Trade is one of the most profitable sectors of the economy. You need to start your business with detailed monitoring of the market, studying the buyer, determining demand and taking into account seasonality for specific categories of goods. Retail trade is a large field for entrepreneurial activity, but all the niches in it have long been occupied. This does not mean that you need to give up; on the contrary, you should study the specifics of your regional market and accurately determine the group of goods with which you will work. The product market has many positions that are suitable for a start-up business. You need to choose those with minimal risks, high interest margins and a large volume of turnover. The stability of consumer demand, especially for essential goods, is also important. These products include food, personal care products and household chemicals. They are in steady demand and are always relevant. There is also a category of seasonal goods, the demand for which is greatest during a certain period. The remaining goods have less pronounced trade specifics and are secondary, from which demand depends solely on the needs of the buyer in certain conditions and environment.

To know what is profitable to trade on the market, you need to carefully study the market, develop a business development strategy and plan for all the factors that could reduce demand. Also, you should carefully consider the indicators of the starting capital, the specifics of the selected group of goods and calculate the possible markup. Thus, for food products in retail chains the markup is 10-15%, household chemicals and hygiene products can be sold at 20-30%, but clothing, especially seasonal ones, can have a profit of up to 200% per unit.

Where to start trading?

First of all, you need to decide on the trade segment. If you intend to sell products, you must take care of storage conditions and equip warehouses. Limited shelf life of dairy products, fresh vegetables and fruits, meat, etc. requires the supply of refrigerated chambers to trading floors to create suitable conditions for their storage.

Set goals in advance. Do not purchase goods in unlimited quantities if you are not sure of their sale. Immediately find contractors and suppliers with whom you will cooperate. Discuss the possibility of changing the volume of purchased goods, depending on sales.

You need to start trading in the market by organizing a retail outlet. Depending on the specifics of trade, plan what suits you best: a container on the market, a pavilion or a trading floor. Rentals need to be agreed upon in advance, as good spots do not stagnate for long. It is better to rent premises closer to the center of the market than to settle for distant points. Please note that the most profitable places are those with the highest customer traffic: the beginning of the shopping row, the market exit and the first row.

Before you start trading on the market, decide on the form of doing business. There are three main forms: individual entrepreneur (individual enterprise), partnership and corporation. Each form has several modifications.

The optimal solution for trading on the market is individual (private) entrepreneurship with simplified taxation. Register all documents with the tax service and register as an individual entrepreneur, which will help avoid problems with your business in the future. Official registration allows you to establish relationships with suppliers and minimize risks. Trading on the market without registering an individual entrepreneur is prohibited and this is fraught with fines and administrative liability.

What to choose for trading?

Everything is sold at the market and the potential buyer knows that it is more profitable to buy, for example, meat or vegetables at the market than in the supermarket. The first thing you need to trade on the market is to choose a category of goods to sell. The type, volume and name of the product are of great importance for effective business. The most popular products for sale in the market are:

• clothing and shoes;
• fresh vegetables and fruits;
• meat and fish;
• dairy products;
• personal hygiene products;
• household chemicals;
• non-food products (for home, garden, vegetable garden, etc.).

If you decide for yourself that I want to trade on the market, then analyze the scope of activity of each area of ​​\u200b\u200btrade: food, non-food, construction. Essential goods are in constant demand. These include:

• bread and bakery products;
• toilet paper;
• potatoes, carrots, onions;
• meat and offal;
• intimate hygiene products;
• milk, cheese and cottage cheese.

The remaining products are seasonal. For example, winter clothes and shoes are most popular in the run-up to the season, and the meat trade has virtually no waste and costs.

What goods are profitable to sell on the market depends on its location. If this is the central market of a large city, then everything you sell will bring profit. If this is the outskirts of the city, then it is better to give preference to clothes, shoes, and a pastry shop. In a small settlement, only essential and essential goods are in demand, so there is no point in selling dried fruits, tea stalls or gourmet sweets. For coastal areas, the optimal solution is fast food: ice cream, hamburgers, hot dogs and low-alcohol drinks. The latter require a license.

What is better to sell on the market?

