Brick&Mortar Knife Shop

[Chrisadamley]

So i'm curious who here has owned/owns or knows someone that owns there own knife shop and mainly sells most of there product from people walking in the door.

Im asking because i am considering such an investment, as i do love knives, and like to sell/trade and the works. Im curious about if these places make enough money to make it by. I would offer knife sharpening as a service also, as i have been into that quite a bit as well.

I live in a town of about 120k people...and i swear besides big "all sport" stores there is nothing for knives here. So my gut feeling is that it would do OK. But with the internet these days, its hard to tell how much business it would really get.

Does anyone have any opinions on this? or any thoughts/advice/experiences?....I would really appreciate any info in this subject matter. Either posted here or via pm is fine with me.
.........

Owning my own knife shop is something i have wanted to do for a long time. But i wouldn't want to do it if it's not a smart move. Like if the internet is taking over and Actual shops can't make it anymore or anything.

I just know that if there was a cool knife shop in my town already, i would frequent there all the time! lol...anyways. Your thoughts would be appreciated.

[turbo_dog]

It seems like it would be tough to make it. The internet sites can sell at such a low margin that it seems like it would be tough to compete. They don't have rent to pay, employees, etc.

With that being said, there's nothing better than being to actually handle a knife and pick out the one with the best fit and finish, etc. I wouldn't mind paying a small premium for the ability to handle the nknife I was going to buy and also for the instant gratification.

Maybe with a good internet presence, you could sell enough volume to get the best deals from the manufacturers and still be able to have a B&M store.

Good luck!

[thatoneguy]

I think the basic idea is great. I too would pay more for the ability to actually see a knife before actually buying it and have done so before. And as long as there is no shops with a good selection in town yet, it seems like a good place to have one. And I know if you do open a shop up I will try my hardest to visit : ). That bein said, I dont know about how much you would be making per year but with such a large population I suspect you should be able to do it, but dont quote me on that. Also, you could try to get a site up and running, just to slightly insert yourself into that niche of the world, and increase your sales as well. I know that if I had the money I would do it, but then again, I am not the best person to ask financial questions ; ). Hope this helps, TOG

[Vagrant]

I would reccomend finding a store that will let you place some items on consigment, and see if they sell before trying a stand alone store
I personally doubt that a knife shop [only] would generate sufficient sales to make it a succcess
Perhaps a knife/sporting goods or knife and tools MIGHT have a better chance.
A web-based business would require a LOT less "overhead"
There was a national franchise [The Cutlery Shop] in the 80s, most were in malls [heavy traffic] they went chapter 11, despite excellent locations and inventory

[Chrisadamley]

I personally doubt that a knife shop [only] would generate sufficient sales to make it a succcess

This is my initial thoughts as well. It just seems like the sporting goods stores don't even touch the amount of variaty in knives and brands that are out there. Would be nice to offer people a specific store and carry all the brands along with the ones you normally dont see offline.

But perhaps its just a pipedream ....i am going to keep thinking about it though. I had thought of coupling it along with an online store, but if most my sales end up online, then having the store would seem like a pointless expense :p
........
SO many things to think about.

[Tom19176]

This is a subject that I know pretty well. I manage shopping malls in NY NJ and PA, and the few chain and independant knife stores have all gone under, many after years of low sales. The only long standing units are those in indoor flea markets. There was one guy who had sold in an indoor market that moved in with a comic book figure/action figures guy to open a store front, and they have been around for over 10 years, and his prices are high! I think if you supplement your store sales with internet sales, you could make a go of it. Look at Cam from Bladeplay. Cam started with a small store front and one internet site. He has expanded his store front twice, and has two high volume internet sites now.

Here is a link to Cam's store, and he is only in his 20's....


http://www.bladeplay.com/cat--BP-STORE--118

[natcherly]

It wasn't that long ago when cutlery shops could be found in any reasonably sized town and most cities as well in the more affluent suburbs. They sold all manner of knives, shaving equipment and novelty items. This began to change with the switch to safety and electric razors, and the death knell sounded when department stores started carrying a wide assortment of kitchen knives. The internet polished off those still in business. Too narrow a specialization is another way of describing the problem. Nowadays, lots of stores are selling all kinds of stuff that the staff knows nothing about. When making an important purchase, I do my research and find I often know more about the product than those selling it. I prefer dealing with knowledgeable sales people, but there aren't enough of us.

[TRYKER]

i would start by setting up at a flea market and when you can generate a steady customer base concider a store front, but also carry other products at the store front. forget outdoors stuff you can't compete with the likes of DICK'S. BASS PRO, OR CABELAS.
if you go with the flea mart concider a on site sharpening service people can get there knives sharpned while looking around good luck on your venture.

[catavengercaptain]

If your town is that small unless it is near another bigger town it seems like it would be hard to make a go of it. I agree with the fleamarket idea, there is a guy with a booth in a fleamarket in the city where I live. He seems to have a pretty good business. as a matter of fact I was thinking of going there this weekend.

[eric1]

I am very interested to see different kinds of knife.