If you learn how to open a toy store and write a detailed business plan, you will quickly form a customer base and begin to make your first profit.

♦ Capital investments – 600,000 rubles.
♦ Payback – 8–12 months

In times of crisis, you need to be especially careful when choosing a startup to launch.

You should study the market and the requirements of potential consumers in order to make your business self-sustaining as quickly as possible.

It’s even better to choose to open a business that will offer goods or services that the population always needs, for example, clothes, shoes, food or toys.

If you find out everything about how to open a toy store and write a detailed business plan, you will quickly form a client base and start making your first profit.

If sales is a new business for you, then you should spend a lot of time studying the theory and look for useful advice from experienced entrepreneurs.

1. Do only things that bring you satisfaction.
   If you hate children, then a toy store is definitely not your business.
2. If you dream of opening a toy store, look for a niche that is not yet occupied in your city; perhaps you do not have a market with educational toys, or a universal supermarket that would have everything, or a shop that would sell toys for older children, etc.
3. As soon as you have made the first open store self-sustaining, launch another outlet.
   If you can monopolize the market, your profits will be really big.
4. Think carefully about what is more profitable for you: opening a toy store as a franchise or doing it yourself.
5. Carefully study the specifics of your region and use this knowledge in business.
6. Use economical means of communication with suppliers and partners, especially foreign ones: Skype, email, etc.
7. Competent and pleasant salespeople are one of the main keys to success in sales.
8. Don't skimp on advertising. As many people as possible should know about your toy market within the first week after opening.
9. If you're unhappy with the profit your store is making, find the problem and fix it.
   Perhaps it’s the assortment, or the prices, or the sellers, or you chose the wrong place to open.
   Under no circumstances should you wait until everything resolves itself, you will simply go broke.
10. The sales field requires flexibility, activity and creativity.
    Pleasantly surprise your customers, constantly remind them about your toy store and you will succeed.

How to open a toy store: advertising

A new business, especially one that is highly competitive, needs advertising.

1. First of all, think about what to name your toy store.
   A lot depends on the name, because if it is too long or difficult to remember, buyers simply will not remember it, and it will look bad on promotional products.
   But customers will confuse the banal name with other stores.
2. Use all possible advertising tools: media, leaflets, business cards, banners, the Internet, advertisements on billboards, etc.
3. Be sure to attract the attention of potential customers to your store not only with a large, bright sign, but also with a folding bed that is placed on the sidewalk in front of the door.

How to open a toy store: calendar plan

Interesting facts:
Barbie doll can be considered a champion, as she breaks all records for variations of herself. Officially, this doll has approximately 30 professions. The doll has such a wardrobe that one can only envy: at the moment she has more than a thousand outfits.
This doll also has 15 modifications of her own body: there is a pregnant Barbie, a Barbie who has a wide waist, there is even a Barbie in a wheelchair (this doll’s legs do not move).

The most difficult and time-consuming stages of launching your startup are finding suitable premises and its equipment.

Everything else (registration procedure, hiring staff, creating a product range) will take a little less time.

If you do not deliberately delay any of the stages, you can open a business in 5–6 months.

Stage	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun
Registration
Rental and renovation
Purchase of equipment
Sellers Recruitment
Advertising campaign
Opening

How to open a toy store: phased implementation of a business plan

You shouldn’t start any business without it; opening a toy store is no exception.

Having studied rental prices, salary levels, the purchasing power of citizens of your city and other points, you can think through all the nuances of your business, calculate how much money you will need to open a toy store and how quickly your investment will pay off.

It wouldn’t hurt to figure out how to open a toy store from a legal point of view:

• what registration procedure should be followed;
• what requirements are imposed by the SES, Fire Service and Rospotrebnadzor;
• what services need to be concluded with in order to start using the building, etc.

If you are not ready to understand the legal aspects of the case, then it makes sense to hire an experienced specialist to handle the registration procedure.

In general, the more detailed your business plan is, the more specific numbers it contains, the easier it will be for you to open a toy store.

Registration

If you have not previously engaged in entrepreneurial activity, then first you should choose one of two legal forms: individual entrepreneur or LLC, that is, decide whether you will work as an individual or as a legal entity.

Registration as an individual entrepreneur (individual) is much simpler and faster, but it has its drawbacks: you will not be able to conduct business with legal entities.

The clients of toy stores are mainly individuals, so you can safely register as an individual entrepreneur and open a commercial bank account.

Be sure to take care of the ventilation and lighting system in the room in which you decide to open a toy store, otherwise you will not be able to obtain permission from government authorities to operate.

