Empty shelves, a bottle of gasoline and the girl factor: we open a store

In smart books about business, no, no, yes, and the thought slips through that the startup has to stir up motivation in itself, stay awake at night, cut the product and consciously take risks. But any risk must be based on numbers. Parachute jumping, in principle, looks like a tangible risk, but according to statistics it is a safer action than funny games at a construction site.

Parachute failure, as a rule, occurs due to improper installation before the jump - business is no different: either you take into account the behavior and habits of customers before you put a product on a showcase (and before you even get the finished product), or get hit in the face of reality.
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Approximately such thoughts visited us when Ivideon, the entire video surveillance service created for the Internet and on the Internet, decided to open an offline store. Why open a store if you feel good online, have not exhausted all the growth points in the Internet environment and do not want to receive fatal damage from risky projects?

It's time to tell.

Why we were optimistic: the global video surveillance market

The first offline store Ivideon appeared two years ago, the second opens this fall. But before the first launch (and in the same way, before opening the second one), we printed out and hung on the wall all graphs that inspire at least some optimism.


According to IMS Research, the global market for video surveillance equipment with software, installation and services should reach $ 30 billion by 2017. At the turn of 2016–2017, the volume of the cloud services market, which primarily includes Ivideon, is predicted to vary from 1.7 to 2.3 billion dollars.

The VSaaS (Video Surveillance as a Service) model, based on cloud storage systems, remains one of the main trends not only in the world of video surveillance, but also in the entire Internet of Things. The cumulative annual growth rate of VSaaS is over 18% by 2020.

Russian video surveillance market (billion rubles)


Source of

The Russian market is much more modest - the graph above shows data obtained for 2014. However, the forecasts did not coincide with the reality - in 2016 the market volume is 50 billion rubles, which is higher than expected. The demand for video surveillance services is growing. It is predicted that by 2022 the market volume will double, but for Ivideon even these figures are not critical, since there are no territorial restrictions for the video surveillance service via the Internet. Russia is only part of the global market.

It seems that the progress train is heading in the right direction, and there is no reason to worry about the future. In such conditions, we decided to continue to open new stores. It was not easy to make this decision - Scylla was the experience of just one launch, a crisis broke out in Kharibda, and a narrow passage between them threatened with the appearance of a significant gap in the hull. Even at the opening of the usual stall need money. Money that we fully invest in the development of the service. The company's co-founders Andrei Yudnikov and Vladimir Eremeev do not expose themselves to large salaries, and all the money is invested in development. Vladimir drives along with the employees on the corporate bus and further by metro. The company spends money on salaries and servers. To fail in such conditions even in one direction means to endanger the existence of the entire business.

Offline store: fear and hate

80% of online retailers' customers first select a product from an offline store, then search for it to buy online. In a period when prices in stores suddenly start to rise sharply, and the salary - like a lame duck - cannot catch up with them, there are even more reasons to watch goods on the Internet. The decline in revenues and the overall situation in the economy move the market to the Internet.

Working in a crisis is like riding a bike that burns. In 2014, Russia was one of the world's largest B2C e-commerce markets, but in 2015, the total retail market fell by almost 10%.

In practice, the phrase “retail trade turnover in the first half of 2016 fell by 5.7% compared to the corresponding period of the previous year” hides this: the stores disappear. Moscow sets a record for the volume of vacant areas in the shopping center.

Last year was also not easy for the video surveillance market: the growth in volumes is followed by increased competition, which leads to prices for cameras falling. It is profitable for customers, not always for business.

Ray of light in retail

In general, we decided that since there is a stable growth of the entire industry, it means that the idea of ​​opening stores in any kind of crisis is not the worst thing that could have come to our heads.

Of course, we are not yet at that level online, when every iron connected to the Internet knows our name. Ivideon is known in the video surveillance market, but if you catch 10 people on the street, they will all say that they have never heard of this brand. It was possible to take a million rubles and give it to marketers: hold a contest in social networks, set up new email marketing features, glue the car with promo-banners - reach several times more people.

Growing up against the general downturn can only be mushrooms in Chernobyl, but we are confident that hundreds and thousands of clients do not sit all day on the Internet, send mailings to the spam folder, and in general they are afraid to take the cat in the bag when it comes to buying surveillance cameras. The camera is not a service, it is quite material, it has specific technical characteristics and appearance, capable, that's a miracle, not to fit into the interior.

Store pros

Arguments for the offline store sometimes sound like arguments from supporters of paper books, theaters and steamboats: how nice it is to touch the goods with your hands. There are people who buy home security cameras as a gift - the appearance of even the packaging is important for them. There will always be those who will lead 10 reasons why it is important to first evaluate the goods in the store, even if it is decided to make the purchase on the Internet.

The seller of flesh and blood will tell about the product more than the description on the site. He will answer questions faster than the fastest call center. And some, after ten minutes of persuasion, will agree to give a discount - try to knock out a discount from the technical support of the site.

Compared with the usual retail outlet, we see one important advantage in the store - Ivideon has a clear positioning: video surveillance via the Internet. Everything! We do not sell related products: only hardcore, only cameras and service. Of course, someone may have a spontaneous decision to buy a camera for themselves, but in most cases this decision is conscious and painful. There is a problem that a person wants to solve, and he purposefully seeks a solution.

