25 Unique Brick & Mortar Shop Ideas For 2024
Are you thinking of starting brick and mortar business ideas but not quite sure where to start?
Finding the most profitable brick and mortar businesses that will do well in your locality may seem overwhelming.
Fortunately, there are plenty of best brick and mortar business ideas you can start with little capital.
We put together 26 brick and mortar business ideas for you here:
1. Start a bento box shop
Bento boxes are a popular container for carrying packed food to school or workplaces. While the bento boxes may be widespread across the globe, their history started in Japan hundreds of decades ago.
The lunch boxes are popular among the health-conscious population who prefer packed home food to fast-food eateries in the city. Starting a bento box shop in your neighborhood could be profitable, especially if you have students and working professionals in your area.
How much you can make: $167,000/month
Successful online store owner Thomas Bertrand shares how he started Bento&Co, which sells Japanese lunch boxes and other kitchenware to 100 countries, and how he is using his expertise to manage shipments with Ship&Co, a SaaS he launched in 2016.
2. Start a lighting store
The lighting fixtures market will reach a CAGR of 5.4% over the next few years. The massive demand for modern lighting fixtures will fuel the market growth as consumers look to optimize power consumption and save more on utility bills.
Thus, starting an interior and exterior lighting fixtures store can be a profitable business venture. If you are passionate about supplying lighting fixtures, consider setting up a brick-and-mortar shop in your neighborhood.
If you already have an online store that is doing well, you can target the areas with a high demand for lighting fixtures and open a physical store there.
How much you can make: $35,000/month
Any Old Lights, a UK-based vintage nautical and industrial lighting store, has grown to turn over £250,000 annually by being on the forefront of SEO tactics and building their own Revivals brand of lighting, as well as sourcing and selling maritime antiques and curios.
3. Start a Backyard Plant Nursery
Do you have a gardening hobby and want to turn your passion into a profitable business with a minimum entry barrier?
Starting a backyard plant nursery is relatively easy, and the financial benefits can be rewarding. The secret to maximizing your profitability is specializing in plants that are in high demand, like vegetables and flowers.
To start, you can visit the nearby retail nurseries for seedlings and see what they stock and retail. To keep the startup cost low, consider using locally available materials.
How much you can make: $5,000/month
Camelliashop.com, a small US-based plant business specializing in Camellias and Tea Plants, increased its business 200% within one month of launching its ecommerce website in 2007.
4. Start a party supply store
If you love fun activities and helping other people enjoy their parties, starting a party store in your neighborhood can be a rewarding and profitable business.
Party stores sell balloons, decorations, costumes, novelties, confectionaries, theme party wear, and other party supplies.
If you are starting a party store, you may choose to join it as an affiliate or enter a franchise. A party store is a low-to-entry business venture and can be rewarding in the long run.
How much you can make: $25,000 — $500,000/month
How long does it take to build: 183 days (?)
BACH, an app that plans and books bachelorette parties, has grown from $0 to >$1M net revenue run rate in less than 6 months, gained over 100,000 users in their first 60 days, and has over 40,000 parties using the app this month.
5. Start a pet store
Pet stores are retail businesses that sell animals and pet supplies. They are a leading industry category with sales of approximately $4.5B U.S dollars and positive sales growth of 2.7%.
You can set up a pet store in many places, like supermarkets, malls, or pet supply stores.
The first thing to do is to find a location for your store. A good place would be an area with many residential buildings, schools, and colleges as this will give you access to many customers. It would help if you also looked for a location near public transport as it will make it easier for people to come and visit your store.
How much you can make: $400 — $1,833,333/month
How long does it take to build: 120 days (?)
Mechanical engineer and avid bike rider Mike Leon turned his hobby of creating a safe bike-to-leash attachment for his service dog into a 6-figure business, shipping from hundreds to thousands of 1-Running-Dog Bike Tow Leashes per year to dog owners, military and law enforcement, and search and rescue teams.
6. Start a board game business
Creating your own board game can be fun, challenging, and rewarding. Games are an integral part of our culture and are played by people from all walks of life.
