Starting a Clothing Boutique Store in Korea

[moderndarwin]

So, anyone have any experience starting a boutique clothing store. My girlfriend and I are thinking about starting this up in a few months. She is currently a manager at a high-end retail outlet so she has some experience and she can speak Korean/Japanese/English. I'm mostly helping with the operations, budgeting etc. It's going to be a tiny little spot. We are going to buy high end women's clothes wholesale from Japan and resell them in a boutique fashion store. I ran some numbers and it seems that it is a feasible opportunity. My big question is have any of you (in the US or otherwise) run a small fashion boutique. How many sales can you realistically expect per day?

Expenses Monthly:
Rent: $1,000
Utilities: $250
Insurance: $100
Inventory (clothing): $7,200
Travel (Japan): $500
Supplies (custom bags, etc): $100
Total: $9,150
*Average buying cost 20 including import fees, etc
*360 units purchased in a month

Income Monthly:
Sales: 12,480,000
*10 units sold a day, open 24 days a month, average selling cost $52
*240 units sold in a month (out of 360)

One-time fees:
Rental deposit: $20,000
Store remodel/decoration: $5,000
Permits, licenses: $500
Cash register: $500
Miscellaneous: $1,000

 

[powerballin]

this chick I used to smash started this lil boutique called Dash with her sister.  I can ask her some questions if you want

 

[createdestroy]

*$12,480

you're better off asking this question in a korean forum, my wife is always on missyusa

also trysuperfuture its a more international forum that may be helpful .

Good luck.

 

[moderndarwin]

Thanks for the replies thus far. Yeah, I am browsing around on some other international forums. In general, they are a useless bunch compared to NT people though. They never bring the lulz. My main question is just much a fashion boutique sells on a day to day basis. I know it'll be wildly different answers depending on region etc, but it's helpful to learn more in general about them.

Thanks for the superfuture recommendation. Browsing around it and seems like a forum with people that are knowledgeable about the subject.

 

[Nawzlew]

Hire Sora Park to model your stuff

 

[dayman]

are you going to spend money out of your pocket or receive loans out of your name to help your girlfriend out?

 

[thorrocksjs]

So, anyone have any experience starting a boutique clothing store. My girlfriend and I are thinking about starting this up in a few months. She is currently a manager at a high-end retail outlet so she has some experience and she can speak Korean/Japanese/English. I'm mostly helping with the operations, budgeting etc. It's going to be a tiny little spot. We are going to buy high end women's clothes wholesale from Japan and resell them in a boutique fashion store. I ran some numbers and it seems that it is a feasible opportunity. My big question is have any of you (in the US or otherwise) run a small fashion boutique. How many sales can you realistically expect per day?
Expenses Monthly:
Rent: $1,000
Utilities: $250
Insurance: $100
Inventory (clothing): $7,200
Travel (Japan): $500
Supplies (custom bags, etc): $100
Total: $9,150
*Average buying cost 20 including import fees, etc
*360 units purchased in a month
Income Monthly:
Sales: 12,480,000
*10 units sold a day, open 24 days a month, average selling cost $52
*240 units sold in a month (out of 360)
One-time fees:
Rental deposit: $20,000
Store remodel/decoration: $5,000
Permits, licenses: $500
Cash register: $500
Miscellaneous: $1,000

Japanese lines are the most expensive in streetwear and require you to have a serious relationship them

 

[mitchellicious]

Wow at 12 million a month income

 

[elnino4530]

$12,480-$9,150=$3,330

$3,330/2=$1,665 per person

$1,665/4= $416.25/week

These are the numbers I look at and why I could never take the chance of opening my own business. Making less than $500 a week to not only work full-time but also have the stress of my own business? Not for me.

 

[jrthumper85]

$12,480-$9,150=$3,330
$3,330/2=$1,665 per person
$1,665/4= $416.25/week
These are the numbers I look at and why I could never take the chance of opening my own business. Making less than $500 a week to not only work full-time but also have the stress of my own business? Not for me.

Exactly what I was thinking as far as numbers.

Crunch numbers and really look into what is possible and what you have as far as back up $.

 

[soleasian]

Are you planning to offer an online shop as well or do you plan on just selling stuff in store?

A lot of boutiques don't seem to get many customers in store and they don't really sell that many a day imo. An online store can help move clothes faster.

I'd say you reach out to owners of stores similar to what you want your place to be and ask them about day to day operations for them and what not.

Also, make sure you visit the place the store is going to be in if you decide to open up to get a feel of what it's like there and what the people are like.

 

[newmoanyuh]

Are you hiring?

OH, and look into opening up an online store/delivery service too. Those are extremely profitable in Korea.

 

[eightynine-sx]

i have never ran a clothing boutique but i would fly out if your hiring srs.

i can be your full time delivery driver 

 

[moderndarwin]

Yeah, this isn't our full-time life. It is an interesting chance and opportunity to do something while we are young. Right now, my gf already makes much more at her job with sales commission than our initial projected sales. However, she wants this experience and I also want to try something low risk while we have the chance to.

I am doing my master's right now, and will continue to do so when she runs the business. We plan to move together to the U.S after I finish. The demand for Japanese women's fashion is quite high in Korea, Women usually buy 5-6 pieces of $60 to $80 clothing when they find a place they like. Especially, because as a boutique once it is gone...it is gone. We plan to open in mid-May. We are taking a vacation/business trip to Japan when I finish my current job in March. It'll set us up for the summer season of sales.

If it is very successful we would expand of course and rent out a bigger location and look into opening an online system. However, honestly most customers that are her target are impulse/rich girls that would buy in person after trying it on, rather than online after searching deals and comparing costs. It's also why we are trying to keep our costs very low. The renovating the spot shouldn't cost more than 5k, and besides inventory all other costs for a shop of that size would be very low.

I would love to hire you guys lol. Wish we make it big enough that hiring others becomes a reality =)

 

[i lax bro]

you should sell hco and a&f over there bro. I swear this asian guy came in after big sales and buy like a racks worth of clothes to sell over there. Said it sold for a ton

 

[mitchellicious]

you should sell hco and a&f over there bro. I swear this asian guy came in after big sales and buy like a racks worth of clothes to sell over there. Said it sold for a ton

Buy low, sell high