How to open a gift shop: a business plan for a promising business. Souvenir business: how to open an online store of original things. Business plan: gift shop

In the article, we’ll look at how to please a sophisticated Frenchman, and how to please a Russian tourist, how not to go wrong with markups on key rings and nesting dolls, how a souvenir shop can keep prices affordable, how to protect yourself from thieves and clumsy tourists, and whether it makes sense to cooperate with travel agencies.

If you are considering souvenirs as a business idea, our article, in which practitioners share sales secrets in this area, will be very useful.

Where is it profitable to sell souvenirs?

Denis Roslyakov,

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When opening a store on Old Arbat, you can be sure that there will be no end to customers. Everyone considers it their duty to walk the Arbat from beginning to end. We have many buyers from abroad, so some of our souvenirs represent the capital, others represent the whole country.

• Moscow- these are magnets, souvenir plates, cups with views of the city: St. Basil's Cathedral, the Cathedral of Christ the Savior, the Kremlin.
• Everything else represents Russia- nesting dolls, boxes, carved chess sets, Pavlovo Posad shawls, enamel - enamel painting. For sale: Palekh (the most famous school of masters), Fedoskino, Kholui, Mstera, Gzhel, Khokhloma. Kaliningrad amber is also taken as a souvenir from Russia.

We also have the following popular souvenirs among tourists.

• Souvenirs with a Soviet theme. Now they are doing worse than 10 years ago. Fur hats, caps, belts, and lighters with military symbols are a good choice.
• Vodka. We specifically received a license to sell alcohol in order to be able to sell souvenir vodka. There are standard containers - 0.5 or 0.7 liters, and small ones - 100 ml, which are rarely seen in regular stores. We always tell foreign tourists that the drink must be cooled before drinking.
• Black caviar- only certified, which can be transported across the border. Caviar without special markings (this is what is sold in grocery stores) will not pass customs. But even such caviar and vodka have restrictions - 250 g of caviar and 2 liters of vodka per person can be exported from Russia. Vodka and caviar are often bought in pairs, so they are placed side by side.
• Russian chocolate- chocolate sets with images of nesting dolls and views of Moscow on each wrapper. Such souvenir chocolate is in demand, it is very convenient - a person can bring it to work and give chocolate to colleagues.

• How to create an all-season product that suits all customers

Natalya Kulakova,

We try to choose the most popular goods, known abroad, we do not have rare folk crafts - such as, for example, Severodvinsk painting.

Although Petrovka Street is the very center of Moscow, our store is located in the courtyard, so tourists who just walk along the streets and don’t know anything about it don’t come to us. Our visitors are those who found information on the Internet or learned about the store from friends. We also sell Russian folk crafts:

• Gzhel;
• embroidery;
• caskets;
• Khokhloma;
• nesting dolls;
• Pavlovo shawls;
• Lomonosov porcelain, including dishes with a cobalt mesh pattern;
• Zhostovo trays;
• Orenburg down shawls and scarves;
• lacquer miniature;
• Bogorodskaya toy;
• amber products;
• samovars (electric).

We do not have souvenirs that are not related to folk crafts - vodka, caviar, products with a Soviet theme. Since the store is not a tourist store, they are not in demand.

Zhostovo trays and nesting dolls are perhaps the best-selling products. The two main groups that bring the most profit are Pavlovo Posad shawls and Lomonosov porcelain. Matryoshka dolls are bought all year round. They say that everyone is tired of them, but this is not true, they will always be bought.

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What souvenirs to sell to different categories of audience

Denis Roslyakov, store administrator "Ivan Tsarevich"

Arbat is traditionally a souvenir street. The trading season lasts all summer, also covering May and September, at which time both our and foreign tourists visit the capital.

In October, sales decline, and in November there are almost no buyers. Then there is an influx of tourists immediately after the New Year, at Christmas and Easter. But in general, in winter there are very few buyers in souvenir shops - and not only in Russia, after all, the tourist season is summer. In winter, if there are any visitors, they are Muscovites - they come to take something as a gift for business partners and friends.

Most summer tourists from Europe:

• Italians,
• Spaniards,
• French.

There are also quite a lot of Chinese. There are slightly fewer tourists from Japan, but they regularly visit Moscow. The tourist flow was also affected by the abolition of the visa regime with Brazil, Argentina and Chile - tourists from Latin America began to come, although previously there were almost none.

English is essential for this job, especially in the summer when groups of tourists come to the store. You also need to know some phrases in Italian and Spanish and understand what they are asking you about. Naturally, you will not talk about literature, but about trade: numbers, products, quality, discounts. It would be great to speak Chinese, but sellers on Arbat most often limit themselves to the phrases “hello” and “halve prices.” Our employees all speak English, I speak French quite well, one salesperson speaks Turkish and one speaks Arabic.

Now I’ll tell you about the preferences of tourists from different countries.

• The Chinese are partial to nesting dolls and sometimes buy imitation Faberge eggs and amber jewelry.
• Italians take nesting dolls, Pavlovo Posad scarves, amber, and wooden Easter eggs.
• Americans, Australians, and Brazilians can buy anything they want, they don’t have any special preferences.
• The French also take almost everything, but highlight Zhostovo trays. Apart from the French, almost no one buys them. They also buy Khokhloma more often than others; in their country these products are known and loved.
• Russian tourists buy souvenirs with views of Moscow, keychains, and other small souvenirs - mirrors, bells, souvenir spoons, pens, pencils, magnets, and sometimes inexpensive nesting dolls.

Natalya Kulakova, owner of Santa LLC (Russian Souvenirs store)

Peak sales occur in December. In March there is a slight increase in connection with International Women's Day, but if previously 20 teapots or trays were bought for the whole team, now there are more individual gifts. In January and May, sales levels are low. There are long weekends in May, and many people travel out of town. Let me tell you about our customers:

Employees of nearby government agencies come - the Federal Tax Service, the Ministry of Health, the Moscow government. Some people need to buy something as a gift for work, others for personal use. Long years they came from the Moscow mayor's office, from the bank located next door, and bought porcelain coffee cups for the reception areas.

• People come who need to buy a gift. Most often they find us through the Internet and are attracted by low prices.
• Enough regular customers who come for products of Russian folk crafts - the sellers already know them.
• There are also those who are going on a trip, for example, a group of schoolchildren is going abroad, and they buy souvenirs to give as souvenirs to new friends. Usually these are some small things, but 10–20 pieces each - magnets, pens, key rings.
• There are also many buyers living abroad who have been coming to the store for, for example, 15 years. They come to Moscow once a year and take souvenirs with them.
• The source of stable purchases is various enterprises. Specialists from abroad come there for work, and employees take souvenirs as gifts for guests - quite valuable things, not small things.

There are a lot of people walking around who are just interested in looking, but they don’t buy anything.



At what prices should souvenirs be sold?

Denis Roslyakov, store administrator "Ivan Tsarevich"

The price categories of goods are different: there are really expensive things, which have a corresponding price, and there are inexpensive products, for example, boxes for 1,500–2,000 rubles, despite the fact that they are also self made.

Arbat has always been considered an “expensive” street. But it would be unfair to think that our prices are inflated. There is a vernissage in Izmailovo, prices there used to be lower than on Arbat. But now there is not much difference - both there and here they sell at the same price. But at the vernissage everything is sold in the open air; this does not improve the quality of the goods. In the cities of the Golden Ring of Russia, souvenirs are indeed cheaper, but not all tourists can get there.

Many visitors make purchases worth 200–300 rubles. - mostly young people, but there are people who are easily ready to spend up to 100 thousand rubles. The amount of a typical purchase ranges from 2 to 10 thousand rubles.

Bargaining is appropriate

There are shops with non-fixed prices on Arbat. We have price tags on all our products. I believe that customers trust stores more where everything is clear and transparent. But the specifics of the souvenir market are such that even with fixed prices we can make discounts on goods:

• there are seasonal sales on some products - 50% discount;
• For all other products we can reduce the price by a maximum of 25%.

The amount of the discount depends on the season, on total cost shopping... This is a delicate process, the main thing is to feel the line: how much a person is willing to pay. Our task is for him to leave with the purchase. But there are always limits below which we do not reduce prices: no more than 25%. Some tourists who have visited the Turkish bazaar immediately ask for a 90% discount - we, of course, cannot agree to this.

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Natalya Kulakova, owner of Santa LLC (Russian Souvenirs store)

In addition to other souvenir shops, our competition comes from the manufacturers themselves. Scarves from Pavlovsky Posad can now be bought in their company stores, of which there are many in Moscow and St. Petersburg, and can also be ordered online.

Our prices are significantly lower than on Arbat and Red Square. The markup on all goods is almost the same - 60%. This is very little; now there is practically no markup less than 100% anywhere.

The more expensive the item, the less the markup is made. I always analyze the final price that the buyer sees. Many manufacturers have recently raised their prices, and a 60% markup makes the product too expensive.

By the way, I would like to note that in the last few years people have begun to monitor prices: before coming to buy an expensive item, they find out on the Internet where and at what price it is sold. The other day a customer said: “in all stores the Cobalt Mesh service costs 18,900 rubles, but on your website it costs 15,600 rubles.” I see that it already costs 18,200 rubles. It turned out that we sold that set a few days ago, and yesterday they brought another one - at a new price, but did not have time to correct the price on the website.



Natalya Kulakova, owner of Santa LLC (Russian Souvenirs store)

We buy everything directly - scarves from Pavlovsky Posad, Gzhel directly from Gzhel, Khokhloma toys are brought from Khokhloma. For many years I went shopping for goods myself, at passenger car. Now we have different logistics schemes depending on how far the production is located and how flexible the company’s approach to cooperation is.

The manufacturer brings Khokhloma to Moscow once a week. Within a week, we send an application, we receive an invoice, we pay, and when the car arrives, everyone who cooperates with this company drives up to the car and picks up their goods.

• I still go to Gzhel by car when the stock is running low, 1-2 times a month. The car fits 100 thousand rubles. goods.
• Zhostovo trays are delivered directly to the store. We meet with some enterprises only at exhibitions: we agree in advance that we need to deliver the goods, they come to the exhibition to work, and there we buy it from them.

Here are a few rules that guide me when organizing procurement.

Rule #1. Payment immediately

We always pay for goods upon receipt and do not charge anything for sales - this helps us get the most out of the supplier. low prices. They meet us halfway, because payment is made immediately, and purchases are quite large, in addition, we have been on the market for 20 years.

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Rule #2. Consider seasonality

Among the souvenirs there are also seasonal goods. In April, we purchased large quantities of Easter napkins and painted eggs. For the New Year, they take very well products with a winter theme - these can be nesting dolls, boxes, mugs, wall plates.

Rule #3. Hot item only

I don't keep what people don't buy. If I tried something that didn’t sell well, I don’t buy it next time, no matter how good product neither was.

Cultivating customer taste is too serious a task for one store. As a result, on the shelves - only what is sold, a little faster or a little slower. But on the other hand, I am working to ensure that a variety of products are presented within each group, so that everyone can choose a souvenir to their liking.

Rule No. 4. Follow the product concept

Non-core products are not sold. If an item does not fit the definition of “folk crafts” or “souvenirs from Russia,” then they will not buy it; it can sit in the store as long as necessary. Once they offered to sell children's dresses: trade was very slow, although the things were good and inexpensive. But people didn’t go to the store for clothes, so they simply passed by without looking.



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Advertising in places where souvenirs are sold

Natalya Kulakova, owner of Santa LLC (Russian Souvenirs store)

We once tried to cooperate with travel companies, which would bring groups of tourists to us. But they soon abandoned this: the company or private guide also wants to receive money from this - 10–15% of sales. And we have a 60% markup, the margin is only 38%. From this amount you need to pay communal payments, salary - almost all the money raised will be spent on this. Otherwise, we must increase the markup, but then ordinary buyers, not tourists, will not be interested: it will become unprofitable for them to shop with us. That is, there were two ways - increase the markup and work with tourists, or leave everything as it is and continue working for the local population. We chose the second one.

