Run a profitable clothing store

Chapter 8 Site Selection Techniques Naming Techniques (1)
Different store locations determine different flow of people, and different flow of people determines the number of people entering the store. These are directly related to whether the clothes can be sold or not, and whether they can make money.At the same time, a unique and creative shop name can often bring very prominent effects.

The importance of store location selection

The tide of people is the tide of money. People who open a store are very particular about their popularity, and only when they are popular can they do business.If the clothing store is located near the station, illuminated night market, entertainment venue, large shopping mall or shopping pedestrian street, it will occupy at least seven points of the advantage.Because the constant flow of people is a niche, there are so many potential customers, as long as the goods sold or the services provided can meet the needs of consumers, there is no fear of poor performance.

However, when choosing a store location, is it better to find a popular place?Not really.Many people have a misunderstanding, that is, the amount of traffic is the only criterion for measuring the quality of a location.It is true that the flow of people is an important factor in determining the success or failure of a business, but it is more important to understand the consumption goals of the flow of people.What you need to study before opening a store is not how many people are there every day, but how many of your "potential customers" or "effective traffic" are among these people.

Before opening a store, it is best to do some "optimal store location selection" work, one of the most important tasks is to measure and analyze the effective flow of people.The practice of a professional site selection company is to send employees to the target place with a stopwatch to measure the traffic flow and make target inquiries. Although it is difficult for ordinary investors to operate, it is necessary to do a general investigation of the flow of people near the site and conduct necessary inquiries. Targeted inquiries are still required.

Generally speaking, good store locations have some common characteristics, these characteristics are:

1. City center area

Such areas are generally commercial centers and downtown areas, with frequent commercial activities and a good business atmosphere.Such a store location is the so-called "land where every inch of land is precious".For the apparel industry, fashion in the city center is updated very quickly. If the flow of goods is slow, the clothes may become outdated before they are sold. This is the disadvantage of opening shops in the city center.

2. High-density residential area
Residential areas are relatively densely populated and have a high population density.There is a mix of consumer classes in these areas, with people of all ages and social classes present.No matter what style or type of clothing is sold, there will be a certain customer base.

3. Areas with convenient transportation
Convenient transportation is the primary condition for consumers to shop.Generally speaking, if there is a bus station near the shop, or a shop that customers can walk for 15 minutes, it is a location worth considering.

4. Areas where there are trips and cities

For optional commodities such as clothing, it will be more conducive to business if they can be concentrated in areas or blocks where peers "cluster together".Because there are many shops operating similar products, customers can have more opportunities to compare and choose here.For example, the Town God's Temple in Shanghai, Xidan and Xinjiekou in Beijing, Jiefangbei in Chongqing, etc., because of the cluster effect, the business is mostly good.

Tips to know when choosing a store location

The following mainly describes the two skills that should be known when choosing a store location:
1. Three-quarters of the length of the pedestrian street is the best berth

Now there is a commercial pedestrian street. You want to choose a clothing store to open a store on this pedestrian street. Which store should you choose?
As we all know, there are two different types of commercial streets. One is that there are various shops on the pedestrian street, which we call "Assorted Pedestrian Street"; Such as a clothing street, a street of small commodities and the like.

If it is a "mixed" pedestrian street, it is best to choose shops near both ends of the pedestrian street.The shops in this location usually have a large traffic flow and active transactions.However, if it is a professional pedestrian street, it is not suitable to choose shops near both ends.Take the clothing street as an example. When a customer wants to buy clothes on the clothing street, he will seldom make a purchase after seeing the first store. If the whole street is full of clothes, the customer will definitely feel better. The clothes you like are at the back, and then go shopping, even if you really have a soft spot for that dress, you will often see the same style in other clothing stores at the back, compare the prices, and then decide where to buy It's not too late, maybe you can cross the price.

But on the other hand, very few people have to wait until the last store after walking the entire pedestrian street to buy.Usually, consumers wait for three-quarters of the walk through the pedestrian street, and they basically have a good idea, have seen all the styles, and the price is relatively clear, and they will make a purchase when they encounter a suitable price.So for professional pedestrian streets, the best berths are three-quarters of the total length of the pedestrian street.

