Could you handle 11,000 customers a year!*Were you of the opinion that repairs and alterations were no longer in demand – think again!!
About The Zip Yard?
This is is an award-winning, management franchise with 53 successful franchises.
It is a professional tailoring network specialising in expert clothing alterations, repairs, and restyling.
Many of their outlets are seeing higher sales now than before 2020! With the increasing trend for reusing and recycling clothes further fuelled by ethical and environmental concerns, The Zip Yard service has never been in greater demand!
This franchise’s already strong performance is set to skyrocket in the coming months and years while most of the economy appears to be slowing down!
The Zip Yard has highly visible, strong branding, on the High Street, separating them from the competition and worries about the cost of living is driving customers into The Zip Yard stores rather than keeping them away; so it will come as no surprise that Zip Yard franchisees are seeing fantastic results in 2023.
As there is no other bespoke tailoring franchise currently operating in the UK, there is ample opportunity for you to be able to secure the right location for your business.
Did We Say That You Needed To Know How to Sew??
NO! because you don’t!
This is a management franchise so as a Zip Yard franchise owner, you manage a small team of experts who will carry out all the alterations so there is no need whatsoever for you to have any experience in sewing in order to enjoy all the benefits of this booming business.
It is only important that you have some fundamental IT skills; basic record-keeping and accounting skills – or be willing, and able, to learn.
Naturally you’ll need to be organised, able to keep cool under pressure, and understand how important it is to have a strong work ethic. We will train you on how our services are provided.
The Zip Yard Are In Tesco’s too!
The first store opened inside the Stretford (Manchester) Tesco Extra in Aug-21; in Nottingham’s Toton Tesco Extra in Sep-21. These openings marked a new partnership offering shoppers access to repair, alter, up-cycle or restyle clothes and home accessories, so they fit better and last longer.
Zip Yard Training and Support
The Zip Yard prides itself on providing training and ongoing support for all franchisees that is second to none, and covers all the key aspects of running your business.
Your operational induction takes place at their Leeds store over three to five days. You will shadow an already successful franchise owner, and their team, with the opportunity to ask any questions you might have.
You will fully responsible for the day-to-day organising of the outlet, but you will have the reassurance of having a fully trained member of the team available and ready to help at any time.
Your Investment
The Zip Yard franchise licence fee is £12,000 (plus VAT) and the franchise package includes marketing materials and marketing assistance, as well as support with your staff recruitment.
A member of The Zip Yard team will be with you for your first week of trading as a mentor providing advice and guidance on everything from the front of house welcome, to practical information on pricing and repairs.
Obviously, you will need to factor in the cost of your premises, plus your preliminary stock and equipment, but as The Zip Yard supplies this to you at a preferential rate this keeps your start-up costs down.
The exact amount you will need to get your new business up and running will vary depending on the size and location of your business but you could also qualify for up to £25,000 per business owner via the Government backed Business Start-Up Loan Scheme, and we are happy to help you investigate this funding option.
Are You An Ideal Zip Yard Franchisee?
Don’t panic if you are not a natural salesperson, the customers will literally come to you!
The training and support is specifically designed to help you learn everything you need to know, and the business model is accessible and easy to pick up.
The current Zip Yard franchise partners come from all walks of life; many of the most successful ones had no knowledge of the industry; you don’t even need to have experience of running or owning a business; naturally, this would be a big advantage but it’s not a deal breaker!
Your Next Steps
If you can see yourself owning and running a The Zip Yard outlet in your area, get in touch with us today; your new future is only a ‘click’ away!
Could you handle 11,000 customer transactions a year?
The Zip Yard opens Alterations Services in Tesco Stores
Case study: Ian Tarvit, The Zip Yard Northampton
In 2015 he decided to make the leap and set up an independent coffee shop with his business partner Michal Polak in Bedford High Street.
This joint enterprise was going well, so the pair started to consider taking on a second business and Graeme Mulheron, who is the franchisee of the Bedford store, was one of their regular coffee shop customers. Graham explained how The Zip Yard worked and how much he enjoyed his business and they decided to go for it. Ian lives in a village just outside Northampton so it made sense for him to run the store - they opened in December 2016.
Asked what were the key factors he considered before investing in The Zip Yard Ian says:
“The most important thing was finding a good location and that’s exactly what we’ve got on St Giles Street in the town centre. You need footfall which you may struggle to get on a back street. It may cost more but it’s worth it in the long run. The one thing we had to do to meet planning regulations, due to the location, was to invert The Zip Yard logo so that it’s yellow on black – it’s the only one in the country.
“On day one we had zero customers. Two-and-a-half-years on, our trade is split into 50% new customers and 50% existing customers, and we are still growing which is brilliant in just our third year.
“Like many High Streets across the country, Northampton has had its problems with shops closing, including BHS and M&S, but the council has got some ambitious ideas to boost the shopping experience – redevelop the centre of the town to create a more relaxed shopping experience with alfresco dining, generating more footfall – so I’m hoping their plans come to fruition. One positive development has been the university’s move to a new campus in the town centre and we offer a 15% discount to students on what we call Student Tuesday. The store is also within walking distance of the hospital and we offer a 10% discount for NHS staff. We also offer dry cleaning via an external company which in turn adds value for our customers.”
Ian is rightly proud of his business explaining that they stand out from the crowd and that their store, like all Zip Yards, are bright and clean, there are changing rooms and bridal suites and customers can see the seamstresses working; they’re not hidden away in a room at the back or upstairs.
Ian now has four seamstresses and they are all excellent. They all have a passion for the industry and my store manager also has experience in making professional blinds and working in the shop of a fabric warehouse.”
New customers come to Ian’s Zip Yard mainly through word of mouth – people who have spoken to someone that his staff has done a good job for. He also uses Google advertising to ensure that they are the first business to be shown in a search and he posts regular updates on Facebook, Twitter and now on Instagram. Ian encourages his customers to write positive reviews, however Ian feels that one of his best marketing strategies was his little yellow Citroen C1 that he purchased and had completely vinyl wrapped with The Zip Yard branding. He leaves it in retail parks over the weekends and it is parked at the top of his drive, which is on a busy main road into Northampton, he has often had people knock on his door and ask about some work they need doing. Ian finds that it is also a conversation piece when a new customer comes into the shop and says that they saw The Zip Yard car.”
The Zip Yard | Leeds
The Zip Yard | Why Franchise?
