I'm thinking of creating a shop

[Mos]

An airsoft shop, most likely.

All online, not a physical shop to go into.

it would mainly sell cosmetics, merchandise and wearable items (basically, not guns)

What sort of stuff would you like to see being sold? 

 
If you're wondering how the heck am I going to make a shop and how to deal with holding stock, shipping items. There's sort of a way I can bypass it all, I'm not sure if there are many shops that do this, but I think it's starting to be implemented into modern day online shops now. Here's how it works:
 
Dropshipping, it's basically a lazy and easy way to own an online shop. It's fantastic, and meaning I can have anything in stock I want to without having to worry about money.
 
So who would actually buy from me? And if so, what things would you like to be buying from an airsoft shop?
 
Thanks
 
EDIT: Yes, I do not hold any stock. Which is a good thing, in my opinion.

 

[callumbagshaw]

Dropshipping is fine but how to you handle returns?

I.E: I order a medium, turns out I need a large so i send it you back and you send me a large, what happens with the medium I've returned? You have to hold that as stock right? 

Anyway, hope it does work for you and if you need any IT systems implementing as you grow drop me a line I might be able to assist  

 

[Jedi_Master]

Dropshipping, it's basically a lazy and easy way to own an online shop. It's fantastic, and meaning I can have anything in stock I want to without having to worry about money.

Dropshipping is fine but how to you handle returns?

I.E: I order a medium, turns out I need a large so i send it you back and you send me a large, what happens with the medium I've returned? You have to hold that as stock right?

Guide to drop shipping (explanation of what it is and how it works) - https://www.shopify.com/guides/dropshipping

Returns (not necessarily how it will be dealt with) - https://www.shopify.com/guides/dropshipping/supply-chain-and-fulfillment-process

 

[Jedi_Master]

it would mainly sell cosmetics, merchandise and wearable items (basically, not guns)

Not sure that cosmetics would be of any interest, not my normal airsoft item, unless it is to placate the wife when I go off airsofting at the weekend. :huh:

 

[callumbagshaw]

Guide to drop shipping - https://www.shopify.com/guides/dropshipping

Returns - https://www.shopify.com/guides/dropshipping/supply-chain-and-fulfillment-process

Have you read that guide?

Are you suggesting that returns go through the merchant and back to the wholesaler?

I do understand dropshipping, I deal with it on a regular basis, I write software to handle it.

Returns  are something that always come up as an issue as everyone has a different approach to it.

I wasn't asking what the guide book says to do about returns, i was asking what HE is going to do about returns. it's very evident from the first post that there will be no stock held at all...

 

[Jedi_Master]

I am not suggesting anything.  Only having had a quick glance at the returns section it would appear that the shop / merchant has to deal with returns because he is effectively a broker who sources items for you, and the actual source / wholesaler is invisible to the customer.  How any issues are handled is down to the shop.

 

[Samurai]

You would have to compete with far east and EU shops so there goes your profit. If it's online only, slow, and returns are pain in the ass but costs more why would I buy it in from the UK? Makes no sense.

 

[Mos]

You would have to compete with far east and EU shops so there goes your profit. If it's online only, slow, and returns are pain in the ass but costs more why would I buy it in from the UK? Makes no sense.

?

"There goes your profit" Agreed, every UK based military selling shop is doomed because of the sneaky people in Eastern Europe. Thank you very much for informing me, I will now not create a shop.

Im assuming you haven't read about drop shipping, it means I don't actually buy stock. I act like a middleman, so it's hardly like I'm in any risk.

from the potential wholesaler I'll use, I can get the item at quite a low price.

Regarding Jedi and Callum, returns could be an issue. If the customer did receive the wrong item, he'd send it back to me, and I'd send the correct item to him. Now with the item I've been given back I guess I could either send it back to where I bought it, or hold it as stock.

hopefully I don't run into this problem, and it would be a pain, in which I would lose some money on shipping.

 

[Tommikka]

.....

If you're wondering how the heck am I going to make a shop and how to deal with holding stock, shipping items. There's sort of a way I can bypass it all, I'm not sure if there are many shops that do this, but I think it's starting to be implemented into modern day online shops now. Here's how it works:
 
Dropshipping, it's basically a lazy and easy way to own an online shop. It's fantastic, and meaning I can have anything in stock I want to without having to worry about money.
......
 

