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[Andythomo21]

Hi all,

I'm just after some advice please from any of you guys on here with experience within the cricket retail industry.  (Vitas, Uzi, IJC & anyone else with retail experience).

I'm seriously considering trying to sell cricket gear as a living, and just want to get peoples opinions before I get too deeply involved in setting things up.  I'm 33 years old with a Business Degree and like many, have been working for the past 10+ years in jobs which I get very little job satisfaction from.  My great passion is Cricket, and I would love to be able to make a living from the sport I love.  I appreciate it may not be easy, and I'm not looking at making my fortune, just a healthy living.  I've never been shy of a bit of hard graft!

I'm based in a town in North Yorkshire where cricket is still a popular sport.  I have started looking at retail units as I feel I must have a shop (base), but I realise this alone won't be enough so I will need a website and maybe use Ebay also?  The town is not huge but has no sports retailer based there currently and the town has a large tourism industry so with effective advertising I could try and get visiting tourists who have an interest in cricket to call on me whilst they're visiting the area.  I'm hoping this, along with internet sales would be enough to keep me going?

Would be keen to hear your views/opinions both positive and negative as to whether you think this could be a viable business.  Any advice and do's and dont's, things to avoid etc would be greatly appreciated.

Also, one of the most important things in this whole idea is obviously suppliers.  How easy is it to get accounts with GM, GN, Newbery, Kookaburra etc etc etc and if I went ahead with my idea would I still be able to get 2015 stock from these suppliers or isn't it that easy?

Thanks in advance for your help.

[TBONTB]

Well firstly, I doubt if the retailers will publicly bare all with their business model etc etc but thats not really important. The stand out thing for me with all these retailers, they are destination retailers. You cannot really expect footfall from people just passing by and thinking 'I fancy a new bat'. As this is the case, you would need to look at the local market see how is best to advertise to target the right people you want.

I am intrigued to know why you think a shop is so essential. While I appreciate that you need a base etc, rents and rates for a true retail space will be very expensive. I know that people will want to select bats etc, is it therefore a better idea to have a showroom in a warehouse which would be cheaper to rent an run.

Any help?

[Ams4287]

Well firstly, I doubt if the retailers will publicly bare all with their business model etc etc but thats not really important. The stand out thing for me with all these retailers, they are destination retailers. You cannot really expect footfall from people just passing by and thinking 'I fancy a new bat'. As this is the case, you would need to look at the local market see how is best to advertise to target the right people you want.

I am intrigued to know why you think a shop is so essential. While I appreciate that you need a base etc, rents and rates for a true retail space will be very expensive. I know that people will want to select bats etc, is it therefore a better idea to have a showroom in a warehouse which would be cheaper to rent an run.

Any help?

What's the indoor facilities like in the area? Double up? If it's a warehouse. If a shop you'll need to consider more than cricket if it's footfall. Where abouts are you based Andy?

[No.4]

A shop/showroom is a must if you want to stock the big boys. Gray Nicolls, GM, Kookaburra etc. that or a very fancy website.

[Andythomo21]

Yes, thanks.  All views and opinions are helpful.

I am looking at the cheapest options possible for my retail outlet.  Business units slightly out of the town centre and on trading estates as I feel someone keen to buy a bat for example would be willing to drive 5 minutes to me rather than me having a shop in the town centre with a higher rent and limited parking! 

I would start it from my garage/conservatory but I know one of the first things bigger brands such as GM and GN look for before dealing with you is details of your premises?!

[Andythomo21]

I am based in a pretty small coastal town in North Yorkshire.

[No.4]

Why not start out with some of the smaller brands? You might find they are more open to new retailers than some of the big boys.

Ebay gives you a large audience but also lots of competition in the same place.  As well as this their fees will take up most of your profit margin. Same goes for Amazon.

Free parking will help at your shop, that and somewhere for the family to entertain themselves while your customers spend hours picking up and chatting about kit!

[iand123]

My understanding with the bigger brands is that they will give you very little or no credit limit at first. You'd have to pay upfront until you've proved capable of selling the gear in decent quantities. Then the limits are increased especially if you put in frequent orders. There are also some buying groups which are essentially a group of retailers clumping their orders together to make one larger order. Smaller brands I don't think are quite as strict but that doesn't mean they'll give you tons of bats of sale or return either. You also have the types of Spartan/Ton who have UK distributors.

The above is what I've gleaned over the past few years, some may not be true so please don't hold me to it!

I've often contemplated doing something similar. The vitas setup I think would work really well here down in Kent. First there aren't many cricket shops (let alone good ones) for a huge catchment area. Also there is a shortage of decent net facilities (let alone net facilities with a bowling machine). I guess the attraction to this approach is that you have constant year round revenues from the net as well as selling gear (which I believe spikes now for Xmas and start of winter nets which the steadily falls from there with a spike right before the season starts).

Cricket is a funny little industry, certainly full of characters. I'd imagine you'd need a fair bit of start up capital to get going too. Wish you all the best mate

[TBONTB]

I think whatever you decide to do, make a decision about that sort of retailer you want to be. Are you going to go mass market, sell the big brands etc, which raises questions about why pick you over other established retailers. Or become a niche retailer selling really specialist, smaller brands to particular customers. Who knows which is, to be honest going online first to test the water is the lowest cost way of doing it, as soon as you envolve premises it becomes tres expensive tres quickly. If online make sure your SEO is top notch!

[Andythomo21]

Thanks for all the reply's so far, quite a difficult decision which way to go, if any?!

The indoor netting facilities where I am based are very poor so an idea incorporating a shop and nets cold be a goer.  Main problems would be finding premises that were suitable.  Also can't see the nets part of it getting much use Mon-Fri during the day!?

[JB]

I am based in a pretty small coastal town in North Yorkshire.

He's in Middlesbrough!! 

[GarrettJ]

Where in North yorkshire?

[joeljonno]

Have you though about getting links with a local shop?

I know if one local to me who has good ties with Owzat and gets all quantities forwarded on.

Being in Yorkshire, that might be an option.


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[JB]

It can't be Scarborough, owzat have a store there and he said there isn't any other cricket shops around him

[Andythomo21]

I'm in Whitby.  I've been to the shop at Scarborough that was Leading Edge Cricket and you're right, it has now been taken over by Owzat.

Scarborough is only about 30 minutes away so this shop would be my main competition for footfall customers.  This is why I would have to sell online also in order to make a go of things.