What kind of shop would people like to see?

wmrcomputers

wmrcomputers

Stafford PC & laptop repair specialist
Nothing for certain yet, but my better half and I are thinking of opening a small shop. My initial thoughts were just to have it as a computer workshop / related selling space, but then to be honest that could be ran from it anyway with the space for it to be something extra.

My initial thoughts are possibilities of....

* A good old traditional second hand shop - nothing along the cash converters type of place. A simple "if it sells we'll charge you X% for selling it" approach.
* An eBay trading shop for those who don't-do online. We order items in for a small fee, or sell your items online etc.
* A used appliance shop (although one has recently failed in Stafford)
* A homely members-only coffee lounge that charges a small weekly fee for you to have unlimited access to somewhere you can meet with friends, make yourself hot drinks and generally just relax for as long as you like. A few sofas and coffee tables, the daily newspapers to read etc. Kind of a home-from-home for the times when you just need to look at a different 4 walls and have some company. (although I love the thought of this, I'm not sure about popularity)

Basically we can access a shop premises on a short term month-by-month rent so we wouldn't have to commit to anything heavy while we try something out

Your suggestions please?
 
C

cj1

Well-Known Forumite
what sort of % fee would you charge for selling items as there may be demand for this as cash converters often offer less then half what they then sell it for
 
wmrcomputers

wmrcomputers

Stafford PC & laptop repair specialist
cj1 said:
what sort of % fee would you charge for selling items as there may be demand for this as cash converters often offer less then half what they then sell it for
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All only thoughts at the moment, but probably around 20% with a limit set.
 
Darren

Darren

Well-Known Forumite
What about one of them shops that sell lose tea ,sugar breakfast cereals and so on you buy by weight, don't know if Stafford has had one before but they used to be one in Leicester.
 
wmrcomputers

wmrcomputers

Stafford PC & laptop repair specialist
Never seen anything like that before, although with cereal prices being what they are I can't personally imagine an interest in that sort of thing. JMO of course.
 
Carole

Carole

Well-Known Forumite
A dress agency....like Roma used to be but a bit more upmarket.

There is a super one in Brewed but nothing round here as far as I know.

Where are you thinking of having it @wmrcomputers ?
 
Gramaisc

Gramaisc

Forum O. G.
Carole said:
A dress agency....like Roma used to be but a bit more upmarket.

There is a super one in Brewed but nothing round here as far as I know.
Click to expand...
Of course, we did have the @Jade-clothing shop - you can still see the wallpaper.

There was one in Eccleshall, up to a few years ago - Mardi Gras, next to the Fire Station.
 
littleme

littleme

250,000th poster!
wmrcomputers said:
Never seen anything like that before, although with cereal prices being what they are I can't personally imagine an interest in that sort of thing. JMO of course.
Click to expand...
Grrrr where did that go?....

Anyhow, there was a bloke on the tv program 'Benefits Street' that went door to door selling stuff.....he bought in bulk & split stuff down...

You could buy...
Enough cereal for 1 person, 1loo roll, a small cup of washing powder/ fabric conditioner/washing up liquid/shampoo, a couple of tea bags, enough coffee for a couple of cuppas, half a cup of sugar, an egg....you get the idea...

Enterprising, but if I remember right he was only making a couple of quid a day...

It'd only do ok up ere in N'orff End if you were selling half cans of Stella! ;)
 
Darren

Darren

Well-Known Forumite
wmrcomputers said:
Never seen anything like that before, although with cereal prices being what they are I can't personally imagine an interest in that sort of thing. JMO of course.
Click to expand...
The one in Leicester had big tubs with a plastic shovel type thing that people used to get what the wanted a bit like an oversized pick and mix.
 
John Marwood

John Marwood

I ♥ cryptic crosswords
wmrcomputers said:
Nothing for certain yet, but my better half and I are thinking of opening a small shop. My initial thoughts were just to have it as a computer workshop / related selling space, but then to be honest that could be ran from it anyway with the space for it to be something extra.

My initial thoughts are possibilities of....

* A good old traditional second hand shop - nothing along the cash converters type of place. A simple "if it sells we'll charge you X% for selling it" approach.
* An eBay trading shop for those who don't-do online. We order items in for a small fee, or sell your items online etc.
* A used appliance shop (although one has recently failed in Stafford)
* A homely members-only coffee lounge that charges a small weekly fee for you to have unlimited access to somewhere you can meet with friends, make yourself hot drinks and generally just relax for as long as you like. A few sofas and coffee tables, the daily newspapers to read etc. Kind of a home-from-home for the times when you just need to look at a different 4 walls and have some company. (although I love the thought of this, I'm not sure about popularity)

Basically we can access a shop premises on a short term month-by-month rent so we wouldn't have to commit to anything heavy while we try something out

Your suggestions please?
Click to expand...


Business Rates?


Are you entering a Co-operative to avoid said?


Over
 
0liverC

0liverC

Active Member
Darren said:
The one in Leicester had big tubs with a plastic shovel type thing that people used to get what the wanted a bit like an oversized pick and mix.
Click to expand...

These shops were popular in Birmingham too. One was called 'Sooper Scooper'. Great idea.
 
Jade-clothing

Jade-clothing

Well-Known Forumite
Darren said:
What about one of them shops that sell lose tea ,sugar breakfast cereals and so on you buy by weight, don't know if Stafford has had one before but they used to be one in Leicester.
Click to expand...

I'm pretty sure that type of shop closed down because of health and safety. Although you were supposed to use the shovels it couldn't be guaranteed that people hadn't put their grubby paws into the stuff inside the barrels of food.
 
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