We do not advertise the store specifically anywhere, but there is information about us on various Internet resources. Sometimes I ask customers how they heard about us. They answer that they looked on the Internet for the souvenir shops closest to the hotel and that’s how they found us.

Denis Roslyakov, store administrator "Ivan Tsarevich"

We have the cheapest magnets on Arbat: 30%, 50% cheaper than in neighboring stores. This is a kind of indicator product; if people shop and compare prices, they end up choosing us.

They often call from shopping guides to check if anything has changed with us. I don't know to what extent the information in directories influences attendance.



How to protect goods from tourists and onlookers

Denis Roslyakov, store administrator "Ivan Tsarevich"

The gift shop has a lot of little things that sometimes cost a lot of money. How do you combat theft, how do you protect goods from clumsy visitors?

As in many areas of trade, there are occasional cases of theft, but there are no serious losses. Whether to install live security, anti-theft gates or not is a decision for each individual store, but we believe that this will scare away customers.

• Some small expensive goods are behind glass; only the seller can get them out and show them.
• It happens that customers accidentally drop or break something. By law, the buyer is not required to pay for goods that were damaged on the sales floor. Foreigners don’t know this and get scared when this happens. But we smile and say - everything is OK.

As a rule, we do not sell broken or defective items even at a discount. Souvenirs are a holiday product: nothing at all is better than a cracked nesting doll, even at half the price. If the item cannot be repaired, we return it to the supplier or throw it away.



Natalya Kulakova, owner of Santa LLC (Russian Souvenirs store)

We have several levels of customer access to the product.

• The most expensive items are behind glass and locked. As a rule, these are small things - amber jewelry, filigree. At the buyer's request, the seller can get any item.
• Cheaper goods are behind glass, but the buyer can take them himself. If anyone is interested in items from this closet, the seller keeps them in his sights.
• Large wooden and clay products- Gzhel, Khokhloma - in the public domain. The only precaution we take with them is to glue the lids to the teapots with adhesive tape so that the lid does not fall while the buyer is looking at the teapot.

A large number of holidays, tourists, as well as numerous traditions are a fertile field for developing a souvenir business. A huge niche is occupied by industrial manufacturers of all sorts of standard gizmos, but nowadays unique handmade items, which are often a single copy or are produced in such small quantities that it is difficult to find two identical ones, are becoming increasingly popular. And who among the handicraftsmen does not dream that his hobby could bring in a completely acceptable permanent income.

Features of this business

Huge importance for success similar business have the organizational skills and skills of its creator, the willingness to devote a little more time to this than a couple of hours on weekends, and also bear the corresponding costs.

However, every year many begin to scale up their production, choosing their own directions and determining the circle of consumers. What are the features of such a business and its attractiveness?

As main positive points The type of income under consideration can be called:

• minimal initial costs;
• no need for compilation (but it’s better to still calculate it);
• the ability to create a convenient work schedule;
• convenience of production and sales planning based on previously known periods of demand growth;
• You can only work at home.

Although we're talking about about a home business, if successful, the income from its implementation can be quite high. At the same time, it is not always necessary to go to the traditional market and sell souvenirs from a tray; you can sell through online sales (you can even create your own). Traditionally, such production is of a family nature, members of the founder’s family are involved in the production, but it may also be that the organizer acts as an intermediary and sells products that are made by other craftsmen.

Eat a number of recommendations that should be taken into account before deciding to start such an activity. So, you need to decide sources of materials for the manufacture of products, and here a regular store that carries out their retail sale will not be suitable, since this will significantly increase the cost and will not ensure the stability of the replenishment of certain product groups.

Choosing a direction as the basis for successful business

When forming the basic idea and planning your business for producing souvenirs at home, you need to have a clear idea of ​​the direction in which it will be implemented, its nuances, as well as the consumers of souvenirs, the so-called target audience.

For example, various kinds of magnets or other objects with images of historical landmarks are in demand exclusively in offline sales close to objects included in the regular excursion program, and especially in the summer. And the peak sales of love-themed souvenirs occur in February-March (due to the corresponding calendar holidays).

So thoughtful and correct choosing a business direction for the production and sale of souvenirs is the basis for a successful future business. At the same time, it is not necessary to stop at only one type of product; you can combine them, producing several versions of items united by a common theme, for example, calendar holidays.
In anticipation New Year's Day, Valentine's Day, February 23rd or March 8th There is a great excitement for souvenirs of the corresponding theme. These can be sets of handmade soap, shaped cookies, bouquets of sweets, etc. Proper design and correct presentation will add regular customers and sales volumes for the following significant dates. In addition, the manufacturer should prepare for the holidays in advance by having some stocks in stock, both of the product itself and the materials for its manufacture.

See the following video for souvenir options for various holidays:

A specific subcategory of this area are goods Orthodox orientation, which are purchased exclusively for major holidays such as Easter and Christmas. In this case, not only the quality of execution matters, but also the availability of the necessary religious knowledge so that the item truly corresponds to the purpose of the acquisition.

A special segment in the market is occupied by tourist souvenirs, which are associated with a specific location (city, region, country) or historical landmark. It is necessary to be prepared to compete with industrial manufacturers, because... their products are cheaper and therefore more accessible. In this case, uniqueness will matter. For example, souvenirs that reflect the craft common in the region (clay figurines, products made of birch bark or wood, lace, etc.) are very popular.

As an independent direction we can call the production of souvenirs sports theme. There is also high competition with industrialists here, since fans prefer to shop in special stores, you need to rely on connoisseurs of individual items. At the same time, it is very important to take into account the specifics and limitations of this business, since it is easy to break the law. For example, unauthorized use of a registered team or club can lead to dire consequences. In this segment, printing on T-shirts and mugs and the production of other goods with images of sports heroes have become widespread.

