Another New Shop Thread

Discussion in 'General' started by be3asy, Dec 24, 2011.

  1. Whats up guys newbie here and looking to open a smoke shop. I'm working on the details with the landlord for the lease but in the mean time wanted to get an idea of how to set up the shop. This will be my first official business endeavor but what is making it a little tough is the layout and whether or not to have seating and a place for the customers to relax (may have hookah smoking but unsure as of know).

    The location I'm looking at is a block down the street from a major university with dorms, frat and sorority houses, and in the middle of a very very busy commercial area. The only thing similar to a smoke shop is a cigar shop that only carries mid to high range of cigars and others are 10-15 blocks away so I don't have to worry about immediate competition.

    I want to get insight from the people here who go to smoke shops a lot.
    What do you like about your current smoke shop?
    What don't you like?
    What would you like a particular smoke shop to have and carry?
    What kind of atmosphere is ideal for a smoke shop?
    Do you mind people hanging around while you shop?

    I apologize if I'm asking too many questions but want to understand what the people who shop at smoke shops think.
     
  2. What kind of shop will it be mainly hookah mainly weed products or a head shop with sex toys and porn and stuff
     
  3. I'm going to carry hookah products, spice, herbal and legal smokes, pipes, water pipes, maybe some sex toys if people ask but otherwise no.
     
  4. Legal herbs?. NO ADVICE FOR YOU!
     
  5. thats exactly the kind of advice I'm looking for Apu. I'm writing down stuff that I've been reading about and what apparently sells. But if people are against legal herbs and that sort then I won't have it.
     
  6. Overpriced, not a huge selection. Other than that, everyones friendly, its clean, presentable, and is an awesome headshop.
     
  7. All the headshops I frequent have a reward system my favorite being. Everytime you spend over $50 you get a card stamped, Every 5 stamps you got $50 credit.

    Avid tokers will be against legal herbs because they are killing stupid children giving MJ a bad rap.
     
  8. Just make sure yuo got a big selection, get some sick ass bongs..a smokeshop near had a grand opening deal which was buy a specific pack of ciggs and get a free glass pipe...that could attract alot of stoners
     
  9. Have a good selection of glass and not that cheap Chinese glass that breaks super easily I hate going into a head shop and they don't have any brand name glass or even any glass by local artists and all they have is cheap, thin, ugly glass that all looks the same
     
  10. Nobody's gonna discriminate against your shop for selling legal herbs. You're just trying to make a living...and that shit sells. Plus it's not nearly as bad as people say. But let's not get into a discussion about that since it's against the rules..
     
  11. I appreciate all the input guys and will definitely take all this into consideration. Also how do you guys feel about having people just chill there? Or vice versa, would you want to chill at a smoke shop if it had a laid back atmosphere with good music playing that the customers had a complete control over (looking into music queues so Johnny A picks a song and when its done then Johnny B's song starts)
     
  12. I think letting people chill there would be cool I would make it like a spencers gifts with smoking stuff
     
  13. #13 dawnofwar, Dec 25, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 25, 2011
    Don't overprice your shit like mad. I understand you have to charge extra to make a living, but some headshops are fucking ridiculous. I'm not 19, so I can't go to the "Puff" which is a primo headshop (thankfully that all goes away next month xD,) thus I'm forced to go to the only good headshop beside them, and sadly it is drastically overpriced.

    Have a wide variety, including brand name, no name, and if possible, locally blown glass.

    I would sell legal highs, after all your trying to make a living, but me personally, I wouldn't touch that shit. This headshop I goes to also has these weird packages, for things like sexual arousal, or to give you crazy dreams when you sleep (note it basically has tea ingredients so you can smoke it, or brew it in a tea. Tea is better though.)

    Sell cigarettes, yea it kills people and gives people Cancer, but if you smoke, you smoke so why not appeal to a broader audience.

    Also sell shit like a regular convenience store (AKA corner store,) energy drinks, drinks, food, candy, chocolate, etc....

    A chill area would be really cool, but IMO it should be at the back of the store in a separate room as to not disturb the "shopping atmosphere." A hookah bar would give you an even wider audience. But again, keep the hookah bar in a separate room.

    Good luck in your endeavor man, and remember be friendly all the time, and be really chill. Optimize for a chill atmosphere.
    ----------
    Some tips I can offer:

    If your into meditation, go 30 min before the store opens, and do some meditation to help ground the environment.

    If you haven't heard of binaurial beats, they are pretty cool, and have an effect on the environment around you. An hour before store opens, play an hour long beat, or 3, 20 minute beats. I would recommend 432hz. I 100% guarantee you that if you stay for 10 min when the song starts, leave and come back at the end or during it, you will feel, and physically be able to sense a change in the vibe.

    Examples of beats: check out this page (http://www.in5d.com/meditation.html) I can recommend the 741hz to try what I just said. Once again, I 100% guarantee you that you will see/sense/feel a different vibe. The change will be most noticeable if you stay for 10 min or so when the song starts playing, and then leave. Otherwise you will feel a change, but when you first feel it won't (to quote a meme,) feel like it you like a brick sack of potatoes.
     
  14. ^ he has some good points one thing i'd do do is sell cigars and shisha
     
  15. I would make it a point to sell the most interesting pieces you can find. I have at least 5 headshops near me that probably sell the same stuff.
     
  16. Do you have any business experience? do you understand how to run one?

    I hope you're not just jumping into this willy nilly, because most business' like that end up failing...

    As for layout, have glass in the back, cheap random merch (like shirts incense lighters,random crap ) towards the ffront... that way people a) have to pass the cheap stuff before getting to what they came for, and b) will stop anyone from booking it out of the store with a bong in hand hahaha

    and like someone mentioned, reward programs/customer appreciation is key.
     
  17. #17 Streetlight545, Dec 25, 2011
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 25, 2011
    Carry whippets. I've only been to one headshop that does and they were ungodly overpriced. Also, don't think that people can't tell the difference between cheap china glass and brand name glass. All the headshops in my area just price cheap glass as namebrand and tell you it's legit.
     
  18. kanadiankush, I do have business experience in the sense that I was a partner in a gas station. I ran the business while my partner was a silent partner because he financed the place. The reason why I'm asking so many questions is because this is a different type of business and would be run with a different set of ideas.
     
  19. Have chill employees that won't try to force you to buy something. I went to a smokeshop that did that and it pissed me off. Needless to say, I bought nothing.

    Also, carry a wide variety of toking tools, but not so large that it's hard to look for the perfect piece.

    Good luck man!
     
  20. In the beginning I plan on running the shop by myself and have a part time help for the busy hours and maybe for the hookah. I've always been in the service field so I know how important it is to treat your customers like family. I have a supplier that I will be getting into contact with on Monday so I'll check out his supply and make sure he has a variety of products including brand name pipes.
    How do I find a local glass blower? I would put up a ad on craigslist but how likely is it that the artist would be looking for more work on craigslist? All I could really find were a bunch of places that blow custom vases and things like that.
     

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