New Boutique in Philly/NY area need ideas!!!

[phillykickz]

Whats good everyone, me and my homeboy are brainstorming on ideas for a new sneaker/clothing boutique in Philly because we are in desperate need of more options, And we feel that that the market is available. We have always had a love for streetwear and kicks, and we wanna do something we love. Currently all Philly has to offer is Ubiq and it is very poorly stocked. There is also Nocturnal but they only sell skateboard supplies and apparel. Afficial off South ST. SUCKZ!!! they charge triple! Let me know what you all would like to see in a store and what you think would be a good way to go about the process. We wanna sell Nikes, Adidas, Vans, Reeboks etc., hopefully we can get a tier 0 account but we gotta see. We wanna carry all the independent brands of clothing like Mishka, MH, TH, Rogue Status, Freshjive etc. All the real shit. All feedback is welcome.

PEACE

I got money so that's a good enough reason to buy the things I buy...

[phillykickz]

No one has any input, just lookin for some ill ideas.

I got money so that's a good enough reason to buy the things I buy...

[Toronthoe]

I don't want to be the bearer of bad news cuz phila could sure use some spots but what you basically wanna do is already in the works, dropping soon and from what I hear by people with mad connects to last for days. Plus Nike doesn't just give out tier 0 accounts, nike doesn't even just give out urban or GR accounts to those who want them.

[phillykickz]

I understand what you are saying but is 2 similar store in Philly too much, I would like to believe otherwise. I wish there were 5 and 6 stores that had hot shit but we don't have that privilege in Philly. What is this new store you are speaking of, if you dont mind me asking?

I got money so that's a good enough reason to buy the things I buy...

[azad]

stay grimey and you'll have my support.

I'm thinking atmos meets dr. jays meets lids meets colette meets a record store??

where are you thinking of setting up shop? i'd be down to work if you need extra hands

toma açaí

[phillykickz]

Hopefully like South St or that area, if not Market, Walnut, Chestnut area my e-mail is [email protected] hit me up with any info.

I got money so that's a good enough reason to buy the things I buy...

[minya]

Do you have business experience? Do you have capital? Do you have connections at Nike, Adidas, these companies you want to stock?

[alm8319]

yeah, as the guy above said. the process of getting even a GR nike account is difficult. you have to show that you can move x amount of units of other stuff over 6 months before they give you GR stuff. then they slowely move you up.

there are six tier 0 stores in the United States I think, nort ny and sf, alife, huf, undefeated and another I cant think of. there are only 15 quickstrike accounts in new york. those that have them have loooooong track records with Nike.

you didnt mention SB's, but to get an SB account, you need to show nike that you move skate products with ease.

go for it if you think you can do it, but you need to have a huge amount of startup capital, and have to be able to take a hit for the first few seasons.

plus, you say the stores in Philadelphia suck because they mark things up, wait until you have bills to pay. see if you're trying to make things affordable still.

[Proletariat]

my $0.02. If it is gonna be a streetwear boutique, shit has to look ill. These kids are looking for a shop that impresses them as much as the clothing itself. Vendors are gonna want their product to look hot and not like you went to home depot and bought some white hangars and a closet rod. plus, you are dealing with a very small share of the market who will also be buying from online, ebay, and other cities. there's a reason why there are very few sick streetwear shops and most of them are funded by some deep pockets. please don't borrow the dough from an elderly family member either I don't want your granny to suffer.

http://www.arevolt.com

[flex1]

It's a lot more work then you expect. Thinking about it and actually doing it is two completely different things. Trust me, it took me 1 full year to go from conceptual to actual movement in the right direction. We should be opening in September which is still a long ways away but things are now coming together.

You got to remember that a lot of brands will not even talk to you if they have already opened an account in your city. There is a lot of politics in retail, everybody wants exclusivity remember. And remember that if there is already a store planned for Philly that will be doing the same thing as you, you will be in direct competition for accounts and customers.