A huge niche of the market in question consists of original works. Their distinctive feature is not only high uniqueness, but also an appropriate price. Each souvenir within this direction, as a rule, is a work of art, which requires a high level of qualifications and creative approach. This can be original soap, candles, or objects using various decoupage techniques, wood and metal products, beads and glass. The choice of options is huge.
As a rule, women are the founders of the business of producing souvenirs at home, but men have recently not been inferior to them, engaging in types of craft that are traditionally their prerogative (engraving, casting, etc.).

For an example of making souvenirs for the New Year holidays, see the following video:

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Everything happens in a few clicks, without queues and stress. Try it and you will be surprised how easy it has become!

Materials and tools for work

What materials for production choose souvenirs. Their list is long. It can be:

• tree;
• beads, beads or natural stones;
• glass or ceramics;
• gypsum, clay (including polymer);
• metal;
• fabric, yarn;
• paper;
• coffee beans;
• sweets, etc.

The choice of specific material depends on the direction and name of the souvenir products intended for release. Often, for the production of business souvenirs, it is purchased in advance ready base, which is further refined to give it individuality: a drawing is applied or a photo is printed, the appearance is improved in other ways.

In addition, it is used for work additional equipment and tools, the set of which also depends on the type of product and manufacturing methods. So, for example, to apply a picture you may need to purchase a special printer, machine or press, which will require significant financial investments, both at the initial stage and subsequently, when the tools become “morally” or physically obsolete.

Sales of own products

An important question is about sales of products, and there are several options here. In case of increasing the scale of production, attracting other masters to participate in the business, as well as taking into account the direction and souvenir theme, it is advisable opening a small souvenir shop , which can be located in a place where they will be in greatest demand (in a large supermarket or shopping center, not far from attractions, sports facilities, depending on the nature of the product). If such an opportunity is not available, which often happens in starting stage, then you can negotiate with existing sales points to supply them with souvenirs “for sale.” All these sales methods involve offline sales.

With increasing sales of goods through the Internet You can’t help but consider this option for promoting your products. To begin with, you can use existing Internet resources, which are essentially electronic platforms for trading goods different masters. Opening your page on such a site will allow you to advertise your products for a small fee, contact potential buyers, and use various tools to attract them (master classes, competitions). In addition, such platforms send out proposals and hold various exhibitions, which allows craftsmen to implement marketing events at low cost.

You can also create your own own online store . This is a great option when the business has been developing steadily for a long time, offering a large range of products. The presence of such a resource allows you to attract not only ordinary consumers, but also corporate buyers who need to be convinced of the seriousness and high level performer. Making souvenirs with corporate symbols is a fairly large and well-paid order. To achieve this goal, you need to be prepared to pay for the services of specialists to create websites and fill them with information.

And if there is no money for an individual resource or placement on specialized sites, you can promote your souvenir products using social networks , create new pages or use your usual ones (in contact, classmates, etc.).

Basic rules of doing business

It doesn’t matter who the buyers of souvenirs are, this business is carried out according to certain rules, promoting its development. The main ones are:

1. Openness and publicity. There is no need to hide the production of souvenir products from others, you need to actively promote it, participating in exhibitions, giving master classes, making promises with potential buyers at various forums, and it does not matter which method of selling products is chosen;
2. Particular attention is paid to the method of presentation. Sometimes the packaging of a souvenir has great importance than himself. You can’t skimp on it, as well as on additional little things. When sending your work to the customer, you can include a small additional gift. This will make the buyer receive pleasant emotions and will force him to contact him again;
3. Development and improvement. You always need to improve your skill level, develop a direction, and increase your assortment. This is facilitated by the acquisition of new skills, equipment, and work with new materials.

Registration of business activities

Well, of course, we must not forget about the legal restrictions on doing business. Whether to formalize your business or register it depends on the format and scale.

If, in fact, the craft production of souvenirs brings in a small side income, for example, seasonally, when products are made for specific holidays and in small volumes, then there is no reason to register entrepreneurial activity. However, we must not forget that payment obligations no one canceled. Therefore, in order to avoid problems with fiscal authorities, tax discipline should be observed, because there is a risk of administrative liability.

If souvenir business provides a permanent and stable income, it is better to formalize it in the manner prescribed by law. It could be. The form of ownership is most appropriate when a business is sold by one person, but if several masters unite, the most suitable form will be .

Business registration has many positive points. For example, many suppliers of materials for the production of souvenirs do not have retail outlets and therefore work only with entrepreneurs. And if this is the main occupation for a citizen, when making appropriate deductions, the periods of time during which he carried out the business in question will be counted towards his length of service. But when becoming an official business entity, you need to be ready to comply with the requirements of the legislation on retail sales and consumer protection.

To decide on the form of conducting business - as an entrepreneur or without such status, the question of its profitability is important. Produce exact calculation and all the costs are quite difficult. All aspects of doing business matter here: from the name of the product, materials to the method of selling it.

Income will be the profit received after deducting from the proceeds all costs associated with production, sales, and payment of taxes. In addition, it is necessary to calculate the payback of the equipment, because the costs of its acquisition are also subject to accounting.

However, even with very high costs, there will be a profit, otherwise it is not worth doing this business. The average serious cost (for equipment, training, etc.) is 1 year, but this is an approximate period, since everything depends on the success of the activity (orders, sales volumes, etc.).

The fashion for unusual gifts has returned again, thereby increasing profits from sales of souvenirs and gifts by 20-25%. Taking into account the statistical data, you can safely open a souvenir and gift shop, the profit of which will grow every year.

In this article, we will look at the business plan for a gift store and find out how profitable this niche is now and whether the market is free.

But before relying on extras, let's look at what it takes to open such a store in more detail. So, in this review, we will together draw up a business plan for a gift and souvenir store with plans for 2018.

