My husband and I are considering opening a tack shop in our area. The old tack shop closed many years ago and some people are drivng over an hour to pick up their horse feed and supplies. Oddly enough, the horse population here has grown considerably due to population growth in our area. We’re in the process of putting together a business plan but need some information about running a tack shop. Specifically, we need to know about suppliers and where you find them and contact them? Do you stock other animal feeds or just horse feed? Is it worth it to mix some other animal feeds in there. We’re not going to stock big name feeds since that’s already sold in our area, but we’re going to sell more high end horse feeds. What mix of gift to riding equipment to pharmaceuticals to feed do you sell? Should we stock a varied selection of saddles or do most people buy their saddle on line. If you sell saddles, what do you handle customers wanting to try them first and brininging them back?
Employees. How many employees do you have and what kind of hours do they work? What kind of pay do they get (I understand this will be different around the country) and what kind of benefits do you offer? What kind of employee discounts do you offer if any?
We’re very excited but also a little apprehensive about all of this. Thanks to anyone with any information.
One of the (seemingly) better operated feed/tack/gift stores in our area (Virginia) is Tri-County Feeds. They’ve long has a following as a feed store, but fairly recently built a large, new building and expanded into gifts, mid-range dog supplies, tack, clothing, and a nice line of gifts and regular clothing. It seems to be fairly diverse, and I have several non-horsey friends who frequent it for a variety of products, which has to speak well of their business model. You can check them out online at www.tricountyfeeds.com
Good luck!
Horse owners tend to be dog owners too, so maybe a small spot dedicated to dogs wouldn’t be a bad idea…
Just be diverse. Our area is a huge H/J area and anything for Dressage/Eventing has to be ordered and kind of a pain. Though I’m going to assume you’re in a Western region.
I would say carry the obvious basics but see about having something the average tack shop might not. I wouldn’t get carried away with gift items too much. They tend to sit on the shelf.
Maybe a consignment section for nicer saddles and/or show clothes.
Do your research in what products people are out there spending their money on.
Good luck, it’s something I’ve always wanted to do!
There is a small-ish store about 10 minutes from us that is at a barn. It sounds a little like what you’re talking about. They carry basics for English clothing, boots for English and western, helmets, smallish selection English and western saddles and bridles, etc. They also carry a lot of things that one might want now - a new bit, schooling pads, grooming basics, buckets, etc. She does an excellent job of keeping just enough inventory to find what you need, but you may not have a lot of choices to pick from.
A larger store in Kansas City has a much larger selection. They have an extensive selection of saddles - CC, AP, dressage and western - along with all the other things you’d expect. They carry clothing from starting-out schooling to much higher end show quality. They’re worth the drive if you need something and want to have some choices. Their prices are pretty good, too.
I think both places have their merits. I like the convenience of being able to run out and grab the ____ I need, but I also like being able to run to KC and choose the specific ___ I want.
Some basic things to think about:
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Distributors who will sell wholesale products to you commonly require minimum orders. These can be too large for stores just starting out, so that will have a great deal to do with determining what you stock at first. Their minimum order and payment terms will be basic and easy-to-find information once you call and ask about setting up an account with them. Some will be “take it or leave it” because you are a small and unknown business. Others, especially post-2008 crash may be willing to lower their minimum orders a bit. It never hurts to ask. Usually, the larger the wholesaler, the less accommodating to small businesses. No worries! Find the little guys who have great products and want to get them into stores.
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I would not start with saddles. You will have a great deal of capital tied up in each one and, invariably, it won’t be just the saddle your walk-in customer needs. This is why even established tack stores now stock fewer saddles than they used to and so many have bowed out to the big on-line giants. If you can’t win, don’t lose money trying to compete.
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Employees are another huge expense. You might have to count on your or DH being the “help” for a long time. As you make your business plan, it will become clear to you what kind of cash flow you’ll need before you can afford to add a part-timer or full-time person.
