Buying a Tack Shop!

Lots of other people have good comments and suggestions, so I'll just add my approach.

I tend to be very loyal, but get irrate when I order something and it either never comes in, or it it does, the shop doesn't call me :mad:. I've been in for things, thinking they must have arrived, to find that it has but it's been put out as stock! That tends to make me go further afield, and then I end up buying other things elsewhere as well.

Feed: there's a certain feed that I would very much like my local places to stock, but it doesn't. Can't get them to stock it either, even though a number of us use it. I'm sure they have a good reason, but they just keep saying they'll look into it. Frustrating!

I like places that have a physical as well as a web presence.

If at all possible, sell food and drink! Even if it's just a small area/amount. I'm very often trying to get to the saddlers on the way home from being at the yard and we're all starving. Sounds daft, but I've diverted numerous times and ended up elsewhere.

Opening times. If you can open early and stay open until six or seven, then it catches those working late/early/shifts. Same goes for the weekend - stay open for as long as you can.

Feedstuffs/heavy gear. Have a 'handy person' to load into the car, makes a difference to those of us that are a bit wonky.

Delivery service. For feed and rug cleaning service, etc., would be grand. I'd certainly pay a delivery fee!

Loyalty card. I sometimes feel a little bit miffed as I used to spend an awful lot of money with one saddler and there was never so much as a hint of a loyalty type discount. Fine if the saddler doesn't want to, but another one not too far away from the first one knocks the odd bit off here and there, which considering they're a tad cheaper anyway, is an added draw to me. We're not talking large amounts, it's a token gesture/an acknowledgment.

A decent range of gear. Not all Joules (or things with silly big buttons on them!). Dependent of what other saddlers are around, i.e. if there's one that does very expensive or very cheap, then it's good to have a range. One of the saddlers local to us appears to have gone the 'cheaper' range route - if I want a nice present for a horsey friend I have to go elsewhere.

Pocket money goods. So many youngsters ride that it's nice for them to have little things that they can buy with their pocket money. Gets them hooked as they get older as well :D

Other than the above, it's a friendly face, a smile, and a few minutes for a chat; all the usual 'soft' encouragement to help me part with my money ;)
 
I would say be cautious I never buy tack from out local tack shop now online is quicker choice is huge and I can do in the evenings it's much more convenient .
 
Ella19 said:
I hate the clean clinical lines of many of the tack shops round here. Especially if you are the only one in there, it feels like you are in a botique (sp?) and I get very uncomfortable. I also hate the ones that only stock one brand, ie all the rugs are weatherbeta or amigo, I do understand the cost of stock is phernominal but if my horse doesn't suit weatherbeta then I am never going to buy a rug off them!

I think the best tack shop I ever went in is in Rugby, I can't for the life of me remember the name but it stocks many different brands from budget to top end and has a seconds room; some of these items are second hand and some are factory seconds.
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Tower Farm :)
 
It sounds like you have your head screwed on especially with regards to moving to a rent free location. Dont forget to disregard things you cannot do when looking at the accounts though eg saddle repairs, saddle fitting, rug repair, rug cleaning etc.. (unless of course you can cover those!

Fitting room, washroom, decent lighting and mirrors are all good. A card that gets stamped with every purchase over £X that once it has ten stamps on gets them 10% off next purchase would be a cheap and good idea. A clipper sharpening service could be a good idea

A friend of mine stocks animal feed and other items alongside her normal day to day business but it doesnt stand up as a standalone business but she is onsite anyway and it gives her a chance to indulge herself in what is essentially her hobby

If I was you this is what I would do... I would buy the existing stock as cheap as you can, this may or may not give you an idea of what sells, check the packaging, if its old style packaging, faded, dusty or tatty that item may be a non seller. I would get word out to riding schools and yards etc and hold a focus group evening with refreshments, in return for telling you what they want and what brands they expect in an informal short 'meeting' I would then offer them X% off their first purchase

I would also sell online and put some items on ebay especially any old stock you inherit
 
Re the loyalty card, thing. Our tack shop has does gift vouchers which are great Gifts, Thankyou's etc, but you go in to spend your $50 or whatever and invariably come out spending $100. Win, win for the shop.

