Chapter 5, the opening of the Taobao online store

Thus, the women's clothing business is becoming increasingly difficult to manage

In contrast, Sun Wanhui was not as fond of engaging in verbal sparring with others. She merely glanced at Xu Xing and said, "This kid is acting all high and mighty here; he was pulled out of bed by me this morning, otherwise he would probably still be sleeping in."

"If you have the ability, then go ahead and earn it; I would be delighted to see that," Sun Wanhui said with a pout. "But don't be delusional; business is not that easy."

Sun Wanhui looked at Xu Xing with a speechless expression, not knowing where this kid had learned his unscrupulous business traits

Mother, how about we make a bet?

This computer is an old one that was retired from Xu Jian's factory, and it is merely placed here for show. Sun Wanhui knows nothing about it and can at most play Minesweeper.

Sun Wanhui thought to herself, so she let him go on with his antics

We can set a package price. Xu Xing thought for a moment and added, "If you buy two sets, it can be discounted by five yuan; if you buy a complete set of three pieces together, it can be discounted by ten yuan"

Sun Wanhui is relatively fine, but Zhang Li indeed enjoys creating trouble for no reason

However, Sun Wanhui's sales skills are far superior to those of Zhang Li, and Sun Wanhui has learned to make clothes from the old tailor in the town since childhood. The store not only sells ready-made garments but also accepts various custom clothing orders.

including a lightweight camisole, a small knitted cardigan for sun protection, and a narrow-waisted skirt

Is that all

However, only Xu Xing knows that at this stage, there are still merchants making profits upon entry, with the distinction being whether they make a substantial profit or just a small gain

More than half an hour later, Sun Wanhui drove into their alley and stopped in front of the store.

At that time, on the same street, there was also a store owned by Zhang Li, which had just opened not long ago, and everyone was selling women's clothing

Hello, Aunt Zhang. Xu Xing smiled brightly and said to Zhang Li with a simple expression, "I think that after finishing the college entrance examination, while I haven't started university yet, it is better to help out at home and experience the hardships of my parents' work than to stay at home and be idle, don't you think?"

The store she rented is approximately one hundred square meters. Initially, she could not afford such a large space and only rented a store of about ten to twenty square meters. Later, as her business gradually improved, she was able to expand to the current scale

Hmm?

This young man is still too inexperienced; it is time for him to stumble and realize how difficult it is to earn money

Isn't it a bit expensive?" Sun Wanhui frowned and said, "The camisole sells for only around 40 to 50 in the store, the small knitted sweater is over 60, and the skirt is only about 70. If you set the price this high, will anyone still buy it?"

Uncertain of the reason, today Xu Xing took the initiative to accompany her to the wholesale market, just a moment ago he even spoke on her behalf, and afterwards helped her carry the goods. Sun Wanhui felt a sense of emotion, as if her son had suddenly grown up overnight

Xu Xing smiled without saying a word, while Sun Wanhui remarked that he did not understand the customers. Xu Xing could only respond that his mother did not understand e-commerce, online shopping, and the internet

In the future, it will not be possible for him to manage this area continuously, so it is better to involve my mother from the very beginning.

Those who usually come to the store to buy clothes can be much tougher when it comes to bargaining. Sometimes, a piece of clothing priced at seventy or eighty can be negotiated down to twenty or thirty right from the start, not to mention discounts of five or ten.

Even if it means paying for lessons, it can still be considered a form of growth

Xu Xing set a relatively high price online, and Sun Wanhui is somewhat skeptical of him, believing that it may not be easy to sell.

If the clothes are sold online, half of the profit will be considered my pocket money

However, she felt it was acceptable, as there are certainly many more exploitative practices in physical stores than this. In fact, even Sun Wanhui herself would adjust her pricing based on the customer; if someone appeared to be relatively wealthy, she would deliberately quote a higher price.

However, Xu Xing looked at this store and was well aware that, without external intervention, the area of this store would only continue to shrink in the future

"Mom, could you give me a little face?" Xu Xing blinked and then complained in agreement

This soft remark carried a sting, but after all, it was spoken by a child, so Zhang Li did not want to show her displeasure. She could only awkwardly say: "Having just finished the college entrance examination, there is no need to rush at this moment"

Previously, Xu Jian wanted to teach her how to use Excel for bookkeeping, but one lacked the patience to teach, while the other still felt that keeping accounts on paper in black and white was safer, so it eventually came to nothing

Yes, it includes free shipping, which is why it is a bit more expensive

Moreover, the money was earned by this young man himself, which brings a sense of accomplishment when spent. Sun Wanhui found this idea quite appealing

After speaking, Sun Wanhui pulled Xu Xing away, confirming the payment with the owners of several shops. They took a small cart and, together with Xu Xing, loaded the goods onto it, transporting them to the entrance of the wholesale market and placing them in the trunk of the vehicle

So she suddenly said: "What about that online shopping of yours, how exactly does it work?"

