Will it sell?

[matt6805]

Hey All,
I've been thinking about setting up a store that sells cheap fashion jewelry for girls ages 12-18. Typically, these are cheap items that look nice and don't break the wallet of your average teenager.

Before I sink money and time into this area, I'd like to know if there are any research sites that can provide me with a realistic snapshot of whether or not this kind of product sells in an online store environment? I'm not looking to go wholesale, I'd go retail. But my fear is that no one wants it! Is there a public record of any kind of sales figure for this? I tried doing a few keyword searches, but that doesn't give me enough information. Tried using Alexa and Digital Point tools but again, they don't give me sales figures. Just curious if such resources exist.

I see lots of Jewelry sites out there and they seem to be broken into two categories:

1) Wholesales of cheap costume Jewelry
2) Retailers of mid price to expensive Jewelry.

I'm interested in retailing costume/fashion jewelry. Thanks!

Regards,
Matt

[jwitt98]

It sounds like a sound idea to me.
You might start by checking the census bureau web site. I did a quick search and found this report from 2002 on costume jewelry and novelty manufacturing:
http://www.census.gov/prod/ec02/ec0231i339914.pdf
There are also market research firms out there that do this kind of research. You should be able to find them fairly easily by searching. You might be able to buy a specifically targeted report from them for around $30.
Good luck!

[RealStores]

I'll also offer you a suggestion. Try our storefront for your store. We are a free storefront so if you decide your store doesn't work out only your time will be wasted.

You could try to find a dropshipper or partner with a local retailer to cover your inventory.

Good luck!
Michael Levine
President

Free Storefronts: RealStores.com

[heavensong1952]

I'm already doing that, have spent a fortune, and am not selling. There are a lot of sites that will let you sell for free. I probably need a business plan. My next step is to go to the chamber of commerece for help.