How to open a successful thrift store? How to open a thrift store from scratch: expert advice.

Have you ever wondered if it's profitable to open commission shop? And if profitable, how much? Some types of business have more advantages than disadvantages. They can be clearly visible or even invisible - at first glance. However, when detailed analysis market and monitoring the situation, you will definitely find that in the case of a commission, the advantages are clearly evident: there are no difficulties with registering a business and opening a store; big investment to get started, you do not need to search for goods, there are prospects for expansion and development, etc.

Once upon a time, people could find interesting models or rare pieces of clothes, shoes, accessories, furniture and household appliances in commission shops. The era of scarcity has long passed, and in today's age of diversity and flourishing trade, it is quite difficult to surprise buyers. However, commissions do not lose their relevance. Why?

Features and types of business

According to the definition, a thrift store is a retail outlet that sells various second-hand goods (used, that is, not new) at retail.

The scheme of work is carried out as follows. Someone has good things that no longer suit him, and the person wants to sell them. And the other wants to buy such things, counting on a low cost. The commission acts as a kind of intermediary between them.

Your suppliers of goods will be people (consignors) who will bring their things to the commission. You set the percentage that your store will receive upon sale (for a certain type of product or based on its value). If the proposed thing hangs longer than the period you agreed on and is not for sale, then the owner will have to pick it up or pay you a penalty (for storage).

Possible activities

Types of thrift stores depend on the nature and range of goods that they sell. Before starting a thrift store from scratch, you should consider what you would like to specialize in. There are plenty of options:

small or large household appliances;
electronics;
mobile phones, tablets, laptops and other gadgets with all accessories;
articles made of precious metals / bijouterie;
furniture;
household items:
books;
antiques and art objects;
wedding dresses and accessories;
vehicles;
children's clothing, footwear and other goods;
adult clothes, shoes and other goods.

As you can see, the choice is very rich. However, it is important to take into account the demand and possibilities of the population. Benefits from many species can only be significant if there are a range of favorable conditions. In addition, in some cases, you will have to turn to experts for an assessment or hire your own specialists.

In the store, you can trade for cash, or you can - by bank transfer. There are also installment or loan options.

If we take into account the very specifics of the activity, then commissions can be divided into several forms of trade.

You only sell second-hand items (like in a second-hand store).
Trade in new things, but discounted for some reason.
Mixed form (in the store there may be things that were in use, and a new confiscated item, and some commodity leftovers from manufacturers).
There is also separate view activities of commissions specializing in charity. This form of project is very specific. The state provides benefits for taxation and doing business.

A distinctive advantageous feature of commission trading is the ability not to be afraid of crises, because in a precarious financial situation, people will not miss the opportunity to buy something cheaper, while others also make money on deposits in their closet.

Where to begin?

Initially, you will have to decide on the specifics of your activity, choosing the form and type of trade and mediation. Experts say that a thrift store is a great business option even for people far from trade and entrepreneurship, for example, for mothers on maternity leave. Moreover, today it is quite expensive to raise a child: things become small very quickly, but do not wear out, new needs constantly arise, which can be extremely difficult to satisfy even for people with average incomes. Therefore, if you have a social circle with young parents or you yourself are puzzled every day about where to put a pile of unnecessary things and what to buy new ones for, think about the project idea: how to open a commission store for children's goods.

This option is very profitable and is in great demand almost everywhere and always, unlike, for example, antiques, household appliances or other specific products that require a good understanding and take into account a huge number of nuances. Moreover, highly specialized stores are designed for a very limited circle. target audience. From this it follows that, if possible, it is worth expanding the range and mastering other forms of trade in order to cover more client interests.

The prospect of development and expansion for a children's clothing and footwear store may be the addition of stock or inexpensive related products (hygiene products, toys, accessories, vehicles, etc.). You can simply sell them at prices that will be lower than in regular stores. This will help you attract more customers.

Despite the ease of organizing a business, a clear action plan still does not hurt:

find out if there are commissions in your city: study all the specifics of their work (with what and how they work, what percentage they take, how many visitors they have and how many sales, etc.);
having decided on the demand and choosing the type of activity for yourself, register a business;
pick up suitable premises, make repairs there if necessary, or simply equip it to get started;
think over how you will evaluate and accept the goods, what conditions you will prescribe in the contract and other important issues;
conduct an advertisement so that both potential buyers and potential consignors know about you;
select staff and, having received the first things for a commission, you can start working.