Competition

1. Analyze what products competitors offer, what is purchased and how often, price. The information will be taken into account in the business plan. This will allow you to purchase an assortment of gift products with high demand.
2. Pay attention to online gift stores, you can also learn a lot from them: how they conduct a dialogue with the buyer, what they offer, what time frames they deliver. Later, you can emphasize that when you come to your place, you can buy something right away, without waiting for delivery.
3. Study the local market: if an exclusive gift shop already exists in some area, then there will be no point in opening it. There will be revenue, of course, but it’s still not big enough for you to call the business successful. In addition, if a competing store already produces small sales volumes, this does not mean that they are doing something wrong. It is quite possible that this product is simply not in demand in a certain area or city.

There are always a lot of gift shops, so you definitely need to think about how your store will differ from the rest. It would be appropriate to open a business with your own “zest”. You can import products that no one else in the city has. For example, Korean handmade jewelry. Even if their range is not large, there is no need to specialize in this, but it would be nice to mention the availability of such an opportunity.

Location

Very important point The key to opening a gift shop, of course, is its location. Please note in the business plan that the store should be in a high-traffic area, preferably in the city center, or in large shopping centers.

Even if your price is 10-15% higher than that of stores located in another part of the city, people will still buy from you, since more are in the field of view of potential buyers. In addition, based on the psychology of people, they will always go to the center, a crowded place, to buy a good gift, and not buy it somewhere “on the outskirts”.

At the initial stage, it is not necessary to immediately open a large outlet with 5,000 types of gifts and a large square footage. Start small, for example 20 m². We will consider opening such a store in a shopping center with high traffic. The price of such premises will, of course, vary from Moscow to other regions. In the list of business plan expenses, let’s take the average cost - 15,000 rubles per month.

If the room has already been renovated, there is no need to redo it - just decorate it to your taste. Usually, gift shops use their products as decorations, which the customer can immediately buy. You don’t need a designer, you can design everything yourself - focus on the layout and design of existing competitors, personally inspect similar points in your city, look at photographs in Russia and abroad.

Equipment for work

To operate a gift and souvenir shop, you must purchase the following equipment:

1. Computer for accounting - 15,000 rubles. Using it, you can also post updates, new deliveries that come to the store, their photos in social media;
2. Cash register - 15,000;
3. Barcoding equipment - 7,000;
4. Various stationery and small necessities - 10,000;
5. Stands for display, cabinets, racks - from 50,000;
6. Other unaccounted expenses - 50,000.

In total, in the business plan, the cost of purchasing equipment will be about 150,000 rubles.

Of course, for any business it is necessary to draw up official papers and register with the tax service. You can open as an individual entrepreneur or an LLC. It will cost from 5,000 to 11,000 inclusive.

Store assortment

Before you open your own business, you need to understand the assortment; thoughtless purchasing of gifts and souvenirs will not give positive results. Maybe these will be goods for everyone or exclusive handmade products, which will be a little higher in price? Depends, first of all, on what competitors sell

If you are aware of trends and know what kind of purchase customers need, and there is no similar store in the area, then feel free to open, since such a business will already be successful due to its individuality, and therefore demand.

Gifts should be for any occasion and for any clients: wedding, birthday, graduation, anniversary and more. Some people like to buy original and unusual gifts for themselves, just because.

Gift products of a wide range (cards, balloons, confetti) are purchased from wholesalers, and exclusive products are purchased from online stores. When taking into account the costs of purchasing assortment in a business plan, do not give preference to the cheapest product names, being tempted by the price. Having bought a gift that immediately breaks in your hands, customers will be disappointed and will tell their friends about you. There is absolutely no need for a business to have a bad reputation; it will quickly affect demand.

Handmade crafts are always welcome; it is wise to open a separate line of goods in the store: handmade soap, jewelry, cards, embroidery and much more. Hand-made goods can be bought directly from manufacturers at a negotiated price, and then sold in a store with a markup. You can work with several local manufacturers at once to find out whose range sells better.

For a traditional souvenir and gift store there should be a markup on products of at least 200%.

The range of goods is expected to be as follows:

Range	Description	Purchase expenses	Sales income (*20%)
Dishes	Dishes Mugs Spoons Knives with engraving	20 000	400 000
Toys	Stuffed Toys Matryoshka dolls	12 000	240 000
Festive office	Photo frames Albums Notepads Pens and pencils	6 000	120 000
Board games	Thematic Board games Games for adults and children	8 000	160 000
Interior items	Candles and candlesticks Vases Themed towels	9 000	180 000
Accessories	Jewelry: rings, beads, bracelets, earrings. Themed hats, ties, socks	11 000	220 000
Souvenirs	Magnets with city symbols and holiday themes Keychains Figurines Badges Piggy banks	10 000	200 000
Interior items	Candles and candlesticks Vases Themed towels	9 000	180 000

The cost of purchasing the assortment is - 76,000 rubles.

Sales income - 1,520,000 rubles.

Staff

If you plan to open a small store, then you can hire a minimum number of employees. Director and two salesmen (shift work).

The director should deal with tasks such as searching for goods, communicating with suppliers, concluding contracts, monitoring deliveries, hiring employees and much more.

Expenses in the business plan for monthly salaries of employees:

1. Director - 30,000 rubles.
2. Seller (2 pcs.) - 40,000 rub.

Total, monthly expenses for payment wages employees will be 70,000 rubles.

Tax deductions – 21,000 rubles.

Carefully monitor the quality of work of your employees; the success of the gift store directly depends on them. Especially from sellers, who must be as polite as possible and be able to sell well. The buyer comes not only for a gift, but also for the right mood; it is important for him to make sure that he is giving a truly useful and unusual gift.

Store advertising

As advertising, you can use any advertising methods, such as traditional ones - leaflets, banners, opening promotions, as well as online promotion. In your project business plan, you need to make a list of at least 50-100 advertising tools that you will master in the first months.

Use the most basic ones, which do not require any costs - advertising on social networks and among friends. Create groups, post photos of products. No need to hire professional photographer, you can borrow from friends good camera and take pictures yourself.