Location

The profitability of the shop directly depends on the place you decide to choose to open it.

If your business is not generating income, then one of the possible reasons is a location error.

Ideal location to open a toy store:

• In an area with high traffic (in the center or in a residential area with a large number of residents).
• Far from direct competitors.
  There is no need to open a toy store next to an existing store, even if the rental price seems incredibly attractive to you.
  You will divide clients and ultimately suffer losses.
• On the ground floor of a multi-storey building or in a popular shopping center.
  If you open a market in a separate building or on the ground floor of a multi-story building, then make sure that the entrance is from the street and not from the yard.
  This way you can increase the number of random clients.

Room

There are no special requirements for the premises in which you are going to open a toy store.

The main thing is that it:

1. Didn't require major repairs.
2. Didn't cost too much.
3. It suited you in all respects (area, location, neighborhood, lighting, etc.).

If you don’t have a lot of money to launch a startup, then it’s better to start by opening a small store of 20–25 square meters in some shopping center.

This area is enough to place the most popular goods, and at the same time test whether your business will work or not.

There is no need to pay too much attention to the interior.

The color of the walls, ceiling and floor should be neutral so as not to distract attention from the bright colorful toys.

The main thing in the interior is its safety, because your main clients are children.

Equipment

The quantity and list of equipment directly depends on the size of the market you decide to open.

But still, the minimum set of commercial equipment and furniture will be as follows:

Expense item	Amount (in rub.)
Total:	150,000 rub.
Shelving	40 000
Counter	15 000
Glass showcase	20 000
Seller's chair	2 000
Locker for storing personal belongings of the seller	5 000
Cash register	10 000
Other	58 000

Staff

When studying the question of how to open a toy store, be sure to think about what schedule your market will operate on and what size it will be.

Depending on the schedule and scale of the business, the number of sellers and other team members is formed.

For example, if you have opened a small shopping pavilion that is open 5 days a week and closed for two days (Sunday and Monday), then you only need to hire one salesperson.

If you want to open a large store (the sales area alone will occupy 50 or more square meters) and it will work seven days a week, then you need to hire two shifts of salespeople.

Some tips for hiring salespeople:

1. They must be courteous and polite.
2. It is advisable to hire people who have psychological, pedagogical or trade education.
3. Age is not important (you can cooperate with both young girls and women 40–50 years old), the main thing is that the person copes well with his responsibilities.
4. But the gender of the seller is important, because according to statistics, customers trust female sellers more.
5. Periodically check your employees: how well they know the product, how they behave with customers, whether they are interested in selling as much as possible, etc.

You also need to hire a cleaner or enter into an agreement with a cleaning company, because cleaning the store is not the responsibility of the sellers.

If you pay tax according to the UTII system, then you can handle the accounting yourself, just like purchasing goods and administrative issues.

Let's say you decide to open a small toy store (sales area - 25 square meters) and hire two salespeople (one per shift) and a cleaner.

Salary costs in small Russian cities will be as follows:

How much does it cost to open a toy store?

Again, the amount of capital investment largely depends on the size of your future market, as well as the purchase price of the product you are going to sell.

Also, consider the pricing policy of your region.

For example, to open a toy store in a small town you will have to spend about 600,000 rubles.

But in large cities of Russia this amount will increase several times.

Table of costs for opening a small toy store in the regional center:

In order not to worry about rent, taxes and staff salaries in the first months of the market’s operation, include in capital investments the amount of mandatory monthly expenses multiplied by 3 or 4 months.

You will have to spend about 100,000 rubles per month to maintain the store:

How to choose the right toys for a child according to his age,

watch in the video:

How much can you earn from a well-promoted toy store?

You should prepare for minimal earnings in the first 3-4 months from the date of opening, because until you have built up your client base, you should not expect big profits.

Much also depends on the trade margin that you put on each unit of goods.

On expensive toys the markup should not be higher than 100%, but on cheap ones it can be 300%.

Set your own prices, but remember that they must correspond to the quality of the product.

If the average revenue of your market is at least 8,000 rubles. daily, then in a month you will earn about 250,000 rubles.

We subtract 100,000 rubles from this amount. for mandatory monthly expenses and another 50,000 rubles. – to update the product range.

You have about 100,000 rubles left. net profit.

If you don’t need time to promote your business, then in just six months you will recoup your capital investment.

These are very good reasons to seriously study the topic " How to open a toy store».

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Trade is the engine of progress, and the country loves to trade; retail trade remains the most popular business idea in Russia; what exactly to implement is another matter.

