Lingerie Shop Business Plan

clair de lune (moonlight in French), is a new, European influenced lingerie boutique that will provide high quality lingerie in a wide array of sizes and styles with exceptional customer service. The 1,300 sq. ft. store will be located at Hawthorne Plaza South Johnson County, Kansas. There are many compatible retailers that offer qualified traffic as well as potential referrals.

Competition:

Kansas City’s outlets for intimate apparel sales are smaller than those in other cities. There are mass merchandisers and discount stores that offer mass produced and lesser quality brands; department stores that offer better brands, but in limited sizes and with varying degrees of customer service; and 10 Victoria’s Secret stores which cater to the 18-34 age group with product of inconsistent quality and untrained store personnel. There aren’t any lingerie boutiques in the area of South Johnson County, Kansas or South Kansas City, Missouri.

Potential Market:

Three key target groups are identified in Sections 4.1 and 4.2 of this business plan, based on lingerie spending patterns. The following are the target groups:

1. Women 25-59 who have a household of $75K+
2. Women between 18-24
3. Brides

clair de lune wants to target the Intimate Aparel Enthusiast, which is a common psychographic characteristic among all three groups. An IAE is a woman that cares enough about her lingerie and wants to shop at specialty stores, rather than buying her lingerie at Wal-Mart.

The target customers for these categories are many and varied. They can be found within a radius of five miles from our store, which captures Hawthorne Plaza shoppers looking to make impulse purchases. Destination traffic is also captured within a radius of fifteen miles. (See section 4.1).

Unique Selling Proposition:

A recent column in Dear Abby stated that a bra shopper was complaining that a 32 year old woman doesn’t need a bra. However, she could choose from black, white, navy, shocking, pink or turquoise as well. A woman who is a 42D (or more) and wears a bra almost every day has the option of white or polka dots.

Clarity de lune is the answer to this woman’s dilemma. It offers a wide selection of sizes and styles that she will not find anywhere else in Kansas City. Clear de lune has a wide range of lingerie, from the moderately-priced to the more expensive. Their lingerie is distinguished by its superior quality silks, hand-finished laces and outstanding craftsmanship. We will be able to up-sell the Victoria’s Secret shopper to a higher quality product that they may have seen in a fashion magazine, by educating her on the better durability, construction and fit, at a slightly higher price. Sections 3 and 5 provide details about Clary de Lune’s product options.

clair de lune’s highly trained personnel will get to know each customer’s individual needs, and will offer personal bra fitting and other special services, as described in more detail in Section 5.1.

Vision and Leadership:

Terry Levine, the sole owner, has over 20 years experience in marketing and advertising. This will make her a valuable asset in helping to analyze customer potential and to create a strong marketing strategy, as described in Section 5.2. As a seasoned media strategist, she has a great grasp of numbers, and will utilize her negotiating and relationship building skills with vendors and clients. She has extensive experience managing costs for other businesses and has a natural ability to watch the bottom line.

Terry will be assisted in her inventory management decisions in part by Susan Nethero (owner of Intimacy in Atlanta), one of the most successful independent intimate clothing retailers in the U.S. Susan Nethero will act as a consultant to Terry for inventory start-up and inventory management. Customers and vendors alike recognize her as an icon within her field.

Financial Projections:

Clair de lune plans to produce $439,000. With aggressive growth projections up to 15% in year two and 17% the third year, will be able to grow its product line and aggressive marketing.

The store is expected become profitable within the second year.

1.1 Objectives

1. To create a shopping experience where women (and men!) feel safe, pampered, and stimulated with the vast array of options that are readily available to meet their needs.
2. To provide outstanding customer service in order to increase word-of–mouth referrals and repeat customers
• To give each customer personal attention.
• To have 50% return customers within six (6) months after their first purchase.
3. To be in consideration for all IAE purchases planned in southern Kansas City/Johnson County by the end-of-year two.
4. To make clair de lune the number one destination for bridal lingerie purchases by the end of year one.
5. To achieve a first-year gross sales of $425,000
6. To increase the business by 15% over the next two years.

1.2 Mission

clairde lune a specialty lingerie boutique that offers styles and sizes not available in Kansas City.

Our mission, to make the shopping experience for lingerie enjoyable, fun and fulfilling, is to help you find what you are looking for.

We want to make a connection with IAE that makes clair lune feel like ‘#8220’ my lingerie store.

1.3 Keys for Success

1. We offer high quality products that are unique in design and superior quality.
2. Locate a store in a location that is highly visible and attracts impulse buyers. The store is conveniently located and easily accessible in a popular destination.
3. To ensure that the right product mix is available for each customer, Claire de lune needs to be understood.
4. Offering a range of sizes (especially larger sizes to accommodate the needs for the growing plus size market).
5. To encourage repeat business and positive word-of mouth recommendations, provide superior customer service.
6. Keep track of inventory levels and make adjustments as necessary.
7. Educate customers and offer advice on fitting.
8. Customers will not be intimidated by higher-priced offerings if you offer a range of prices.
9. You can increase impulse buys by making frequent changes to your window and in-store displays. It creates the perception that there is always a new clair d’lune.