The name of the store should be memorable so that even people who don’t know about it won’t pass by. You can place a sign or banner at the end of the shopping center, which will cost 10,000.

Costs and payback

Starting investment for opening a souvenir and gift shop:

1. Renting premises - 15,000 rub.;
2. Shop equipment - 150,000 rub.
3. Product range - 76,000 rub.
4. Advertising - 10,000 rub.
5. Opening an individual entrepreneur - 10,000 rub.

Total: 261,000 rubles.

Monthly expenses in a business plan include:

1. Rent for premises - 15,000 rub.;
2. Staff salaries - 70,000 rub.;
3. Tax and social contributions - 21,000 rub.;
4. Product range - 5,000 rub.;
5. Advertising and promotion - 5,000 rub.
6. Income tax - 228,000 rub.

Total: 415,000 rubles.

According to statistics, 20% of the goods sold remain on store shelves, so the real income will be 1,216,000 rubles for 1 calendar month.

Net income: 1 216 000 – 415,000 = 801,000 rubles.

Payback:261 000 /801 000 = 0.3 months.

Risks

Risk	Probability of occurrence	Impact force	Response measure
Low demand for the product	Average	High	Purchasing power analysis Reducing prices for goods or purchasing cheaper products Carrying out a promotion for “stale” goods
Opening a competitor store	Average	Average	Purchasing a product that is different from a competitor’s offerings
Staff turnover	Average	Low	Implementation of % of purchase Conduct a material competition once a quarter among store sellers for the goods sold

As practice shows, a souvenir business can bring in up to $2 thousand a month. But this largely depends on how to organize it and what to concentrate your business on.

Business Features

First of all, let's figure out how attractive the souvenir business is. According to research, people spend approximately 30% of their income annually on souvenirs. Moreover, the niche is huge, variable, and in each of its variations there will always be a buyer. So, you can implement your ideas in the following directions:

• souvenirs for football and hockey fans;
• for tourists;
• corporate, private orders;
• original works and so on.

Depending on what audience your business will be designed for, its seasonal variations. For example, the largest number of corporate orders will be for public holidays: New Year, March 8, etc. Tourists buy the most products in the summer, when there is a maximum influx of vacationers into the city. Football and hockey fans often buy scarves, figurines and badges in anticipation of the next match. Author's works, as a rule, are bought all year round without noticeable surges in sales.

Knowing when a rush for products is expected, you can intensify your business in advance and saturate the market with the necessary products.

Types of business

Despite the fact that the business is considered home-based, ideas for its implementation will help organize it as a small one additional income, and significant profits. The implementation of the idea can be online or offline. You can make souvenirs with your own hands and sell them, or you can act as an intermediary, selling products made by other craftsmen.

Mediation ideas

In this format, ideas can be implemented in two ways.

1. Purchase goods in bulk from companies that deal industrial production souvenirs. You can find them via the Internet, and not only within your state.
2. Work with craftsmen who make souvenirs with their own hands. Many women who sit at home make various souvenirs with their own hands in their spare time. You can find them on thematic or women's communities or forums.

The advantage of this technology for selling a business is that you can put a markup of 200% of the purchase price on souvenir products. This compensates low cost one unit of goods.

DIY making

If you are not yet ripe for a big business, you can sell handmade crafts locally. True, in this case you will have to generate ideas for souvenirs yourself - unique things are most in demand. Moreover, you can make anything at home with your own hands. It all depends on what audience your ideas are intended for.

If souvenirs for sports fans are mainly purchased in bulk from suppliers, then designer items for tourists and corporate clients need original ideas, implemented with their own hands. It can be:

• wooden crafts;
• crystal figurines;
• miniatures depicting landmarks;
• memorial cards and more.

• Handmade soap;
• original candles;
• decoupage items;
• carving and so on.

As a rule, the implementation of such work is also the privilege of women, who do it at home with their own hands.

Printing on T-shirts and mugs

Men prefer to implement ideas more thoroughly. For example, open a point for printing pictures and inscriptions on T-shirts and mugs. Of course, this is not a home-based business, but it fits the concept of a do-it-yourself business. This involves scanning a photograph ordered for printing or creating a unique picture, printing it on thermal film and applying it to the desired surface. The implementation of any idea will take no more than 15 minutes. The simplicity of the technology allows you to print even at home if the volume of orders is relatively small.

To do this you need to have:

• scanner – RUB 3,500;
• printer 4-5 thousand rubles;
• computer – 15 thousand rubles;
• printing press (a regular iron is sufficient at first if you organize production at home).

From raw materials you need to purchase

• T-shirts – 80 RUR/piece;
• mugs – 25-50 rub./piece;
• thermal paper – 5 sheets (A4) 300 rub.

If the business is not home-based, you will need funds to rent premises. It makes the most sense to take it in a large shopping center, where there will be a high traffic volume per day. In this case the cost square meter per month can reach 30 thousand rubles.

Profit calculation

It is difficult to accurately calculate the profits and costs of a business. It all depends on whether you will run a business from home or from an office, what type of souvenir products you will be involved in, whether you will produce them yourself or act as an intermediary.

But even with the most expensive option, this may well be a profitable business for women. The project will require relatively small investments - no more than 30-35 thousand rubles. If we talk about souvenir printing, then you can sell mugs for 300 rubles, T-shirts for 350 rubles. Such a home business will pay for itself in about a year. But this is still a very tentative period, since a lot depends on the number of orders, the theme of the souvenirs, and other things.

Sales of goods

Another important issue that needs to be resolved when organizing a souvenir business is the sale of goods. You can open a small souvenir shop. Its location is chosen depending on the theme of the souvenirs. For example, it makes sense to sell sports paraphernalia near stadiums and sports grounds. Items for tourists are on the main street of the city, where their flow is greatest. Products aimed at women sell well in shopping malls.

If you make products at home, you can look for work outlets and sell them there. In this case, large stores and supermarkets are also suitable.