The market is popular because you can buy everything here, much cheaper and, according to many consumers, of better quality. The best way to trade on the market depends on how much capital you are counting on to make a purchase. Selling clothing requires significant investment in goods, and until you know your potential client, half of the things will be poorly sold. Trading things requires experience. If you are targeting a specific client, for example, young people, then always follow the latest fashion trends, track the buyer’s taste preferences and his financial capabilities.

It is most profitable to trade meat and fish, but there are many nuances. First of all, you need to create conditions for their storage. Plan in advance who you will buy meat from, check the quality of the goods from suppliers, documents and licenses. You are responsible for the quality of meat and fish. Fish requires a freezer, but it is less problematic in terms of sales than meat. Fish sells well, both frozen and chilled, and meat is sold only fresh.

Another thing that can be sold at the market is seasonal vegetables and fruits. In the summer, cherries, watermelon, strawberries, etc. will bring a lot of profit. Here it is important to organize storage conditions and promptly sell the goods, since they are perishable. The same cucumbers, potatoes, and tomatoes sell better in the summer. But milk, cheese, and sausage products are popular all year round.

What are the benefits of trading on the market?

Is it profitable to trade on the market? The primary question that concerns entrepreneurs. Every business has advantages and disadvantages. Among the advantages of trading on the market:

• low rent per outlet;
• the ability to trade several types of goods simultaneously;
• constant flow of customers;
• opportunity to expand business;
• a large selection of areas for trade;
• good profit with minimal investment, etc.

The disadvantages of trading on the market are the wrong location for the point, lack of advertising and effective sales skills, costs and illiquid assets, etc. It is important to know how to learn to trade correctly. To do this, do not use too high a markup, advertise the product and use the discount method to reduce losses.

In some life situations, a problem arises when there is not enough material resources. In this case, people often wonder what to sell to make money. Although in some situations, entrepreneurs who are just starting their own business do the same thing.

Products from a Chinese manufacturer

There was a time when buy-sell relationships flourished. However, it has long passed. Currently, in-demand products can be sold using a method such as dropshipping. Its essence is quite simple and does not require virtually any costs from its performer. This is the usual delivery of products from its manufacturer to its buyer. Using this method, you can earn good money by selling products from China. The best-selling products have always been and will be made in China, since their cost is lower than that of other producing countries. The advantage of such a sale is that there is no need to invest your own money, since the goods are paid for in advance by the buyer. This same point guarantees that there will be no downtime of products, they will be in circulation all the time.

Using an Internet bulletin board

Since this is the 21st century, it would be logical to ask the question of what to sell on the Internet to make money. Today there are many free Internet sites that operate on the principle of a bulletin board. In addition, such sites are completely free, which means it costs nothing to post information about selling your product. All these sites are quite similar to each other, and therefore the rules and list of what can be implemented there are approximately the same. Here is a small list of products that you can try to sell through online bulletin boards:

1. Personal items that have become unnecessary for some reason.
2. You can buy various products and resell them, receiving interest on sales.
3. Sale of goods wholesale.

In addition to using existing platforms, you can create your own Internet portals on which you can post various lucrative offers for the sale of products. If you ask people who specialize in sales what to sell to make money, they will list roughly the following categories:

• Gold, silver and other jewelry items, except those owned by the family as heirlooms.
• You can sell a product such as cosmetics from a large company. True, to do this you need to become a representative of such a company.

What to sell to make good money?

A very interesting option for selling goods can be, at first glance, junk that ordinary people do not need for nothing. However, there is a type of people called collectors. This segment of the population is quite capable of purchasing for a large sum, for example, some kind of badge or coin, which to the average person would seem like a trinket that has no value. In some cases, the answer to the question of what to sell to make money may be antiques and other valuables belonging to different collections. It is more difficult to sell them, since first you need to spend a sum on their purchase, and then find the same collector who will pay even more than the amount for which the item was purchased.

Residents of rural areas can also be included here, since they receive a good income from selling vegetables, fruits, dairy products, etc. Some entrepreneurs buy large volumes of products from villagers, and then resell them in the city at a higher price. This type of activity can also be attributed to the answer to the question of what is profitable to sell.

What do people buy?