2. When opening a clothing store, you should also pay attention to the orientation of the store door
The orientation of the main entrance of the store has a lot to pay attention to, which is related to the local climate and is affected by factors such as wind direction, sunshine degree, and sunshine time.In northern cities, stores facing northwest are more vulnerable to cold wind, which is not conducive to customers entering the store.In southern cities, stores facing west will be exposed to the sun. If there is no air-conditioning in the store, it will be difficult for customers to enter the store due to the heat in summer. Installing air-conditioning will increase the cost virtually, so we must consider the solution. Arcade buildings or awnings can be set up outside the store, and the ventilation design can be improved in the store to reduce adverse factors.These factors will have a great impact on the store.

From this point of view, it is best to open a clothing store at a corner or crossroad.The location of the corner is often very ideal. They are generally at the intersection of two streets, which can produce a "corner effect".The advantages of the corner location are: it can increase the display area of ​​the window; the flow of people coming and going from the two streets converges here, and there are more passing pedestrians patronizing; more than two entrances can be used to ease the crowding of people.However, since the clothing store is located on two adjacent streets, which side to choose as the main entrance of your clothing store has become a very important issue.The general practice is to choose the side of the street with less traffic flow as the side door.

If the clothing store is located on the front of the Sancha Road, the storefront will be very conspicuous, and it is also considered to be an ideal location for the clothing store.Clothing stores in this favorable position should pay attention to giving full play to their strengths, so that the decoration at the front entrance of the clothing store, store name signs, display windows, etc. must be carefully designed, so as to grasp the customer's consumption psychology and make the store more attractive. Passers-by are attracted to the store.

Operators must also learn to look at problems dialectically. The method is constantly changing. Due to policy changes, urban construction transformation or changes in traffic routes, there are many situations where a certain street has ups and downs. For example, the avenue adjacent to a certain street Due to the addition of guardrails in the middle, the street business on both sides suddenly deteriorated a lot, and the good facade has also become a bad facade.On the contrary, some deserted streets suddenly prospered due to the move-in of public institutions, and bad facades became golden facades.Therefore, when choosing a clothing facade, there must be foresight and foresight.

Some clothing stores that are currently thriving may not last very long due to the demolition required for urban construction.As for some stores that are not very good now, if you can predict that they may become popular due to some factors in the near future, then you will be the first to rent them at a lower price at this time, and it will be profitable whether you sublet them or operate them yourself picture.

Common locations - alleys

It is well known that you need to choose a good store location to open a clothing store. The bustling area is not the only place that can be used as a place to do business. If you want to open a specialty clothing store, opening it in an alley is also a good choice. And it can save a lot of rent, and the business is booming.Therefore, in a first-class location, choosing a second-rate or third-rate location is a strategy for choosing a store location.

To open a shop in an alley, there must be an attractive place with its own unique style.The uniqueness of a small clothing store can be reflected in the fact that the signboard or exterior decoration is eye-catching and unique compared with the surrounding environment; it is reflected in the unique style of the clothing sold; it is characterized in the way of operation and service.In short, if you want to open a clothing store in an alley, you must give people a refreshing feeling, so that the small clothing store you run is different from other similar small clothing stores.Because not all small clothing stores are suitable for opening in alleys, if you want to open a clothing store in an alley, you must have characteristics.

There is a characteristic Miao embroidery small clothing store in Beijing. When you walk into this small clothing store, you will think that it is a museum of Miao objects. There are Miao clothing on the wall, Miao jewelry on the table, and a small There are also some tools specially used for Miao embroidery on the stool, and a few Miao women with their hair curled up pass by the shop from time to time.

This small clothing store is in a winding alley in the city center.Although the alley is small, the inside is not simple. It is a well-known cultural street in Beijing. If you don't know it in advance, it is really difficult to find it.

