Are there any markets left untapped? Where demand for "Huf" type store exist.

[Proletariat]

yeah, don't listen to the Boston dude; he's looking out for himself not you. Boston is late on the streetwear tip. We have a few spots, none that comprehensive, but on your Arkansas budget, you wouldn't last here, and that isn't a cut down, I'm just trying to tell you it aint worth it. I make the same loot here I did in Texas and yet my rent went up 12 times. you do the math.

http://www.arevolt.com

[Nomadic]

Quote:

Quote:

Atlanta but you are not going to get camp out sb hype. Little 5 points would be your best bet. It is dead on week days but weekends are pack full of kids for the north side with money. There is a "core" skate shop w/ an sb account in L5P but I dont really think 5 decks and 2 sets of trucks is a shop, there is a streetwear shop also but they are always a year late on getting shit but they say when they reopen they are going to have w)taps,nhood,etc but going on what they have in stock now I dont see it. Other then that, a few resale shops w/ $500 tiff dunks around town (not in l5p)

--- Original message by DooDooBus on Apr 6, 2006 11:13 PM

Very few stores in the states carry Taps or NGBH. I really doubt if Atlanta will get a constant stock.

I personally feel that the central North would be a great option to set up a street/skate shop, since there is very little compeitition.

--- Original message by DJ_Flame on Apr 6, 2006 11:42 PM

as in say minnesota or the dakotas? i know minnesota might have the population to support it but does any other north central states? I am looking to get out of the mid major cities (600K) as that is what i am in now.. and its lame.. trends are 3-4 yrs behind if not further.. and the entire over 16 population shops at abercromoholistericaneaglepostle......

:: Damon ::

[cheapmuthafukr]

jacksonville, fl. theres nothing like that here, and its a city of 1.4 million people. look into it

simplicity we use to survive, do what you doing properly, thats the way thru life

[RedBouncyThing]

Quote:

I know I am not going to march into a new market and pick up nike sb, but i can hope to pick it up later. I was wanting to carry more core skate gear, cut and sew's of brands such as krew, matix, and other brand's nicer merch instead of the typical skate shop that ends up looking like a t-shirt shop with hard goods. I planned on carrying Emerica, Fallen, and Lakai relatively deep being that those are good non box store (pacsun, journeys) brands amongst the other typical hot skate brands. I'd also like to carry some of the street wear brands such as Stussy, DC's Connoisseur line, hundreds, freshjive, mighty healthy, 10 deep, etc.. gearing more toward smaller independents.. Then carry all major skate brand hard goods, aproximately $15K (retail amount) in hard good inventory. I figured 25 styles of shoes would give me a decent start..

I wanted to say thanks again for all the comments and suggestions.

Edited by Nomadic on Apr 6, 2006 at 11:44 PM

--- Original message by Nomadic on Apr 6, 2006 11:23 PM

Ok ... when you said Huf type store I was thinkning sneakers and VERY limited release tees. You could do the core skate thing in KC, you could actually even go into the neighborhood that we are in. There is not a skate shop in Mid town Kansas City any more. They have all moved out to the burbs. There are even some open buildings that you could transalte directly into. YOu would probably have to shirt you clothing focus a little bit, but it would def. work. Heads up, if you do it here, I would do paint supplys instead of streetwear. The only paint shop closed down and there is a HUGE writers community.

[Nomadic]

Quote:

Quote:

I know I am not going to march into a new market and pick up nike sb, but i can hope to pick it up later. I was wanting to carry more core skate gear, cut and sew's of brands such as krew, matix, and other brand's nicer merch instead of the typical skate shop that ends up looking like a t-shirt shop with hard goods. I planned on carrying Emerica, Fallen, and Lakai relatively deep being that those are good non box store (pacsun, journeys) brands amongst the other typical hot skate brands. I'd also like to carry some of the street wear brands such as Stussy, DC's Connoisseur line, hundreds, freshjive, mighty healthy, 10 deep, etc.. gearing more toward smaller independents.. Then carry all major skate brand hard goods, aproximately $15K (retail amount) in hard good inventory. I figured 25 styles of shoes would give me a decent start..

I wanted to say thanks again for all the comments and suggestions.

Edited by Nomadic on Apr 6, 2006 at 11:44 PM

--- Original message by Nomadic on Apr 6, 2006 11:23 PM

Ok ... when you said Huf type store I was thinkning sneakers and VERY limited release tees. You could do the core skate thing in KC, you could actually even go into the neighborhood that we are in. There is not a skate shop in Mid town Kansas City any more. They have all moved out to the burbs. There are even some open buildings that you could transalte directly into. YOu would probably have to shirt you clothing focus a little bit, but it would def. work. Heads up, if you do it here, I would do paint supplys instead of streetwear. The only paint shop closed down and there is a HUGE writers community.

--- Original message by RedBouncyThing on Apr 7, 2006 06:34 AM

What shops are there in KC? Would it not be possible to do paint supplys and streetwear?

I am sorry for the confusion with the Huf thing. I guess I meant more of a core skate shop offering more of a boutique feel with nicer clothing....

What are the main skate shops in the KC area?

:: Damon ::

[azad]

word, especially when you bring something special to the table. like if you sell the usual skate shit, rare sneakers and shirts, AND had a writer's corner with the freshest paint a la montana, krink, then you'd draw crowds from atl, which i think is about three hrs away. maybe even NC.

But yeah, NC is a slept on state, there are a few cities that are possible candidates on your budget.

toma açaí

[Nomadic]

Quote:

word, especially when you bring something special to the table. like if you sell the usual skate shit, rare sneakers and shirts, AND had a writer's corner with the freshest paint a la montana, krink, then you'd draw crowds from atl, which i think is about three hrs away. maybe even NC.

But yeah, NC is a slept on state, there are a few cities that are possible candidates on your budget.

--- Original message by azad on Apr 7, 2006 08:59 AM

I guess I should throw my budget out there.. Might help matters.. I have all the displays, fixtures, etc.. so I have no worries in that dept.. I have about $80K to drop on inventory. I have heard good things about NC... You say a few cities, which cities?

I also really liked VA Beach but I hear the cost of living there is unheard of for the area.. Its way overpriced..

:: Damon ::

[azad]

people say chapel hill. but im not sure.

you should also check out atl, it has a growing market

toma açaí

[Proletariat]

selling paint is cool and it does bring a lot of people in, but there is no money in selling paint..none. and sometimes the heat can be more hassle than it's worth.

http://www.arevolt.com

[cheapmuthafukr]

Quote:

people say chapel hill. but im not sure.

you should also check out atl, it has a growing market

--- Original message by azad on Apr 7, 2006 09:22 AM

yes... chapel hill. when i was there a couple years ago there was nothing as far as skate shops, but a scene. and its a really fucking cool town. raleigh and durham are 15 min away(the area is called the triangle because the citys form...) its really a great place.

simplicity we use to survive, do what you doing properly, thats the way thru life

[LanceP]

What about Vertical Urge in Raleigh?

[cheapmuthafukr]

what about chapel hill tho? and i wasnt too impressed by them. the shop downtown, i forget the name right now, was better, but not at the level he seems to want to bring.

simplicity we use to survive, do what you doing properly, thats the way thru life

[Proletariat]

no matter what make sure the market will support the skate stuff. You are coming from Arkansas a place where it is warm most of the year and I am assuming you guys have paved most of your dirt roads by now. (just kidding) But if you go too far North you gotta figure out what you are gonna sell from Oct.-March, and I wouldn't reccommend snowboards unless you have deep pockets and a big Ad budget. WHat all are you planning to sell? I know in Boston where I am there are over 61 Universities and 250k students and I only move about 2 boards a week. I used to move 20 a week in Texas. know your scene.

http://www.arevolt.com

[LanceP]

Quote:

what about chapel hill tho? and i wasnt too impressed by them. the shop downtown, i forget the name right now, was better, but not at the level he seems to want to bring.

--- Original message by cheapmuthafukr on Apr 7, 2006 11:25 AM

If you were referring to me... Vertical Urge seems like a straight up skate shop. Definitely not a Supreme/Commonwealth type of store.

