Where Should I Locate My Fashion Pushcart Business?

“I am keen in starting a business in fashion clothes which caters to young teens and adults. However, I would like to rent a stall/pushcart/flea market space to test out the market first on weekend basis. Could you advise me on the ideal location? My budget for space rental is around S$70 per day.” – Christine

There is no magic location – and it also depends on how you define ideal. I can’t exactly tell you where to place your pushcart business, but I can tell you some general principles when looking for one. Here are some of my thoughts:

1. Branding – The location you pick has to do a lot with your product and how you want to brand your business. In fact, are you looking at having your own brand at all, or are you just going to be a pure retailer? For example, if you plan to create your own higher-end brand, you’re looking at locating your pushcart in a more upscale urban mall instead of a heartland one.

2. Customer targeting – You may already have a target market in mind – young teens and adults – but even within this group there are different segments. A young teen who is 14 wears different things from someone who is 25, and they also go to different places to shop for clothes. You need to look at what kind of clothes you plan to carry and who they target – and then pick your location accordingly to where these people will go. The typical 14 year-old hangs out at Heeren or Bugis Junction, as opposed to Paragon or the upcoming Ion Orchard.

3. Pricing – Price matters. It’s extremely difficult to charge high-end prices if you’re located at Jurong Point or Bishan Junction 8, not even for high-quality merchandise.

4. Budget – What do you expect your S$70 per day to cover? Many people make a crucial mistake when it comes to budgeting for their pushcart businesses. They fail to take into account that other than rental, you have to pay for many other incidental expenses e.g. utility charges that may not fall under the tenancy agreement, insurance, and yes, even packaging costs.

I’ve also previously given some advice on pushcart marketing. I hope this helps!