I find it very precarious," Sun Wanhui shook her head, indicating her lack of optimism

Even if she does not speak up at that time, Sun Wanhui will pay more attention to this matter

Xu Xing did not expect Sun Wanhui to relent so quickly, feeling somewhat bewildered. However, he still expressed his surprise by saying: "It's very simple, when we return to the store, I will set up a Taobao shop for you."

Two people got into the car and drove to the store. Sun Wanhui glanced at her son, feeling quite pleased.

Half of the profit, which may only amount to a few hundred or a thousand, would be quite suitable for Xu Xing to use as pocket money

Aren't you offering free shipping?

I have almost finished scanning the goods here, so I won't disturb you any longer said Sun Wanhui to Zhang Li

Take photos of these three items and upload them, and Xu Xing will start pricing.

His requirements are not high; if he can sell a few items on average each day, that would result in several hundred in additional income, and by the end of the month, it could exceed ten thousand.

"Then you better not go back on your word," Xu Xing said with a grin, "By then, I might earn a hundred thousand or eighty thousand in a month, so don’t feel sorry for me, Mom."

In her view, even if it could be sold, the maximum monthly revenue would only be a few thousand yuan, and after deducting costs, the profit would be estimated at most to be one or two thousand yuan, or perhaps even less than that

"Isn't there still the shipping cost?" Xu Xing said with a shameless expression

Later, the store added labels and prices, and she stopped doing that. However, the gross profit margin generally remains above 60 percent

Sun Wanhui and Zhang Li do not get along, and this is something that everyone in the alley knows

Around the year 2001, Sun Wanhui followed Xu Xing's father, Xu Jian, to move here and decided to establish her own business, which led to the current clothing store.

Help my mother move all the incoming goods to the storage room at the back of the store, organizing them by category. Xu Xing quickly sat down at the front desk computer.

Later, Zhang Li realized that she could not compete, so she settled for a secondary option and began to transition into the children's clothing business

To put it frankly, her misstep turned out to be fortuitous, and she ended up doing better and better. On the other hand, Sun Wanhui not only faced the impact of e-commerce but also had to contend with the gradual development of the Shanghai market, where various large supermarkets and commercial streets were established, encroaching upon a significant portion of the women's clothing market

She believes that her son has grown up and that if he has the desire to explore new things, she should not hinder him

This incident immediately overshadowed Zhang Li's women's clothing store, and thus the two individuals became adversaries.

But upon further reflection, Xu Xing is the type of person who likes to save face, unlike her son, who is honest and intelligent, and his academic performance is also better than that of Xu Xing

In the past, whenever she went to the wholesale market and loaded the goods into the car, she would feel utterly exhausted both physically and mentally. Today, although she is also tired, she feels no mental fatigue at all, and is even in high spirits

"Children are like that; it's good enough that he is willing to come along." Zhang Li said with a hint of sarcasm as she stepped down the stairs. She thought of her own son, who was indeed sleeping in after the college entrance examination, while she had to get up early to restock. Looking at Xu Xing, she couldn't help but feel a bit envious.

Under his patient guidance, Sun Wanhui entered the official website of Taobao, registered a store, and then, under Xu Xing's selection, finalized a set of clothing

The cost of the camisole is 15 yuan, the small knitted shirt is 20 yuan, and the skirt is 20 yuan. Touching his chin, he slowly typed the selling prices on the computer: the camisole is 69 yuan, the small knitted shirt is 88 yuan, and the skirt is 98 yuan

"Sure." Sun Wanhui readily agreed.

With this thought in mind, Zhang Li felt much more at ease, and her mood shifted from gloomy to bright.

As of 2012, physical stores have not yet shown signs of decline in business; however, the gradual development of children's clothing is already becoming apparent.

It is likely that Sun Wanhui is aware of her son's poor academic performance, which is why she deliberately took him out early to see the world, so that he can be exposed to and accustomed to it, making it easier for him to inherit her clothing store in the future

Skillfully turning on the computer, Xu Xing did not rush to take action, but first helped his mother tidy up the store. After opening the store and starting business, he then pulled Sun Wanhui to sit in front of the computer