When the question arises about making money by selling something, it is always worth remembering that there are areas that will be in demand always, everywhere, and at any time. What to sell to earn money quickly and a lot? One of these areas is real estate. Selling and buying housing will always be in trend, since no one wants to live on the street. This method of earning money requires certain investments, but with the right approach it will allow you to quickly return the amount spent and earn interest. We are talking about the resale of private houses, apartments or garages, for example.

When constantly monitoring various advertisements, you may come across one in which the owner writes about the urgent sale of a home, for example. The reason for this may be leaving, reluctance to search for a buyer for a long time, etc. In such cases, sellers are very often ready to make concessions and reduce the amount from the initial one by 10-15%. It is precisely such proposals that you need to look for. Having bought real estate at a reduced price, all that remains is to add interest and resell it. Thus, you can earn a lot of money without doing practically anything.

What can you quickly sell online?

As mentioned earlier, when wondering what to sell to make money, you should turn your attention to the Internet. However, message boards are not all that can generate income. Despite the fact that almost everything that can be bought is available on the Internet, and the demand, as well as the supply, is great, there are areas in which demand is clearly greater than supply. These categories include the following products:

1. Clothes and shoes for children and teenagers. Such products are always in use, because, as you know, children grow quickly. We have to buy new things almost every year, which means that the demand will be constant and large.
2. Various products used at home and in offices.
3. Real estate and cars.
4. Original and beautiful photographs are less in demand, but still in demand.

Although it is worth noting that it is much more difficult to make money selling photos, since photo banks that accept photographs have very high requirements.

Not every one of us lives in a country with a population of one million. Many aspiring entrepreneurs are scratching their heads over this in a small town. The question is really not an easy one, especially considering that opening your own, albeit small, business is a rather serious and risky step. Let's talk about what product or service is best to sell in a small town or There are a lot of interesting nuances and pitfalls.

Advantages of doing business in a small town

It’s safe to say that there are not only disadvantages, but also big advantages that will play into the hands of any entrepreneur. One of them is the lack of much competition. Of course, this does not mean that it does not exist at all, but starting a business and developing it will be somewhat easier. Especially if you offer something that is no longer available. First, you need to analyze the market and understand what is offered more and what is less. This will not be difficult to do, since the city is small, and the number of entrepreneurs can be counted on one hand.

You can open your own small grocery store or cafe. In addition, there are many other, no less profitable solutions that will be very popular among city residents. High-quality service plays a big role, which many in the outback have not heard of. Imagine that you have a company that produces and installs locks. So, if you do your work quickly, efficiently and effectively, then soon rumors about you will spread and there will be no end to clients. That is why it is impossible to unequivocally answer the question of what to sell in a small town. But let's look at a few of the most effective solutions, each of which is likely to be popular.

What not to do?

In the first stages, it is very important not to make a mistake that will ruin all your efforts. Oddly enough, aspiring entrepreneurs quite often make the wrong decisions. To prevent this from happening to you, you need to remember what not to do when opening a business in a small town. By the way, this only applies to places with a small population. So, in a large metropolis, the same product or service can bring you huge profits.

Firstly, you should not start with a highly specialized business. An example would be the sale of one type of equipment. The fact is that modern trade in a narrow specialization, especially in a small town, will not bring the desired result. This is due to low demand, so if several clients come to you during a work shift, then this will not be bad. Secondly, do not start a business that requires a large number of highly qualified employees. Why? Everything is simple here: there are very few of them in the province. Most of the brainy specialists travel to big cities, where the prospects for development are higher than in the wilderness. Don’t forget that there is no point in offering customers super-expensive products. For example, computers costing 100,000 rubles and more may be sold, but during this time you will have time to sell much more PCs costing 30,000 rubles and make a significant profit from it. This factor is due to low wages in the outback.

Opening a toy store

This is quite a promising direction. As a rule, in small towns there is one, maximum two, similar establishments, so you don’t have to be afraid of high competition. Currently, children's supermarkets are extremely popular, where there is almost everything for children of different ages. But in our case, a small store is enough. First of all, register yourself as a private entrepreneur. It is best if it is an LLC. The main point is the correct choice of supplier. The fact is that children's toys should not only be of high quality and interesting, but also safe. This is due to the fact that children love to taste them.