So, the idea is there, the desire to work is also there, which means that you can start implementing the business plan.

Legal registration

To start a full and legal entrepreneurial activity you will need to register your business with the tax office. Before opening a thrift store that will simply trade with individuals in cash, you will need to issue (IP). If you plan to work on a cashless basis, you plan to cooperate with legal entities(wholesale, stock, sale of illiquid goods from other stores and enterprises) or you want to create a whole network of such retail and intermediary points, you will have to.

Having decided and registered the form of business, select the form of taxation ( or ). Pay the state duty.
Next, you will need to open a bank account and order the production of a seal.
Then get a certificate from Rosstat on the issuance of statistics codes and indicate the codes for the types of activities.
You will have to coordinate the selected premises with the Fire Supervision, SES and utilities (district government). The inspectors must issue you a work permit. You need to have a BTI passport or an agreement (rent, purchase and sale) for the premises. With utilities or other organizations, you will also have to conclude contracts for the provision of various services (garbage removal, cleaning of the territory, energy supply, heating, water supply).
The range of goods that you are going to trade will need to be agreed with the State Sanitary and Epidemiological Supervision.
For outdoor advertising or signage, you will also need to obtain permission.
Learn and get started special system accounting for all contracts and invoices in accordance with the recognized "Rules of Commission Trade".
Experts advise developing and registering your own trademark.

You, as the owner of the enterprise, will conclude an agreement with each consignor. Typically, the terms of the proposed sale range from one to three months, but you can set more. The owner of the items himself sets the price for them, however, you can recommend something to him or advise him based on the experience of trading. Your percentage is calculated on the cost of the goods and can range from 20 to 50%. The contract must contain the following clauses:

the accepted thing meets all the necessary sanitary standards;
details and passport data of the owner;
the duration of the contract;
the conditions under which the goods were accepted and will be returned;
the amount of the item for sale, possible markdown, commission for the store;
the presence of defects or marriage, their description, the degree of wear;
for clothes - a receipt from dry cleaning, for appliances or other items that need certification and other documents - the relevant documentation, etc.

Accounting can be kept simply in a journal or in a specialized computer program developed according to the 1C principle. You will also need to prepare forms of contracts and acts.

Store location

Initially, you should not immediately buy or rent a large expensive room in the city center. So you, most likely, will work at a loss for a long time, if you do not burn out at all. A thrift store does not require incredible space or unthinkable repairs: everything can be extremely modest, but at the same time cozy and cute.

To save on rent, you can also open in a densely populated residential area. The best place for a shop is a non-residential apartment on the ground floor (the premises should belong to the non-residential fund!). You can also look for a vacated office so as not to bother with collecting signatures from the neighbors of an apartment building or contracts with the Housing Office.

As for the area, the same a large number of space will be required for a furniture commission shop, while it is possible to open a commission clothing store for 50-60 square meters. m. Of course, to accommodate a universal outlet with a large assortment of various goods and 150-200 sq. m will not be enough. In a word, proceed from your desires and possibilities.

According to the specifics of the commission, there is no warehouse in such a store, that is, all the goods that are available are displayed on the trading floor. However, you will still need a utility room.

Arrangement of premises and purchase of equipment

The consignment store does not need designer renovation. All you need is a bright design, cleanliness and good ventilation in the room. It won't incur any special costs. Some get creative and try to stylize the store in a retro way, equipping and furnishing it with old vintage items.

Trade equipment, like the area, depends on what you are going to trade. You may need:

a table (according to the "reception" principle) - on it it will be possible to spread out and examine things;
racks to enclose fitting room areas, curtains or screens;
mirrors and mirror panels;
showcases and racks;
hung up (special mobile hangers on wheels that can be transported from place to place);
ordinary stands with hangers;
mannequins;
shelves or brackets;
cash register;
counter for the seller, a chair, the necessary office equipment.

Equipment may seem like the most expensive item, but you can also save money on it. Check out the sales of closing stores or boutiques, use used furniture, etc.

Personnel and organization of work

At first, you may not need sellers if you can handle everything yourself. Later, you can hire a hall administrator, a goods receiver (or an appraiser), a security guard - if possible. Accounting can be mastered by yourself or entrusted to outsourcing companies.