Drop shipping is as old as the internet

If there is a large enough market then there are traditional shops with all the overheads.  These can be undercut by the drop shipper 

But the drop shipper needs the traditional rivals to not be doing that already.

With the internet already undercutting traditional shops 

In the paintball world there have been occasional shops, but they are not sustainable by the customer market.  The big business is in the punter market, with sites supplied directly by manufacturers or very few distributers.

The private customer market is very small and is supplied directly from a small number of U.K. manufacturers, distributors or the limited number of 'retailers' (which probably are the uk or European distributor of a specific manufacturer 

These retailers add value by providing the warranty / technical support turning up to major events and dealing in the fresh consumable of paintballs

Even when not a special event the regular sites typically has a shop and a close relationship with suppliers

Drop shippers have come and gone.  The margin on equipment is small enough already, so the dropshipper either fails to undercut the original manufacturer that can sell directly to the customer, or the manufacturer won't touch the fly by night drop shipper in favour of keeping the reliable supplier that they could rely on to put the products in the face of customers at events

Each 'retailer' doesn't have a shop in the street but probably has a warehouse on an industrial estate with a front end.  The staff are enthusiastic about the game

When items aren't worth stocking they still run their web shop software in connection with the manufacturer / distributer

I see airsoft regular players as possibly being a larger UK market than regular paintballers.  Again with shops on sites, probably not high street shops and possibly similar warehouse shops / manufacturers / distributors

You seem to just want to have a drop ship shop that sells something. You should ask yourself why you are going to be a better option then the existing established retailers and Hong Kong internet sellers

if you can't answer that then whats your method of being a worthwhile service to tempt the buyer?

 

[Mos]

Only downside is, there's like a 20-40 day shipping time.

had a quick search, and saw on Amazon the lowest price for one of those lower face mask made from wire mesh and material (the half and half ones) was £11.98. I can pick the exact same one up for £8. 

I've also just found one of those wire mesh masks selling on Amazon for £9-£12. Can get the exact same one for £2

whether people want to save a fiver but have to wait 20-40 days, I don't know.

but the opportunity is definately there.

 

[L3wisD]

Only downside is, there's like a 20-40 day shipping time.

Yeah that's pretty terrible.

I don't expect that kind of shipping time from the States let alone a UK based company. 

Also, it's nothing personal, but it rubs me up the wrong way that you're saying you just act as the middle man. I'd begrudge paying you for simply forwarding my order onto someone else.

It reminds me of the scene from Office Space with the Two Bobs...

 

[Tommikka]

Only downside is, there's like a 20-40 day shipping time.

Hence 'retailer' warehouses, importers, distributors etc

With that 20-40 day shipping, how are you going to handle customs clearance with parcels addresses to customers?

As an 'importer' handling it through customs and pre paying duty?

Are you going to offer such a discount to customers that they are prepared to wait?

They could import themselves

Are you going to have the turnover needed to get the full wholesale saving to allow it?

Why aren't established importers and suppliers doing it?  Or are they doing it but have a warehouse here with turnover stock to compensate for the delay?

 

[Mos]

Yeah that's pretty terrible.

I don't expect that kind of shipping time from the States let alone a UK based company.

Also, it's nothing personal, but it rubs me up the wrong way that you're saying you just act as the middle man. I'd begrudge paying you for simply forwarding my order onto someone else.

Its from China. 

But yes, 20-40 days is a huge selling point. If I was to buy that, and Ho,d it as stock and then sell from there. It'd work, but I don't want to do that.

What you described as a middle man is basically what every online shop does. Just that they probably hold items as stock and then ship them to you. Many companies do this drop shipping method, and you've probably bought an item through a shop that uses drop shipping anyways.

I do have another method, which will cut down the shipping times drastically. Most likely cutting down shipping times to a week. But it will definately be harder to actually find the items to sell. But delivery/shipping times would be cut down from 40-50 days to about a week.

 

[ImTriggerHappy]

This is whats commonly called

"a pipe dream"

 

[Mos]

This is whats commonly called

"a pipe dream"

Quite the opposite.

On a basic level I could start a shop with £20

 

[CES_williamson]

Hi Mos, I might be able to help here a bit!

Firstly Drop shipping is a brilliant idea and something I am sorting out for SWAS about mid-may but this is a very long time in the making, this is because there are very few ( mean few) companies who drop ship airsoft stuff in the UK sadly!

