claire, which means « moonlight » in French, is a new lingerie boutique with European influences. It will offer high-quality lingerie in a variety of sizes and styles along with outstanding customer service. The 1,300 square foot store will be located in a proven retail center called Hawthorne Plaza in Southern Johnson County, Kansas where the demographics are suitably upscale, traffic counts are high, and compatible retailers offer qualified traffic and potential referral business.

Competition:

Kansas City has fewer outlets than similar-sized markets for intimate apparel. There are mass merchandisers and discount stores that offer mass produced and lesser quality brands; department stores that offer better brands, but in limited sizes and with varying degrees of customer service; and 10 Victoria’s Secret stores which cater to the 18-34 age group with product of inconsistent quality and untrained store personnel. There are no lingerie stores that offer services to the high-income, south Johnson County and south Kansas City areas.

Market Potential:

This business plan based on lingerie spending patterns identifies three key target audiences. Sections 4.1, 4.2 identify these groups. The following are the target groups:

1. Females between 25 and 59 years old with a household income greater than $75K
2. Women 18-24
3. Bridal Showers

claire seeks to identify the Intimate Fashion Enthusiast (IAE) as a common psychographic element amongst all three categories. An IAE woman is someone who is passionate about her lingerie enough to want to shop in a specialty store and not at Wal-Mart.

There are many potential customers who match these target characteristics within a five-mile radius of our store. This captures Hawthorne Plaza shoppers in impulse purchases and destination traffic. (See section 4.1).

Unique Selling Proposition:

A column in « Dear Abby » recently quoted a desperate bra shopper complaining that, « If a woman wears 32-A but really doesn’t need to wear any bra at all, she has her option of white, beige, navy and shocking pink as well as plaids and polka dots and leopard print. » A woman who is a 42D (or more) and wears a bra almost every day has the option of white or polka dots.

Clair de la Lune solves this woman’s dilemma by offering a variety of styles in a unique size range that she will only find here in Kansas City. Claire de lune sells lingerie in a variety of prices, from moderately to very expensive. These lingerie lines are well-known for high quality silks, fine laces and excellent craftsmanship. We will be able to up-sell the Victoria’s Secret shopper to a higher quality product that they may have seen in a fashion magazine, by educating her on the better durability, construction and fit, at a slightly higher price. Sections 3 and 5 provide details about Clary de Lune’s product options.

clair d’lune’#8217’s highly-trained personnel will get to understand each customer&#8217, and will offer bra fittings and other special services as described in Section 5.1.

Vision and Leadership –

The sole owner, Terry Levine, brings over 20 years of marketing and advertising experience which will be a tremendous asset in analyzing the customer and market potential, as well as in implementing a strong marketing plan, as outlined in Section 5.2. As a seasoned media strategist, she has a great grasp of numbers, and will utilize her negotiating and relationship building skills with vendors and clients. She has extensive experience managing costs for other businesses and has a natural ability to watch the bottom line.

Terry will be assisted by Susan Nethero of Intimacy Atlanta, a prestigious lingerie retailer with over $5M in sales. Susan will guide Terry in her inventory-management decisions. She is a well-respected icon in her field, both by customers and vendors.

Financial Projections:

Clar de lune is expecting to generate $439,000. It also has ambitious growth projections of 15% and 17% for the second and third years. These are fueled by aggressive marketing and expanded product lines.

The store is projected to become profitable during the second year of operation.

1.1 Objectives

1. It is our goal to create a shopping environment where both men and women feel relaxed, stimulated, and pampered by the many choices available.
2. To use superior customer service for positive word of mouth referrals, repeat sales and other opportunities
• To give each client individual attention.
• To have 50% of all customers return within six (6) months of their first purchase.
3. To be eligible for consideration for all IAE planned IAE purchases in southern Kansas City, Johnson County, by year end two.
4. To make clair de lune the number one destination for bridal lingerie purchases by the end of year one.
5. To achieve gross sales of $425,000 for your first year.
6. To grow the business by 15% in year two.

1.2 Mission

clair d’lune is a specialty lingerie shop that offers labels, styles, and sizes that aren’t available in Kansas City. This fills the gap that exists between Victoria&#8217s Secret and department-store selections.

Our mission, to make the shopping experience for lingerie enjoyable, fun and fulfilling, is to help you find what you are looking for.

We aim to build a strong connection with the Intimate Clothing Enthusiasts.

1.3 Keys to Success

1. We offer high quality products that are unique in design and superior quality.
2. A great location for a store that attracts customers and caters to the right demographics. It also includes compatible stores (e.g. This location is ideal for women’s and bridal apparel.
3. To ensure the right product mix for their needs, clairde lune’#8217 must be understood.
4. A variety of sizes are available, particularly in the larger sizes that will best suit the needs and preferences of the growing plus market.
5. Provide superior customer service and personal attention to encourage word-of-mouth referrals and increase repeat business.
6. Monitor your inventory and adjust as necessary.
7. Educate customers and offer advice on fitting.
8. Offer a variety in price points so customers don’t feel intimidated by the more expensive offerings.
9. Increase impulse purchases by changing store and window displays often. This creates the belief that there’s always something new at Clair de lune.