Also, you guys need to think about how you want to do the books and payroll. You can outsource this, but you might also ask yourselves if one of you wants to do this work. I’m old skool, so if I were running a business, I’d want to be really, really involved in the accounting end, especially in the beginning. I’d like to know my business’ finances and patterns inside and out. IME, there’s nothing like being on the selling floor and doing the books to give you the fine-grained knowledge of what’s going on.
Good luck to you! I hope you can return a tack and feed store to your area. I watched a family build one up in CNY and it was a real pleasure.
My local tack store is open from 9-6 most days, I think one week day they stay open until 7. Weekends are Sat 10-5 and Sun 11-4 I think. There are between 2-3 employees in the store at a time, but unfortunately the store is rarely busy (no more than 2-3 customers in at a time). During sales 4-6 employees are in the store, because there are two registers open (one for the tent) and there are a lot more people.
They carry mostly English items, dressage, h/j, eventing. They have a few western saddles (all used I think), and some western apparel (mostly boots and jeans). There is also an isle dedicated to dogs, and another one to wild bird seed and supplies.
They have gifts but I don’t think they sell very well.
There is a consignment area, they take used saddles, bridles, boots, apparel, coolers, scrims, flysheets, etc. If you have consignment do not sell helmets! For safety reasons you can’t resell a helmet.
They have feed, a wide variety from Purina to Pennfield. They get a lot of feed business. They also have bagged shavings and stall refreshers.
Make sure you stock horsey books. Put them near the register. My tack store does this and I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen an interesting title, picked it up, and ended up buying it. 
Don’t stock a lot of new saddles, you probably won’t be able to price them low enough to be competitive. If you happen to employ a good saddle fitter though, you might find you have a business there.
Good luck!
Check out AETA - the next trade show is in August. You can join the association as a tack store and all of the mfrs and distributors have a booth at the show. there’s no entrance fee for the tradeshow.
it’s mostly english and no feed, but would give you a good look at the range of products, talk with the mfrs, etc.
also, www.tackmeup.com has a range of recommended product lists from riders to trainers in different disciplines. so you could see what most people want.
i’m starting to talk with local tack stores about using it with their local trainers, so new clients walk out with the right equipment the first time.
good luck!
For your new tack shop, a product offered for your consideration-from a very small Made in the USA manufacturer.
The Original Equine Protectavest
Blaze orange horsewear for hunting season and riding safety and visibility
We do sell wholesale, with No mimimum order size to registered tack & feed stores.
You won’t even know you need these products, until the first guns of hunting season go off…
I highlyrecommend RONMAR for your nylon products-halters etc. Good prices and Fantastic products.
http://www.ronmarindustries.com/index.html
As for inventory, go out and meet with the trainers in your area. Ask what brands they like, where they usually send their students to shop, what they frequently buy, etc. Lots of tack shops also do a 5-10% discount for trainers who refer clients. This can be a great way to get started.
Avoid high capital outlay products at first, unless tons of trainers are telling you they will send students to buy them (saddles, high end bridles, specialty bits, nice tall boots).
If you are thinking about carrying feed- ask about that too. No need to bring in a Mare and Foal formula if there are no breeding farms in your area, or if all the breeding farms tell you they have air ferns and only use ration balancers.
This will also help you to learn about the size range you need to have on hand… three pony hunter barns in immediate proximity? get yourself pony sized bridles, girths, fly masks, and some pink and purple pony polos; Lots of reiners? run-down boots, western pads, and cob/horse sized things- skip pony and oversize.
[QUOTE=eponacelt;5733787]
One of the (seemingly) better operated feed/tack/gift stores in our area (Virginia) is Tri-County Feeds. They’ve long has a following as a feed store, but fairly recently built a large, new building and expanded into gifts, mid-range dog supplies, tack, clothing, and a nice line of gifts and regular clothing. It seems to be fairly diverse, and I have several non-horsey friends who frequent it for a variety of products, which has to speak well of their business model. You can check them out online at www.tricountyfeeds.com
Good luck![/QUOTE]
A friend did just that about ten years ago.
They had a farm and sold most of their alfalfa to horse people.
Then they opened a franchise feed store and about five years ago they added all other stable supplies and tack, which they also did thru a franchise with a catalog order company.
The advantage of franchises is that you get excellent market research help and feedback on the supplies that sell, etc.
My friend and her family have done very well, it is a thriving business, but they also work very hard at it, always have.
You may want to ask different big companies if they have any such franchise type programs that would fit what you have in mind.
They also carry a large supply of dog and other pet products, that is always a good profit center.
Tack stores around the US are closing because of www competition. Just a thought.
Gift items are a must! Most of your customers will come in 4-10 times a year for something that broke, or they saw in a magazine and want to touch before buying. But you have to give them a place to come for horsey & doggie gift items. That will bring them in much more often.
Do A LOT of market research before spending too much money on deciding what you’re going to stock. While some products have stood the test of time (like Absorbine) many other products are subject to fads. If some big trainer falls in love with it, you’ll see a domino effect as your best seller can’t be given away and for 6 months you won’t be able to keep product X in stock.
And if ‘everyone’ wants this new name brand pad, do NOT bring in a knock off because you’ll never convince your customers that they are the same as the well known name, even if they’re cheap. Because we all know if you can’t buy the ‘real thing’ you’re not with it, right?
i actually started tackmeup.com over 3 years ago to help local stores have a successful web presence and become the online community center of their horse neighborhood.
after 2 years of talking to tack store owners, they didn’t see how the web would eventually significantly cut into their sales.
however, trainers kept asking for a way to easily communicate a recommended product list to clients. so i updated the user model to focus on that segment first.
i still think the tackmeup tool has alot of value for tack stores in terms of knowing what their customers want and managing their inventory purchases, as well as marketing opportunities.
if you’re going to primarily serve a local market, do the face to face market research, build customer loyalty and be the best. it costs more to attain a new customer than to get repeat purchases from a current one.
A tackstore in my area has a tried and true line. “We can get it for you”- and they do, very quickly. I’m happy to patronize my local store when they work so hard to give people what they want.
The consignment section is a really good idea. I have seen more than one store start this way and become an important fixture in the local horse community.
Everyone needs it-- buyers, sellers-- and the store owner doesn’t spend anything on inventory.
People who want used or inexpensive or temporary and would otherwise have to look around for that on the web might be great customers.
You do need to create a policy for choosing the stuff… without offending would-be consignors… and that can take some diplomacy. Also, the record keeping and communication with consignors has to be great from the beginning.
You have a PM. 
[QUOTE=Coreene;5734491]
Tack stores around the US are closing because of www competition. Just a thought.[/QUOTE]
This was my exact thought upon seeing the title.
I sure miss when Stablemates was a part of Petsmart. But I did mostly buy smaller stuff there but it was nice to have it local.
Locally, in Northern VA we have Dominion, Tri-county Feed, Horse Country Saddlery, Tack Box, Saddlery Liquidators and a few others…I still mostly order via internet…it’s cheaper and the selection’s better for guys.
Be very careful if you start a tack store…lots of competition you can’t compete with and riding clientele are tightening their belts.
To me that is death for a store. Why would I want to drive to a store twice, once to order it, then again to collect it? If I’m going to a physical store its because I want it now or I want to touch it or try it on before ordering it.
If I wanted to order it, I’d do it on the internet, and I’d have it both faster and cheaper than having it shipped via a store.
I think opening a store in this era is a risky move. A tack store even more so. Maybe your area is ripe for one, but if it’s a tough business for established stores it has to be tougher for new ones.
The big question for most new retail businesses is do you have the starting capital to buy the first year’s stock so the store is worth visiting before you get enough turnover and profit to replenish that stock?
Thanks everyone! I’m getting some wonderful, helpful information. I was told this was a wonderful forum to ask these questions on, and they were so right. Please, keep the comments coming.