Our feed store has a discount system on brand feeds, accumulate 10 stamps on your card (so 10 sacks of feed) get one free. That works for me, no reason why that idea can't be adapted for tack/horse items too. (Sort of harking back to the days of Co-op green stamps)
 
Tack shop local to me has a little card...when you spend over a tenner you get a stamp...get so many stamps you get a discount.

My local feed merchant sells tack and bits n bobs.....also stuff like pitchforks for that moment when your 20 year fork finally drops to bits mid way through mucking out.....foot wear, outdoor clothing and also a double-decker bus with end of stock and second hand items.....I invariably go in for something and come out with 'stuff'. Oh...thet have a drinks dispenser too.:D
 
Check out www.goytmill.com I use them lots, i really like the way their website is laid out and is clear and they have product stock control on their website (nothing worse than ordering 3 things and finding out a week later that the 2 things you atually wanted are out of stock and your left paying full postage for a silly pair of gloves you just through in the basket on a whim...yeh thanks derby house:mad:...oh and 2 weeks later they still havent arrived:mad:)

Anyway, back to goytmill, I used them when i first got my biy as they had some rugs on sale, I places a large order for loads of things including a hat-I was slightly anxious as I like to buy safety equipment 'in person' to check it hasnt been dropped etc. I rang them to check the sizing of a brand of rug because i wasnt sure, and they were super helpful on the phone too. Well my order came the next day, everything was perfect, packaged really well, the hat even had a little sticker on it to say ' checked on x date by Peter in perfect condition' which was a nice touch. (shows it hasnt been just thrown in the box with no care) I was so impressed with their customer service, having never heard of them before, that i dropped them a short email to say 'thanks for the great service, really impressed' they emailed me back straight away and gave me 20% off my next order.....clearly really great marketing as ive used them loads since and theyve been great everytime, plus im waxing lyrical about them on here :D

Another thing is that now on their email mailing list, they held an open-house event with a raffle, demos, drinks and a %discount off, i drove an hour to go, because i have used their online business and wanted to see the shop and go to their open day- the shop itself is a little aladdins cave of horsey heaven, but they also sell tools and feed and pet food etc all of which you cant get online. Customer service, swift accurate delivery and good stock control are all vital!

Good luck in your new venture! What part of the world are your in?
 
Definitely don't just stock Shires or Joules - give yourself a good array of different makes. Mountain Horse are good, and Mark Todd stuff is always a fabulous mid-range buy - I think a lot of people would rather spend a little more on quality if they can see it.

My local drives me mad because all they do is Shires/Bridleway stuff.

Also would completely advise looking into having a second hand area. Perhaps get people to bring pics in of what they have to sell, and charge 10% of what their gear sells for for having a dedicated board/area. Little stuff, secondhand bits etc could be on display, bigger stuff in the back, or you give out details of seller when someone says they want to buy?

I'd completely be on board with something like that. Some of the P+P charges on ebay seem daft, not worth it for a £10 second hand item, and I'd really like to buy local.

Advice is worth its weight in gold. Buy all the horse magazines and keep files of cuttings - eg a 'bitting' advice folder, a 'fly' one etc, articles on vet treatments etc. People want other people's opinions, as shown on here, and if someone is popping in to read advice about bits, they are more likely to buy one off you.

Stock lots of the cheaper bits and bobs that people are likely to run out of. LW rugs, fly rugs etc - probably have fewer expensive rugs as people are more likely to order online as the P&P charges are more worth it to save £30 off a rug - no point if only paying small amounts.

Good luck. I'd definitely go for it, especially if there is a loyal fan base. And loyalty cards are a fantastic idea - get a stamp for every £10 spent and receive a £10 discount once card has filled up - or receive 10% off your purchase - with the 10% off, people are more likely to spend more once they've filled the card. Yes, you might lose a little in profits on paper, but people's custom is worth so much.

