10 Steps to Start a Shoe Business in 2024

In 2024, starting a shoe business is not easy, as many footwear businesses have already developed in the footwear fashion industry today. Especially, following the issue of COVID-19, many new footwear wholesalers, retailers, and individual suppliers have developed their footwear businesses.

However, the number of online footwear brands are more than physical footwear store, because of the global issue of coronavirus. In this regard, it would not be wrong to claim that whether you want to retail footwear items online or offline, you must be able to compete with other footwear businesses today. The good thing is the shoe industry is still expanding globally and, therefore, you can start a shoe business in 2024 as a UK retailer.

Although to gain constant business growth and success, as a footwear retailer, you must focus on various factors to overcome business challenges. Finding a reputed and reliable footwear wholesaler, such as Wholesale Shopping or Europa Fashions, is the most important factor you must consider as a startup footwear retailer.

Failure to approach a suitable footwear wholesaler may lead to business uncertainties in the long run. So, whether you want to retail men’s or women’s footwear items online or offline, you must follow some steps to establish a unique retail footwear brand as a startup retailer in 2024. Below are 10 major steps to start a shoe business in 2024, you must consider and follow today as a footwear retailer.

1. Market Research

Market research is the first step you need to take as a startup footwear retailer in 2024. Without gathering the required knowledge or facts and figures regarding the footwear industry, you can go further. In other words, you must know various aspects of the footwear market.

For example, you must know how many footwear retailers are already existing in the retail footwear marketplaces, as a way to know your competitors. When you know your competitors, then it becomes easier for you to have a bird eye view of the strengths and weaknesses of your competitors. You can also approach the best and most reputed footwear wholesalers in the market to stock footwear items in bulk according to your retail footwear business needs and objectives.

In addition, market research is also necessary to know the latest footwear trends, according to the fashion preferences and demands of customers. You must know which footwear items are in demand and which are not. You must know the best-selling footwear items for men or women. Finally, you must know the prices of various footwear items you want to stock for your customers as a startup UK footwear retailer.  

2. Select a Footwear Niche   

Selecting a footwear niche is the second important step you must consider as a startup footwear retailer in 2024. Do you know what is a niche? If not, then you must know about it today as a startup footwear retailer. Targeting specific people of a larger audience is a niche. For example, if you want to retail women’s footwear items, you must know which items are in demand and who is demanding them.

3. Know Niche Demand    

When you know the demand for certain footwear items, then it becomes easier for you to target a specific audience and vice versa. You can use online search engines like Google to find people and products according to your selected footwear niche. Failure to stock according to your chosen footwear niche may harm your startup footwear retail business.

4. Pick a Business Model   

Picking a business model is another step to start a footwear business in 2024. Whether you want to retail or wholesale footwear items, you must have a proper business model. A business model can help you structure your footwear business in a better way. To start a shoe business, you can use three business models as discussed;

• Ownership of Production 

Ownership of production is one of the business models you can select to start a shoe business in 2024. From designing to manufacturing, supply chain, quality control, packaging, and customisation, you control all the business activities and operations at various levels. You may require detail business planning, strategy, investment, technical support, and human resource also to successfully use this business model for your startup footwear business in 2024.

• Wholesaler

You can use a wholesale business model to start a footwear business today. You can buy and stock trendy and unique footwear items from a reputed and reliable footwear manufacturer while keeping the stock in a warehouse. Manage your inventory to sell your footwear stock at wholesale prices to retailers or individual suppliers. You need heavy investment, extra costs, a wide supply chain network, inventory support, and business insurance to become a shoe wholesaler today.

• Drop-Shipping or Customisation     

Drop-shipping is another business model  you can use to start a shoe business in 2024. You only need to act like a middleman between a manufacturer and a customer. You only need to order a shoe item from the manufacturer while delivering it directly to your customer while keeping your margin as an intermediary. You can also use a customisation business model where you can offer custom designing offers to customers so they can get shoes according to their intended print-on-demand.

5. Create a Brand Name  

Creating a brand name is the next step to start a shoe business in 2024. Whether you want to become a wholesaler, retailer, or drop-shipper, you must have a unique brand name with an appealing logo or signage. Creating a brand name is one of the ways to appeal to more customers, as branding is part of visual merchandising, a way to make your physical store or online website look visually appealing.

6. Share Brand Stories  

Come up with your brand stories and share your business success with a diverse audience through different online and offline platforms. Always think deeply while creating a brand name so people can easily find it online, as online searching is everything today. Therefore, create a brand name that can best fit your internet domain.

7. Find a Wholesaler  

To start a shoe business in 2024, you must find a reputed and reliable footwear wholesaler for your startup business. Finding a wholesaler is not as easy as it appears, because you need to check the reliability and reputation of your footwear wholesaler. You must align your business needs and objectives with your chosen footwear wholesaler before buying and stocking shoes. To choose a required footwear wholesaler you can use the following steps;

• Checking product quality
• Visit local wholesale marketplaces
• Confirmation wholesalers’ reputation
• Make sure competitive prices
• Free and fast delivery
• Minimum order quantity (MOQ)
• Visit Trade Shows
• Flexible return policy

8. Location

9. Business Costs  

To start a shoe business in 2024, you must check business costs according to your investment plan. Many costs are hidden that come with time and, therefore, you must have extra investment in the start of your shoe business.

10. Fulfil Legal Aspects  

Fulfilling legal aspects is also necessary to start a shoe business today. Whether you want to sell footwear items online or offline, you must proceed legally to avoid legal issues in the future.  In this regard, you must register your shoe business while deciding the type of business you want to run, such as a partnership, sole proprietorship, Limited Liability Company (LLC), or corporation. You must get all the necessary legal licenses and permits along with tax registration you get a tax ID for your shoe business. Failure to fulfil legal aspects before starting a shoe business in 2024 may finish your business.

What are some online places to find a wholesaler in 2024?    

In 2024, you can easily find a wholesaler for your startup shoe business. Below are some of the places to find a required footwear wholesaler today;

• Amazon
• Etsy
• eBay
• Wholesale Shopping
• Europa Fashions
• B2B online platforms   

What are some other places to find a wholesaler in 2024?   

If you want to run an online shoe business in 2024, then you can use the above-mentioned places to find a wholesaler according to your business needs and objectives. However, if you want to run a physical shoe store today, then you can also use other ways to find a wholesaler for your startup footwear business, as listed below;

• Search engines
• Online directories
• Trade shows
• Referrals
• Social media
• Local manufacturers

Wrapping Up

The footwear industry is expanding, making it more challenging to gain constant business development and success. Especially, if you want to start a shoe business in 2024, you must gather the required industry knowledge while having all the necessary support and facilities to establish your unique footwear brand in the market today. To buy and sell trendy and unique wholesale footwear items, you must buy from a reputed wholesaler like Wholesale Shopping, Europa Fashions, Amazon etc.