Day in the Life: What It Takes to Run Your Own Retail Clothing Franchise

Becky Martin, writer

Published at 01/01/2020, Updated on 04/05/2022 , Reading time: 7 min

Day in the Life: What It Takes to Run Your Own Retail Clothing Franchise — Photo © retail-clothing.jpeg

If you’ve got an eye for fashion and love keeping up with the latest trends, starting your own fashion business might have always been a dream of yours. But to make sure you’ve got what it takes, this article is going to cover what an average day for a retail clothing franchise owner looks like.

As a nation we love to shop. Whether it’s buying something for a special occasion or simply to make us feel good, it’s called retail therapy for a reason. Therefore, it comes as no surprise that clothing is big business for the UK. But not every entrepreneur who sets out to own their own fashion store succeeds. To make sure you don’t have any regrets further down the line, it’s important to be confident you’ve got what it takes and understand what the role entails. So, let’s take a closer look at what you can expect when starting a retail clothing franchise.

Snapshot of the fashion industry in the UK

The annual expenditure on clothing in the UK reached £58.3 billion in 2018, and the fashion industry is estimated to be worth £32 billion to our economy. It’s thought there are around 555,000 people employed in fashion, textiles and fashion retail in total in the UK, and 414,000 of these work in retail itself. The top companies in terms of their market capitalisation are Burberry, Next Plc and Marks & Spencer.

Did you know? Spending on clothing in the UK reached £58.3 billion in 2018

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A day in the life of a retail clothing franchise owner

You're likely to spend lots of time doing the following things:

Recruiting and training staff.
Buying new clothing items and collections.
Installing fixtures and making sure the shop floor is clean and tidy.
Interacting with customers and providing an exceptional service.
Using the till to make sales.
Making regular posts on the website and social media and letting customers know of any promotions, new ranges etc.
Planning any events like staff meetings and socials.

When you first start your retail clothing franchise it’s likely that you will have to work long hours in order to get everything up and running and to secure a loyal group of customers. However, once you’ve found your feet, you could choose to take more of an overseeing role and delegate these responsibilities to your trusty team.

Advantages of becoming a retail clothing franchisee

1. There’s flexibility with when you work.

You can choose which hours suit you based on your personal commitments and family life. Many franchise owners won’t spend the whole day at the store. They’ll spend time in the morning and/or evening working at home paying invoices, placing orders and planning fashion shows. This means you can work from home when it suits you.

2. You don’t need any previous experience.

Of course, having experience owning a business or working in the retail sector would be a big advantage, but it usually isn’t essential. Part of your franchise investment goes towards training that should leave you fully prepared to operate your clothing store on your own.

3. Multi-market sales opportunities

When you own a clothing business you are able to sell online as well as in a physical location. While the online clothes retail world is crowded, with new brands opening all the time, it does still provide opportunities for more sales.

4. Relatively simple business operations

Clothing stores tend to have simpler business models than many other businesses. You can start off small and expand when you want to. At a basic level, you acquire, display and market inventory to drive traffic and generate sales.

5. It’s rewarding

Seeing customers leave your shop feeling happier than when they came in can give you an incredible sense of satisfaction.

The challenges of becoming a retail clothing franchisee

1. You won't have complete creative freedom.

If you want complete control of the lines you bring in and how you design the store, the independent start-up route may be a better option. However, for many, the security of franchising can often outweigh this. You might also be able to find a franchise opportunity that allows you to make more important decisions. Double-check this with the franchisor before you sign the franchise agreement.

2. It’s hard work.

It can be a lot of work to track inventory, set up the displays, market your business and manage all of your employees. Within small clothes businesses, resources can be stretched thin and a significant amount of work is the responsibility of a small number of people. However, buying into a franchise means you can benefit from the franchisors’ years of experience in the industry and they should have established the most efficient ways to run the business operations.

3. Seasonality.

Some clothing stores depend on the busy Christmas shopping period to survive the year. Therefore, it’s a good idea to emphasise other holidays too with sales and specials to increase revenue throughout the different seasons. For example, you could have a section of the store dedicated to red clothing and accessories on Valentine’s Day.

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Become a fashion franchise owner

If reading this has confirmed that you do want your new career adventure to be owning a clothing store, we have provided details of two of the best opportunities on the market below.

Noa Noa

Bring the spirit of the Bohemian woman to your local high street with a Noa Noa franchise.This sustainable fashion franchise retails clothes that are made with the intention of representing strong women and allowing customers to feel like their true selves. In a world of fast-fashion, Noa Noa prides itself on offering a collection that will stand the test of time. Its clothes feature great attention to detail and striking colour contrasts.

• About Noa Noa: All clothing collections are designed in Denmark and produced across the world, making Noa Noa a brand with the potential to go global. It’s a proud member of the Business Social Compliance Initiative and makes sure it operates ethically. Since it was founded in 1981, Noa Noa has opened more than 90 concept stores and can be found in over 350 multi-brand stores across the globe.

• How to become a Noa Noa franchisee: Noa Noa is looking for people with previous experience in the fashion industry to help expand the business. So, whether you’ve run your own company or worked in a managerial role in another store, Noa Noa wants to hear from you.

• How much you need to invest upfront: You’ll need to be prepared to invest at least £40,000 to get your store up and running.

• What you get for your investment: Franchisees will also be able to access guidance and support whenever they need it. As part of the initial set-up process, store designer Christian Baumann will spend three days at each new location to ensure everything goes to plan. And to make sure your store is dressed to impress, visual merchandiser Satijana Blazeska will create stunning displays ready for your grand opening. What’s more, you’ll also be able to access marketing materials, training for your staff, as well as seasonal materials throughout the year.

Calzedonia

As one of the leading fashion retail brands in the world, Calzedonia has a large and loyal customer following. Its unique Italian fashion range is offered in around 4,000 stores worldwide. Want to open the next one?

• How to become a Calzedonia franchisee: If you have previously run your own retail store, are business-minded and have access to the financial requirements, then Calzedonia encourages you to apply.

• How much you need to invest upfront: It costs between £50,000 and £100,000 to own your own store. You should be able to get a proportion of this from banks to help you.

• What you get for your investment: Every franchisee will be supported through the entire process by their Area District Manager. There’s also national advertising that you can benefit from.

Ready to take the next step with a retail clothing franchise?

Starting a clothing franchise can be very rewarding if you dedicate yourself to the brand’s success and throw yourself into the role. You can keep up to date with our latest fashion franchise opportunities. Also, check out another article in our ‘day in the life’ series.