You also need a shit load of startup capital, or a shit load of investors or loans. I've heard of people starting up with a few credit cards, but if you do it that way you're setting yourself up for bankruptcy in this day and age I think. Rent ain't cheap, and just to stock your store with a decent amount for the first season ain't cheap also. Come up with a great promotional package, and be professional is my advice. You need a solid plan and solid capital to back you up (atleast 100 g's at the very least for an incredibly small store)

Getting a Nike quickstrike account is hard enough, getting a Nike tier 0 with no connects in Nike is IMPOSSIBLE, it's the honest truth. Just for them to look at your request takes months.

[SENDkylHISPASSWORD]

Try it out... sounds like a good idea, don't let the comments discourage you erven if there is truth to them. If you belive thre is a void in the market, then go for it. To repreat what was said above, make the store really slick/high design, possibly themed. shell out a lot for a nice store and do something cool. make it a hub for all things related to the "scene" or culture you are trageting...

my favourite things

http://mfthings.blogspot.com/

[flex1]

Ya as said above go for it if you think it'll work out and you have the money to start it up. You definetely need to make your store look nice, the first thing that any brand asks for when you approach them is pics of your store and accounts you have secured. If you don't have even a location locked down, you should not even bother with talking to brands, they will just laugh and it makes your name very unprofessional. Make a dope store with a dope concept and you should be set though.

Anyways listen to the huf interview from Heronpreston.com, it's interesting and insightful into the business of opening a retail store. Link below

http://www.heronpreston.com/huf/

[SENDkylHISPASSWORD]

who is heron preston/what does he do?/why is he important/relevant?

my favourite things

http://mfthings.blogspot.com/

[derek]

check out the amazing advise he got on hypebeast http://www.hypebeast.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1918

hay man u should get these brands they r good

[phillykickz]

While I knew I would receive some off the wall info from hypebeast I also know that there are independent labels designers that are members of hypebeast, as well as knowledgeable people in the industry. I did get some very good advice from some members on HB as well as on supertalk. I just want to get as much info as possible.

I appreciate all the info so far, everyone keep it coming, I am working on the business plan and though I have never written a real business plan(just the stuff from college) I am looking forward to getting the entire plan complete and ready for presentation.

I got money so that's a good enough reason to buy the things I buy...

[SENDkylHISPASSWORD]

i kind of like the internet cafe idea, but not exactly.. make it more than a clothign store... local art, mags, books, drinks etc... have some couches. gotta go with the plasma

my favourite things

http://mfthings.blogspot.com/

[russellh]

Ahhh... the sneaker/streetwear store. I've posted the same information a while ago. Im in Allentown, PA, about an hour and 30 minutes from you. Since Im not afraid to give any info away, here is what is really like with one person (me) doing it.

Oh, no matter what comments come up... just make sure you stay true to what you are doing, Im in school and working my ass off... but I think it could happen (a store for me) just keep getting info from people and ask questions, it never hurts.

Ok, before anything (before the brands, location, store setup, etc...) you need to sit down and find where your capital is coming from. As someone stated, you could use American Express OPEN account, but heres the problem. Just like a regular credit card, if you only pay a portion of the balance, the interest rates get you. Thats why AE is not afraid to up your credit limit. A bank loan (either business or personal) could be done, but only if you have enough solvency (assets or accounts) and again, if your store doesnt make money, how do you pay off the loan? You could ask family and friends but in my personal opinon, I feel bad taking money from my family since they have given me so much. Now, what I am doing is going through a capital investment firm. The details are not locked in yet but the firm can back you with up front cash. Honestly, money is the problem, this is the reason I might not do the store (Ill back that up in another paragraph).

Setup a business plan, this is the most critical, you need to have a idea on paper to tell others what you are doing. This can only help. Graph (write out) all your ideas so people can see the vision you have.

Lock in a location and figure in rent and utilities for a year (at the minimum). It is helps to describe your location in the business plan, so people know what you have to work with.

Inventory, this is where the money is. Whole and half sizes of each shoe model cost money, and it adds up fast. Moreover, if you want to carry overseas brands (FEIT, Madfoot, Bape, etc...) Then, if you want to add streetwear, you need to clarify how to pay for the goods. This is where over 60% of your money is going. Other expenses depend on the store. Overall, this is where my money gets tied up... and its a big risk if it does not work.