You can create an online store. This the best option organizing business for women. In this case, they can, without interrupting their household chores, take orders, provide consultations and send them by mail. If there are no funds to develop an appropriate website, you can sell manufactured souvenirs through social networks and free message boards on the Internet.

Starting your own business

Whether to officially register your business depends on its format and volume of products sold. For example, for women who sometimes do something to order, there is no point in wasting time and money on paperwork. But if the sale of souvenirs brings a constant income, it is better to formalize this matter in accordance with the procedure established by law.

If you are engaged in mediation, selling the products of other artists or your own, it is best to register individual entrepreneur– you are unlikely to have to deal with large shipments. If you sell goods, purchasing them in bulk from large manufacturers, or your company has several founders, it makes sense to register an LLC.

Then we look for a room. For a small shop, you can rent a room of 15-20 square meters. m. Purchase counters, stands and a cash register for it. The latter must be registered with the tax office.

You first need to purchase goods in small wholesale quantities. Then, having found out what sells best, focus on purchasing this product.

Business Rules

Regardless of whether you sell souvenirs for women or for tourists, your business must be organized according to certain rules. Then his chances of success increase significantly. The basic rules are:

1. Don't conduct business in secrecy. Tell all your friends and acquaintances about it.
2. Take part in specialized exhibitions. This will help not only tell about yourself, but also study the market, get acquainted with new products, and communicate directly with the target audience.
3. Even if you have an offline business, don't ignore the Internet. Look for suppliers and clients there, advertise yourself through it.
4. Remember that only exclusive products will bring success.
5. The presentation of the product must be appropriate, especially when you are selling products for women. Moreover, this applies not only to souvenir shops, but also to online stores.
6. Even when implementing hand-made products, avoid uniformity.
7. If you are a craftsman yourself and sell your products, team up with other craftsmen.

Holidays are an integral part of the lives of our people. If you think about it, there are a lot of holidays in the year - these are the birthdays of relatives, friends, work colleagues and business partners, New Year, March 8, February 23. And you can also add here February 14, and various festivities that are just beginning to take root in Russia, Ukraine, and other countries former USSR. What holiday would be complete without a gift? That's right, none. Wherever you go, no matter where you celebrate, you definitely need to give something. Considering that there are more and more holidays, there is always a demand for new, exclusive, themed gifts.

In this article we will talk to you about how to open your own gift shop. What should you pay attention to first? How to register a business, and are any permits needed? What category of customers should you target, and where is the best place to locate your store? We will consider the answers to these and many other questions in detail later in the article. We are sure that after reading our article to the end, you will learn a lot about the gift market, and about this business in general.

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Development of gift business in Russia

It is clear that during the times of the USSR there could have been no talk of any kind of business. If gifts were given, they were bought in state stores, which is why they were all standard and of the same type, or they were made with their own hands. As soon as the union collapsed, and the country's markets were filled with various imported goods, gift shops began to develop, which could offer people not a standard set of goods, but hitherto unprecedented and interesting things that could please people on any special occasion.

The first gift shops in Russia began to appear in the early 90s. In 1995, the “Country of Gifts” store opened, a year after the opening of this store, the “Red Cube” company began its activities, opening the first store retail in 1998. Then the chain of stores “Multi”, “Brussels Things”, Bagatelle and many others appeared. Some stores have chosen the development path, focusing on narrow circle potential buyers, while others chose to expand and cover all clients as much as possible, offering them gifts for every taste and budget. Today, in order to compete in the gift business, you need to choose a free niche and confidently develop in this direction. It would seem that the market is overflowing with gifts, and a new store is like a drop in the bucket that can easily get lost among the crowd. But, not everything is as bad as you might imagine. Demand is constantly growing, new and promising niches are emerging, there are and will be opportunities for business development in the near future.

It is difficult to say how the gift market will develop in the future. But experts note that it will grow in any case. The only question is where and how? Some say that new chain stores will appear, and large companies completely monopolize this area of ​​business, while others note that they will not succeed, and single stores will still be able to make good money and attract more and more new customers.

Chains have one big disadvantage - a standard range of goods in all stores. With each new online point of sale, the chance of not being found increases original gift. Everything will return to some standards and templates. It is much more profitable to open separate stores, each of which will have its own development strategy, based on the specifics of the area where it will be opened and the purchasing power of the potential client.

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Format of this business

As we said above, weak point This business is uniform. What if there are already dozens of stores that have almost identical products? It is based on this fact that we can say that large chain stores that have the same set of products will always lose to single stores that provide their customers with a wide selection of unusual and non-standard gifts. You always have two choices: develop your small and cozy store, which is aimed at a narrow circle of customers, or try to create a wide network of gift supermarkets that will reach as many potential customers as possible. But we want to say right away that opening a chain of stores will require serious investments, a lot of experience, and good knowledge specifics of this business. Many entrepreneurs note that there is no point in getting involved in network development, because there is huge competition there, which an ordinary entrepreneur, without millions of investments, simply cannot bypass.

If we talk about finances, then to create a good network in Moscow you need at least 500 million rubles. The amount is incredible, and few people will earn that much over several lifetimes. But to open a single store, with an exclusive assortment, it will cost about 1.5-2 million rubles. But these are numbers for Moscow, and in the regions opening a gift shop can be several times cheaper.

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Registration and registration of business

We decided that it would be advisable to open a single store and bring it to the proper level. But any business, first of all, begins with official registration. It is worth noting that in order to open a gift shop, you do not need any specific licenses, quality certificates, or other permitting documents, which are not so easy to obtain. The main documents include:

• Certificate of registration of the enterprise. Ideally under this business IP is suitable. Of course, you can register a legal entity, but this will only be appropriate if you plan to develop into a small network and attract investors. Otherwise, a legal entity is unnecessary difficulties that are completely unnecessary at the initial stage of business development.
• A lease agreement for the premises where your store is located, or documents that confirm ownership of the property.
• The conclusion of the fire inspection that your premises meets all standards and regulations that will be in force at the time the store opens.
• A similar conclusion must be obtained from the SES. They should confirm that your store is safe for both customers and employees.
• Tax payment certificate. We advise you to choose a simplified taxation system, because it is optimal for small businesses.

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That seems to be it. No additional documents are needed to start a business. You may need some certificates during your work, especially if you sell toys for children. By the way, all gifts must have a quality certificate confirming their safety. Therefore, choose reliable and trusted suppliers who offer quality products.

Choosing premises for a gift shop

Choosing a location is an important step in opening your gift shop. The entire success of your business may depend on how conveniently and correctly the store is located.

We thought for a long time about the advice that should be given regarding the choice of premises, and realized that not everything is so simple here. Much depends on the specifics of the store, its assortment, and its focus on a certain category of citizens.

If you sell everything and for everyone, without a clear image of a potential client, then it is better to locate the store in shopping centers, on busy streets, in crowded places. If your store sells something unique, and the client is looking for you, then you can save on expensive real estate in the city center and rent something on calmer and quieter streets. But this location of the store excludes as much as possible “random” customers who passed by and decided to come in.

Of course, the ideal option is a shopping center where there are always people and they want to buy something. The premises can be rented not large, up to 30 sq. m., and important role plays the interior and decoration. You need to be attractive and catch people's eyes.

Advertising and ways to develop a gift store

Advertising is an important component in the development of any business. A gift store is no exception, and if you want to not only sell interesting things, but at the same time work with minimal income, or even zero profit, then you need to count on an advertising budget.

What types of advertising are best suited for this type of business? What will be the most effective and give the maximum result? Let's look at the main ways to tell the buyer about yourself and convey the necessary information to them.

• Internet

We cannot imagine how a modern businessman who has serious ambitions can ignore online advertising. For many, this is still a “dark forest”, and they do not fully understand all the advantages of advertising on the Internet. Firstly, on the Internet you can easily convey information specifically to your potential buyer, using targeting systems based on selected parameters (age, gender, city, country, etc.). Secondly, on the Internet it is easy to track the effectiveness of a particular type of advertising, which is almost impossible to do in other areas. Thirdly, the Internet provides enormous opportunities, because most people use the network and readily accept the information that is given to them. Therefore, if you create an advertisement correctly, remove high quality video video, or think about it good company advertising your store, you can get excellent results.

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When talking about advertising on the Internet, one cannot fail to mention the website. A store is good, but the world does not stand still, and online shopping is becoming the norm. Many potential buyers are looking for gifts on the Internet. Why lose the lion's share of customers, and, as a result, potential profits? Do not do this. Therefore, order the creation of an online store and duplicate all products on the Internet. But approach this matter with maximum responsibility. Don’t make an online store “just because it’s fashionable.” Order good design, think over the functionality, implement various features that will allow the buyer to place an order as quickly and conveniently as possible.

• Social media

Although social networks belong to the Internet, we decided to separate them into a separate category. Advertising on social networks also has several advantages, the main one of which is maximum accuracy in the presentation of information. Let's say you are targeting boys and girls aged 18 to 28 years old, living in St. Petersburg and studying at the university. IN advertising campaign set the necessary parameters, and your ad will be seen only by those users who meet all your requirements. This allows you to weed out “unnecessary” people as much as possible and make your advertising targeted.

• Outdoor advertising

Also, do not neglect outdoor advertising: billboards, city lights, banners and streamers. But it is worth approaching this type of advertising consciously and with understanding. Are you sure that this type advertising will reach all of your potential clients? Are you sure that this advertising will pay for itself? A lot of questions may arise when you start thinking about outdoor advertising. Let's say one thing, it is only good on the eve of some big holidays, when people buy gifts en masse. Then you must loudly declare yourself, telling where you are, what you offer, and why they need to contact you.

Many entrepreneurs ignore the fact that advertising is necessary, believing that the client will have to anyway, and there is no point in spending money on promoting their own store. And 95% of such entrepreneurs, after a few months of work, complain that their business does not bring the expected income, or is generally operating at a loss. Therefore, if you want to open a gift store and bring it to the proper level, then immediately allocate the proper budget for monthly advertising.

Difficulties of opening a gift shop

The first steps in business are always difficult. And you don’t need to put on rose-colored glasses, hoping that something that happens to 99% of beginners won’t happen to you. You can avoid problems if you are aware of them, understand what pitfalls there may be, and how best to cope with the difficulties that arise.

Unfortunately, the gift business is not easy. Only at first glance it seems that everything is quite clear and not complicated. But if we start to look into it, we will find a number of problems that it is better to know about in advance.

• The first problem is renting premises for the store. As we said above, it is advisable to choose stores in the city center, on busy streets, or in popular shopping centers. As you understand, the price per square meter in such places will be high, and given that a store requires at least 30 square meters, the amount that will have to be paid every month may become prohibitive.
• Another problem will be suppliers. Unfortunately, our country does not have its own gift production, so the entrepreneur has to look for suppliers abroad. Of course, you can work with wholesale suppliers in our country, but then you will overpay 50% of the cost of the gift from the manufacturer.

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You can try to establish cooperation with local craftsmen who make unique crafts with your own hands. This will be a plus for your store, because you provide interesting souvenirs, and will reduce problems with finding good suppliers. The main thing is that the goods you will purchase are in demand and not gather dust on store shelves.

• From the problem with good suppliers, the next problem arises - the same type of goods. If you buy from local wholesalers, over time you will find that most of your products are similar to those sold in similar competitor stores. Of course, there are only one suppliers, and the choice is not very large. Therefore, try to contact foreign manufacturers on your own, but do not forget about local craftsmen who can create unique gifts with their own hands.
• And the last problem is competition from growing networks. Large stores teach people to make purchases quickly, without thinking about their value and necessity. A small store will win this race only if it finds its niche, its customers, and can offer something unique that others do not have.

That's probably all we wanted to talk about in this article. Now you know how to open a gift shop, and what difficulties you may encounter in initial stages developing your own business.