Customer service = vital. And longer opening hours would be fab. Perhaps employ people for the 9-5 and then you do a 4-7 shift a couple days a week so people can pop in after work. A lot of online shopping is done because it's available 24/7.
 
I buy both online and at local tackshop.

Ironically, some of my online purchases are because I have seen something I like at local tack shop, but they don't have my size (12) or preferred colour. They don't do orders on seasonal ranges.

To encourage folk into the shop, bit and hoof boot hire have to be winners.
 
Wow thanks ladies & Gents, didn’t realize how many replies I would get. Really useful thoughts and suggestions, I am definitely going to take all on board!
Well it has been decided after speaking with the man in the know! He has suggested I start up a complete new business, as he has a few concerns over the figures not 100% working out. Also the business I was looking at could possibly have a slight tarnished customer service recorded, and he has ran it down. Looking at the stock he has left he doesn’t have much in a full range. But have offered to but fixtures and fitting when he shuts shop, and he is quite happy about that. I will be opening up in the premise that is free rent, as I won’t be tied into a lease and saving me £20,000 a year!
So busy few months ahead, I would like to open before the winter. Luckily my dad it a tech geek, and a DIY expert. So as long as I keep him topped up with tea I have free labour. ;-)
My next problem is a name for the shop, so any suggestions please please fire them over. I quite like
Flaxen Saddlery
If anyone can come up with a good name that I use, I promise I will sort you horse out with a gift when I up and open!!!!
 
HOWEN said:
Wow thanks ladies & Gents, didn’t realize how many replies I would get. Really useful thoughts and suggestions, I am definitely going to take all on board!
Well it has been decided after speaking with the man in the know! He has suggested I start up a complete new business, as he has a few concerns over the figures not 100% working out. Also the business I was looking at could possibly have a slight tarnished customer service recorded, and he has ran it down. Looking at the stock he has left he doesn’t have much in a full range. But have offered to but fixtures and fitting when he shuts shop, and he is quite happy about that. I will be opening up in the premise that is free rent, as I won’t be tied into a lease and saving me £20,000 a year!
So busy few months ahead, I would like to open before the winter. Luckily my dad it a tech geek, and a DIY expert. So as long as I keep him topped up with tea I have free labour. ;-)
My next problem is a name for the shop, so any suggestions please please fire them over. I quite like
Flaxen Saddlery
If anyone can come up with a good name that I use, I promise I will sort you horse out with a gift when I up and open!!!!
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That's great news :) My suggestion is naff, it's Clip Clop Shop but I'm not suggesting you use that haha if I had a pet shop I'd call it Paws and Claws lol ;)
 
See to me in my head a saddlery is a place that sells bits and bobs as well as SADDLES. I know this is not necessarily the case but in my head that is what I would expect. Can you relate it to something in the area?
 
Second hand all the way! I hardly buy anything new apart from little bits like leadropes etc which I might buy online if cheap or on a whim in a shop if a good price. I thibk at least you have the advantage that a lot of horsey stuff is bulky so costs a lot to post so you may as well go to a shop. Our most local tack shop is really overpriced, people raved about it and I was disappointed compared to the ones in Bedfordshire! They do have a few second hand saddles though. Another good thing about shops is ease of returns.

Sorry haven't read the whole thread but if you do it then very best of luck!!
 
Also be sure to stock some real cheap essentials for people starting to have lessons etc, hats boots and jods on a budget! I often go to places that stock that kind of thing because I see it as being mindful of value, but I hardly EVER actually buy it and always end up in mid range! I liked the pocket money items suggestion too, even as a sharer loaner who didn't need to buy things I would always come out with a bag of treats and a new whip or something!
 
Good luck with your exciting venture, OP. Whereabouts are you, so that any locals on here and can come and support you?

My tips would be: have events going on at the shop and build a community amongst your customers. Have a Facebook page to keep in touch with them. Do discounts for people who are on there. Maybe have a local successful rider (doesn't have to be a 'star') come and do a talk. Feed companies or a local equine vet or farrier may also do talks. Do a cheese & wine (or something) evening, with discounts at the event.
 
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