Among the many areas, the business idea of ​​a children's toy store stands out. Products for children, as well as food products, are included in the short list of inelastic demand. This means that parents spend even their last money on food and children's toys. To critics of this statement, I can say that in times of crisis, people began to buy cheaper goods, but only a few people refuse “amenities” for their children (sons, daughters).

Opening a children's toy store is a profitable and promising business, subject to a number of mandatory conditions.

To take into account all the nuances, we will draw up a rough business plan for a children's toy store.

How to open a children's toy store, choosing a location

The third option - compared to the first two, has only one significant advantage, the absence of reports, while the amount of taxes payable is an order of magnitude higher.

Equipment, assortment and sellers for a point with toys for children

When calculating a business plan for a children's toy store, special attention must be paid to the equipment for the store. A distinctive feature of this particular type of retail trade is the presence of simply a huge number of different products. Moreover, it is not necessary (to be precise, it is not necessary) to buy a lot of each product, it is enough to have 2-3 copies of a specific product, but there should be variety.

Example on dolls:

— 4 different series (Barbie, Winx, Monster High, fairies), in each series there are 7-8 different heroines, in total we have 32 units.

- 2 different sizes (we take small and medium) - in total the number of dolls increased to 64 units.

As you can see, the minimum range of dolls for girls already occupies an entire stand, and if we take the same cars for boys, we get no less, but plus soldiers and swords.

All this variety must not only be purchased, but also placed so that parents and children can see and touch them. Practice shows that if a child picks up a toy, there is a 90% chance that parents will buy it, if not immediately in the near future. That is why, after choosing a location for the store, we begin planning stands and shelves. The main condition is free access and visibility of the entire range of products for children. By the way, be sure to pay attention to such a concept as merchandising (display of goods); it is optimal to buy equipment for a store, taking into account the “scientific” and advice.

How much does it cost to open, fixed costs of a retail outlet

When calculating approximate children's toys, we proceed from:

For the purchase of initial goods will need to be invested at least 500 thousand rubles. This amount can be reduced by purchasing not the entire assortment or purchasing exclusively Chinese products, but remember that a small assortment and low-quality toys are a death sentence for the store. Parents care about their children (it’s not for nothing that the demand for children’s goods is inelastic), they simply “will not understand” your efforts.

Shop equipment– in many ways, the price of racks and display cases depends on the approach of the businessman himself; you can buy everything ready-made and not bother, or you can look for it. The same metal racks and hangers can be ordered on the Internet, searched on ad sites and bought used. And cabinets, display cases, which will cost at least 20% less than factory analogues. Total costs for store equipment will amount to at least 80 thousand rubles.

In total, in the approximate business plan for a children's toy store, the cost of opening a retail outlet will be about 600,000 rubles.

In addition, you need to be prepared for ongoing expenses, which include:

• — rent (50 thousand rubles)
• — taxes 19,400 rubles (when working on imputation)
• — communal apartment 5000-6000 rubles

Total monthly expenses for the store will be about 75 thousand rubles.

We do not take into account wages of hired personnel, payments from the Pension Fund to the Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund, they are covered by UTII.

Store promotions and advertising

Advertising brochures– there are both positive and negative experiences with this store advertising channel. It largely depends on the choice of distribution location; if the booklets end up in the right place, they work with a bang, if you just distribute them at an intersection or put them in mailboxes, returns 0.

Posting advertisements, ordering banners, television– practically does not work for small retail outlets. The exception is holding a big discount campaign, however, you shouldn’t deceive, clients won’t come a second time at all.

The simplest and most importantly working promotion option is availability of bonus or discount programs. Moreover, discounts must be both cumulative and special (for example, in honor of a birthday). It must be remembered that parents buy toys for their children more than once or twice, and if the first purchase was successful, then they will definitely return to your store.

Little secrets of opening a successful store

It’s worth taking into account a few more small nuances when drawing up a business plan for opening a children’s toy store:

• — it is necessary to provide a separate department (rack) with products for children's parties (hats, pipes, candles, napkins, tablecloths, etc.). Such products do not take up much space, and the profitability is high.
• — simultaneously with opening a real store, create an online store. This is especially true for large cities.
• — Be sure to add your (real) store to all catalogs in your region, indicate your positioning on Google and Yandex maps. Please provide all information. Including telephone.
• — you shouldn’t spread yourself too thin and try to sell children’s clothing in a store. It is much more cost-effective to expand the range of toys.
• — you just need to allocate space for a separate department (display case) for children's books, as well as books on raising children, the latter are often bought by parents.

SWEDEN: Children's World... toy store... Stockholm Sweden

Children's World... a toy store, how it works in practice

Upload date: 2013-10-16

Opening a children's toy store - How to do it quickly and efficiently? Briefly about the important

The decision to open a toy store is not a new idea for a long time, but it is always successful, since children's toys are a product that is in demand regardless of the economic situation and income level of the population. Toys are, first of all, joy, so people will buy them not only on holidays, but also on ordinary weekdays.

Highlights

In order for a business to become profitable and successful, you need to think through several things at once. It is necessary to organize a stable supply of goods and optimal operating mode, as well as take into account many subtleties and resolve a huge number of issues.

Firstly, to trade toys you must register your activity. Only the businessman himself can answer the question of what is better to choose: an individual entrepreneur or registration of a legal entity.

Let's look at the pros and cons of each option.

It is easier to register an individual entrepreneur; this does not require either constituent documents or payment of authorized capital. However, the entrepreneur bears responsibility for the results of his activities with all his property, including property in his home, etc. The formation of a legal entity most often involves the creation of a limited liability company.

To do this, you will need to develop a charter, draw up a decision on creation, pay for the authorized capital, or deposit property equivalent to the minimum amount established by law, as well as open a current account and submit some other documents to the territorial tax authority. However, the undoubted advantage of working as a legal entity is limited liability and protection of personal property from collection.

Secondly, you need to decide on the location of the store and ownership of the area. Only those individuals who have substantial start-up capital can afford to purchase property. Experts, however, do not recommend this method of solving the problem. Beginning entrepreneurs may purchase real estate in an area that is not suitable for their business and face the problem of illiquidity of property. A rented pavilion or department is best suited as a starting point.

Thirdly, you will need to organize work with suppliers. It is better to study the offer of wholesale centers in advance and choose the most attractive one. However, the best option for resolving the supply issue would be to establish relationships with manufacturers. This way you can offer the lowest prices without compromising the quality of the product and, accordingly, attract customers. No less attention should be paid to transportation, storage and payment procedures. Experts recommend working under long-term contracts, insuring the risk of loss of goods. You can also resort to loss insurance.

Starting capital

Opening any trade pavilion will require certain investments. Let's consider how to calculate the estimated amount, and what main categories of expenses will have to be taken into account at the first stage.

Firstly, expenses will have to be incurred to pay for the rent of the premises in the amount of about 30 thousand rubles. The amount of this amount may vary depending on the terms of the contract.

Secondly, it is necessary to spend funds to pay for the first and, if possible, the second batch of goods. As a rule, in order to fill an area of ​​up to 25 square meters with toys. m. 100 thousand rubles is enough. However, within a few more months, all profits must be invested in increasing the volume of goods to at least a cost of 400 thousand.

Thirdly, payment for utilities, the average amount of which is 20% of the rental cost and amounts to about 6 thousand rubles;

Fourthly, you will need shelving, display cases, a cash register, furniture for staff. About 40 thousand rubles should be allocated for all this.

Fifthly, At least one seller must be involved. His salary in the first stages of the store’s operation should not exceed 15-20 thousand rubles. You should not hire two or even three people at once from the very first day, since labor relations impose very burdensome obligations on the entrepreneur. You can operate a small store yourself, especially by choosing a suitable taxation system.

Sixth, you will need a reserve. Its size should be half the cost of the first batch of goods, and in our case 50 thousand rubles.

So, to summarize, the starting capital for opening a toy store in a small Russian city is approximately 246,000 rubles. It should be taken into account that in large cities this amount can double or even triple.

Approvals and Certification

Russian legislation does not provide for special permits or mandatory receipt of certificates for opening a toy store. All that a novice entrepreneur needs is to obtain documents confirming compliance with safety and quality standards for each purchased batch of goods. In addition, copies of registration and tax registration certificates, as well as a complaint book and a brochure with the text of the Law “On the Protection of Consumer Rights in the Russian Federation” must be publicly displayed in the retail premises. Cash register equipment will need to be registered in accordance with the established procedure.

Range and equipment

Before starting your own business, you should study the market. The range of toys today is so large that, one way or another, the store will have its own specialization. On the shelves you can place a universal set of toys, including the entire list of necessary and popular products. However, you can get creative and create a store of educational games for children or give preference to soft and large rubber toys. You can place affordable products on the shelves, and in some cases you should give preference to luxury product names. Most often, merchants prefer to cover the entire spectrum mentioned above and offer visitors an assortment that includes several product categories.

The only equipment you will need is cash register equipment, unless, of course, you decide to open a self-service store. Shelves with wide and durable shelves, hanging nets and pockets are also needed to accommodate printed children's products, as well as hanging toys. You can purchase a couple of baskets for balls and other goods and display them in the center or at the register. If funds allow, it is recommended to buy a small table and a couple of chairs for parents and children.

Store staff

As mentioned above, at the first stage it is enough to hire only one salesperson. However, the employee must have special education or at least know the basic rules and laws of trade. It is enough to resort to the services of a professional marketer once a month, and the rest of the time to maintain the proposed order of product placement. It is recommended that a novice entrepreneur independently study all the laws of sales; this is the only way to achieve success in his own business. At the first stage, you can easily perform the supply function, since you should establish contacts with suppliers yourself.

In order to eliminate the costs of a full-time accountant, you can submit an application at the registration stage to apply a simplified taxation system or switch to paying UTII. These tax regimes require filing just one return once a quarter, as well as annual reporting, and can be mastered even by a non-professional. Working with a pension fund is also not difficult to learn if you have the desire and adequate perception.

We attract clients

The best way to notify customers about the opening of a store is still advertising. Depending on the budget of a novice businessman, you can resort to television or radio advertising. Distributing leaflets near the department stores and movie theaters you visit, as well as placing advertisements in local newspapers, can also be helpful. An excellent solution would be a promotion that would offer not too expensive, but not cheap gifts, as well as discount cards.

In conclusion, novice businessmen should be warned not to get carried away with spending too much. At the first stage, funds should be spent very sparingly and carefully, and accepted obligations should be fulfilled on time. Don't expect incredible profits in the first month and get ready for no weekends and long working hours. Creating your own business is always very hard work, only feasible for a purposeful and strong-willed person.

• Assortment of educational toys store
• Search for suppliers
• Competent staff is the main factor for business success
• Which tax system to choose for an educational toy store. OKVED code
• Step-by-step opening plan, where to start
• Which equipment to choose
• What documents are needed to open
• Do I need permission to open?
• Sales technology
  • • • Similar business ideas:

How much money do you need to open an educational toy store?

Opening an educational toy store begins with looking for business investment. In a sales department with an area of ​​20-30 m2, investments will be at least $15 thousand. The main cost item is the creation of a product range. You will also need to purchase commercial equipment, pay a rental deposit and register your business activity.

The main sources of investment in an educational toy store may be:

1. Personal savings or funds from a financial partner;
2. Credit resources attracted from commercial banks. The average interest rate for using a loan today is 20-25%. Opening a small department does not require large investments, so you can use a regular consumer loan for individuals;
3. Loans raised from regional entrepreneurship development funds. The interest on the loan is only 8% per annum. The loan size cannot be more than 1 million rubles and its duration is only 1 year.

Searching for premises for an educational toy store

The business guru advises you to be especially careful when searching for premises. However, it is not necessary that this be a retail outlet in a large shopping center with high traffic. Rent in such places is usually “not affordable,” which is critical for entrepreneurs with a limited budget. It is also not recommended to open a department in residential areas of the city. In such places, people are not concerned about buying toys, especially in poorer areas of the city.

Central and office streets of the city, transport interchanges and shopping complexes are considered more profitable places. The main thing is that the potential audience is better off. And let the rent be a little higher than in a residential area of ​​the city. This will more than pay off with a higher average sales receipt.

The size of the room is also of great importance. It is clear that the larger the square footage, the higher the rent. But you won’t be able to open a good store even on 10 m2. With limited starting capital, 20-30 m2 is considered optimal. The room must be selected in such a way that the buyer can freely move around the sales floor and examine the product himself. Now it is difficult to imagine a counter format of trade that is considered less effective.

The size of the room should be selected based on the possible assortment of the store. Half-empty shelves are not welcomed by the consumer. It’s better if it’s a little cramped, but the choice of goods will be maximum.

Assortment of educational toys store

The assortment of the educational toy store includes such products as: puzzles, interactive toys, books, construction sets, mosaics, creativity kits, puzzles, Zaitsev's manuals and cubes, Nikita's manuals, manuals and familiarization with the outside world, and so on. All products are aimed at giving the child more effective development at an early age.

If possible, the store’s assortment should not be limited only to educational toys. A significant portion of purchases in toy stores are made as gifts. Balls, radio cars, water pistols, construction sets, plastic and soft toys sell well as gifts. The larger the assortment, the better the buyer’s opinion of the store itself. And the profitability of stores with a wide range of goods, as a rule, is higher than exclusively specialized departments.

Toys on store shelves should be open. It is important for the buyer to touch and feel the product. Especially if they choose an expensive toy.

A good store has a constantly growing customer base. People are ready to go shopping even to another area of ​​the city. They pass on positive reviews about your store to their family and friends. It is important, at the same time, to retain customers with cumulative discount systems and various gifts. Even a 10% discount can have a key effect in favor of choosing your store.

How much can you earn by selling educational toys?

The average bill for an educational toy store depends on the solvency of the local population. In peripheral cities, the average bill should not be higher than $30. Otherwise sales will be very low. Don't skimp on including free batteries for singing and mechanical toys. The consumer appreciates this.

Search for suppliers

The choice of toy suppliers plays an important role. The same toy can be made by several completely different manufacturers. Naturally, the quality of such a toy will differ. Today's consumer has become very discerning. Due to the abundance of goods that can be found in many shopping centers today, he has plenty to choose from. If you have a low-quality product, he will simply go buy a toy in another store.

Therefore, if you make a mistake in choosing a quality supplier, then selling such a product will not be easy. Ultimately, a low-quality batch of toys will be sold at maximum cost, which will lead the store to a loss.

Competent staff is the main factor for business success

A store of educational toys cannot do without a good salesperson. And preferably with a pedagogical education. The seller must understand such concepts as fine and gross motor skills, and which toys are suitable for its development. He must clearly explain to parents which particular toy is useful for their child at a particular age. Ultimately, profit depends on how the seller knows the product he is selling and how he can convince the buyer.

It is better to directly motivate the remuneration system for store personnel. For example, pay sellers $10 (300 rubles) per exit plus 5% of daily revenue. So, your sellers will try to sell as much as possible.

Which tax system to choose for an educational toy store. OKVED code

Once the issues with financing the project and selecting premises have been resolved, you can begin to register the activity. The organizational and legal form of an educational toy store can be an individual enterprise (IP) or a limited liability company (LLC). Each organizational form has its own advantages and disadvantages. I will not dwell on them in detail, since you can read about this on our website, in the appropriate section. You must register your activity at the local tax office (IFTS). When submitting an application for registration, you must indicate OKVED code 52.48.24: Retail trade in games and toys.

Next, you should write an application for the transition to a special tax regime. The most common taxation system for small trade organizations is UTII - a single tax on imputed income. This is perhaps the most favorable tax system for a toy store. The amount of tax directly depends on the area of ​​the retail outlet and the k2 coefficient established by local authorities.

Early autumn is the best time to open an educational toy store

It is best to plan the opening of the store at the beginning of autumn. Many people return from summer vacation and begin to think more about their child's development. This period is considered the sales season in this business, and it will last until the end of the year. A decline in toy sales occurs in late spring and remains low throughout the summer. During this period of time, it is necessary to take care of expanding the summer range of products, and include in it: sandboxes, watering cans, balls, mattresses, circles, and so on. You can wisely think through the issue of discounts. Such tricks of entrepreneurs as establishing huge discounts of 30, 50 and even 70% always attract the attention of thrifty consumers.

Photo: Victoria_Borodinova / Pixabay

Toys- items intended for play. By recreating real and imaginary objects, images, toys serve the purposes of mental, moral, aesthetic and physical education of the child, helping him to understand the world around him, teaching him to purposeful, meaningful activities and promoting the development of thinking, memory, speech, emotions. They are widely used in educational work with children, in particular for the development of technical and artistic creativity

In order to successfully launch a business in the field of selling children's goods, you need not only money, but also knowledge. The latter are presented in this article in full.

Classification of toys

This information will help you better understand when selecting an assortment.

By age:

• from birth to 1 year
• from 1 to 3 years (during this period the separation of toys for girls and boys begins)
• from 3 years to 5 years
• from 5 years to 10 years
• from 10 years and older

For developmental purposes:

• Sensory (up to one year, mainly sound - rattles, squeakers, musical toys; visual - kaleidoscope, color contour images);
• Motor (mobile, ball, spinning top, wind-up toys);
• Figurative (images of animals, dolls, soldiers, cars);
• Social, industrial and technical (toy tools, such as a scoop and bucket, weapons);
• constructive (various construction sets and prefabricated toys).

According to the material of manufacture:

• Fabric
• Felt
• Straw
• Clay
• Wooden
• Plastic
• Rubber
• Fur
• Metal
• Porcelain

The pedagogical classification of children's toys is as follows :

I. Toys by type of game: story-based, didactic, sports, entertaining

• Plot-forming toys, the prototype of which are animate and inanimate objects of the surrounding world, are used mainly in plot games:
  • dolls;
  • figures of people;
  • animal figurines;
  • gaming items;
  • theatrical;
  • festive and carnival;
  • technical.
• Didactic toys are intended for didactic games, the content or design of which contains educational (developmental) tasks:
  • actually didactic: based on the principle of self-control;
  • didactic games (sets) with rules: intended primarily for games on the table (printing and others);
  • constructors and construction kits;
  • puzzle games;
  • musical toys.
• Sports toys.
• Fun toys.

II Toys by degree of readiness:

1. Ready.
2. Collapsible, consisting of transformable parts and components.
3. Blanks and semi-finished products for homemade toys.
4. A set of various materials for creating homemade toys.

III Toys by type of raw materials used:

1. Wooden.
2. Plastic.
3. Metal.
4. Made from fabrics, including stuffed toys.
5. Rubber.
6. Made from paper and cardboard.
7. From ceramics, porcelain and earthenware.
8. Made from wood materials, papier-mâché.
9. Made from new synthetic materials.

IV Toys by size:

1. Small (size from 3 to 10 cm).
2. Medium (size from 10 to 50 cm).
3. Large-sized (commensurate with the growth of children at different age periods).

V According to functional properties:

1. Simple, no moving parts.
2. With moving parts, mechanical (including winding and inertial mechanisms).
3. Hydraulic.
4. Pneumatic.
5. Magnetic.
6. Electrified (including electrical, electromechanical, radio-equipped, electronic based).
7. Electronic (computer based).
8. Sets of toys (or parts) are a collection of parts of one or more toys, interconnected by purpose or functionality.
9. Game sets united by a single theme (task).

VI Toys based on artistic and figurative solutions:

1. Realistic.
2. Conditional.
3. Constructive.

Step-by-step instructions for opening

We are registering

Choose the organizational form with which it would be more convenient for you to work. For Russia it is:

• – opens easily and simply, the procedure takes several days. You need to contact the tax service at your place of business, bring your passport, Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), pay the state fee and fill out an application. In a few days you will be given a USRIP sheet. If you suddenly go bankrupt, closing an individual entrepreneur is as easy as starting one - the main thing is not to forget to pay tax contributions to the budget on time.
• – the procedure is a little more complicated. It will be necessary to draw up constituent documents, a decision on organizing a legal entity and contact the tax office. In the event of a collapse, you will have to go through a full bankruptcy procedure, which is not cheap.

From July 2018, all organizations related to trade must be equipped with online cash registers. It doesn’t matter whether you have employees, or you stand behind the counter yourself, whether you have one point or several - this type of cash register is necessary.

Choosing a location for a store

Shopping mall

The best place would be a crowded shopping center with large anchor tenants, in the future of which there is no desire to relocate. If you open next to or opposite a large food hypermarket, you will be guaranteed a daily flow of visitors. At the same time, you need to pay attention to good parking; without it, the whole idea may turn out to be a failure.

– high rent

Advice: It is not always useful to go to a shopping center for reconnaissance before concluding an agreement with the landlord in order to find out about the density of visitor traffic. Most often, there are sellers behind the counter who cannot assess the influx of visitors in comparison with other shopping centers. Calculating traffic on weekdays and weekends is also not always objective. If you have a single-industry town that depends on one city-forming enterprise, then the influx of people eager to leave part of their savings in the shopping center will be increased in the days immediately after payment or advance payment. That is, if you compare, for example, two Saturdays (one after the other), then the number of your potential clients may be completely different. You also need to take into account holidays and warm summer days, when the majority of the population goes out of town for barbecues.

There is no need to open a toy department in that shopping center where there are enough of them without you. As often happens, landlords themselves will refuse you if they already have many similar points of sale. You can stand in line and if a place becomes available, you will be invited. But, there are cases (mostly these are decaying shopping centers without heavy traffic) when management requires the rental department employees to sign as many contracts as possible. They will calmly let you into the center, but get ready for a tough battle. Competition “revives” a business, but it only looks alive to buyers. If two or more rivals do not agree and decide to use the last argument in the fight for the client - dumping, then after the weak one leaves, the strong one will not be able to get back on his feet for a long time. Spoiled buyers, accustomed to promotions or low prices, will be very reluctant to buy goods at adequate prices. It turns out that by showing respect for your competitors, you are laying a solid foundation for your sales.

Checkout area in supermarkets such as "At home"

Low rent

– Your clients will be only residents of the nearest houses in the area. Even if you spend a lot on advertising, it will be difficult for customers to find you due to the huge number of supermarkets “nearby”.

Shop with separate entrance from the street

If you purchase property, you will have business stability. You will not be at the mercy of landlords who can raise their fees at any time.

– Set aside a huge budget for advertising. No matter how hard you try, you won’t be able to attract “cold” buyers with bright windows - it’s difficult for people to move five meters out of the route to come in and “take a look” at your product. Get ready for the fact that your visitors will mainly be “hot” customers who are ready to make a purchase. Perhaps salvation will come from street signs with attractive promotions.

Advice: focus on “rich” residential areas or busy avenues. The outskirts of the city are not the best choice.

Choosing a toy supplier

Work through all possible options. Remember that you can negotiate individual terms and discounts not included in the program with suppliers on the spot. It will be easier for you if your monthly purchases of goods are about a million rubles. The circle of suppliers can then expand significantly, and you will receive maximum discounts. But such “turnover” is not suitable for every entrepreneur, so focus on nearby wholesale centers.

When purchasing goods, ask for certificates for toys.

We form an assortment

Gone are the days when children played with dolls and guns. In 2018, the main emphasis should be on characters from popular cartoons. This is a non-decreasing trend, just like toys from TV advertisements. However, there is no need to fill all the shelves exclusively with cartoon characters. As a rule, they have dull packaging that does not attract the attention of passing visitors. Your department must have bright wind-up toys, construction sets, and large gift sets of toys.

Children are a great help in choosing a product. They themselves will tell you what toys to bring and what they have most in use.

Pitfalls of the toy trade

The success of the first days can turn your head

The first two weeks after the launch of a department are not at all an indicator of sales. At this time, you will observe increased interest from buyers in your department. Revenue may be double the normal amount. You can judge the department's revenue only after a year of operation.

Trade in toys during the off-season

Summer is a real test for your business. If you are not protected and “put all your eggs in one basket” without diversifying your business, then you will have a very bad time. Prepare a financial cushion for this time, from which you will draw money for rent and wages for sellers. Purchase only highly liquid items with high turnover.

Linking clients

Create your client base. Discount cards for regular customers are best suited for this. However, such cards must be strictly accounted for, otherwise there is a risk that the seller will issue the same discount card to all customers and pocket the difference.

Tight control

Try to stand behind the counter yourself at least once a week to keep your finger on the pulse. CCTV cameras can only give you a general picture of how a department is doing, since you won't spend your days watching their content. The best informants are the clients themselves. In a conversation, they may mention that, for example, last time you had the same product at a higher price, which means that the seller can sell the product at their own price tags. You can only obtain such information by being personally present at. Many more nuances can be revealed in a conversation with clients.

Beware of illiquid assets

There is no need to purchase toys in huge quantities before opening a store. Without studying the demand, you risk freezing your working capital by purchasing illiquid positions. Money should work, not gather dust on shelves.

How much money does it take to open a toy store?

An example of real costs for a small retail outlet from practice.

Item name	Costs in rub.
Rent + security deposit	23000 x 2 = 46000
Wardrobes on the shopping island	26000
Glass for showcases	10000
Used sliding roller shutters	15500
Economy metal panels 3 pcs.	1500
Price holders	450
Metal hooks for economy panels	1410
Sales cart	3591
Chair	849
Sales receipts	59
Online cash register	37000
Conclusion of an agreement with Internet providers	900
Making a second set of keys for the seller	120
Electric kettle	400
Rag and bucket for cleaning	120
Monthly payment to the cleaner for cleaning the floor	500
Decoration of the buyer's corner	1500
Calculator	500
Product (toys)	256805
TOTAL:	403204

These are the costs of opening a shopping island with toys with an area of ​​9 m2. Accordingly, expect higher costs for purchasing goods if your area is larger. To tightly line the shelves with toys, you will need approximately 30,000 rubles per square meter of the store. The height of the trading island cannot exceed 160 cm, so if you have a pavilion and shelves higher, you will need an even larger amount. And remember the main rule of sales - full shelves, good sales!

If at first you plan to stand behind the counter yourself, you can avoid the cost of a seller - this is approximately 16,000 rubles in the Chelyabinsk region. You can rotate as a salesperson, such as working in your store once or twice a week.

Lighting plays an important role in the attractiveness of your display cases. A similar event on the shopping island in question required 13,000 rubles.

A sign with a designed logo will help your brand become more recognizable. You can use this logo on business cards, as an avatar of your brand on social networks and on the website. The cost of a sign in different advertising agencies is different - from 4,000 to 27,000 rubles for light boxes. By the way, if you are planning to open your own store or shopping island in large shopping centers, then the management of the center will definitely set you their conditions for the design of your outlet. The exception is already developed retail chains with their own unique design.