You can create a board game from scratch with basic programming knowledge or several hours of practice. Board games are easy to manufacture, can be made from home, and can become top-rated and profitable businesses.
How much you can make: $1,500 — $250,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $300 (?)
How long does it take to build: 30 days (?)
Time commitment per week: Min. 10 hours/week
Facade Games has raised over $1 million on Kickstarter and sold about 80,000 copies of their board games around the world, with the goal to publish one new game a year on Kickstarter and build on their line of games in books as well as a new party game line in the near future.
7. Start an eco-friendly toy business
The toy industry is one of the most plastic-intensive industries globally. People who appreciate the need to be environmentally friendly are switching to sustainable toy options.
A sustainable toy features renewable, natural materials like wood, fabric, rubber, or bamboo.
Sustainable and eco-friendly toys are in high demand across the globe as they promote environmental conservation goals.
Identify a supplier and stock your shop if you want to start an eco-friendly toy business. Be sure to partner with environment-conscious manufacturers. Alternatively, you can start the production of sustainable toys and sell them at wholesale or retail prices.
How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)
8. Start a cupcakes shop
Opening a cupcake shop allows you to share your baking talents and decorate delectable bite-sized treats that will have customers coming back for more.
To start, source a small retail space with room for baking and decorating cupcakes onsite to entice passersby and develop mouthwatering recipes and frosting flavors that set you apart.
Then, market your shop on social media and offer specials to build local awareness, undercut competitors' prices initially to attract customers, and ensure top-notch customer service and consistency to convert them into regulars.
Consider diversifying into customized cupcakes for birthdays, weddings, and other events to boost revenue, and explore expanding your hours, delivery options, or online ordering to increase accessibility and sales.
If your cupcake shop offers high-quality products, excellent service, and attractive presentation, it can attract a large number of customers who are eager to sample its latest baked goods and consider it to be the best cupcake shop in town.
How much you can make: $4,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $285 (?)
How long does it take to build: 90 days (?)
From pastry chef to owner of a successful bakery, learn how Bradford Bakery achieved a 550% increase in SEO in just a few months through community outreach, building a website, and utilizing social media and advertising on platforms like Facebook and Groupon.
9. Start a flower shop
Do you enjoy designing floral arrangements for special events like weddings or holidays? If so, owning a flower shop can be exciting and rewarding.
However, setting up the business for success can be overwhelming.
As a florist, your role is to touch people’s emotions with the flowers. The career requires creativity and design skills to appeal to your target customers. You need to love and enjoy working with flowers and have some patience.
How much you can make: $2,000 — $120,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $600 (?)
How long does it take to build: 45 days (?)
Green Fresh Florals + Plants owner and creative director Carlos Franco explains how he built a unique, authentic, and profitable modern flower and plant shop in San Diego's Hillcrest neighborhood, growing from one employee to a $120k per month business through customer service, a focus on design, and a deep love for his craft.
10. Start a kitchenware and home essentials shop
Kitchenware and home essentials supplies remain a traditional retail business globally. Even in this era of the internet, people prefer purchasing kitchenware and home essentials from brick and mortar stores.
Therefore, if you plan to start a kitchen supplies business, you may consider opening a physical store.
Do you want to start a kitchenware and home essentials store? You can purchase a struggling store or start from scratch. Remember, location is a significant factor in the approach, so focus on the high-traffic areas like near residential locations.
How much you can make: $2,000 — $78,000/month
How long does it take to build: 180 days (?)
11. Start a book store
Starting a bookstore is a great way to start a small business.
Bookstores are found anywhere, from the smallest towns to the largest cities. Perhaps you have thought of running your bookstore . People need to read and buy books, and that’s been true for thousands of years. A bookstore is also a great central location where people can browse and purchase books.
Listed are the steps to start a bookstore business.
- Register your business
- Get all required permits and licenses.
- Organize your business operational flow
- Promote your business
How much you can make: $30,000 — $50,000/month
How long does it take to build: 212 days (?)