I dont know, this is just a quick overview of what I am doing. Oh, as for the Nike account, yeah, there is a limit of 2 per year, and thats just quickstrike, so dont count on it right away, unless you have connections (if you do send them my way )

[youwish]

If I could get an ill slice with a pair of sneakers I'd be in heaven.

Just sayin'..

A Lorenzos collab would be nice.

[TheRidiculousguy]

i spent a year at drexel and i was always suprised there werent more stores in the philadelphia area with these brands. went to the same few spots all the time it seemed. theres a couple good stores that usually go unmentioned but most people only think of Ubiq and the other big names.

i would open something up down in olde city, if open til late i think it would do well while people are out at the bars and resturants.

like others said, gotta make sure the space looks right too. agent has some good stuff but its set up so ugly i hated going there

good luck man.

www.ryanleslie.com

www.cassieworld.com

www.ns4life.com

[denimdestroyedmylife]

yo, I wouldn't set up shop in Old City. The rent there is inflated, stores getting chased out all the time. Chestnut below Broad seems ripe. On that note, I know the Matthew Izzo lifestyle store (the one on walnut) has a lot of extra space and were toying around with bringing in someone to sell shoes-----about the only thing they don't sell. I'd see if you could piggyback w/ them.

University City seems like a good place for a store like that w/ all the Penn/Drex kids up there.

good luck.

[Proletariat]

DO NOT put couches in your store. This just invites the wrong people to spend their day HANGING OUT and not SPENDING money in your store. picture it this way. you have never been to a shop before and there are a ton of friends hanging out and laughing in the shop. the second you open that door they all look at you and you feel liuke you have cruised into someone's living room. you will not spend money and you may not come back. FUCK COUCHES

ALso, I have never had any luck being open past 8 pm. never. sure people come in and browse after dinner or they come in drunk and mess up all your neatly stacked pile or just act afool, but they never spend money. The earliest I would open would be 11am, and the latest would be 9 pm. And remember the first weay to save money is to man the shop yourself, and if you are doing so you are gonna need some free time at home to stay sane.

also, don't live in the back of your shop...saves money loses sanity

don't think you can keep up your personal spending habits

pay yourself first! make up a salary for each month and the second you get that money pay yourself. because at the end of the month you will always find an excuse for where that money should go and if you aren't paying yourself whats the fucking point?

If you have never started or run a business before, please go work for someone else in the field that you like. watch what they do wrong and what they do right. and then don't repay them by opening up a competing store in the same town. take your knowledge and go fuck someone else far away. But if you jump into this shit you WILL be writing us in 6 months or less asking who wants to buy your store.

http://www.arevolt.com

[denimdestroyedmylife]

this is starting to read like the 10 Crack Commandments

[giantreptile]

philly doesn't need a streetwear/sneaker store, especially near south st. if i had capital to open up a shop, I'd open it on one of those streets near Liberty (3rd or 2nd, can't remember) by all the art galleries and record stores. then i would do a mostly men's/some women's military themed clothing and accessories. think about it- you could carry lines that are inspired by military/survival designs. i don't know, dries van noten comes to mind. maybe varvatos, acronym maybe, or some of those far out japanese brands. you could even have select military surplus stuff; things like those german army sneakers. one could even do things like carry surefire flashlights, binoculars, who knows- just brainstorming. the point is, you need to make it a destination. it needs to be something that draws people from the tri-state area. i think a streetwear/sneaker place would just get lost in the shuffle, especially near south st. besides, does your run of the mill streetwear look that good in this post-Ali G world?

[poly800rock]

all i'm saying is that if someplace like ubiq that had the capital and whatnot is forced to close their clothing sections and focus entirely on sneakers, what makes you think that a small player could get in the game and stay ahead.....?

http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZtriggerkid

[yenyehc]

afficial was the shit when they started but you are correct they suck. ubiq will be better than them for they have sold all their clothing and will now focus on just footwear.