The wife is opening a store

[griz326]

In this whole process I've learned the wife owned a flower shop across from a hospital in Nanning while working as a government tax agent. She bought flowers at 2 fen and sold them for 2 yuan...and she had employees selling for her.

 

I think that I've also convinced her that you cannot say "American people" as in "all American people" like...in the same way you may be able to say "Chinese people." The Chinese are certainly more homogeneous than Americans...but I'd guess that even though my wife says "Chinese people" like...that isn't as absolute as she implies

 

We've decided on a 3 month lease with an option to capture the remaining tourist traffic, learn about the Canadian/American marketplace and have time for restocking before the next season.

 

It satisfies the wife, gives us options and allows us to learn with minimal risk.

[Rob and WeiLing]

I'm game for all sorts of impulse items that avoid the cheap Chinese crap moniker. If you have any neat things that might make impulse items, I'd love to hear about them. Over the years I've run across many unusual things in China, but for the life of me, I wouldn't know where to begin to find them today.

 

The truth, though, is that I believe Lao Po wants a woman's clothing store. That's fine with me, but I'd sure like to have a place that sucks tourists in until we get our feet planted.

 

Women's clothing that was originally sold in China probably won't work too well. Think size differences. The only thing that I see the larger Chinese women wearing are equivalent to cloth shopping bags; I don't think ANYBODY would look good in them.

 

Some things that may or may not sell well are pens. I was at the "Silk Street" market in Beijing when I bought a Jin-Hao branded pen as a gift. It's got a gold dragon design around the outside, a full box and "authentic" certificate (though who has ever heard of Jin-Hao?), and just looks really cool in general. The girl originally showed it as one of her store's most expensive pens. She ended up giving it to me for 100RMB.

 

When she was moving to grab a new one (aka, not one that's been on display/touched by others/etc) the owner of the store asked in Chinese how much I was buying it for. The girl just told her boss "没事" (or "Don't worry about it."). I chatted a bit afterward, and she said that people go in there and sometimes buy it for 1,000; usually 400 at the minimum. I have a feeling the store owner got it for about 60-80 RMB a pen. I can't remember clearly, but the girl may have told me this outright. We talked in English (I didn't let on that I speak Chinese), so I don't think her boss followed very well.

 

I have no retail or business experience. However one thing does catch my attention. I have never heard of Eureka in my life, or ever had any plans anywhere in my future to go to Montana, with a population of a little over 1,000 or maybe even 2,000 people by now.....What tourist are you expecting to come buy your stuff? I live in a town such as Orlando, FL. If any of you have ever been here, you would know its a busy city for tourism, let alone some of them are cheap as hell.

 

I think taking this business to the internet or ebay would be a better approach at things.

 

I don't know where Eureka is, but Montana has a section of Yellowstone National Park. If you've never been, it's a beautiful location. I once drove through Montana and was amazed by the scenery even before Yellowstone started. Coming out in Wyoming after dark was awful. Drove forever just to find a small town with a hotel we could sleep in, while tired and with NOBODY else on the road. Oh, and it was snowing.

 

 

Is the worm turning?

 

While import has always been an interest, for the last several years, we have been exploring export of western goods to China.

 

USD/RMB seems to have raised interest, at least, in the currency shift. Today, I was in the local dollar store to buy some paper napkins, and a whole extended family (six adults) Chinese (Cantonese) had shopping carts filled to overflowing with items related to personal hygiene, and OTC drugs. Each item cost a dollar (of course)

 

---they told me they could sell them in China for much more, particularly since all the packaging was in English---a perceived premium for quality---even though some of the items were manufactured in China.

 

I've seen plenty of 2 RMB stores in Shanghai. I've never spent much time in dollar stores in the states, but the 2 RMB merchandise looked about the same as what I'd expect in Dollar Stores. If you ship enough of the junk here to the states, I'm sure people would be curious about Chinese writing on everything in a similar fashion (would even sell for a markup at dollar stores!). Chinese people enjoy shirts with English like "Saucy Gird", and American people like shirts with Chinese characters across them. Of course, I'm generalizing terribly, but there's always an interest in "exotic" things...

 

 

 

By the way, Griz... you've probably seen this before, but make sure your shop isn't too formal. You know, like Wal-Mart is:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v457/BlackFridayRuler/walmart.jpg

 

Edit: That jin-hao website isn't designed very well. Here's the page after the broken flash introduction: http://www.jin-hao.cn/en/indexen.asp ... If you can get the page to work, you'll see that they spend their time designing the pens--not the website. The pen I got for 100 RMB is http://www.jin-hao.cn/en/product_blank.asp...135&pid=723 -- the one listed RP-555-1

Edited July 9, 2010 by Rob and WeiLing (see edit history)

[griz326]

The store has been open a week. We had one $200+ day and sold a couple of little things the other days. It is about what I expected. Lao Po told me she was happy to have a job...I guess I can afford a loss for a happy wife.

 

The website is coming. I'm certain that is where we'll have the best chance for a real business.

 

I appreciate the lead on the pens, Rob and intend to follow up.

 

Lao Po is already planning to take big boxes filled with American things back to China with her when we go to the export fair next year.

 

Meanwhile, any more ideas of items to get shipped in are greatly appreciated.

[b.c]

The store has been open a week. We had one $200+ day and sold a couple of little things the other days. It is about what I expected. Lao Po told me she was happy to have a job...I guess I can afford a loss for a happy wife.

 

The website is coming. I'm certain that is where we'll have the best chance for a real business.

 

I appreciate the lead on the pens, Rob and intend to follow up.

 

Lao Po is already planning to take big boxes filled with American things back to China with her when we go to the export fair next year.

 

Meanwhile, any more ideas of items to get shipped in are greatly appreciated.

 

You referring to Canton fair? I am there every year. Perhaps we can meet up again.

[griz326]

You referring to Canton fair? I am there every year. Perhaps we can meet up again.

 

 

That's the plan, Brian. We'll see if we can make it happen. If it works, I'll enjoy hooking up with you.

[griz326]

WEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL....

 

The supposed biggest day of the year brought us a measly $88 USD; we've had bigger days mid-week. ... That's not really the point. Unless there is a DRAMATIC change, I'm pulling the plug after Christmas.

 

Website - full speed ahead.

 

I have two websites still in development; this time I'll develop the website and then hire someone to make it pretty. As an old time web designer, that's much easier for me.

[Yuanyang]

WEEEEELLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL....

 

The supposed biggest day of the year brought us a measly $88 USD; we've had bigger days mid-week. ... That's not really the point. Unless there is a DRAMATIC change, I'm pulling the plug after Christmas.

 

Website - full speed ahead.

 

I have two websites still in development; this time I'll develop the website and then hire someone to make it pretty. As an old time web designer, that's much easier for me.

Take heart. Between Thanksgiving and the New Year will account for about 80% of your sales for the year depending on the biz.