[Proletariat]

btw, if you have $80k to spend on inventory then you must be doing pretty well. Why move? I would take that $80k and open up a skatepark next door to your shop. Then you would own the whole market.

http://www.arevolt.com

[showbiz00ditc]

i think Kansas would be a good spot. my best friend moved down there when he was 10. were still friends and i go down there and hear from him every-so-often. he comes up to Toronto every summer and he always wants me to show him all the boutique shops around the city.

he tells me how theres so many of his friends in Kansas that are down with the sneaker and up-and-coming clothing labes and stuff like that but they have nowhere to get it but ebay and the internet.

[boystory]

i don't think toronto would be that great. there might not be a store that bridges the gap, but all the stores you mentioned are, from the furthest to and from one another, about a 20 minute walk. i've never found myself going 'geez, i wish there were a store that had ALL of these things' and i'm basically your target demographic.

[Nomadic]

Quote:

btw, if you have $80k to spend on inventory then you must be doing pretty well. Why move? I would take that $80k and open up a skatepark next door to your shop. Then you would own the whole market.

--- Original message by Proletariat on Apr 7, 2006 12:11 PM

$80K=Bank L.O.C. =).. I do pretty ok I guess here, but I feel like I have pretty much maxed out my income potential. Plus like i mentioned before, I am getting burnt out on selling to 10 yr olds who only know what element and volcom are... I want to be able to offer some more adult brands, lines, and merch. all together. The city here is about $600K but its so behind its not even funny.. For example even if I did carry dunk sb's i couldnt sell them here.. I have had maybe 5 customers ask me about them.. crazy i know.. and sad at the same time..

It would take more than $80K to open a skate park not to mention the huge overhead of insurance that would have to be incurred.. A few private skate parks here have opened and failed due to kids using the free parks..

:: Damon ::

[Nomadic]

Quote:

no matter what make sure the market will support the skate stuff. You are coming from Arkansas a place where it is warm most of the year and I am assuming you guys have paved most of your dirt roads by now. (just kidding) But if you go too far North you gotta figure out what you are gonna sell from Oct.-March, and I wouldn't reccommend snowboards unless you have deep pockets and a big Ad budget. WHat all are you planning to sell? I know in Boston where I am there are over 61 Universities and 250k students and I only move about 2 boards a week. I used to move 20 a week in Texas. know your scene.

--- Original message by Proletariat on Apr 7, 2006 11:26 AM

i mention about half way up what all i plan on selling.. or a general idea..

:: Damon ::

[Proletariat]

I gotcha man. Let me tell you this though, moving is a bitch. I had two stores in Texas, both very profitable, and I sold them to move to Boston to be with my wife. I went from working 3 days a week in the shop and having a very lax lifestyle to working 7 days a week instore and more at home plus I lost $30k in my first year. $20k my own cash, $10k bank cash. Now in my second year I am lucky to be breaking even and I would still be doing better if I just had one of my stores in Texas. And as far as vintage goes my shop has gotten best of Boston since they day I opened the doors. Not bragging, just telling you so you aren't like well maybe his shop sucks. See, here you have a shop that is doing fine and will always do fine because you are established. Only a fool would walk away from that, plus, at some point those 15 year old are gonna become 21 and then they will need better shit. So could you open a new store in an older demographic say an hour away? That way you could keep an eye on the breadwinner and that shop will cover your first year loss in the new place. Then you can live a more adult lifestyle but still reap the rewards of your labor.

(This is exactly what I did in Texas and it worked.)

just because you are fed up with the kids and the stock doesn't mean you should shut up shop. There are many guys who clean toilets for a living and they don't care how many turds they had to dislodge to buy that powerboat.

http://www.arevolt.com

[englandmj7]

Quote: There are many guys who clean toilets for a living and they don't care how many turds they had to dislodge to buy that powerboat.

Heh heh

[KFC ONE]

My first thought was the Twin Cities....

But I don't know shit about 'em.

[Nomadic]

Quote:

I gotcha man. Let me tell you this though, moving is a bitch. I had two stores in Texas, both very profitable, and I sold them to move to Boston to be with my wife. I went from working 3 days a week in the shop and having a very lax lifestyle to working 7 days a week instore and more at home plus I lost $30k in my first year. $20k my own cash, $10k bank cash. Now in my second year I am lucky to be breaking even and I would still be doing better if I just had one of my stores in Texas. And as far as vintage goes my shop has gotten best of Boston since they day I opened the doors. Not bragging, just telling you so you aren't like well maybe his shop sucks. See, here you have a shop that is doing fine and will always do fine because you are established. Only a fool would walk away from that, plus, at some point those 15 year old are gonna become 21 and then they will need better shit. So could you open a new store in an older demographic say an hour away? That way you could keep an eye on the breadwinner and that shop will cover your first year loss in the new place. Then you can live a more adult lifestyle but still reap the rewards of your labor.

(This is exactly what I did in Texas and it worked.)

just because you are fed up with the kids and the stock doesn't mean you should shut up shop. There are many guys who clean toilets for a living and they don't care how many turds they had to dislodge to buy that powerboat.

--- Original message by Proletariat on Apr 7, 2006 01:08 PM

that is a very good way to look at it.. I am going to go up to Fayetteville, AR this weekend.. Its a really fast growing town (was second in growth rate last year based on per capita to vegas) and its as before mentioned walmart country. Plus it houses our large univeristy (60K+ students).. I am going to see what their market is like to do something similar to what you said..

Another question for everyone.. How much does being in a college town help? I have never been located in one.

:: Damon ::

[minya]

Quote: Another question for everyone.. How much does being in a college town help? I have never been located in one.

If you're selling primarily skate-based stuff, I'm not sure a college town would help you all that much. Most university and college students aren't really into the skate aesthetic. They'd much rather shop at American Eagle. At least from what I've noticed.

[SENDkylHISPASSWORD]

Quote:

Quote: Another question for everyone.. How much does being in a college town help? I have never been located in one.

If you're selling primarily skate-based stuff, I'm not sure a college town would help you all that much. Most university and college students aren't really into the skate aesthetic. They'd much rather shop at American Eagle. At least from what I've noticed.

--- Original message by minya on Apr 7, 2006 02:54 PM

Very true except they would buy lots of DC shoes and Volcom and Hurley.

A typical college outfit here, and I assume at your school to minya since they are close may consist of:

A trucker hat from AE (still...)

A Volcom or AE polo or T

AE Jeans

DC shoes

my favourite things

http://mfthings.blogspot.com/

Edited by SENDkylHISPASSWORD on Apr 7, 2006 at 02:59 PM

[minya]

yeah, good point. Big-name skate shoes are popular amongst university students.

[englandmj7]

^^ Not a fan of the Chinese shoe thread? heh heh. I am surprised it took you that long to move it to Supertrash (home of the elite)..........Viva La Revolucion!

Quote: A typical college outfit here, and I assume at your school to minya since they are close may consist of:

A trucker hat from AE (still...)

A Volcom or AE polo or T

AE Jeans

DC shoes

Where can I buy?

[Nomadic]

Quote:

Quote:

Quote: Another question for everyone.. How much does being in a college town help? I have never been located in one.

If you're selling primarily skate-based stuff, I'm not sure a college town would help you all that much. Most university and college students aren't really into the skate aesthetic. They'd much rather shop at American Eagle. At least from what I've noticed.

--- Original message by minya on Apr 7, 2006 02:54 PM

Very true except they would buy lots of DC shoes and Volcom and Hurley.

A typical college outfit here, and I assume at your school to minya since they are close may consist of:

A trucker hat from AE (still...)

A Volcom or AE polo or T

AE Jeans

DC shoes

--- Original message by SENDkylHISPASSWORD on Apr 7, 2006 02:57 PM

thing is, pacsun has that market locked down..

:: Damon ::

[Tarmac]

Im gonna vote for San Jose, Santa Clara CA area. I live about 40 min outside of SF but because of the distance I only go up there once a month, maybe once every 2 months if there is nothing I want in particular.

If you were in mountain view, sunnyvale, san jose, I would go at least 2x a month just to check out whats new.

[Nomadic]

Quote:

Im gonna vote for San Jose, Santa Clara CA area. I live about 40 min outside of SF but because of the distance I only go up there once a month, maybe once every 2 months if there is nothing I want in particular.

If you were in mountain view, sunnyvale, san jose, I would go at least 2x a month just to check out whats new.

--- Original message by Tarmac on Apr 7, 2006 04:14 PM

i cant even fathom the cost of living in those places.. it would be too much for me to take on with a new venture.. cost of living in CA..

:: Damon ::