Also the retail market is very saturated and highly competitive which is why you also need other ways of increasing interest such as being in conjunction with an airsoft site etc. So you will need to find a USP (Unique selling point) or something that sets you aside. 

Lastly one bit of advice I can give is dont underestimate the advertising costs, airsofters are quite loyal & hard to advertise to so it usually costs more than you think as all social media platforms have now blocked all airsoft airsoft advertising as well!

Hope this helped a bit, if you want any advice or info just drop me a PM, I know how daunting it can be! 

 

[Mos]

Hi Mos, I might be able to help here a bit!

Firstly Drop shipping is a brilliant idea and something I am sorting out for SWAS about mid-may but this is a very long time in the making, this is because there are very few ( mean few) companies who drop ship airsoft stuff in the UK sadly!

Also the retail market is very saturated and highly competitive which is why you also need other ways of increasing interest such as being in conjunction with an airsoft site etc. So you will need to find a USP (Unique selling point) or something that sets you aside. 

Lastly one bit of advice I can give is dont underestimate the advertising costs, airsofters are quite loyal & hard to advertise to so it usually costs more than you think as all social media platforms have now blocked all airsoft airsoft advertising as well!

Hope this helped a bit, if you want any advice or info just drop me a PM, I know how daunting it can be! 

Hi Williamson,

Thanks for the reply, I agree, drop shipping is fantastic, it simply takes out the holding stock aspect of selling stuff.

Thats cool that you're setting up a drop shipping system, I can imagine having a full time shop where you sell a lot of things, you'd have to be very automated which I imagine is quite difficult.

Because this wouldn't be a major business/shop advertising wouldn't really be invested into much if any at all.. And where I'd actually have a selling point would be another thing, I imagine if I got in touch with the forum devs/mods I could set something up or ask.

or create a website to sell stuff on, or even use eBay - despite the percentage it takes.

The main problem I'm having is, the place I've found to actually buy the items is in China, and because they're wholesale related shipping times are '20-40' days, and using those delivery times in my sales won't attract many people. So I'll have to think of something else, which I have sort of though about, although is a little trickier.

Thanks for the help, I'm sure if I'm in need of crucial information, I'll ask a few questions.

But thanks for the useful words.

 

[ImTriggerHappy]

Quite the opposite.

On a basic level I could start a shop with £20

Yeah you could but I would put money down on the fact that it comes to nothing.

Timescale on deliveries is way too long because no one is going to wait 20 to 40 days to save a few pounds. I regularly buy stuff in from HK and get most of it within 10 days. 

Airsofters are also generally quite loyal to the known retailers especially with all the bad reviews bedroom sellers have a got in the last few years. 

Just saying I want to start a shop and use drop shipping isnt a business plan it's an ill thought out dream. You have no clue of the market or any connections within the airsoft business community and absolutely no credibility. Where is the service or product that is going to make people take notice?

You are a 15yr old kid with a bunch of laughable posts on an airsoft forum and nobody is going to take you seriously as supplier.

I can't figure out if this whole thread is based upon a whimsical imagination or just attention seeking.

Sorry to be brutal but you are wasting everyones time.

 

[Tommikka]

I'm in on the type of source

Its a doable thing, but I'm not convinced it would work well for an airsoft drop ship direct to customer

With a quantity of stock, yes

But not so easy with the timeframe etc 

 

[Mos]

Yeah you could but I would put money down on the fact that it comes to nothing.

Timescale on deliveries is way too long because no one is going to wait 20 to 40 days to save a few pounds. I regularly buy stuff in from HK and get most of it within 10 days. 

Airsofters are also generally quite loyal to the known retailers especially with all the bad reviews bedroom sellers have a got in the last few years. 

Just saying I want to start a shop and use drop shipping isnt a business plan it's an ill thought out dream. You have no clue of the market or any connections within the airsoft business community and absolutely no credibility. Where is the service or product that is going to make people take notice?

You are a 15yr old kid with a bunch of laughable posts on an airsoft forum and nobody is going to take you seriously as supplier.

I can't figure out if this whole thread is based upon a whimsical imagination or just attention seeking.

Sorry to be brutal but you are wasting everyones time.

wuhay.

thanks for the constant stream of intelligent replies you seem to never stop giving!

Getting mad at 15 year olds seems to be a bit of a hobby at the moment...