If the toy store is small, then at first you can be a salesperson, an accountant, and even a cleaner. All this will allow you to save money on labor costs and pay for yourself much faster. Take care of the assortment. You should have toys of different sizes and colors. Sometimes it makes sense to divide them into categories, for example: for boys, for girls, for children under 3 years old, from 3 to 5 years old, etc. If, with all this, you competently create the internal atmosphere and interior, then you will have a lot of clients. In just six months, you will more than recoup the costs and be able to gradually expand and eventually build a small children's supermarket. But do not forget that modern trading requires a lot of effort. It makes sense to give good advertising, for example, write a small advertisement about the opening of a store in the local newspaper and stick it up on poles and bus stops.

Why not sell products?

Of course, here you will face competition in any case. However, not everything is as bad as it might seem at first glance. The fact is that it is not at all necessary to try something new; you can quite successfully implement what you already have. In any case, the number of grocery stores in your city is large, but this does not mean that your particular location will not be popular. However, the template option will not suit us either, so we need to think through everything carefully. First, choose the location where your grocery store will be located. As practice shows, if we are talking about a small town, you need to choose a place where there are many houses and there is no similar point nearby. The fact is that quite often people living in remote areas need to walk 10-15 minutes to the nearest grocery store.

Secondly, you need to carefully draw up an assortment map. It's easy to guess that this is a list of products you sell. It is important to consider the terrain here. So, if a grocery store is located in close proximity to a kindergarten or school, then there should be juices, candies and much more that children love. But if you are engaged in trading near multi-storey buildings, then do not forget to buy a decent amount of bread; it would be a good idea to also buy alcohol, for example, beer. By the way, it will be interesting to talk a little about the latter.

Beer trading: pros and cons

According to statistics, the sale of alcoholic beverages almost always brings good income. Another question is, will all this be bought in a small city? Of course it will be. The point here is rather what and at what price you will sell. If your assortment includes several types of draft beer at average market prices, then you will always have a queue. In addition, it is advisable to sell beer in bottles, both glass and plastic. Having a variety of non-alcoholic drinks will only work to your advantage. Don’t forget about such popular goods as vodka, wine, champagne, etc.

It is worth drawing your attention to the fact that it will be somewhat more difficult to open. This is due to the fact that it is necessary to obtain licenses. In practice, stores that stock not only beer, but also goods for it, are very popular. This can be “pigtail” cheese, ram, smoked fish, nuts, crackers, chips and much more. This way, customers will not have to go to another store. As for the location, it should be remote from kindergartens, schools and other educational institutions, as well as hospitals, etc. In any case, beer trading brings in good income. Over time, you can expand your range.

Is it worth selling household appliances?

If we consider the main business ideas in the village, we cannot fail to mention a store where customers can find large and small household appliances. Of course, everything here is somewhat more complicated than with a grocery store. You are mistaken if you think that small towns don’t buy microwaves, multicookers and other kitchen utensils. All this is acquired, and very well. All you need to do is show yourself at first. If the first 10-20 clients leave dissatisfied, then you will completely lose it and are unlikely to be able to restore it in the near future. What to do in this case? Now everything will be said.

The surest path to success is to enter into an agreement with a large company for the production and sale of household appliances. You, as a partner, will receive a percentage of the profits, and all deliveries will be carried out completely free of charge. All you have to do is convince the company that sales will go up. To do this, a household appliance store must arouse the interest of customers. To cause it, you can give good and competent advertising, set discounts for regular customers, hold regular competitions and much more.

Becoming pioneers

There is a high probability that your city still does not have a single representative office of a large company. If there are, then only a few, and this does not mean anything. For example, this could be a Samsung, LG, etc. household appliance store. This could also be clothing - Adidas, Reebok, etc. In simple terms, start a franchise business, but choose your partner wisely, since not everything will be in demand. For example, selling professional cameras is unlikely to be successful. If they buy several devices in a week or a month, then that will be good. But selling clothes or shoes can bring very good money.

The essence of such a business is that an agreement is drawn up with certain conditions that you, as well as the other party, must fulfill. An example is sales volumes. If you exceed the norm, then you are entitled to a bonus; if you do not sell more, then penalties are withheld. Please note that at the initial stage you will receive good financial support from the partner company. However, you will have to pay the costs of renting premises, staff salaries, and taxes yourself, so be prepared for this.

