Online luggage and travel bag store

Holiday travellers, students, business travellers and gift buyers who prefer to shop and compare options online.

You buy at wholesale and sell at retail, keeping the difference after shipping, payment fees and returns. Bundles such as a bag with packing cubes or luggage tags can raise the order value.

• Choosing products that sell
• Basic online store setup
• Customer service and handling returns

• Registering for GST/HST once revenue passes the small supplier threshold, and checking how provincial sales taxes apply to your sales
• Shipping costs on bulky items and the cost of returns, which can eat into margins
• Competition from big retailers, so check your pricing against theirs before buying stock
• Product liability and commercial general liability insurance, and checking supplier quality before listing items
• Peak seasons around summer, March break and the holidays, with quieter periods in between

Startup costs are estimated at typically around $1,500 to $8,000, depending on how much stock you buy, whether you dropship from a supplier, and how you set up your online store. Shipping and return costs are worth budgeting for.

Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around $500 to $5,000, depending on the products you choose, your pricing and the season. Summer, March break and the holidays tend to be busier, with quieter periods in between. Revenue is not profit.

Check when to register for GST/HST once revenue passes the small supplier threshold, and how provincial sales taxes apply. Also check product liability and commercial general liability insurance, supplier quality, shipping costs on bulky items, return costs, and your pricing against big retailers.