Not many people come here, but the level is not low.When the store first opened, there was not much commercial atmosphere on this street.But slowly, some architectural design offices and art studios opened. Through the hands of artists, the original factory buildings are now transformed into a strong artistic atmosphere, and the housing prices have also soared.

Such a small specialty store does not need advertisements, nor does it offer discounts, nor can it even bargain.This kind of confidence comes entirely from the products. Even a small embroidered purse is inconspicuous, it is all collected directly from the homes of the Miao people.Moreover, this small clothing store not only sells Miao embroidery clothing, but also provides a special service: holding Miao embroidery classes.Every weekend, in a small clothing store, you can see a few Miao girls teaching Miao embroidery skills, while a few foreigners sit on wooden chairs and thread needles.Now, there are more than 100 students studying here, and these students are naturally customers of the store.

Common location - near the university

Open a clothing store near the school, mainly to serve school students.Opening a clothing store is aimed at "clothes" among the many needs of students for clothing, food, housing, transportation, culture and entertainment, and leisure sports.

The schools mentioned here mainly refer to universities and technical secondary schools, excluding middle and primary schools.There are two types of universities and technical secondary schools, one is located in the city center with convenient transportation, and the other is located in the outskirts of the city with blocked traffic.The former is located in the city center, so the needs of students do not necessarily depend on the surrounding clothing stores.For the latter, most of the needs of students depend on the surrounding clothing stores, which are determined by the students' study and work and rest time.So schools located in the suburbs are a very potential market.Investing in a clothing store here is a stable and profitable investment.It is best to build the store within a few hundred square meters of the school, and it is best to go along the road. Except for winter and summer vacations, the income is relatively stable.

The most important point of operating such a clothing store is that the price should be economical.Although the current consumption level of college students has increased compared with the past, many students rely on their parents to provide financial resources after all.Another point is that the styles must be innovative. Most of the students pursue their own individuality. Only innovative ideas can attract people, but they should not be too flashy.Moreover, most of the current students are star fans, and this factor must be properly taken into account, and the sales may be better.Considering that students also have a great herd mentality, find a few beautiful and delicate girls to be your "endorsements" and become your live advertisements, which will also make your business prosper.

Opening a clothing store near the school, the only risk comes from the winter and summer vacations, which is also the biggest headache for operators.Weigh the pros and cons based on your individual circumstances before making a decision.

Common locations - in the office area

The office area refers to the place where companies are relatively concentrated. When you open a clothing store in these areas, office workers are your main consumers. These people have a higher level of consumption and higher consumption levels, and the age of consumers is not scattered. Generally, they are in their 20s. Young people from the age of 30 to more than [-], so this group of people should be the main target for opening a store.

Office workers have a characteristic. Since they have to go to work in the morning and afternoon, they only have a short break and meal time at noon. Therefore, they will not go far from the office, and there are places for them to eat and rest nearby.Therefore, the clothing store opened should be as close as possible to the office building, so that the customer visit rate will be higher.

Opening a clothing store should be based on the route to work.Everyone at work is in a hurry, coming and going in a hurry, and there is no leisure to go shopping; after get off work, after a busy day, the mood is also relaxed, it is a good choice to invite three or two colleagues to go shopping together, so your clothing store must open On the way to get off work.

Where to open a clothing store in the office area and what type of clothing store to operate needs to be determined after careful investigation.If there are many large state-owned enterprises in the office area, the internal functions are already complete and the service facilities are complete. It is not a good choice to open a store in a place with many state-owned enterprises.If a clothing store is next to a financial institution, it may not be a good thing, because the financial staff who go to the bank are nothing more than handling deposits, loans, and withdrawals. They generally do not want to stay nearby. hang out.It is better if the clothing store is close to a hypermarket, because hypermarkets tend to gather crowds, and the clothing stores around it will naturally benefit.If most of the institutions in the office area are in the insurance and direct selling industries, it is not good to open a clothing store in this area, because most of the personnel are engaged in field work; if the institutions in the area are mainly foreign business and financial industries, the consumption level is high. It is more appropriate to open clothing stores in the region.

A clothing store owner used to have a small shop facing the street, but later she moved the shop into an office building.After moving into the office building, the monthly rent was nearly 5000 yuan, which was 2000 yuan higher than before, not including water and electricity bills, but the environment has changed greatly.In this 80-square-meter place, the decoration costs alone cost more than 5 yuan. There are sofas and carpets, and there are four or five kinds of lamps in various shapes.There are so many expenses to live in a high-rise building, but the shopkeeper thinks it is worth it.She said that when she first entered the office building, she was also worried about the business, but since she started to operate, the business has been better than when it was facing the street.

Moreover, the prices of clothing here are not low. A T-shirt can easily cost five or six hundred yuan, a tube top can cost three or four hundred yuan, and there are quite a few clothes worth nearly a thousand yuan.Although the price is expensive, the shop owner is not worried about the lack of sales. She said that the store basically buys new products every week or so, and the good styles are sold out in two or three days, and the stock is very small.There are already hundreds of regular customers.

In short, in choosing the location of a clothing store, in addition to considering the route to get off work and the distribution of industries in the area, the arrangement of buildings in the area, the extension and distribution of roads, the connection or disconnection of stores, and the direction of crowds should also be considered comprehensively.Moreover, if the store is opened in a place with relatively few people, it can be profitable as long as it can grasp the consumer psychology characteristics of the target audience.

Common locations - in large department stores
The choice to open a store near a large department store clothing store is mainly due to its strong ability to gather customers. We all know that with a turbulent crowd, it is possible to provide more business opportunities.Therefore, there are indeed many opportunities to open a clothing store near a large department store clothing store.

But opening a clothing store near a large department store also has a very big difficulty to overcome, that is to find a suitable storefront.Because the location near a large department store is good and business is easy to do, the good store must have been rented by others, and the possibility of others transferring it is extremely small.Even if there are special reasons that need to be transferred, the price is often frighteningly high.If you are new to the sea, you do not have the conditions to take the lease; if you have relatively strong funds, are good at management, and still have considerable profits to make after taking the lease, you can consider taking the lease.But there is always a solution. If you can’t find a store facing the street or on the ground floor, you can consider setting the store on the second or third floor, or even the basement.

If there is a large department store under construction nearby, you can preemptively occupy the site, and when the department store opens, your clothing store business will also flourish.Before the store rent has risen, occupy the site first.Even if you don't want to open a store in the future, you can choose to rent out the store, so that you can make a steady profit just by transferring the store.

Awareness of "sugar daddy" is indispensable

To some extent, "sugar daddy" can be called "grafting brand strategy", but the "grafting brand strategy" grafts famous brands and market-leading brands. Behind "sugar daddy" is the emphasis on famous brands. A loyal consumer group with a huge number of brands.There has been a long-standing saying of "sugar daddy" when investing in shops and doing business. As an ordinary investor or operator, being next to big businesses such as Carrefour, Wal-Mart, KFC, and McDonald's is a good way to save worry and effort .

1. "Sugar Daddy" Awareness

If you have no idea where to choose, then "sugar daddy" may be a good way to choose a location.That is to open the store near the famous chain store or strong brand store, or even open next to it, and be its neighbor.

In recent years, with the smooth progress of some large projects, many small businesses and investors have been keeping an eye on the small shops in the big projects, ready to hold money for purchase.Among them, small businesses and investors account for a high proportion.In fact, behind the enthusiasm of small and medium-sized investors to enter the market is that the main customers of these large-scale projects are quite "backed", including Wal-Mart, Carrefour, McDonald's, KFC, etc.

2. "Sugar Daddy" location selection
The super popularity of the commercial center has a "radiation" effect. When people go shopping, the nearby roads also have the opportunity to "divert" part of this huge crowd and lead them to their own "fields".For cost considerations, it would be a good choice for the store to be located in these places.Avoid its edge, and use its "deterrence" to make business booming.

(End of this chapter)