Andrei Yudnikov, CEO of Ivideon, summed up all thoughts “to launch or not to launch”: “The Internet is not the only channel of communication (although we are used to thinking otherwise). Opening an offline store solves several problems at once. There always remains a substantial proportion of customers who are used to communicating directly with the solution provider, looking at and touching the equipment, and receiving direct advice. Only after all these actions, a person makes a purchasing decision. B2B clients from medium and small businesses are among those who prefer to personally choose equipment, select the necessary configurations and communicate directly with experts. ”

Well, let's not forget that any offline store is a pickup point at which every customer can touch the goods and make sure there are no defects.

Breaking the rules

Ivideon is an Internet service, in theory, able to exist without any equipment at all, which the end customer can touch. But having written out all the advantages for myself, it was decided to go retail.

The opening of the first store for us was an experiment, until which no one at Ivideon had the proper competence in retail. There was a chance that we would just take and burn money on a meaningless project. And worse, spend time people who at this point could do something useful.



Moreover, an idea appeared to put a young girl at the head of the store. Engage in the development of a point where 90% of future buyers are harsh men.

Alina Skuratovich (she pictured above) became the head of retail Ivideon. Before that, she had experience in a security company, where she first worked as a salesperson, then she was promoted to deputy retail manager. And yes, until Ivideon Alina did not open a single offline store. But she was well absorbed in the topic of security and knew why video surveillance might be needed.

Why Alina? If you have a high-tech business, try to go beyond the templates. In communication with the client, the girl does not lose, and even wins. To do this, it is enough to show excellent knowledge of the product - and it will simply be pleasant for someone to communicate with the girl on an interesting topic for him. Ivideon was originally built by young people under 30 who did not want to think in stereotypes. In this case, the question of whom to entrust the management of the store, a girl or a man, looked like a stereotype. Alina did not sit at the head office, but from the first day she went to do repairs with the sellers. Then, when we left one of the sellers, worked instead.

First start

The first problem we encountered was the choice of location. We went around the whole Gorbushka, the market in Mitino, visited a dozen shopping centers and business centers, thought about opening a street retail (a store on the first floor of a residential building). In addition to just a comfortable room, we needed a wide Internet channel. In the end, we came to Savelovsky, guided by the logic of "do not break what works well." If others were helped by human traffic, it means that it will help us, and it makes no sense to open a store in the industrial zone.

Convenient location - from the subway in 2 minutes. In addition, there are shops and other destinations that also attract traffic by passing people. The entire shopping center is filled with technical equipment, respectively, our potential customers come there.

Our shop is located in TC Savelovsky - Mobile, which opened a month before we entered. The condition of the shopping center met our requirements: there are no stray dogs and garbage, everything is clean, light and beautiful. Here is the address of the store, if someone wants to go into it.



The first two weeks we spent on the arrangement. Repair done on their own. Alina, one of the salespeople, and the staff of the central office came to the rescue.



Nearby, of course, the competitors' shops also settled down, but we decided to stand out with decoration (not to overwhelm the shelves with goods, but to observe the minimalist style). Everything was done to ensure that the future buyer did not get into a complex technological environment, and understood that the ideas of simplicity of service were also implemented in design.

However, our competitors were not particularly worried - they sell cameras and other equipment for video surveillance from different manufacturers, and we provide a service that others do not.


View of the entrance to the store. In this photo there is evidence that Ivideon is somehow connected with Skolkovo

As soon as we decided on the place and design of the future store, it was necessary to choose the “face” - the sellers. Alina’s appointment as a manager attracted customers and spurred their interest in Ivideon, but without good sellers, everything else could have burned.



Word Alina:

“I was engaged in the selection of sellers myself, I searched on HH.ru, through social networks and acquaintances. There were special requirements for candidates: charisma, ability to communicate, activity and ability to sell.

Do not spare the time to search for the right people: for almost two years, since the discovery, we have not fired anyone. One seller works from the beginning, he also helped to make repairs in the store and connect the display equipment. The second worked for 6 months and went into the army, I worked in the store for six months instead, until I found another person who still works. ”

Another way to attract the attention of buyers is a cardboard pug with a surveillance camera installed in it (here in the store, visitors are shown on the big screen).

The second camera in the store is set above the dog. Broadcast from it is displayed in open access.

Results and plans

There should be a story about a bottle, gasoline and engine oil. But it is not yet. We did not burn out, and competitors did not burn our store.

At the opening of the store spent about a million rubles. This money went to repair, purchase equipment and design. Have we broken the attachments? Yes, the store makes a profit and moreover, the profit increases. During the year it grew by 70%.

Everyone has heard a very banal phrase that a crisis is a time of opportunity, that a strong one rises from his knees, and a weak one goes to sell smoothies. In fact, this is the last opportunity to understand that those who think with the old templates will go to the business cemetery in a year, where all the burnt startups go.

Right now we are preparing to open our second store - this time in St. Petersburg. The store is launched by the same team, in the exact same way. Further development of offline retail Ivideon is expected in two formats: both the addition of our new stores and the opening of stores in the franchise format. As for the franchise, the initial investment of clients in it will be the same as they were with us: from 900,000 rubles. (we left a million), the turnover per month - from 500,000 rubles. in the regions, the payback period - from 11 months.