# How to open a clothing shop: steps, costs, first stock, margins

> How to open a clothing shop: the steps, what drives each cost, choosing first stock by size and season, pricing, a daily routine, mistakes and a checklist.

By The Dashing team · 2026-10-29

Canonical: https://dashingerp.com/en/blog/how-to-open-a-clothing-shop

**The short answer:** a clothing shop sells items that come in sizes, colours and seasons, so its main risk is stock that does not sell. To open one, choose a location where your customers already shop, check licences with your local authority, fit out racks and fitting rooms, buy a first range in a few sizes rather than many styles, give every piece a barcode, and mark down slow items on a schedule instead of hoping.

![The Dashing stock screen listing items and quantities](/screens/en/inventory.png)

## The steps to open

1. **Choose your customer** (women, men, children, a style or price level) and a location where they already shop.
2. **Check licences.** Registration, trade licence and signage rules differ by place. Ask your local authority. This is not legal advice.
3. **Fit out:** racks, shelves, mirrors, fitting rooms, a counter and lighting.
4. **Find suppliers:** wholesalers, importers, factories or markets. Ask about minimum orders, exchange of unsold pieces, and payment terms.
5. **Buy the first range.**
6. **Give each piece a barcode and a price tag,** with the size and colour recorded.
7. **Decide your return and exchange policy** and post it.

## What the money goes to

- **Rent and deposit:** location and frontage.
- **Fit-out:** racks, mannequins, mirrors, fitting rooms, lighting.
- **First stock:** the largest item. It depends on how many styles, sizes and colours you hold.
- **Equipment:** barcode scanner, label printer or tags, receipt printer, till device.
- **Staff:** hours open and the number of people needed on the floor.
- **Running costs:** electricity, bags, packaging, and any alterations service.
- **A cash cushion,** because a new season's stock is paid for before it sells.

Use the [break-even tool](/tools/break-even) to see how many pieces a month cover your costs.

## Choosing the first stock

Buy depth in the common sizes of fewer styles, rather than one piece of many styles. Buy for the coming season, not the past one. Keep basics that sell all year (T-shirts, underwear, socks) alongside trend items. Record each piece by style, size and colour in a sheet, for example the free [clothing price list](/tools/templates/price-list/clothing) and [clothing stock count sheet](/tools/templates/stock-count/clothing).

## Pricing and margin

Set the price from the cost, add what you need, and decide in advance when a slow piece is reduced. Run the [margin calculator](/tools/margin-calculator) per style and keep the discount in mind: a sale price must still cover its cost. Print price tags with the [price tags tool](/tools/price-tags) and check results with the [profit tool](/tools/profit).

## A daily routine

- Open: tidy the racks and refill missing sizes in front.
- Sell: scan each piece, so size and colour leave stock when sold.
- Close: count the drawer and note what sold out.
- Weekly: see which styles did not sell and plan a markdown.

## Common mistakes

- Too many styles, too few sizes.
- Buying a whole season at once.
- Never marking down, so old stock fills the shop.
- Returns accepted without a written policy.
- Not recording size and colour, so reorders are guesses.

## A checklist

- [ ] Licences confirmed locally
- [ ] Supplier terms, including exchanges, in writing
- [ ] Every piece tagged with a barcode, size and colour
- [ ] Return and exchange policy posted
- [ ] Markdown schedule decided
- [ ] Cash cushion set aside

## Where Dashing helps

Dashing scans barcodes, works offline, keeps stock per item, handles returns, records customer debts, and supports stock counts and reorder suggestions. See [the clothing page](/for/clothing), [returns](/help/returns-with-and-without-receipt), [print barcode labels](/help/print-barcode-labels) and [the free plan](/free).

*Costs, licences and margins vary by country; use your own quotes.*

## Sources

No outside figures are cited in this guide. The statements about Dashing rest on these pages (accessed 2026-10-29).

- Dashing for clothing shops, https://dashingerp.com/en/for/clothing
- The free plan in Dashing, https://dashingerp.com/en/free

## Other languages

- العربية: https://dashingerp.com/blog/how-to-open-a-clothing-shop
- کوردی: https://dashingerp.com/ckb/blog/how-to-open-a-clothing-shop

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