The Flat project

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Issue #1 Project #1

by Ekaterina Abramova Fashion Marketing & Communication IED 2012

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Smart

What is fashion nowadays?

What is Lifestyle?

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Thinking about definition of style I started my small research in general, and as far as I went dipper into the subject I discovered that mostly style connected to lifestyle- the way of living. For me it is kind of complex which consists of the way of dressing, behavior, social and cultural education.

I also think that now style is everything that sells. We are all customers and social life has I big influence on the way we dress and act. Being a part of the society, sharing our unique experience and ways of thinking, also a kind of style. I can’t say that majority has a good sense of style, that’s why I started from the point that we are all customers. We buy fashionable clothes not because they’re durable or necessary, but because they represent a certain lifestyle we wish to achieve, or be-

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cause they evoke feelings that move us into purchasing them.

Fashion is a glamorous, intimidating and beautiful creature not every woman gets to appreciate, simply because it’s so far removed from the realities and needs of ordinary people.

In fact as for my own experience and luck I met people that have their own and unique style, and I m still proud, that during this era of “glamorous propaganda” somebody still keeps their own definition and way of style. It’s easy to blindly follow trends, but style involves choice, and that’s what makes it so fascinating. Behind every stylistic choice is a person asserting a tiny bit of him/herself and making this self more visible to the watching world.

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Coco Chanel once said, “Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only.

Fashion is in the sky, in the street; fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” This phrase could actually be the definition of the concept store.

Concept stores are retail models where the buying process has a different meaning and involves philosophical meaning.

The customer has opportunity not only to buy physical products but also is provided with a full emotional and sensory experience. In practice, those shops offer mix of merchandising categories of different designers and brands addressed to the particular groups for example ecologically friendly, luxurious or street wear oriented customers.

The variety of products usually includes clothes, shoes, accessories, books, cosmetics, food and gadgets. It is important that all items must be united around the concept store’s philosophy, which is expressed in unusual layout of the store to underline extraordinary character of products that are sold there.

In addition concept stores predestination is to be trend setter.The assumption is that after all the touching and feeling,customers will be willing to spend more money.

The experience will be associated with the store’s identity and the customer will magazine.indd 8-9

come back in the future. This kind of retail venture has become a part of many cities’ cultural environment by offering access to art news, fashionable products, food, music and technological solutions.

One of the most popular concept stores, Collette, is located in Paris on 213 rue de Saint-Honoré. Collette offers multibrand products (variety of brands) from clothes, books, gadgets to condoms and even food served in own restaurant.

However, whole phenomenon started in New York, where Ralph Lauren opened his first flagship store in the year 1986.

Every detail of the store arrangement described brand identity and had connotations with surrounding world.

That gave to the customer possibility of better shopping experience. Nowadays concept stores are located in all over the world and are adaptable to a variety of markets where determine future trends.

Concept store leitmotiv is its business card and it must be unique, unpredictable and timeless. This translates worldwide, and shoppers can experience luxurious Symphony in Dubai, Van Beirendonck’s conceptual store in Antwerp, street fashion in Tokyo Hipsters Club and Alter in Shanghai where spirit and senses meets up with high quality and unique design.

Concept stores are called to be a new

type of experience. According to latest PSFK (psfk.com) Future of Retail report from 2011 specialist believes that concept stores are an answer for increasing customer’s requirements.

“Creating a personal shopping experience by empowering the customers to explore and understand what story is behind the merchandising or the marketing, lends itself to a higher level of selling opportunity” (Tim Katz, Senior Operating Manager, Pacific Sun).

Fashion Store of the Future – by studying consumer and market trends and identified that future retail experience will be highly customized, occasion and time based, integrated across channels, interactive, easily accessible and on-demand. Retailers will highlight technologies relevant to the fashion industry, which allow for leadingedge companies to take action towards delivering an enhanced and futuristic in-store experience to their customers.

Overall, concept stores seem a rather plain solution in the fashion industry, but we haven’t seen it all. All the trends lead to think that what we have now is a slice and a small percentage of what we are getting in the future.

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Concept stores in the world.

Australia Melbourne – Alphaville, 262 Brunswick St, Fitzroy, 3065 Sydney – Dobry Den, 326 Crown St., Surry Hills, 2010 Sydney Sydney – Fleur Wood, 464 Oxford St., Paddington, Sydney Sydney – Orson & Blake, 483 Riley St., Surry Hills, 2010 Sydney Belgium Antwerp – Clinic, De Burburestraat 5, 2000 Antwerp Antwerp – Graanmarkt 13, Graanmarkt 13, 2000 Antwerp Antwerp – Ra, Kloosterstraat 13, 2000 Antwerp Brussels – Hunting and Collecting, 17, Rue des Chartreux, 1000 Brasil Sao Paulo – Loja do Bispo, R. Dr. Melo Alves, 278, Sao Paulo Sao Paulo – Villa Daslu, Avenida Chedid Jafet, 131, Sao Paulo Bulgaria Sofia – Farenah Concept, (Saborna) 1a, China Hong Kong – Shanghai Tang, Pedder Building, 12 Pedder Street, Central magazine.indd 10-11

Shanghai – Three on the Bund, No. 3 The Bund, Huangpu, Shanghai Emirates Dubai – 50°C, Souk Al Bahar Mall, Burj Dubai Dubai – Five Green, Garden Home, Out Metha, Dubai France Paris – Auguste, 10 Rue St. Sabin, 75011 Paris Paris – Colette, 213 Rue Saint-Honoré, 75001 Paris Paris – Hotel Particulier, 15 Rue Léopold Bellan, 75002 Paris Paris – Le 66, 66 Champ Elysées, 75008 Paris Paris – L’Eclaireur, 10 Rue Herold, 75001 Paris Paris – Merci, 111 Boulevard Beaumarchais, 75011 Paris Paris – Spree, 16 Rue de la Vieuville – 75018 Paris Germany Berlin – Amorph, Savignyplatz, S-Bahnbogen 591, 10623 Berlin Berlin – Andreas Murkudis, Potsdamer Str. 77-87, Building E, 10785 Berlin – Le Gang, Pappelallee 85, 10117 Berlin Berlin – Oukan, Kronenstr. 71, 10117

Berlin Berlin – Quartier 206 Departmentstore, Friedrichstr. 71, 10117 Berlin – rung.napa, Knesebeckstraße 27, 10623 Berlin Berlin – The Corner, Französische Str. 40, 10117 Berlin Berlin – Villa Harteneck, Douglasstr. 9, 14193 Greece Athens – SHOP, 112A Ermou St., 10554 Athens Hungary Budapest – World of Luxury, Berkenye u. 13-15, II. Kerület, Iceland Reykjavik – Ella, Ingolfsstraeti 5, Reykjavik Italy Genoa – Via Garibaldi 12, Via Garibaldi 12/1, 16124 Genova Milan – 10 Corso Como, Corso Como,10, 20154 Milano Milan – Spazio Rossana Orlandi, Via Matteo Bandello 14/16, 20123 Milano Milan – TAD, Via Statuto 12, 20121 Milano Rome – White Gallery, Piazza G. Marconi 15/22, 00144 Roma

Japan Hiroshima – Sophnet, Chuo St. / Heiwa Odori, Hiroshima Tokyo – L’Eclaireur, 4-21-26 MinamiAoyama Minato-ku, Tokyo 170-0062 Tokyo – Opening Ceremony, Shibuya Seibu Movida 21-1, Udagawa-Cho, Shibuya-Ko, Tokyo 1500042 Tokyo – Restir, 4-2-2 Ginza-Chuo-ku, Tokyo 104-0061 Mexico Mexico – Common People, Emilio Castelar 149, Col. Polanco, CP11560 México DF Morocco Marrakech – 33 Rue Majorelle, 33 Rue Yves Saint Laurent, 40000 Marrakech Netherlands Amsterdam – Nukuhiva, Haarlemmerstraat 36 – 1013ES Amsterdam – SPRMRKT, Rozengracht 191/193 – 1016LZ The Hague - Puurr, Prinsestraat 4a – 2513CD Den Haag Rotterdam – Gorilli, Oppert 296-298, 3011 HV Rotterdam New Zealand Auckland – House of Hedone, 5 b High St CBD Auckland Portugal Coimbra – Miyuki, Rua das Parreiras, nº27, 3000-326 Coimbra

Russia Moscow – Podium, Kuznetskiy Most 14, 107031 Moscow – Cara & Co. , 4th Syromyatnicheskii per, h. 1, bld. 9, Moscow – Le Form Moscow –Kuznetckiy,20 Serbia Belgrade – Supermarket, Visnjiceva 10, Belgrade Singapore Singapore – Blackmarket, 19 Jalan Pisang, 199084 Singapore Spain Barcelona – Vincon, Passeig de Gràcia 96, 08008 Barcelona Bilbao – Cuarentayseis, Gran Via 46, 48011 Bilbao Ibiza – Sluiz, ctra. Ibiza/San José Km 8, Ibiza Madrid – Isolée, Claudio Coello 55, 28001 Madrid Madrid – Vincon, Castelló 18, 28001 Madrid Mallorca – b connected, C. San Magin 64, 07013 Palma, St. Catalina Mallorca – b connected, Calle Dameto 6, 07013 Palma, St. Catalina Sweden Skanör – Carlson Ahnell, Mellangatan 44, 23930 Skanör Stockholm – Urban Outfitters, Biblioteksgatan 5, 11144 Stockholm

United Kingdom Liverpool – Microzine, 65-67 Bold Street, Liverpool L1 4EZ London – Darkroom, 52 Lamb’s Conduit Street, London WC1N 3LL London – Dover Street Market, 17/18 Dover Street, London W1S 4LT London – Microzine, 1.2 Kingly Court, Carnaby Street, London W1F 9PY USA Boston – Louis Boston, 234 Berkeley Street, 02116 Boston (MA) Houston – Kuhl-Linscomb, 2424 West Alabama, 77098 Houston Los Angeles – Fitzsu, 7970 Melrose Avenue, 90046 Los Angeles Los Angeles – Moss, 8444 Melrose Avenue, 90096 Los Angeles Madison – Khaki & Black, 737 Boston Post Road, 06443-3440 Madison (CT) New York – Alife, 158 Rivington St., 10002 New York (NY) New York – Grand Opening, 139 Norfolk Street, 10002 New York (NY) New York – Moss, 150 Greene Street, 10012 New York New York – Utowa, 17 West 18th Street, 10011 New York (NY) San Francisco – Harputs Market, 1525 Fillmore Street, 94115 San Francisco (CA) Seattle – Pulp Lab, 5402 22nd Ave. NW, Seattle, WA 98107 11.06.12 20:38

Colette.

Main Competitors

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Looking for Tomorrow’s Trends? Head to Colette: Colette has asserted itself as «the» Paris concept store thanks to an eclectic and edgy mix. This is one of the rare places in the city where you’ll see the bling-bling set perusing the racks next to surly hipsters with wide-rimmed glasses.

Locals, tourists and the global glitterati flock to Colette to browse trends in men and women’s fashion, electronics and design, books and music, or beauty products. Whether you’re indulging in «lèche-vitrines» (window shopping in French, or literally «window-licking») or actually buying, a trip to this temple of cool in Paris is highly recommended if you’re interested in fashion.

Men’s and Women’s Fashion: Located on the second floor, the fashion department at Colette features a painstaking selection of the latest looks from big-name and up-and-coming designers. The department offers a selection of both prêt à porter (ready to wear) and couture pieces from designers like Comme des Garcons, Mark Jacobs, Lanvin or Givenchy, in addition to creations from fresh young talent.

Electronics, Jewelry, Music and Books: On the ground floor, design enthusiasts will find prized new items in electronics, jewelry and footwear for men and women. There’s also a large selection of books, magazines and music.

The Restaurant and Water Bar at Colette: In the basement, a restaurant and «water bar» offers a spot for fashionable feet to rest and look fetching. Simple dishes such as tuna salad, ratatouille crumble with parmesan, zucchini gratin or club sandwich are around 17 Euros/$20.

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Merci.

Created by the former owners of French kids top brand Bonpoint, Marie-France & Bernard Cohen, the concept is dealing with charity business : a refined 1500 sqm jewel case, dedicated to fashion / furnitures / books / interior design / and much more.

Housed in a sunny loft in the ultra-trendy Oberkampf neighborhood, Merci is one of the few concept stores in Paris to cultivate a cozy atmosphere-- couches, reading areas and a tearoom attest to it. But Merci, which has only been around for a couple of years, manages to keep avant-garde stripes. From classics like Yves Saint Laurent to creations from young local designers, Merci offers a selection that will sate both the religiously fashionable and the occasional dabbler. It’s also all in a good cause: profits made by the store are donated to organizations fighting poverty among children, particularly in Madagascar.

Main Departments at Merci: Men’s and Women’s Fashion: Merci has a large selection of men and women’s fashion, and the collection mixes new and vintage threads. Some of the pieces have been created especially for Merci by young, promising designers. You’ll also find classics from designers like YSL and Stella McCartney.

Home Furnishings, Jewelry and Fragrance: On the ground floor, hand-made home furnishings and trinkets dominate.

There’s also a selection of hand-crafted designer jewelry and an Annick Goutal fragrance shop-in-shop.

Florist: On the second floor, a florist offers a selection of seasonal blooms.

The Tearoom and Library at Merci: One of the more alluring attributes of this concept shop is their cozy tearoom and reading area. A large back room furnished with tables and couches can be very inviting after shopping, and loungers can borrow from a large selection of books while they nurse their coffee or nibble on savory or sweet tartines.

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10 CORSO COMO 10 Corso Como is a multifunctional concept store dedicated to art, fashion, music, design, cuisine and culture situated in Milano, 10 minutes walk from the Brera district, and located in the inner courtyard of a traditional milanese palazzo.

It was founded in 1990 in Milan by gallerist and publisher Carla Sozzani, sister of Vogue Italia Editor in Chief Franca Sozzani.

10 Corso Como has been described as “a so-called concept store, a mini lifestyle emporium”, and has been identified as an inspiration for stores in London and Paris. The quiet, set back environment allows to participate to a succession of sociocultural activities.

The complex began with a bookshop and Galleria Carla Sozzani, devoted to art, photography, design and architecture.

Since the opening, over 200 exhibitions have offered an intense variety of cultures and genres in the worlds of contemporary culture. The gallery has its own publishing company also dedicated to art, photography, fashion and design.

Other spaces soon followed: a design and fashion store in 1991, the 10 Corso Como Cafè in 1998, the small but luxurious 3 Rooms hotel (with only three suites for which you have to book way way in advance) in 2003, the Roof Garden in 2009.

10 Corso Como and the 10 Corso Como logo are designed by renowned American artist Kris Ruhs.

In 2002 10 Corso Como opened in Tokyo in partnership with Comme des Garçons, designed by Rei Kawakubo and Kris Ruhs and in 2008 in Seoul in partnership with Samsung Cheil, Samsung Group, designed by Kris Ruhs.

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IDEA. A concept store challenges the boundaries traditionally established within retail industries by synthesizing fashion, art, design and culture and selling a lifestyle.

However, its aim is not just to provide its customers with a wide range of products through cross-selling.

Most importantly, as the name suggests, there is an idea, a concept lying behind the whole project.

So random “stuff mixing” is just not enough: there must be a precise link between the types of items offered which, in return, should be enhanced by the architecture and design of the place where they are sold.

The first concept store was created in New York at the beginning of the 80s by designer Ralph Lauren, whose aim was to create a shop where to find different items linked by the same luxurious and classy style, equestrian or varsity clothing, jewelry, trunks, furniture and much more.

So the main goal is to tell a story, to convey an emotion, to make the customer feel that he/she is taking part in the creator’s philosophy or world by living a new shopping experience.

The main idea of “The flat” store is to build the unique concept and another way of buying process by creating a specific design of the store and selection of products/ brands.

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Concept.

The main concept of this store is the structure of the flat, where meaning of shopping changing the usual way of customers buying procces. By splitting the shop on few zones like Kitchen, Bathroom, Living Room, Wardrobe and Library. This Idea of small shops inside the shop is not so new, but this time it has own meaning. Cosy and contemporary atmosphere is also a marketing trick which a lot of shops uses to have in their strategies.

Confirming a trend identified in the 2010 luxury goods survey, the 2011 survey revealed that the European market has become more challenging for luxury companies. Europeans seem to have lost enthusiasm for luxury items and buy fewer than they have in the past. The apparent causes behind this are a rising price-sensitivity and an evolution in the manner in which they choose to enjoy luxury goods and services. We sell not only the products, we sell service and senses.

Top-tier consumers say that their buying inspiration comes mostly from store visits, while in the middle and lower tiers, media, including shopping websites and TV, play a stronger role.

Achieving high performance in fashion hinges on targeting specific market segments, learning everything you can about them, and making them believe that only your products and services can confirm their sense of self-worth. That, in turn, requires constant innovation and novelty to create new ideas and trends. It also requires exceptional agility. High performance, indeed, requires outstandingly swift and streamlined operating models and exceptional supply chain efficiencies.

High performance also requires true multichannel management, which the segment’s leading companies are now starting to address. They are beginning to recognize that stores, catalogs, call centers, kiosks and even websites are no longer sufficient.

To achieve high performance in the future, companies will need to turn customers into advocates, spreading their message by sharing opinions and collaborating with their customers’ online friends. That will require becoming part of customers’ social networks as well.

Below I am gonna show more detailed descriptions of each of the zones, and selection of brands that suits the idea of «The Flat» store.

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The importance of a retail store’s design and atmosphere.

You never get a second chance to make a first impression.

This age old saying is especially held to truthfully in design and atmosphere of a retail store. The first impression given to the potential customer will determine if the owner has gained a client for life or has lost a prospective long-term buyer. When a recent US research indicated that over 70% of the in-store purchase decisions are made in the store at the time of purchases, it doesn’t take a genius to appreciate the importance of getting the customer into your store to make that decision. By placing emphasis on design, in-store promotion and the shopping environment, it increases the influence impulse and mood-related purchasing. Beyond a doubt in today’s business world, the environment and design will differentiate the image and nature of the retailer and, ultimately, his or hers overall success.

As such, more and more store owners are placing more emphasis on interior design. Retail designing has progressed from the shop-fitting to the provision of entrainment and inspiration to customers, hence providing added value in using the store. With the ever competitive world of retail getting increasingly aggressive in an economy heading downward, every attention to detail is a must in an attempt to get an edge on the opposition. Store location and opportune market strategy is no longer sufficient for store owners to have adequate guarantee of being around

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six months from now. The overall design of the store must create an atmosphere that encourages the shopper, once inside, to lower his or hers psychological defenses and become interested in the merchandise offered.

One line item of fact to consider and follow is the logic behind investing in design and environment expenses.

Orientation must clearly be focused at the overall need of the store. Investing in design and environment changes for the sake of investing without any comprehensible motive other than it is «what everyone else does» will only lead to long-term failure.

A store owner must do his or hers homework when designing for success. Knowing the targeted client’s likes and dislikes is a must when laying out the blueprint of the business. Wall colors, decorations and background music are selected carefully to match the products being sold.

Ergonomics also must be placed in the receipt for success.

Any stores attempting to save room by having shelves that are too crowded, confusing or too high for the average consumer will turn customers away.

Crowded aisles or ones which are too narrow for passage of two people at the same time will also leave a negative taste in the client’s mouth. When creating the selling environment, the owner has to be able to make a positive statement about what the product he or she is selling that will make the shopper a more interesting individual.

One of the biggest rivals a retail store owner faces today is the reality of more and more consumers cyber shopping.

The convenience of being able to acquire consumer goods in the privacy of one’s own home makes the challenge to bring the buyers to the store all that much more difficult.

For some retail stores, such as those specializing in fashions, have an edge over, say, a bookstore competing against Internet giants like Amazon. While customers like to actually try on clothes to see how they fit on them, the same can’t be said for buying a book or record. For this reason, each different type of business must focus not only on their rivals in other stores, but also consider how to make their store attractive enough to want to visit when they have cyber rivals eating away at sells.

When placing a plan into reality, some of the factors to consider are visual, aural, olfactory, tactile, ambient conditions, space/function and signage. Visual is the first factor in getting the customer to come in. Are the colors, brightness, size and shapes friendly or will they turn the potential customer away? The aural also plays a key factor.

Do you have background music playing which matches your product? Is the pitch of the music comforting or annoying?

How is the olfactory? Does the store have a fresh, clean smell to it or does it give the impression of a seldom visited store? Is the air temperature comfortable for the majority of the clients? Is the layout of the store adequate for the

customers to contentedly shop? Is the signage easy to understand and posted for the clients to easily view?

As you can see, there are much more factors involved in design and environment planning than just painting the walls of a store a unique color. And when it comes to paint, be careful of what you choose. Where as a violet tone has the psychological effect of aggressive and tiring, a blue tone is peaceful and green tones generate extreme peaceful effects. On the other side of the spectrum, reds, yellows, browns, and oranges can be stimulating and exciting. Depending on what you are attempting to express to your clients will help to solve the correct colors for the merchandise you are selling.

A final factor in the designing of the store is store display.

There exists strong logical evidence to support the use of promotional displays of higher value in high traffic areas of the store. The same holds true for enticing the impulse purchasing of lower value items. Additional service displays such as phone sales, information etc., are best located in low stress locations such as post-check out kiosks. But also be careful of offering displays that are too well structured.

Studies have revealed that displays with too much organization create a lack of trust and interaction between the customer and the display.

Overall, the final decisions are still made on what each owner senses is beneficial to their store. For all the studies in the world, experience still is the number one factor to follow. Something that is proven shouldn’t be changed for the sake of changing just as risking something that the owner may not feel comfortable with could lead to disaster.

Using the above guidelines now is the time to decide what change you will need to make your store more successful.

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The success of a retail store can be heavily influenced by the chosen color scheme, its layout design and atmosphere created by the retailers. All three of these are equally important elements when planning the opening of a new store or the remodeling of an existing store.

Let’s begin with choice of color scheme for the store. It is a good idea to research what each colors associate mentally to most shoppers. An example of how well this works are Walmart, known for blue accents and main color and Target, whose main color and accents throughout the store are red. Blue is associated with feelings of serenity and trustworthiness. Red, on the other hand, is representative of power and warmth. (Santa Rosa Family and Consumer Sciences Newsletter, Vol 1 Issue 8, 2003, October) Because of the choices made early on in the beginning years of these two well known chains, most shoppers identify the blue with Walmart as well as the red with the Target chain. This has created a feeling of familiarity for the shoppers.

Next, layout designs are most often set by the corporate headquarters so all stores in a retail chain have similarity.

This is done to help shoppers navigate each store and be able to find what they are looking for. Usually, each retail store is given a Merchandise Flow Chart and Plannogram notebook to be used at the set up for the grand opening

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along with display fixtures, shelving and signage. New flow charts and plannograms are periodically (due to seasonal changes or special holidays) mailed updates to each store that must be carried out in a timely manner. Merchandising plays a big part in how well sales are in any given department. Sometimes featuring merchandise on a focal wall or end-cap showing ways items can be used to inspire impulse purchases.

The third element, atmosphere is set by both the associates hired to serve the customers and the customers themselves.

How these two groups interact creates the feel of the store.

Each retail store in a chain will have a different atmosphere.

Factors that play integral parts are the median income level of the customers, how well the associates and managers communicate and serve the customer base and how well the buyers choose the right merchandise to be offered in each particular store.

As you can see, a lot of effort and planning must be incorporated in these three elements to create a successful retail store. Miscalculating on even one element could be the difference in whether the retail store will succeed or fail.

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Services.

«The Flat» mission is to offer a special platform for the customer, suitable for their system of values, activities, interests, attitudes, consumption habits.

Customer service skills in clothing boutiques or stores mainly involve knowing how to read a shopper quickly and accurately. Turning general browsers into true shoppers helps a shop boost profits and build a return customer base. Being available and personable to everyone who walks through the shop’s doors, as well as being ready to help the customer find what they need, will help the store’s reputation grow in a positive light.

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Workshop.

A workshop is a series of educational and work sessions. Small groups of people meet together over a short period of time to concentrate on a defined area of concern.

Anyone who has ever planned a workshop will tell you that it’s a big job. And planning a good one? Well, that takes organization, focus, and a lot of creativity.

So how do you prepare for a workshop that will be not only relevant and productive, but memorable?

Some people HATE going to workshops. Done wrong, they can be a huge waste of time and money. However, if they’re planned well, they can be incredibly valuable for everyone involved. Workshops are great for brainstorming, interactive learning, building relationships, and problem solving.

Usualy in practice workshops includes meetings with authors and people who can make the master-class for everyone.

Consumers don’t want to just buy, they want to do. A perfect opportunity therefore, for brands “The workshop is the best, maybe the only, truly that can help customers acquire differentiated approach to teaching and learning.

Here, students can ever-valuable status skills.

act as and are known as individuals..”

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Cafe.

Many people can’t imagine starting their day without a cup of coffee. Whether they grab it to go off a cart in the office lobby, zip through a drive-through along their commute or enjoy an unhurried weekend morning of people-watching and reading the newspaper, this business can brew a lot of success for a caffeine-savvy entrepreneur. I decided to connect this idea with the store, where you can also buy something, or even if you decided not to purchase products from the store, customer can enjoy the atmosphere of cosy cafe-bar.

Selling style, reminiscence and an anything-goes eclecticism, the place seems to change throughout the day, from cafe to general store to clothing boutique and, particularly at night, all-purpose hangout. Though most of our customers are young and fashion-conscious, the shop can enshrines the old and quirky.

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Gallery.

Shop & Gallery combines collections of furniture, art pieces, collaborations and books. It s good way to attract attention from potential customers, art dealers and collectors. During my research i found out that a big ammount of concept stores uses this kind of strategy, and it is qiute profittable.

Art, Architecture and Fashion.

Both fashion and architecture express ideas of personal, social and cultural identity, reflecting the concerns of the user and the ambition of the age. Their relationship is a symbiotic one, and throughout history clothing and buildings have echoed each other in form and appearance. This seems only natural as they not only share the primary function of providing shelter and protection for the body, but also because they both create space and volume out of flat, twodimensional materials. While they have much in common, they are also intrinsically different. Both address the human scale, but the proportions, sizes and shapes differ enormously. And while fashion is, by its very nature, ephemeral or ‘of the moment’, architecture traditionally has a more solid, monumental and permanent presence.

In recent years, the connections between fashion and architecture have become even more intriguing. As advances in materials technology and computer software have pushed the frontiers of each discipline, buildings have become more fluid and garments more architectonic. Architects are adopting strategies more usually used in dressmaking, such as printing, pleating, folding, draping and weaving, while fashion designers are looking to architecture for ways to build or engineer garments which present new and provocative ideas about volume and structure, and in many cases also draw on the intellectual principles and concepts inherent in architecture.

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Library.

“A library is a collection of resources in a variety of formats that is organized by information professionals or other experts who provide convenient physical, digital, bibliographic, or intellectual access and offer targeted services and programs with the mission of educating, informing, or entertaining a variety of audiences and the goal of stimulating individual learning and advancing society as a whole.”

Orginising the library oi the bookshop area it s a good opportunity for our customers to spend time inside the shop, also attract their attention, possibility to choose books that they really want to buy, instead of good cover and advertising.

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Shopping Experience.

Retail companies have a marvellous machine for creating a “shopping experience”: the store. But wanting to create a shopping experience is not enough. The customer always has some sort of in-store shopping experience but not necessarily positive. The key lies in giving this experience a meaning, i.e. performing a certain “score” that customers and employees can relate to, a “score” that makes the store unique and preferred by its shoppers for non-traditional reasons.

Even if the vendor doesn’t do it deliberately, customers always have some sort of in-store shopping experience.

You always feel something when you go shopping. You might, for example, feel excited, bored, surprised or confused, or like a person, a customer or a “number”, or feel that you’re being served, ignored, understood or pressured, etc. In other words, retail companies always provide a certain “shopping experience”.

A shop is a “selling machine”, and a big “communication machine” too A really privileged machine because it can use all the human senses. That really is “multimedia”.

When someone uses a multimedia resource (meaning a video with sound: i.e. two senses), I think this is “low-media”, since stores can use up to four or five senses.

If used together, the results are extraordinary and synaesthesia can even happen: the scent of a refreshing perfume or faint image.

The essence of the shopping experience is in the “score” What matters is not just realising that a shop’s multisensory nature and volumetrics give it a huge capacity for expression but that certain techniques and resources can be used to perform a certain “score”.

By “score” I mean the shop’s personality or DNA. Whatever makes it unique and preferred by its shoppers, factors outside the realm of logic (promotions, products, price, parking facilities.

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n e h c ti

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K

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CONVERSATION CAFÉ

Conversation Café, unlike a typical café, will provide a unique forum for communication and entertainment. A niche exists that has yet to be filled for a high-volume, upscale, quality-driven coffeehouse with a warm, inviting atmosphere.

Conversation Café meets this need and fills this niche. We offer high-quality products in an upscale environment.

Furthermore, our high-profile location in Concept store in milan provides a mixed customer base that will maintain high levels of business in every season, at all times of the day, every day of the week.Our goal is to be the coffeehouse of choice for the downtown business workers, tourists who visit the city, and students, by providing a higher quality experience than any competitor. As a result, we intend to create coffeehouses that quickly achieve profitability and sustain an attractive rate of return. The Conversation Café, unlike a typical café, will provide a forum for communication, entertainment and easy access to the Internet, which is quickly becoming a necessity of life. People of all ages and backgrounds will enjoy the unique, upscale, educational, and innovative environment that The Conversation Café provides. The keys to our success will be: A superior-tasting product A relaxing, upscale interior design Prime site location, heavy pedestrian traffic by the site,We will need to target our audience early and often. While the business is located in a central and accessible location, many people will have to be re-introduced to the neighborhood surrounding the historical part of the city, which is full of museums.

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y r a r b i L

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ÂŤThe FlatÂť book store combine entertainment-industry flash with an eclectic taste that includes anything from classic Marvel characters to displays of contemporary culture. These store can be popular without being trendy, as some have been serving regular customers for decades.

Contemporary Fashion magazines can be mixed with modern books of art and architecture. The ammount of all the books and magazines can be countless.

From Purple Magazine till Acne paper. From Architecture rewiev till Interni, etc.

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m o o R g

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n i v i L

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Everyone needs furniture. Whether you’re talking about college students or doctors, everyone’s home or business needs furniture. There are lots of opportunities when starting a furniture business. Various decors and themes, specialty items and accessories make the furniture business endless as far as the kind of product you can provide to customers. To truly have a successful furniture business, however, you need to narrow down your initial inventory and fill needs other furniture stores in your area aren’t meeting.

You can purchase modern furniture at several types of stores. First are stores that sell classic modern originals, such as work by Eero Saarinen. You can also buy reproductions of these classic designs, often for less money than you’d spend on the originals. Thirdly, stores like CB2 and Design Within Reach produce new modern designs.

Modern Classic Furniture Modern classic furniture includes the work of designers like Charles and Ray Eames, Harry Bertoia and Hans Wegner. Original pieces can be found online at sites like Lushpad, which features classified ads listing modern furniture for sale: for example, two Eames fiberglass molded armchairs, in good condition, were on offer for $500 as of this writing in September 2009. EBay is another good place to find original modern pieces. Keep in mind, however, that shipping costs can be steep, depending on where the piece is located. Some sellers also require you to pick up your furniture locally. Brick-and-mortar stores also sell original modern furniture: two examples are LookModern, in Portland, Oregon, and Denmark 50, in Los Angeles, California. These stores collect, restore and resell mid-

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century pieces.

Modern Reproduction Furniture Stores such as online sellers InMod and EZMod offer reproductions of classic modern furniture. Some stores make their reproductions by following the original piece’s design specifications. Others simply approximate the design of a piece or add their own spin on it. These latter stores will often state that their pieces were influenced by a designer’s work, rather than being direct reproductions of that work. If a store refers to a piece of furniture as «Eamesstyle» rather than just «Eames,» it’s a good bet that the piece is a reproduction or an homage: read the description of the piece to see if it’s a direct reproduction or just an homage. It can be unwise to purchase modern furniture reproductions from just anywhere: the quality can vary dramatically, and you could end up with a piece of furniture that isn’t very close to the original design, or is poorly made.

A company following original design specs will usually turn out high-quality replicas, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the workmanship will always be good. It’s best to examine a piece in person to confirm it’s made well. In the age of online shopping, that’s not always possible, which is why you should buy from a store with a good return policy.

New Modern Designs Often when a store offers new modern furniture designs, it also reproduces classics, and may even have a stock of vintage pieces. CB2 is the sister store of Crate and Barrel. It sells affordable modern furniture, bedding, decor, lighting and accessories. Mid-century modern design influences the new pieces that CB2 creates and sells: this store doesn’t do replicas or offer original vintage pieces. Modernica

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creates new modern furniture designs such as the Split Rail sofa, whose clean lines and steel frame are reminiscent of the classic modern Le Corbusier Petit Confort couch.

The store also hand-builds vintage reproductions like the George Nelson bubble lamp and the Case Study shelving unit. Modernica even has a collection of more than 300 original pieces of furniture, which it rents out to studios for films, TV shows and commercials. Design Within Reach

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makes modern furniture that could easily share a room with vintage pieces. Their Libre couch also borrows from Le Corbusier, with its narrow stainless steel legs, but has elements of Jens Risom’s button-tufted sofas as well. The store also produces replica pieces built to original design specs, such as the Saarinen Tulip armless fiberglass molded chair.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

BLUE NATURE CHEHOMA DE KERCOET DEKONINCK COLLECTIONS DU BOUT DU MONDE FANCY FLAMANT LA MAISON CASSETTE LABYRINTHE INTERIORS LES SCULPTEURS DU LAC POMAX SEMPRE TRADEWINDS VERSMISSEN ZET ART RIVAGES AY ILLUMINATE BLUE NATURE CHARLOT & CIE CHEHOMA DK HOME FANCY HAANS LIFESTYLE JUDECO LABYRINTHE INTERIORS LUM’ART MIS EN DEMEURE DECORATION OBJECT DE CURIOSITE

Brands.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

OPOSSUM DESIGN SPIRIDON VOX POPULI WOESTIJNROOS WOODS & WILLOW ASCENTIELLE CHEHOMA FANCY SEMPRE SIA HOME FASHION VAN ROON LIVING ‘T ACHTERHUIS 120% LINO CASA ARDAVIN ART RIVAGES BALI-DECO BOUGIES LA FRANCAISE FANCY FLAMANT KLIMENKOFF LABYRINTHE INTERIORS MICHEL VERSCHAEVE NEERU KUMAR OBJECT DE CURIOSITE POMAX SIA HOME FASHION WOODS & WILLOW ZUNY

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m o o r h

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t a B

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Fragrances used to be used to cover those nasty smells that society didn’t have another means of dealing with. It was natural that people didn’t want to emit odor, and if you look back through history at the construction of clothing, wigs and the paraphernalia of beauty and presentation, it isn’t hard to appreciate that before the days of the washing machine, it wasn’t that easy to keep clothing smelling nice.

Going back even further than this the Egyptians used perfumes such as Myrrh and Frankincense in their rituals and that the aroma factor has always had a fascinating part in culture which has now turned into a multi million dollar business that thrives on the consumers need for those delightful aromas that give the feel good factor.

Beauty is nothing without all the senses being touched, and even the most beautiful women in the world look to those natural elements of sight, smell and touch to enhance their look. Added to this, the aromatherapy studies have provided mankind with an insight into the ways in which environment can be manipulated by the sense of smell.

Perfume has a powerful influence, and if one were to take a look at both the negative and positive aromas that fill the world, and imagine the images that go with those smells we are all familiar with, what those pictures conjure up is a sense of atmosphere, good or bad, that the perfume industry has used to provide atmosphere, sexual stimulation, and even a sense of wellbeing on those who wear certain perfumes.

Aromatherapy has long since recognized the beneficial and stimulating effects of smell and the human need to stimulate the senses with those elements of smell that make us feel good.

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Beauty is enhanced by aroma and the perfume industry knows it. People want to create impressions of who they are, and with a combination of make-up, hair style and perfume, the picture is made more complete. Looking at advertisements on the television screen doesn’t show the substance of perfume at it’s best, since what is missing is the element of smell, though if walking through a store, taking in the aromas that surround is, what happens is that we are left with very positive or very negative feelings about those aromas that fill our world.

As a beauty enhancer, image each rose had a perfume. They don’t, and it’s a shame, though if they did, imagine the magnitude of different aromas that would be introduced.

What humans are doing when using perfume to enhance their beauty is introducing an aspect that was not there already, though one that is individual. Bought perfume, against the backdrop of each humans own aroma, gives a very different effect, and one that is so personal that the perfume market is always on the lookout for the new and untried perfumes that lure people into buying them.

Think of a person you love, close your eyes and imagine their aroma, and it isn’t hard to see why people use perfume to enhance their beauty. Beauty isn’t just what you see. It is what you perceive and remember, and in this field there is nothing more potent than the aroma of perfume.

Opening a perfume corner in The Flat store also a good possibility to increase the number of potential consumers.

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Brands.

ANDY TAUER ASCENTIELLE COMME DES GARCONS PARFUMS DEMETER FRAGRANCE LIBRARY DIPTIQUE GOTI HEELEY MIYA SCHINMA PARFUMS 137 PARFUMS D’ORSAY PARFUMS GRES RAMON MOLVIZAR SAHLINI JULIETTE HAS A GUN LE LABO UNDERCOVER FRAZER REED KRAKOFF ESCENTRIC MOLECULES MIZENSIR DE L’ART DU PARFUM HONORÉ DES PRÉS

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e b o r d

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r a

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I clearly identified a niche. And i also like the fact that The Flat have a clear idea about the brands selected and our philosophy. Everything you see is the result of passion and attention to the detail. As such we have even renovated the shop and designed the interior of the shop plus the furniture. This is exactly the kind of personal feel for business that makes The Flat so special. A department store is a retail establishment which satisfies a wide range of durable goods and products to the consumer’s personal and residential needs; and at the same time offering the consumer a choice of multiple merchandise lines, at variable price points, in all product categories. I chose the brands very carefuly to cover all price levels so it could satisfy the customer.

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

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(+)PEOPLE ATTACHMENT / KAZUYUKI KUMAGAI AVELON AVIATIC BORIS BIDJAN SABERI C.P.COMPANY CLU COMME DES GARCONS CREATIVE GROWTH FOR EVERYBODY DRIES VAN NOTEN ELSA ESTURGIE FABRIZIO DEL CARLO GIORGIO BRATO / WLG GOLDEN GOOSE HANDWRITTEN HANNES ROETHER HELMUT LANG ILARIA NISTRI INSHADE ISAAC SELLAM IZZUE JAMES PERSE JEREMY LAING

Brands.

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JOHN SMEDLEY JUNYA WATANABE KRISTENSEN DU NORD L.G.B. LOST AND FOUND LUMEN ET UMBRA M.A+ MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA MASNADA MISERICORDIA NICOLE FARHI ODYN VOVK PEACHOO+ KREJBERG R13 RICK OWENS SACAI SOL ANGELES STONE ISLAND THOM KROM V AVE SHOE REPAIR YIGAL AZROUEL YOHJI YAMAMOTO/Y’S

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The Flat

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Place.

By making analysis of our target customer i decided to open «the Flat» store in Via Tortona area. When in 1983 the Italian Vogue art director Flavio Lucchini and the photographer Fabrizio Ferri opened photo studios in a sleepy, warehousefilled neighborhood southwest of Milan’s center, their colleagues questioned the move. “It was a completely abandoned stretch of Via Tortona, and was considered extremely out of the way,” recalls Lucchini’s sister-in-law Giulia Borioli, a former director at the complex, called Superstudio 13. “People said we were crazy to think that the fashion industry would embrace this neighborhood.”

But those people were wrong. The “zona Tortona” became a magnet for the city’s creative set, with photographers and designers gravitating to the area’s big empty spaces and small artisan shops, creating a new market for restaurants, museums, shops and hotels. In 2001, Giorgio Armani commissioned the Japanese architect Tadao Ando to build his headquarters in a former Nestle factory there. Increasingly, the neighborhood is attracting more than just the fashion set, becoming a hub for events and exhibits during Milan’s annual furniture fair.

The city has now commissioned the British architect David Chipperfield to transform the Ansaldo, a former neighborhood steel factory, into the Center for Advanced Studies of Visual Art and a photography museum. Chipperfield is also designing a new building within the Ansaldo, to house the Center for Non-European Cultures, an auditorium, a restaurant and a bookshop. The Ansaldo is set to open in the next few years. In the meantime, here are a few other spots where you can catch the Tortona spirit.

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Advertising.

Cost-effective advertising methods for small businesses are easier to select once key demographic targets have been determined. Consider important questions that will help focus in on how to approach building an efficient, effective marketing plan. Who are you primarily trying to reach: young adults, middle-aged adults or older adults? Is your product or service more appealing to men or women or both?

After you’ve pinpointed your key demographics, it’s time to decide which cost-effective advertising avenues to travel.

To help generate different ideas, here are 10 cost-effective advertising methods for small businesses to consider: 1. Television - Broadcast or cable - Yes, airing 30-second commercials on TV can be expensive. It can also be affordable if approached correctly. Overnight rates between midnight and 6 a.m. are typically inexpensive, and can cost $10 and up, depending on market size and time of year, especially if a buy is negotiated for six or 12 months.

Another thing to ask is the price of 24-hour rotators, which could fall into any daypart, based on air time availability.

Figure out what your business can afford monthly for TV advertising. If it’s $400, then purchase that many latenight or 24-hour rotating TV ads. Pick out two weeks per month that your ads will air to allow for some frequency during those weeks. After six or 12 months of this ongoing exposure, thousands of local people will have heard of your business and know what it has to offer.

2. Radio - The approach to advertising and negotiating on local radio stations is similar to TV. There are a couple of differences to be considered. a. Age - If you live an area where there are multiple radio stations on the air, select the station that best suits your most relevant age demographics. If it’s 18-24, then approach stations that play music that is listened to by young adults.

If it’s 25-54, the select stations that play music that reaches a more mature population. If it’s 45 and older, you might consider investing in a talk radio format. b. Commercial length - Most commercials on radio are 60 seconds long, as opposed to 30-second ads on TV. You’ll be able to convey twice as many points verbally, although there won’t be a visual component. c. Production costs - Most radio stations charge far less for a well-made 60-second commercial than the price of a 30-second ad for television. Some radio stations don’t even charge to produce commercials that air exclusively on their frequency.

Contact the local stations you’re considering, and ask the cost of overnight air time and 24-hour rotators. Again, negotiate for lower rates by rolling out a six- or 12-month plan, based on monthly budget constraints. And remember to ask if production for your commercial is free if you make an extended commitment.

3. Classified advertising - Newspapers skew toward an older demographic, but some make their classified ads available

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on the internet, so they have a better chance of being seen by younger adults. If your local newspaper has an affordable ongoing classified ad rate, check it out and see if it’s economically feasible.

If you find newspaper classifieds are too costly, check into rates in alternative publications, such as the «Pennysaver» or other local classified venues. Their rates are usually a sliver of what bigger newspapers charge, and many people browse through them on a regular basis.

4. Craigslist - It might be cluttered, but it is a popular free advertising option that is broken down by city and state, thus making it possible to localize your promotional efforts.

5. Business Cards - Some stores and businesses display bulletin boards were business cards can be posted, so every time you see one, take advantage of it. Also, turn family members and friends into walking business card distribution outlets. If they want to see your business succeed, they’ll be happy to help.

6. Community Presence - Team up with a local charitable organization to raise funds at specific events several times a year. The benefits of communityoriented campaigns are multi-faceted, and they can generate good will among participants.

7. Free websites - There are a number of free websites available on the internet which may be useful because it can give you a feel for templates and how to design a site. Webs. com, a free site builder, allows users to set up a shopping cart system for purchasing multiple items. Although you won’t own the domain, your business name will be the first part of the easy-to-remember URL. Basically, your web address will end up yourbusinessname.webs.com.

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8. Free internet advertising - Beyond craigslist, if you type «free internet advertising» into google’s search box, numerous results will be found. Pick and choose those which could help advertise and promote your business.

9. Blogging - Focus on your professional field of expertise to help propagate individual name recognition. Publishing informative articles that internet users might find interesting can even earn small amounts of money at sites such as associatedcontent.com, helium.com or hubpages. com.

10. Facebook - This all-encompassing social network presents small businesses with incredible promotional opportunities. After setting up a facebook account for your business, encourage people to join whenever you advertise on TV, radio, print and the internet. Don’ just let your facebook page sit there blandly, create some interesting and lively posts to engage potential customers into taking an active role, prompting them to interact with your business on facebook.

Small businesses that advertise and employ all promotional possibilities have a much better chance of thriving successfully than those which do not. It’s no secret that economic times can be difficult right now, but TV and radio stations are realizing lower revenues than usual as businesses tighten their marketing belts. They’ll be more open to negotiating now than when the economy is thriving and advertisers are spending freely.

Regardless of what advertising choices you make, approach your campaigns with excitement. Let your passion for your business spill over into your marketing efforts, and consumers will react with interest.

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s r e b

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m u N

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«The Flat» shop Budgeting Rent 340m2

9,600,000 eu

Renovation

45,000 eu

reconstruation of building

Furniture

12,000 eu

Buying

1,700,000 eu

Employees Personel

459,000 eu

Advertising Communication Total

5,000 eu

Shelving, signage, cash counter total budget for buying of clothes,books,furniture, products of cafe 2 managers, 5 shop assistance, 4 buyers, ad personel, 4 caffe personel, cleaning staff.(total 14 ppl) fly cards, magazine, advertising in other magazines

11,821,000 eu

+ parking +conditioning

Financial Plan

The financial plan consists of a 12-month profit and loss projection, a four-year profit and loss projection (optional), a cash-flow projection, a projected balance sheet, and a break-even calculation. Together they constitute a reasonable estimate of company’s financial future. More important, the process of thinking through the financial plan will improve insight into the inner financial workings of our company.

especially about things that we expect will change dramatically after the first year.

Projected Cash Flow

If the profit projection is the heart of our business plan, cash flow is the blood. Every part of our business plan is important, but none of it means a thing if we run out of cash.

The cash-flow projection is just a forward look at our 12-Month Profit and Loss Projection checking account.

Many business owners think of the 12-month profit and loss For each item, determine when we actually expect to receive projection as the centerpiece of their plan. This is where cash (for sales) or when we will actually have to write a we have to put it all together in numbers and get an idea of check (for expense items). what it will take to make a profit and be successful.

We should track essential operating data, which is not Our sales projections will come from a sales forecast in necessarily part of cash flow but allows us to track items which we forecast sales, cost of goods sold, expenses, and that have a heavy impact on cash flow, such as sales and profit month-by-month for one year. inventory purchases.

Profit projections should be accompanied by a narrative We should also track cash outlays prior to opening in a preexplaining the major assumptions used to estimate company startup column. income and expenses.

Our cash flow will show us whether our working capital is Research Notes: Keep careful notes on our research and adequate. Clearly, if we projected cash balance ever goes assumptions, so that you we can explain them later if negative, we will need more start-up capital. This plan necessary, and also so that we can go back to our sources will also predict just when and how much we will need to when it’s time to revise our plan. borrow.

Four-Year Profit Projection (Optional)

The 12-month projection is the heart of the financial plan.

The Four-Year Profit projection is for those who want to carry their forecasts beyond the first year.

Of course, we have to keep notes of our key assumptions,

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Price Positioning

Positioning in retail is the basis of how one store competes with another retail store; it starts by defining target consumers in terms of ‘distinctive’ needs, and ends when unique’ set of executable action steps are identified to achieve an ‘identity’ in the minds of customers, an identity that customers’ experience in the store and distinguish in their minds.

«The Flat» store offers to the customer different goods with different price levels.

We decided to mix the high end luxury products with medium level affordable goods to expand the ammount of potential customers.

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Revenue Calculations

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Investments After a rough calculations of financial investments i came to the conclussion that the best way of launching your own retail business is to find the donoros or shareholders, people who invest in or donate to a business or organization Raising startup funding is one of the biggest challenges for any new business. Banks are often reluctant to make loans to start-ups, while public and private grants are usually restricted to nonprofit organizations. Fortunately, it doesn’t always take a lot of money to start a new business. «Inc.» magazine reports that some small businesses have become million-dollar companies after raising just $1,000 in startup capital. Even a thousand dollars in donations could be enough to help a company generate some sales and attract the attention of other investors.

How to get Donations.

1Create a business plan. Prepare a written document that shows the potential of your company. A good business plan reflecting a sound and detailed strategy could impress a number of potential donors.

2Present your plan to friends and family. Ask for donations and emphasize that no donation is too small. One family member might cover the cost of your business cards. Another may offer to pay your Internet connection for a year.

Another may underwrite the cost of a three-month marketing campaign. It all adds up.

3Expand your network to find other donors. Sign up at online sites matching entrepreneurs and philanthropists looking to back a cause. For example, the Kickstarter website (see Resources), attracts donors looking to give money to small businesses in certain creative businesses, such as technology, design, music and art. Donors give money because they believe in the project, and the money is purely a donation -- not a loan or an equity investment.

Instructions

1Prepare all of your marketing materials. Do not approach anyone empty-handed when proposing an investment deal. An elevator speech, teaser email, completed business plan and investor slide presentation should all be in place first.

2Put your networks to work giving you warm introductions to angel investors they may know. Most angel investors are retired, not aligned with any angel-investor association, and worth between $500,000 and $1 million.

3Visit the websites of the Angel Capital Association and the Angel Capital Education Foundation. «Entrepreneur» magazine cites these as the two most prominent angel organizations. Both list about 200 angel groups each. Search for angel groups by region; most angels prefer to invest in business startups within 100 miles of their home or office.

4Send «teaser emails» to angel investors and potential angels. A teaser email contains a description of what your company does, some reasons why your business is in a special position to see high growth in a short time and a call to action. That is, the teaser email must ask the potential investor for the opportunity to present your slide presentation.

5.Create a profile at one of the major crowdfunding platforms, such as RocketHub or KickStarter. Crowdfunding is an alternative business startup funding source based on «donations with rewards.» Most new businesses do not do well in crowdfunding, but those who do have raised hundreds, thousands or, in one case, over $200,000 in business startup capital.

Open a new account, upload a photo, and write a tagline and business description. Set a target fundraise amount, a fundraise deadline, and a list of rewards for donors. If you succeed in reaching the fundraise level by the deadline, you keep all the money and any excess. If you fail, you receive none of the money, and all the donors get their pledges returned.

How to Find Investors for a Business Startup

A business startup is one that is in the «pre-seed» or «seed» stage of growth. At these very early stages, the business has generally not yet perfected its product or seen substantial revenue. Entrepreneurs looking for investors at the preseed and seed stages should target friends, family, associates and angel investors (non-professional venture capitalists, essentially.) With a great business idea, a way to thoroughly communicate it, and a commitment to networking--an entrepreneur can find investors to supply $5,000 to $500,000 in early-growth funding.

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Opportunity To find an investor is quite hard work , think up ideas, share them, get them funded, and bring them to life as well.

Considering that our consumer market, Italy, we got acquainted with the new support platform «Eppela».

Eppela is the new crowdfunding project which lets you share your ideas online and get the necessary funding to launch them.

A showcase with just one goal: to bring the creators of projects and their public together, so they can work together to set up innovative projects.

It’s simple to use and completely free. Create a project, set a minimum budget for its completion and a deadline for collecting the funds. Then propose it to the Eppela community and spread the news suggesting an exchange, financial support in exchange for a little bit of the idea, a token to keep: an object, an emotion, a greetings card, a book, clothes, a CD, a picture, a DVD, an invite, a front-row seat...

At this point, it’s up to the public to assess the idea, to choose it and to make it known. Eppela helps you find the project you were looking for but that (not for long now!) doesn’t exist, the object you need that hasn’t yet been invented, the book you’ve always wanted to read that hasn’t been written...ideas and products you can choose yourself, instead of having them chosen for you or forced upon you, as the traditional market does.

Then what happens? If the project doesn’t reach its goal in the established time, it simply gets closed: no-one loses or earns anything. Those who have given a contribution get the whole amount back and can look for another idea to back. If the project finds its way and reaches its goal, it can keep growing and collecting funds until the established deadline. There are no limits.

For a project to succeed, each creator must spread the news of its publication on Eppela to their contacts, by email, social networks, sms, chatting to friends, carrier pigeon, messages in bottles...just think that every one of your contacts could become a sponsor, as could each one of their friends. The more you spread the news, the higher your chances of success.

And, of course, users can do their part too. If you want to back a project, your money is important, but so is your word-ofmouth. The more a project gets noticed, the greater its chances of reaching its goal and you receiving your reward.

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Conclusion

In the introduction of this project, the research questions for this project were stated. This chapter contains the conclusion of this research by summing up the main results.

First, «The Flat» store anticipates on trends in todays society. This is very good. However, it is important to keep researching these trends and anticipating on them because they have a huge influence on our lives.

Second, the main strengths of «The Flat» store are its quality, fresh concept and wide product range. In addition, the new concept store in Milan is mainly visited because of the location. That is the strenght of that specific store. Also quality and product range are important reasons to visit «the Flat» store.

In addition, with the new concept store in Milan, we aim to achieve the following goals: pleasing the customers, making it easier to do their groceries, providing more (fresh) products and encouraging them to buy more products. Concerning the interior of the store, we want to strengthen its luxurious image and looks, modernise the store and make it more open, accessible and friendlier for the customers. This was done by the many tactics mentioned and explained in previous chapters.

And in the end i would like to say that by opening this kind of store i introduce to the customers a new concept way of buying process, which is very interesting and innovative.

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Sources http://www.ehow.com/ http://www.marketresearchworld.net/ eppela.com trendwatching.com faithpopcorn.com tumblr.com nymag.com http://www.investopedia.com/ http://www.lecheapcestchic.com/ http://www.marginsquared.com/ http://www.howtospendit.com/ http://sliclvmh.blogspot.it/ http://www.managementstudyguide.com/ http://smallbusiness.chron.com/ http://retail.about.com/ http://www.marcbowles.com/ http://tmagazine.blogs.nytimes.com/ http://www.whosnextblog.com/ http://www.helium.com/ http://www.galleriacarlasozzani.org/ http://justcreative.com/ merci.com collete.com

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