OrderOfBooks.com is a website that lists books in both publication and chronological order and generates six-figure revenue after starting off as a resource for the founder and his friends, serving as a valuable resource for book readers.
12. Start a healthy bake shop
Pastries aren't known for being a healthy cooking choice. However, with various ingredients, you can start a healthy bake shop.
Baked goods businesses have been around for many years. However, over that period, people have realized that baking is not a heart-friendly cooking method.
Starting a healthy bake shop can be profitable and satisfying. To start, find a good location and market your business. In addition, you should ensure compliance with your state's health department.
How much you can make: $25,000 — $80,000/month
ABS Protein Pancakes founder, Ashley Drummonds, tells the story behind the growth of her business from making her pancake recipe in her apartment kitchen to an appearance on the US TV show Shark Tank and how social media has played a crucial role in her marketing.
13. Start a hair extensions business
The hair extensions industry offers hairpieces and wigs for aesthetic and medical purposes. People looking for hair extensions are concerned about regular hair styling, so they prefer them.
If you follow hair and beauty trends and are passionate about starting a business in the beauty industry, you can start a brick-and-mortar hair extensions business. Research the market and find out the type of hair in demand.
How much you can make: $7,000 — $650,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $7,750 (?)
How long does it take to build: 30 days (?)
Private Label Extensions is a hair distribution and technology company that builds hair brands from A to Z for entrepreneurs, achieving over $650,000 in monthly sales and ranked #278 of the fastest-growing companies by Inc Magazine for 2018.
14. Start a cosmetic store
The cosmetic industry is growing rapidly. Starting a cosmetic shop can be highly profitable, but only if you stock trendy, skin-friendly products.
If you are passionate about the beauty industry, consider starting a cosmetics brick-and-mortar shop.
Cosmetic shops sell products ranging from anti-aging, aromatherapy, lotions, beauty spa, cosmetic store, and even make-up.
To start a cosmetic store, research the market and source products from well-known brands in the beauty industry.
How much you can make: $8,500/month
How much does it cost to start: $800 (?)
How long does it take to build: 60 days (?)
A former felon's passion for makeup and skincare led her to launch FBI Cosmetics, which has grossed over $62,000 in sales since July 2020, through social media marketing, brand partnerships, and online sales at Walmart.com.
15. Start a candy shop
Nothing is as enticing as a display of colorful and yummy sweet treats. Adults, teens to little kids will spend money on sweet treats. Therefore, opening a candy shop can be profitable and a fun business. Luckily, a candy shop is a low-capital business yet very profitable.
You can start as a distributor, wholesaler, or retailer, and as you learn the industry dynamics, turn to candy making business.
16. Start a sports collectible shop
Experts estimate that the sports memorabilia market will record a growth rate of 15.6% to reach $12.2 Billion over the next few years. The growth rate is partly fueled by the rise of NFTs or non-fungible tokens.
Therefore, starting a sports collectible shop in 2024 can be a great business idea.
How much you can make: $100,000/month
How long does it take to build: 365 days (?)
Bay Sports, an online water sports business, started with just kayaks and now offers a wide range of products, able to offer competitive prices due to being primarily online, with over 70% of customers shopping on mobile devices, emphasizing the importance of a strong online presence.
17. Start a home brewing supply shop
The home brewing supply shop is a business that sells all the supplies you need to make your own beer.
You will be in charge of buying, stocking, and selling all supplies needed for making beer. You may also be in charge of training customers on how to use the equipment and ingredients needed for home brewing.
The market is ripe for the picking. This is a new industry with tons of growth potential, and the market is wide open for you to make a name for yourself in the space.
You'll need to do some research before you jump in, of course. But once you've done that, we recommend starting small with one type of product—like beer or wine kits—and building from there. If you do it right, you'll be able to turn your home brewing supply business into an empire that will bring in millions annually!
How much you can make: $120,000/month
Progress Brewing, a craft beer company in South El Monte, saw continuous growth of 12-14% every month for 16 months straight and hopes to break $2M revenue in 2019 with a focus on high-value non-hype beer, excellent customer service, and providing an overall enjoyable experience.