You can purchase the first batch of goods from suppliers (in wholesale stores that supply illiquid or confiscated goods, in flea markets, in second-hand stores, etc.). This measure is necessary in order not to meet visitors with empty shelves. Then your advertising and word of mouth will work.

A massive advertising campaign will require a lot of money, so just place ads in various free publications, print flyers and business cards and distribute them at least in your area (think of some kind of promotional discount for the owners of your advertising or bonus when buying). Keep contacts of your customers to inform them about new products, ongoing promotions or other events.

A very good additional tool would be to create a virtual store: create a website, place photos and descriptions of goods there, constantly fill it up and add an assortment. Social networks and forums are also great platforms for advertising.

Develop your own work rules: for example, do not accept things in poor condition (after all, you have to put them in order), do not set exorbitant prices, set clear exact hours for receiving new goods, etc.

conclusions

According to experts, the profitability of such a business can reach 15%. But it is beneficial because of the small initial investment and quick payback. In addition, the commission format is more in demand among people than just a second-hand store or a stock that sells cheap consumer goods.

Approximate costs (prices are in rubles)

As you can see, you can meet even 300,000 rubles. The amount may be higher, depending on the scale and direction of your activity, rented area, city and other factors. If your store is located in good location, you regularly conduct an advertising campaign, work efficiently and accurately, attracting more and more new customers and developing, then your initial expenses can pay off in six months. The maximum payback period for such a business is one and a half to two years.

Own small business, hassle-free and minimum investment Isn't that every employee's dream? But, of course, this does not happen: in order to make a profit, you need to be not only seven spans in the forehead, be quite active and be able to hire smart people, but also find your niche and initial capital. Perhaps everyone wanted to hand over unnecessary things to a thrift store. Find out how to make good money from it.

Options on how to start your own business, but at the same time get by minimum expenses, not so much. And one of them is the organization of a commission. You should not believe that this business is super-profitable, as well as the fact that it will certainly pay off and that this will happen quickly. It is a myth. But under certain conditions, you will still be able to earn yourself not only a piece of bread, but also a decent level of existence with a couple of vacations in paradise planets where “All Inclusive” is the norm.

According to their specifics, commission stores can be divided into several types:

sale of used items (by type of second-hand);
sale of new, but discounted items;
mixed trade (including new things, confiscation, commodity leftovers from manufacturers, and so on).

According to the direction of trade, commissions for trade are distinguished:

household items (dishes, etc.);
consignment clothing store;
furniture;
household appliances;
weapons;
vehicles;
jewelry;
antiques and art objects;
mixed goods;
children's consignment stores.

By type of payment:

trading for cash;
sale of goods for cashless payments;
implementation by installments or on credit.

Where is the best place to set up a thrift store?

Selling through thrift stores is special kind trade. Most often, when making a purchase, a person prefers to do it defiantly, enjoying the process itself and the slight envy of others. So the shops should be visible. But it is better to locate a commission shop not far from residential areas, where people have, on average, a lower level of income, but still not far from any transport hub.

Terms and Conditions of Thrift Stores

All the trading rules that the owner of the commission should be guided by are set out in Decree of the Government of the Russian Federation No. 569. All the features that relate to the acceptance of goods, transfer of ownership, insurance, mandatory accompanying documentation and other things are described here. It also outlines what needs to be done if defects are found in the goods accepted for commission, and what if the marriage was opened later, when you need to put everything accepted on the trading floor, and what responsibility the committent (the one who delivered the goods to you) bears if The item being sold has some significant flaws.

How much can you earn?

Is it profitable to open a thrift store? The question of the income of this business is very slippery. This is not a restaurant for which you can calculate the average check value at a nearby catering point and evaluate the consumer audience. Will have to come from a large number assumptions.

It can be assumed that you will select goods very carefully, and in the end you will sell about 25% of the products that you accept. Let's say you sell clothes, shoes and small items everyday life - dishes, decor elements and more. Again, let's assume that you can place $100 worth of goods per 1 square meter. If your store has a trading floor (do not forget about the need for a utility room and a warehouse) with an area of 50m², then, respectively:

You can accept goods for 50m²*100$=5000$. You will sell $5000*25% per $1250 per month.

The amount of the commission depends on the value of the goods you accept. Most often, for goods up to 1000 rubles, a commission of 30-50% of the cost requested by the committent is set. If the product costs about 5-10 thousand, then the rate is reduced to 25-15%, and so on. If you have your own parking lot, where you list used cars that belong to other people, but are accepted for commission, then the rate can be quite small - less than 5%.

