# Experience selling DTG retail printing services in a "big mall" store?



## JimGilbert (Jul 9, 2010)

There is a small, narrow space available in a clothing area of a large local mall. 

I am thinking about the idea of buying a DTG machine and stocking the place with tons of shirts and selling custom made shirts to order, often while the customer waits. I would still have the shop for regular screen-printed orders and could hire others to work at the mall as needed.

Have you done or seen anything like this, and was it successful?


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## texasjack49 (Aug 4, 2008)

*Re: Experience with "big mall" store?*



JimGilbert said:


> There is a small, narrow space available in a clothing area of a large local mall.
> 
> I am thinking about the idea of buying a DTG machine and stocking the place with tons of shirts and selling custom made shirts to order, often while the customer waits. I would still have the shop for regular screen-printed orders and could hire others to work at the mall as needed.
> 
> Have you done or seen anything like this, and was it successful?


I was not going to reply to this post as I have no direct experience doing this but I see no replies so will throw my 2 cents in. I would stay away from Mall stores (just an opinion)
You have probably run the numbers on this and see it as profitable but I would be leary of the calcs.
Some malls do ask for a percent of profits on a sliding scale above and beyond the rent. They control when you open and when you close so you MUST staff accordingly even if the mall has slow or no traffic. Malls are open weekends and sometimes late hours. A dying mall takes years to die and takes a few people (businesses) down with it. By the time you figure in rents, employees salaries and equipment purchase or lease it seems like a big leap of faith. How much volume is needed just to break even? On the other hand if a mall is struggling then you can negotiate a good contract, just hold your ground until the terms work for you. I friend was selling custom wrought iron in a mall but except for X mas it wasn't making much and the biggest problem was employees. Last I heard, the mall pleaded for her to come back and now she just opens the store on weekends.


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## Rodney (Nov 3, 2004)

:: edited thread TITLE to be more descriptive and moved to a more appropriate section of the forum  ::​


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## JimGilbert (Jul 9, 2010)

Thanks Jack, I appreciate your input. I know that all of those things can be a pain or worse, but I was thinking that if "shirts on demand" had become a very profitable hit in other areas then maybe it would be a good idea here.


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## texasjack49 (Aug 4, 2008)

JimGilbert said:


> Thanks Jack, I appreciate your input. I know that all of those things can be a pain or worse, but I was thinking that if "shirts on demand" had become a very profitable hit in other areas then maybe it would be a good idea here.


I did want to add that of the two friends who did mall stores (not T shirts) their biggest problem was employees. It's not hard to find a "stool sitter" but that does not convert to sales. The wrought iron lady would show up and her employee had spent most of the morning texting friends. The next one had all her freinds "hanging out" in the store and was ignoring customers. Others were always late or not showing up at all. Maybe you have a plan that will overcome that obsticle or at least minimize it.


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## zoom_monster (Sep 20, 2006)

*Re: Experience with "big mall" store?*



texasjack49 said:


> I was not going to reply to this post as I have no direct experience doing this but I see no replies so will throw my 2 cents in. I would stay away from Mall stores (just an opinion)
> You have probably run the numbers on this and see it as profitable but I would be leary of the calcs.
> Some malls do ask for a percent of profits on a sliding scale above and beyond the rent. They control when you open and when you close so you MUST staff accordingly even if the mall has slow or no traffic. Malls are open weekends and sometimes late hours. A dying mall takes years to die and takes a few people (businesses) down with it. By the time you figure in rents, employees salaries and equipment purchase or lease it seems like a big leap of faith. How much volume is needed just to break even? On the other hand if a mall is struggling then you can negotiate a good contract, just hold your ground until the terms work for you. I friend was selling custom wrought iron in a mall but except for X mas it wasn't making much and the biggest problem was employees. Last I heard, the mall pleaded for her to come back and now she just opens the store on weekends.


Good Points. One way around this limitation is something that I've seen in several malls. "Seasonal kiosks" are islands that are rented out during the busy times of the year. You will often see these in the mall between Thanksgiving and New Years (hickory farms, calendar vendors etc.. I'm sure that the deals will vary from one mall operator to the next, but you may want to look into it. I have not checked in several years but a small 220 sq/ft island cost about 6K per month or you could opt to pay less and do a profit share. They basically look at your finances and make sure that you can commit to a certain level of "presentation" As you can see, you have to have your "!" together to operate in that environment, but some vendors come back year after year or have satellite versions of their existing mall stores because it can be profitable.


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## Dennis Graves (Apr 27, 2009)

Another thing you need to think about is what you consider narrow. I was talking with a guy who wanted to do the same thing as you (and me at one point). He said he was having trouble getting permission for a heat press. It had to be a certain distance away from the customer for insurance reasons. His kiosk/island didn't have a "center" for him to put it and the outside was to close to the customers. I think he said he would have had to rope off a section and the mall wouldn't allow it.


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## texasjack49 (Aug 4, 2008)

There is a good post in the "OFFLINE RETAIL & TRADESHOWS" section entitled 
*ever tried selling your t-shirts from a mall kiosk?*

there is info about cost and such, might want to have a look.


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## GHEENEE1 (Jan 8, 2007)

Jim, just a thought, have you run a DTG machine.


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