We offer services to the public

But this is a rather interesting direction that does not require large investments. The bottom line is that you can act as an intermediary or directly as a performer. A clear example of this is the performance of dispatch work. For example, a person needs to install a newly purchased washbasin. He calls you, and for a small fee you find a good, but at the same time relatively inexpensive specialist. However, you must understand that trade in services cannot slow down. If the client wants the work to be done on Sunday, or even on a holiday, then so be it.

Another simple and inexpensive way is to make a photocopy and do typing. All this will bring good money, but first analyze the market. Find out whether such an offer will be in demand. According to statistics, trading in services can pay off in the first month, provided that you have invested something in this business.

A few more ideas

As you can see, you have a wide choice of what to sell in a small town. This could be the sale of beer or food, or a combined option is possible. You can offer the population of the city to replenish their account with a minimum commission, etc. Another good idea is to open a kindergarten. True, this will be a very expensive undertaking, but we can say with confidence that with 100% probability this enterprise will pay off in the shortest possible time. True, you should not expect large sums of money in the first months of work.

The whole point is that all parents will check where they send their child. You must have all the necessary licenses in your hands. The room should be warm and inviting. According to statistics, today this kind of business, although it can be called more of a full-fledged and responsible job, is quite popular. The reason for this is the usual shortage of kindergartens, since they often close more often than they open. And parents have work, during which time the child must be left with someone.

Conclusion

That, in principle, is all that can be said about what to trade in a small town. The choice is quite large. But you must be guided not only by the financial capabilities and needs of the population, but also by your own interests. First of all, you should like your business. Only work done responsibly brings good income.

If you have opened a small store, then at first you can be a seller there yourself, which will allow you to save a lot. But over time, expand your boundaries, hire friendly and friendly staff. Agree, coming to a grocery store, where everything is always fresh, and the prices are not inflated, and the seller is friendly, is much more pleasant than going to an eatery with weekly bread and high prices. All this happens because such an activity causes more problems for the owner, so the business does not go well. Trade, however, requires respect for the buyer. Always ask yourself the question: “Will I eat this bread or this sausage?” If you do everything correctly, then you are unlikely to have any problems with clients. In small towns, there is always a situation where many people come to one store and few to another. You can be sure that all this happens for a reason.

There are many questions facing us, and one of them is choosing a niche for trading. And it is likely that a bad choice can only ruin a fledgling business. The problem is especially acute during a crisis, when the population is forced to save money and begins to give up spontaneous purchases and make purchases consciously.

In 2018, although the rate of population decline slowed down (according to Rosstat), the economic situation is still considered unfavorable.

Up to 70% of Russians save on necessary types of goods: food, clothing, etc. Consumers tend to move away from expensive brands in favor of more affordable ones; more and more people are making a shopping list before going to the store. Consumers are more often focused on hunting for discounts, and the share of goods purchased through promotions is increasing. People shop less often and tend to be stricter about spontaneous purchases.

These factors indicate that it is important to take the choice of goods for trade seriously, first study demand, and analyze competitors’ offers for a specific product in a specific region. In conditions of declining purchasing power, it is recommended to concentrate on goods with stable demand: food, clothing and footwear, medicines, personal hygiene items.

Online trading or brick-and-mortar store?

The unfavorable economic situation intensifies competition, and this creates the need to optimize trade and reduce costs. One possible solution is to move the business online.

Online stores have a number of advantages over classic trading platforms:

There are also disadvantages: additional risks associated with server availability, a decrease in customer flow due to the fact that some buyers do not like to purchase things before they can touch them. Also, some product categories are simply not suitable for online trading, for example, food products with a short shelf life.

If the budget does not allow you to open a classic store, an online store is a suitable solution, but no one forbids combining the advantages of two types of sales by organizing your own pick-up points, which will also engage in independent trading.

Selling food is an option that will provide stability and... The main feature of food products is that everyone always needs them, which means that regardless of the income level of the population, the change in demand will be minimal.

It is important to take into account the low purchasing power of today's consumers and select the assortment accordingly: the emphasis should be on cheap and in-demand products.