Let's make the assumption that you sold goods for which you set a commission of 25%. Accordingly, your dirty profit: $1250*25%=$312.5.

However, this profit is not yet net income. From here you also need to deduct rent, staff salaries, taxes, contributions to social funds. Obviously, things may not be as rosy as they seem at first, even if you're trying to work alone. So, in order not to burn out, you need to estimate the threshold of profitability.

Store business plan

The business plan for a thrift store is a near-impossible task because, as mentioned, there are too many assumptions to make. Even trading is not very predictable, and commission sales are even less. But, nevertheless, you need to draw up something like a plan and, most importantly, conduct reconnaissance.

Intelligence will consist of trying to understand what the sales volume of your competitors is. You can find an area similar to yours and regularly visit a store similar to yours. Track what they buy, what is the box office for the week. At the same time, you will find out which assortment is better to choose and what days / hours the trade is more active. This way you can tailor your store to the needs of your customers. Indeed, in life it often happens the other way around: by 18-00 working people begin to accumulate at transport transshipment points, and decide to go through the surrounding shops, but they are closed! Try to avoid this.

In your exemplary financial plan should include the following:

initial investment. Documentation, purchase/manufacturing/rental costs commercial equipment, its transportation.
Mandatory expenses per month. These are rent, utility bills, taxes, wages to employees.
Approximate revenue.
Mark-up level and approximate profit (turnover multiplied by mark-up percentage minus expenses = income).
Threshold of profitability. That is, how much money you have to go through the cash desk so that you can pay all the mandatory payments and stay in the red.
Payback period for the initial investment. If you have calculated that you will be in the black if you have the same revenue as a competitor close in terms of trading scale, you can estimate how many months your commission will pay off.

If everything you have painted inspires you with bright prospects, you can proceed to the search for investors or simply to the execution of the necessary papers. Believe me, investors are usually not interested in lengthy arguments about the upcoming rise of your segment of the economy. The numbers are the most important argument.

Registration and documents for a thrift store

Before you start designing a store, you need to think about whether you want to work with organizations or only private traders are enough for you as consignors. It will depend on whether you form an LLC or conduct your business as an individual entrepreneur. Both organizational and legal forms have their advantages. Consider the features of working as an individual entrepreneur:

It is easier for individual entrepreneurs to prepare reports;
for individual entrepreneurs, lower tax rates;
for individual entrepreneurs it is easier to calculate the threshold of profitability;
far from all organizations want to cooperate with individual entrepreneurs due to difficulties in accounting;
It is more difficult for an individual entrepreneur to agree with a bank in order to cooperate on.

Trading consignments is an ideal option for aspiring entrepreneurs who do not have the start-up capital on hand to start their own business. People bring things themselves, so you don’t have to spend money on buying goods, as is the case with. If the clothes hang longer than the prescribed period and are not sold, the person who handed them over pays a penalty. You will learn how to open a thrift store for children's goods in this article.

Activity registration

Before you open a children's thrift store, you need to draw up documents as individual entrepreneur or open an LLC. It is much more profitable to register an individual entrepreneur, since in this case you can choose a simplified taxation system. It should be noted that the commission store for children's things is a promising and profitable business, therefore, to prevent all risks, you can open an LLC. You will spend no more than 6 thousand rubles on registration.

You will also need a cash register to trade. It must be registered with the tax office.

Shop space

To get started, it is not necessary to immediately rent a room. You can open a consignment online store for children's goods, but in this case you will have to meet with customers to accept the goods or transfer the purchase. This is a temporary inconvenience. If the business goes well, you can start choosing a room.

Don't rent right away large areas because for a novice entrepreneur it is too expensive. In addition, in a small room it is easier to create comfortable conditions for customers.

Location

It is desirable that the children's clothing thrift store is located near transport stops or in some passable place. This will attract the attention of a large number of people, your potential buyers.

Conditions for accepting goods for commission

Before opening a thrift store for children's clothing, read the rules of the trade. Do not forget that between you and the committent you need to conclude an agreement. You do not have to obtain a special permit to trade, as this is not provided for by law.

Here is a basic list of rules that must be strictly observed:

Only quality items that are in good condition are accepted for commission. The owner has the right not to accept things for a commission without explaining the reasons;
Prices for used items should not exceed 50% of the real value;
Money for sold items is paid on the third day after the purchase;
If the clothes are not sold within 20 days from the moment, the store has the right to lower the price by 20%;
It happens that for some reason the clothes do not suit the buyers. You can return it within 2 days. Weekend and holidays are not taken into account;
The entrepreneur is responsible for the things accepted for commission. In case of their loss, he must pay 100% of their value;
Clothing that has not been sold within 90 days must be picked up by the committent, otherwise it will be written off.

Staff

Customer service needs to be staffed. Divide the trading area into two zones - for the acceptance of things and for sale. It is impossible to admit that people who want to hand over things to a thrift store and buyers stood in the same line. Since the acceptance procedure takes a lot of time, customers standing in line become nervous and leave without a purchase.

For work you will have to hire three people. One is engaged in the reception of clothes and paperwork, the second is directly in sales, and the third hangs the items received in the hall. Employees can help each other if necessary.

We form an assortment

When compiling a business plan for a thrift store for children's goods, you should consider additional ways earnings. To improve trading, you should combine things taken on commission with children's. In addition, the range can be expanded with high-quality European stock. Before you open a children's thrift store from scratch, you need to fill it at least half with goods.

The range should include:

Shoes;
Cloth;
Strollers;
Walkers;
Tables for feeding and more;

Equipment

Inexpensive equipment and furniture can be found through advertisements in the media or on the Internet. You need to purchase shelves and racks for hanging clothes. In addition, you should equip a couple of rooms for fitting. To do this, you need to buy mirrors, rugs and curtains. Racks and racks with things should be placed around the entire perimeter. Thanks to this, the buyer will be able to see clothes or shoes without any problems.

Expenses and income

If you are interested in a thrift store as a business, first of all, you need to calculate all the costs:

Rent of retail space - about 15,000 rubles (depending on the city, location, renovation of the premises);
Equipment - about 25,000 rubles;
Salary - about 24,000 rubles (depends on the average wages in a particular region)
Advertising campaign - from 10,000 rubles;
The cost of registering an enterprise is 15,000 rubles.

In addition, keep in mind that you will also have to pay taxes and utility bills (electricity, heating).

You don't need a big business to start a commission business. start-up capital. To significantly reduce the initial investment, you can at first, as mentioned above, open your website on the Internet and work independently.

Now let's try to figure out whether it is profitable to open a commission store for children's goods? From the total turnover you will receive 15% of income. If the daily revenue is about 20 thousand rubles, for a month of trading you will earn about 45 thousand rubles. These are good numbers for a small retail outlet.

Promotion and advertising

To advertise trade on the Internet, you should use standard methods of promotion. In addition, clothes can be promoted on social networks or on forums for new mothers. For an ordinary trading enterprise, the most effective advertising move is word of mouth. But for this method to work, you need to earn the trust of customers.

One more effective method are flyers. They can be distributed in children's clinics and other institutions, as well as distributed by mailboxes in residential buildings. It is desirable that the presence of a leaflet allows the buyer to receive a small discount on the purchase.

How to increase business profitability?

To achieve good results, follow these simple tips:

Promote your products actively. You can advertise on television on a local channel or put up ads at the entrances and at bus stops;
Sell things online. Conduct online trading in parallel. This will bring you additional income;
Auctions. Clothing, shoes and toys can be sold through your website at auctions;
Look for suppliers. To ensure that the shelves in the store are constantly filled, put things on the trading floor immediately after they have been handed over for a commission. They shouldn't gather dust in a warehouse;
Trade on credit. Arrange with the bank about lending for purchases in your consignment shop. It is not easy to do this, but it is quite possible.

Trade has always been and remains one of the most income types commercial activities. When organizing production, production lines are needed, expendable materials, workshops, many workers and more. And to start trading, you only need a platform - a kiosk, a store or a place in the market and goods. The main difficulty of such a business is the development of the concept, the choice of goods and the ability to provide a stable flow of customers.

Thrift store business plan: how relevant is it today?

Help from the Encyclopedia: “A thrift store is commercial enterprise dealing with the sale of used items. It differs from second-hand stores in that the goods for sale do not come from wholesale warehouses, but from individuals who hand them over for a commission (monetary value) and receive payment after the sale.

Market research of several recent years show that the interest of the population in commission stores is constantly growing. This is confirmed by the fact that the number of outlets increases both in the capital and in other major cities Russia.

Commission trade flourished in the days of Soviet Union. At that time, it was the center of second-hand, but often high-quality and scarce, and sometimes having artistic value, things. Goods in commission shops were sold at high prices, and the buyers in them were often wealthy people. Now it's a completely different matter. Thrift stores are attracted primarily by their democratic prices and a wide range of essential goods: clothes, shoes, dishes, household appliances, etc.

People have always had a desire to save money, to buy something at a discount. Everyone who is looking for an inexpensive refrigerator (for the country house), branded clothes (albeit from last year's collection) or an iPhone at half price is your potential customers.

Start off own business commission trading with the lowest costs and minimal investment risk is profitable right now - at the time of the economic downturn in the country. Experts are sure that demand in this retail segment still exceeds supply, and in the near future it will only increase.

Scheme of work of commission stores

The scheme of operation of the used goods trade enterprise is simple and transparent. The goal of the owner is to sell someone else's goods and receive a certain percentage of the sale for this.

Individuals who provide goods for sale in commission stores are called consignors. The usual scheme practiced by commission owners is to place goods on a showcase on certain period(from a month to three or more). If during this period the product remains on the shelf, it is returned to the owner (sometimes a storage fee is charged - from 3 to 5 percent, at the request of the store owner). If the goods are sold, the committent fills out a special contract form, which refers to the transfer of ownership of the buyer to this product.

Your task, as the owner of the trade organization acting as an intermediary in the transaction, is to monitor compliance with the obligations of both parties. In order to avoid unforeseen situations, lawyers advise that each transaction of sale and purchase must be recorded on paper with the signatures of the parties. Forms of contracts must be prepared in advance by you in sufficient quantities. Of course, they require a qualified lawyer to draft them.

In the used goods trade, there is usually such a scheme for charging commissions: the more expensive the item, the lower the percentage of the store. For example, when selling a mink coat for 50 thousand rubles. your share from the sale can be 10% (5 thousand), and when selling a coat or jacket for 1 thousand rubles. - up to 30% commission (330 rubles). Thus, you have a commercial interest in selling different things - both expensive and cheap. The turnover in the low price segment is faster, and the percentage of profit is higher, but for the sale of one expensive item, you can immediately get a significant amount.

Certainly, interest rate the store owner can set at his own discretion (as an option - a single one for all goods). But marketers recommend using the aforementioned commission system, since it has proven itself best in the field of commission trading.

Choosing a specialization for selling used goods

From right choice the concept of the future store largely depends on the success of the future enterprise. Exists several popular formats:

How to open a consignment clothing store? Range clothing market very wide - this is the opening of commission stores for children's goods, everyday women's and menswear, children's goods, footwear.
Technology store. Offer your customers used mobile phones, TVs, laptops, any household appliances- from irons to washing machines. These are everyday goods that break down quite often, and not everyone can buy new ones. In this case, for transportation oversized cargo you may need transportation.
Jewelry or antique thrift store. In such exquisite shops they sell antique furniture, rare books, paintings, figurines, dishes, watches, jewelry. The range of visitors to these outlets is very limited.
Branded store. They can be engaged in the sale of both used goods and new ones, which for some reason did not suit the former owners.
Furniture store. When moving to another place of residence, it is sometimes more profitable to rent furniture good quality in a commission than to pay for its transportation. In this case, a thrift store is just a godsend.
Cars. Such a business will require large retail space with an adjacent area for the exhibition of cars in front of the store.
The “Thousand Little Things” format combines several areas at once: clothes, goods for children, appliances, household utensils, CDs, books, interior items – all this can quite peacefully “get along” on neighboring shelves. Most effective option business.
Sale of children's used clothes and toys. How to open a children's thrift store is not an easy task. But quite real.

Sometimes entrepreneurs open a clothing store and then, with favorable circumstances, expand the business by adding other departments.

Room selection

Consider in which area of the city your store should be located. Rent in the center can be much more expensive than in any of the outlying areas. In what part of the city do most of the people in your target audience live? Do not forget that these are mostly people with below average incomes: pensioners, students, young mothers on maternity leave. Perhaps, in densely populated sleeping areas, trade will be more lively than in respectable central ones. It's great if your commission is located next to grocery store, school, clinic, public transport stop.

