Discuss the process of getting your t-shirt line into brick and mortar stores and selling offline. Topics include industry tradeshows, events, line sheets, sales reps and other retailing tips and advice.
My partners and I have been in business for 2 1/2 years. We've done t-shirts for local bars, schools and softball organizations. We also take advantage of the local festivals in and around our city. We make some pretty good money selling our designs. We get so many compliments on our work and questions about our location and website. We are currently working out of our garage and about to launch our website in the coming week. Along with a website, we were discussing when it is a good time to rent a store front. I am the worrier and they are ready to just jump in. I would like to know if anyone here has a store front as well as a website? When did you decide to go ahead and take the plunge to get a storefront? Did you have a specific number quota you wanted to hit on the website before making the decision to open a store (assuming you had the website first)? Opening a website is a little less risky than actually opening up a whole store. I have so many questions and not sure that any of them make sense. If anyone here can tell me a little about their experiences that would be greatly appreciated.
Re: Does anyone here have a store front and website?
Quote:
Originally Posted by acmeprinting
My partners and I have been in business for 2 1/2 years. We've done t-shirts for local bars, schools and softball organizations. We also take advantage of the local festivals in and around our city. We make some pretty good money selling our designs. We get so many compliments on our work and questions about our location and website. We are currently working out of our garage and about to launch our website in the coming week. Along with a website, we were discussing when it is a good time to rent a store front. I am the worrier and they are ready to just jump in. I would like to know if anyone here has a store front as well as a website? When did you decide to go ahead and take the plunge to get a storefront? Did you have a specific number quota you wanted to hit on the website before making the decision to open a store (assuming you had the website first)? Opening a website is a little less risky than actually opening up a whole store. I have so many questions and not sure that any of them make sense. If anyone here can tell me a little about their experiences that would be greatly appreciated.
Thank You
Sandy
Have you ever leased a commercial space before? The first thing you need to think about is all of the expenses that come with leased space. Most likely you will be paying NNN, insurance, security, monthly.
Launching a website does not compare to opening a store front. A website may cost $10-$50 a month. A store front can cost $500-$30,000 depending on size & location.
A storefront also requires that you always have someone there, a website doesn't.
We have an office and warehouse + a website. But 99% of our customers are from our website. 1% are walk-ins, BUT they also heard about us from our website first.
I'm surprised you guys went 2 years without a website yet. Sounds like you're doing well.
Re: Does anyone here have a store front and website?
Web site....ebay store....several other numerous ways to market your product to the WHOLE country....lot less than leasing a store front for only the limited,(in comparison), population to the what you can be viewed on the web!
Another thought.....every day that goes by....more an more people shop online! It's just plain ole gotten so easy.....not yet totally carefree....but easy. People are....basically lazy. Dont mean this wrong, but its kinda true.....I can shop with my favorite chocolate milk, in my favorite (enormous) mug, while keeping up with whatever on the TV, answering myspace and emails, in my most favorite torn shirt and shorts, while playing online poker.........ALL AT HOME!!!!!!!!
Not that I DO...but people do...and will, over bothering to get up, drive across town to your store....which by the way wont be open at 11:00 PM, :jeez!"
My advise would be to start web store....build it and they will come! That will afford your local store front if even you will still want one!
Local, County, State, and Fed taxes...lic....employers taxes...filings......been there done that!
HEAD ACHE!
A web store can cost as much as you are willing to spend.....but it doesnt have to cost that! Investigate....SHOP ONLINE.....he he.....couldnt resist that one!
Re: Does anyone here have a store front and website?
Unless your store is in Pier 39 or any tourist belt, great. If not, I would rather pour whatever resources selling ONLINE (website, eBay, social networks, etc.). It's cost-effective, efficient, and doesn't tie you down to one particular place 7 days a week 12 hours a day!
For stores, perhaps you may just want to consign your goods on a 60/40 split. At least he takes care of the rent and other related expenses (and hassles) in running a brick and mortar store.
Re: Does anyone here have a store front and website?
I started doing shows of all kinds. then started a website it did good business. Then I started a store front and then I only found out what a store front can do for you. It's great my sales got so great I had to add workers to keep up with the demand. Here is what I found by asking the customers. They told me that they seen my adds on shirts that I gave away and loged on to the website found what they wanted them came into the store to get the product. Right now my website sales are down from last year by 50% but the store is up almost 85%. It will work fine remember you need to addvertise I give away about 50 t-shirts a month with a new design and my logo on it with website and store address and phone number.
Re: Does anyone here have a store front and website?
We do not have store front for t-shirts but we do for our winery. Should you decide to go storefront you may learn from our mistakes-make sure ingress/egress is easy and more important you are not one of the first- a strip with a couple years under its belt would be good. Lastly give yourself on "out clause" in the lease based on revenue figures--if you do not reach x dollars end of year one or two you can get out of lease.
This is a discussion about Does anyone here have a store front and website? that was posted in the Offline Retail and Tradeshows section of the forums.
Does anyone here have a store front and website? 
Re: Does anyone here have a store front and website? 