Suitable for this purpose:

• cereals
• meat and fish
• vegetables and fruits
• milk and dairy products
• confectionery

If the budget is not enough to open a full-fledged grocery store, or there is no uncertainty about the opening location, it is recommended to start with a highly specialized store. For example, hot baked goods are suitable. This will help estimate the purchasing power of local consumers more accurately. And then, based on the information received, you can slowly expand the range.

Trade in food products will provide stability of income, but it is low (on average 20%). Firstly, this is due to the high level of competition, and secondly, food products, as a product, are characterized by high elasticity of demand, which does not allow introducing a large markup. Selling products is profitable if you can find a place in a walkable residential area away from competitors, especially large shopping centers. However, there are usually few such free places.

In this case, additional costs associated with SES requirements should also be taken into account.

It is necessary to provide:

• room cleanliness
• product compliance with all standards
• Availability of health certificates for staff

You can also consider: trade in snacks, coffee, soda. Servicing the machine will not require serious financial effort, but it still depends on a good choice of location.

Also, in terms of marginality, loose tea and coffee stand out. The cost of tea allows it to be sold at a markup of 200-300%.

Trade in clothing and footwear

Clothing trading potentially allows for high margins. However, for this it is necessary to find suitable suppliers who will provide not only high-quality and cheap goods, but also ones that are rarely found on the market. But searching for such suppliers takes a lot of time, and sending goods into trade that have not been tested by the local market is risky, so most often entrepreneurs sell the same clothes as their competitors. Margins, accordingly, turn out to be low, but this ensures stability of demand.

There is seasonality, the assortment will have to be constantly changed. It is also important to take into account changes in fashion and trends; some product may suddenly become very popular, demand will increase by thousands of percent, and in a year no one will remember about this product.

In conditions of declining real income, it becomes a good option. Such a business will allow you to achieve a sufficient level of profitability and payback, and the costs of starting a business are small. Also, in small cities there is no strong competition. But there are also disadvantages: a significant part of the audience avoids shopping in thrift stores, others do it on the sly and feel a sense of shame, which means that demand will be limited.

Children's clothing can be divided into a separate subcategory. Children are constantly growing and need new clothes regularly. Children regularly stain and tear it. The average parent will be the last to save on their child; all this guarantees a stable and high demand for children's clothing and shoes. Accordingly, the average markup in this segment is higher than average.

Trade in services

One of the highest-margin niches is trade in services. Most of the expenses come from equipment, rent and wages. This includes hairdressing salons, printing houses, repair services, various training courses and many other services.

In trade in services, another problem arises for an entrepreneur - with sufficient qualifications, since the business will rest on people (although it is worth noting that people are the main resource in any business).

What else is profitable to trade?

There are a huge number of niches, and in almost every one you can trade profitably. Mainly in the current economic situation, budget options for essential goods, those that people cannot do without. But the most important rule is to trade what you personally understand.

Write your question in the form below

12Feb

The question is asked by Oleg Nikitin:

Hello everyone! Please tell me what is profitable to trade in the market or in stores in your city these days? What can you sell to make it profitable? I've already broken my head.

Hello, Oleg!

You're not the only one scratching your head with this question. It's actually hard to find stuff to sell these days because it seems like there's already so much of everything. It is true! But you can try to organize the sales process a little differently or expand the range of some products and you will differ significantly from your competitors. The main thing is to understand this.

If we return to the question of what to trade, then no one will give you a definite answer. You need to look at demand specifically in your city and in general.

There are products that will always be in demand:

• Food;
• Clothes, shoes, accessories;
• Medicines;
• Auto parts;
• Hygiene products, household chemicals;
• Etc.

The following articles may help you on this topic:

There are also other products that always sell well:

• Alcohol and tobacco products;
• Construction Materials;
• Plumbing;
• Household appliances and electronics (oversaturated market in general);
• Pet food;
• Cosmetics and perfumes;
• Stationery;
• Equipment (industrial and commercial);
• Furniture;
• Toys;
• Etc.

Of all of the above, you can sell not only someone else’s production, but also start producing something yourself. For example furniture, food, etc. Now small-scale production is held in high esteem again.

The most important thing is not only to find a product to sell, but also to think about how to sell it. You need to be different from your competitors in at least some way, otherwise it will be difficult to compete.

Also be sure to read articles on this topic: