How to start an online swimwear shop

Holiday-goers, regular swimmers, parents buying for children and people wanting a hard-to-find style or size.

You earn the margin between wholesale and retail price on each item. Sales usually peak before spring and summer holidays.

• Choosing stock that sells
• Product photos and descriptions
• Social media and online marketing
• Customer service and handling returns

• Online sales rules: check the Consumer Contracts Regulations on cancellations and returns, including how you handle hygiene-sensitive items like swimwear
• Product and textile labelling requirements, especially for children's swimwear, check with Trading Standards
• Seasonal demand, plan your cash flow for the quieter months
• Unsold stock in sizes and styles that don't move, so start with small orders
• Whether you need to register for VAT once sales grow

Startup costs are estimated at typically around £1,500 to £7,500, depending on how much stock you buy, whether you use your own website or a marketplace, and how much you spend on photos and marketing.

Monthly revenue is estimated at typically around £800 to £4,000, depending on your niche, your stock range and how well you market. That is revenue, not profit, so allow for stock costs and returns. Demand is seasonal, so plan your cash flow.

Check the Consumer Contracts Regulations on cancellations and returns, including how you handle hygiene-sensitive items like swimwear. Also check product and textile labelling requirements, especially for children's swimwear, with Trading Standards, and whether you need to register for VAT once sales grow.