So You Want A Hydro Shop?

indecline

Active Member
ok so ive been running this idea over in my head about opening a hydro shop-
small at first. just the basics.
a line of cheap grow items and a line of mid to high range.
i can get complete grow kits with tent etc. everything bar the seeds. for around 200quid.
retail it at 400. and i still beat the price of the leading store in my area(only store)

every time i go im not in there long and they take thousands.
they must have over a million quid in stock.
i want in.

but how well would a small hydro shop work?
anyone know of any people who have a similar thing going on?
i would love to give it a shot.
 

indecline

Active Member
yeah i like it, if i opened a store i would have different sections.
i would have the typical hydro section for pot.
and along side that a secret grow section.. with fridges, tv stands, pc cases etc. just to mix it up a bit. everyone wats a secret grow box but you never get to go see one first hand.
and a hoby section for indoor fruit and veg etc.

i would LOVE going to work too.

how did you find it. start up costs.
how long before you broke even etc?
this would be my dream. and there are so little of these in the uk, the ones that are here are starting to grow big. i need to get in soon i think.
 

indecline

Active Member
Just checked out your site. nice tunes lol
look good. been busy from the start?

Ive never come accros someone who has done this.
if you could help me with any info that you think you should have to start up i would be very very grateful.
thanks
 
yeah, My site is pretty weak, just threw it up so people could find me, a godaddy template(cheap)
I started with using my credit cards to buy stock, not sure about over there, but here we have a few places that only sell to brick and mortar stores
nationalgarden wholesale(sunlight supply)
r+m supply( c.a.p)
b.w.g.s
humbolt wholesale
these are the biggies, some require a large first purchase to open an account, like hydrofarm wants 25 grand and then wants to tell you how to run your store. others are more like 5 g's
I haven't broke even yet because I put every dollar back into building stock and paying down my cards. What I do is buy things I know people will use, if I don't have it, I can get it next day. sometimes I can just dropship an order from a supplier. I try to add one thing I don't have in stock to every order I make. One good customer can buy 25 grand worth of stuff on one order. Giving them 20 -30% off, I still do great on the profit.
 

indecline

Active Member
yeah ill have to do some research on wholesale product over here.
there must be something decent as most of the grow shops in the uk can sell a 600 light with ballast and hood for 75 quid, so what their paying wholesale i have no idea.

yeah i was thinking just stock what people want..
well for instance stock what i wanted to buy when i go shopping.
build on the brands and variety as you grow.

have to say i love the name you chose.
that link you sent regarding the indoor veg etc. thats LED's right i always thought they were too expensive. every used or sell any LED kits?
 
I have a few customers trying some out now, word so far is there great for vegging, but the flowering tends to leave very airy buds.
there is so many people pushing them, you don't know which one to go with, so until there is definitive proof and the prices come down, I try and stick with what we know works.
found this for you
http://whois.pho.to/garden-supply.co.uk
 

beardo

Well-Known Member
yeah ill have to do some research on wholesale product over here.
there must be something decent as most of the grow shops in the uk can sell a 600 light with ballast and hood for 75 quid, so what their paying wholesale i have no idea.

yeah i was thinking just stock what people want..
well for instance stock what i wanted to buy when i go shopping.
build on the brands and variety as you grow.

have to say i love the name you chose.
that link you sent regarding the indoor veg etc. thats LED's right i always thought they were too expensive. every used or sell any LED kits?
How much is a quid worth in real money?
 

indecline

Active Member
ha,
a pound is about $1.60 at the moment. so $122 bucks for the light, shade and ballast.

roughly what percentage do you make when selling grow tents or kitted out grow tents? i can pick a fully fitted 1.2m grow tent up everything bar the seeds for about 360-370bucks. if i did i would easily be able to sell that at around 650-800 dollars.
i bet in the US its all alot cheaper than here though aye? everyones at it over there lol.
 

wiseguy316

Well-Known Member
one thing to consider, yes it would be a nice job. look into how often hydro shops get robbed. Ours shut down due to being broken in and having inventory stolen about once a month.
 

newworldicon

Well-Known Member
@indecline

You are best off going through ebay or online as a backup measure for the shop, it won't be long before your competitor starts competing with your favorable prices and if he has been in business longer than it's fair to say his buying power is stronger than yours with suppliers, that makes your time even harder. Can your area sustain more hydro shops?
 

KevinSmith

Active Member
one thing to consider, yes it would be a nice job. look into how often hydro shops get robbed. Ours shut down due to being broken in and having inventory stolen about once a month.
Ahhh now I know why my dro shop looks like fort Knox with bars in all windows and doors.
 

indecline

Active Member
theres on shop
www.hollandhydroponics.co.uk

and a really small shop on the other side of town.

but i would go out of town, there are many citys here without them. took me ages to find one when i was buying.
the day i went looking for one in another city (which had closed) i bumped into 3 other poeple at the area where it should be looking to spend a lot of cash on grow gear.
he closed for personal reasons (i checked allready).

thats what got me thinking. i could do online yeah but its got to be more exiting having a shop right. i would wake up and be like HELL YEAH WORK HERE I COME:
 

MsBotwin

Active Member
There's only a couple of hydro stores I'm my area as well not even in the same town. They are way overpriced, compared to online prices and only accept cash. I should try to find a partner and ope one myself! The store I go to is so overpriced exactly because their closest competitor is over 30 minutes away. If I could open a shop of my own I could undercut his prices and still make a killing! Plus, I'd take credit cards to give myself a better advantage. See, now you got me making all sorts of plans!
 

indecline

Active Member
Ever considered manufacturing growing systems?
yes, all the time. and if you took the idea to china, i bet you could pump out decent systems for next to nothing.
also secret grow boxes, pc cases up to wardrobes. and make a huge profit. make them to the customers specs to. thats what grow shops need.im sure there are tonnes of students who would pay for you to customise a box for them.

There's only a couple of hydro stores I'm my area as well not even in the same town. They are way overpriced, compared to online prices and only accept cash. I should try to find a partner and ope one myself! The store I go to is so overpriced exactly because their closest competitor is over 30 minutes away. If I could open a shop of my own I could undercut his prices and still make a killing! Plus, I'd take credit cards to give myself a better advantage. See, now you got me making all sorts of plans!
yeah once you start thinking about it your doomed lol. like when you first look into growing. it soon becomes an addiction lol. keep it up.
 
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