motivation for making purchases, helps to create a unique atmosphere, win over the buyer, thereby forming his own special style of the store.
To create the necessary emotional atmosphere in kitchenware stores use special moves calculations. For example, a very positive impact on visitors is the presence of trading floor islands of decorative display - tables, served and decorated as a dining table or as a table for a festive breakfast. In the kitchenware departments, souvenirs are often sold as related products. Display of elegant souvenirs on slides in the center of the hall can create a festive emotional background in the department and help make a purchasing decision. The importance of proper display of products in stores and tableware departments is difficult to overestimate. There are cases when, after changing the design of a storefront, sales increased by 40-200%!
Classically perfect trade equipment For kitchenware stores Simple functional racks and counters with horizontal surfaces are considered. The shelves in such racks are made of glass for tableware or made of chipboard and OSB for kitchen utensils.
Expensive dishes exhibited in glass cases and mirrored slides. Such slides can be rotating with selective lighting. But for kitchen equipment departments, instead of simple horizontal shelves, it is better to use perforated panels on which items are hung - from ladles to frying pans.
Cutlery is displayed in display counters, and cutlery sets are displayed in tall glass racks. Silver and gold-plated devices are more often placed in jewelry counters.
Pans and small kitchen utensils(spoons, spatulas, ladles, etc.) are never displayed in single quantities, but only in several units - from 3 to 10. Such a display is an accumulator (inventory) and at the same time makes the product more attractive, “richer”.
Plates look much more presentable when they are “facing” the buyer, which is possible when using special holders or grids for plates. And cutlery sets are conveniently placed on inclined shelves with a side, which facilitates visibility.
It is also necessary to pay attention to the wide possibilities of using space along the windows of a store or department in a shopping center. Dishes- exactly the product whose display can be easily made attractive from all sides. By installing “transparent” equipment along the showcases, you can get a beautifully and informatively designed showcase and rationally used retail space working inside the trading floor.
(based on materials from the site www.liveretail.ru)
As our level of well-being increases, we begin to think more and more about the household items around us. Let's take dishes, for example. If we used to pay attention to what we eat, now we are often interested in what it comes from.
Plates, pots, jugs, sets, glasses - the assortment is so large that a good housewife gets new dishes quite regularly. Manufacturers are constantly updating model series, and sellers skillfully display new items on easy-to-view shelves, tempting consumers to make new purchases.
Conceptual points of the tableware business
Before deciding to start a business, do a detailed analysis of the tableware market, study the range presented, the price range, and the level of competition. If the final conclusions are in your favor, feel free to move to the top of the tableware business.
You can start with cheap Chinese and Turkish products. But since the main purchasing audience belongs to the middle-income class, it will not be a big risk to look at the range of average prices represented by domestic and Eastern European goods.
As for shape, color, material, trust the opinion of experienced sellers. They advise placing an initial emphasis on traditional white dishes, in which any prepared dish looks great. White color harmonizes well with different colors of tablecloths, napkins, and furniture. There won't be much contrast when using transparent dishes.
As a material, give preference to aesthetic and practical porcelain. Among its advantages, we note high environmental friendliness, excellent thermal conductivity and great consumer interest. Also, white dishes are relevant from an advertising point of view. Notice how many initially white cups, saucers, and plates are transformed into gift items with the help of drawings and inscriptions. And how often the applied logos of companies transform snow-white dishes into corporate ones.
By the way, gift and serving utensils, along with cooking utensils, provide the main income for a china shop.
It is better to purchase goods directly from manufacturers - first domestic, and then, when you “get on your feet,” switch to high-quality imports. Look for foreign partners at international exhibitions. Cooperation with them involves prepayment, but for large volumes a discount of up to 10% is possible. For your first wholesale purchase, plan an amount of up to $80-100 thousand.
Whatever the product - beautiful, affordable, fashionable - you shouldn’t expect big sales if the store is located in an inconspicuous place on the outskirts of the city. The mass consumer loves to go to supermarkets, which are most often located in densely populated and central regions. In such places, try to rent space for a future store.
For a small shop, 60 m² will be enough; for a larger one, designed for several thematic zones, you will need up to 150-200 m². With a monthly cost of 1 m² of about 200 euros, you can “estimate” for yourself how much you will need for rent.
The next “sore spot” for many entrepreneurs is qualified personnel. When looking for sellers for a china shop, we recommend not chasing slender, long-legged girls, but focusing on middle-aged women who know a lot about dishware paraphernalia and are able to convey the benefits of kitchen utensils to customers in an understandable way. Statistics show that it is precisely this type of seller that the average buyer of tableware products trusts the most. Based on working in 2 shifts of 3 consultants, plan an expense item with the salary of each salesperson in the region of $300-400.
And one more criterion that influences the final result of any business is advertising. For a “ware” entrepreneur, an effective and profitable way to promote a product and promote the store itself is the so-called product placement. Nowadays there are many cooking programs and other programs that use dishes in the transfer process. By concluding a “serving” agreement, you either earn “real” money or receive effective advertising that increases sales.