There are few requirements for the rented premises. Its area should be from 15 to 30 or more m2, depending on the specifics of the product. If you are going to sell furniture, then 200 m2 may not be enough. There are usually no warehouses in commission stores - all goods are displayed on the showcases of the trading floor. But a small utility room, of course, will be needed.

Business registration

In order to open a thrift store from scratch, you need:

Register an individual entrepreneur or LLC in the tax office. If you plan to cooperate not only with individuals, but also with legal entities (for example, manufacturers selling illiquid products), you will need to register an LLC. The basic system applied to this form of business will be the most beneficial for you.
Indicate clause 52.5 as the main OKVED code (retail trade in second-hand goods in a store).
Register with PF.
Receive permits for trading activities in the local administration.
Get permission from the State Fire Supervision Authority and Rospotrebnadzor.
Sign a lease agreement.

Selling used items: how to start?

Use any means available to you to promote your business, because advertising is the engine of commerce. A great idea would be to open an online store in parallel, which will enable your business to master the network space, convey information to a wide audience and form the backbone of regular suppliers and customers. Create a small business card site - the costs are minimal, and the benefits can be very tangible.

Organize outdoor advertising in the area where the store is located. It is desirable that the ads were with colorful, attention-grabbing photographs. It can be other printed products - booklets, postcards. Be sure to advertise in the newspaper, on local television. The main thing is to tell potential buyers about all the benefits of purchasing goods from you.

Initially, the prices in the store should be minimal, and the quality - only excellent. And then good news Word of mouth will spread around the area about the appearance of your wonderful store, and you will only have to watch the incoming flow of visitors with pleasure.

Business Costs (Consignment Store)

Your start-up costs will be relatively low - this is one of the important positive aspects of this business. Let's highlight the main points, taking for example some averaged data:

rent of retail space (from 20 m2, on average - 1000 rubles per m2) will be from 20 thousand rubles. per month;
equipment: shelves, hangers, racks, showcases, mannequins (you can buy all this from your hands) - no more than 40 thousand rubles;
salary to the seller - from 15 thousand rubles. per month;
advertising - it can be completely free (for example, in a newspaper of free ads) or cost fabulous money. Here it is very difficult to make calculations;
preparation of necessary forms and documents. It all depends on the price of a specialist who will deal with your forms (1000 rubles for each - this is the minimum price).

Is it profitable to open a thrift store?

The unanimous opinion of marketing and financial experts is that the number of consignment stores will only grow in the near future. The popularity of inexpensive second-hand goods is not afraid of crisis phenomena, because in difficult times their demand is only increasing. Big plus this type of activity is the absence of risks: there is no need to make bulk purchases of goods, which, in case of instability in consumer demand, can become a dead weight.

To carry out a detailed calculation of the expected profit, you need to know the approximate amount of the store's daily check. For example, it is equal to 10,000 rubles. (this is a very modest figure). In this case, the owner's net profit may be 20% of this amount, or 2 thousand rubles. We consider: the monthly profit from the enterprise is about 60 thousand rubles, the annual profit is 720 thousand. From here, subtract the amount of monthly expenses - 35 thousand rubles. and get 25 thousand net profit per month and 300 thousand per year.

If you initially spent about 60-70 thousand rubles on the purchase of equipment and legal services, then you will cover your costs very quickly, in a maximum of 4 months (we will add a little for unforeseen expenses). This is a very good indicator, indicating a high return on business. Not every business starts to make a net profit after such a short time.

On the opening day of the store, visitors should not be greeted with empty shelves, even if you have not had time to establish a sufficient number of contacts with consignors. If there is no other way out, buy the first batch of goods in stock or second-hand in bulk;
rent a room that is commensurate with your needs: a large half-empty hall is not only expensive, but also uncomfortable for buyers;
if you manage to find a room that used to house a department store, this will be an ideal option. This will reduce the cost of repairs, and possibly some of the equipment;
Distribute flyers advertising the store to mailboxes. Promise discounts to presenters: it is more likely that they will still look into your store;
The “golden” rule of pricing for used goods is no more than 50% of the cost of new ones. Do not sell overpriced items that no one is likely to buy.

Starting any business is always difficult and unpredictable. Try to make the most favorable impression of you for everyone - both for consignors and clients - and then success will not keep you waiting. Good luck!

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