Article Sources:
- E-commerce share of retail sales revenue in the United Kingdom (UK) from 2020 to 2025 at Statista
- Brick And Mortar Sales Grew Faster Than E-Commerce In 2021 at Forbes
- Brick-and-Mortar Stores vs. Online Stores Statistics [2022] at Fundera
18. Start a vinyl record shop
19. Start an artisan donut shop
20. Start a holiday pop-up shop business
A pop-up holiday shop refers to a short-term, temporary retail event during the holiday season, often in winter.
Setting up an online or a brick & mortar pop-up shop provides a practical way for entrepreneurs to tap into the year's biggest shopping season.
21. Start a costume business
22. Become a scrapbooker business
Scrapbooking is a creative hobby that involves designing and putting together a visually appealing album of memories and memorable moments. It can be a great business idea for those passionate about crafting and design.
To start a scrapbooking business, you will need a few essential supplies such as paper, stickers, markers, and other decorative items. You may also need a computer and photo editing software to create digital layouts and designs.
For success, it is essential to have a strong understanding of the different scrapbooking techniques and styles. It would help if you also were skilled in design, creativity, and customer service.
Several ways to offer scrapbooking services include hosting parties, creating customized albums for clients, or selling scrapbooking supplies. You can also consider offering online classes or tutorials to teach others how to scrapbook.
Marketing your business is crucial to attracting potential customers. You can use social media, online directories, and local advertising to showcase your skills and services. You can also consider joining local craft fairs and events to showcase your work and connect with other crafters.
Overall, a scrapbooking business can be a rewarding and fulfilling venture for those passionate about creativity and design. You can turn your hobby into a successful business with the right skills, supplies, and marketing efforts.
23. Start a butcher shop
Starting a butcher business involves sourcing and procuring high-quality meats from local farms or suppliers, preparing and processing them for sale, and selling them to customers in a retail storefront or through wholesale channels. To start and run a successful butcher business, you will need a deep understanding of the different cuts of meat and how to prepare them for sale, as well as excellent customer service skills and a strong business sense.
You will need to secure a location for your business, whether a physical storefront or a processing facility. You will also need to invest in equipment such as refrigerators, freezers, meat processing equipment, and tools like knives and cutting boards. You will need to obtain the necessary licenses and permits to operate your business. You may also need to seek insurance coverage to protect your business against potential liability.
Marketing your business is also crucial to success, whether through online channels, social media, or traditional marketing methods. Building relationships with local farms and suppliers can also be beneficial, as well as developing partnerships with restaurants and other food-based businesses.
Running a butcher business requires dedication, hard work, and a passion for quality meats. With the right planning and execution, however, it can be a rewarding and successful venture.
24. Start an antique instrument business
There’s a timeless allure in vintage sounds. An antique instrument business offers the opportunity to connect people with the history and soul of classic string, wind, and percussion instruments.
This niche venture involves sourcing rare and vintage instruments from various places, including auctions, estate sales, and private collectors. Your role is to identify, authenticate, restore, and sell these pieces. The market is selective, but passionately dedicated to preserving the rich tones and craftsmanship of yesteryears.
For enthusiasts and collectors, it’s not just about owning an instrument; it’s about holding a piece of history. The allure of antique instruments is their unique character and storied past, creating meaningful connections for the buyer.
Starting an antique instrument business requires dedication to the craft, knowledge of music history, and skill in restoration. If you’re passionate about music and history, this could be a fulfilling path that combines business with cultural preservation.
How much you can make: $550,000/month
How much does it cost to start: $5,000 (?)
Flute Center of New York is the largest flute-centric company in the world, servicing musicians globally with an impressive retail level sales of over 7 million USD in 2019 by selling flutes and piccolos ranging from $500 to an astonishing $75,000.
25. Start a balloon shop
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Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
Download the report and join our email newsletter packed with business ideas and money-making opportunities, backed by real-life case studies.
