Chapter 70: Finding a Storefront (2)
Chapter 70 – Finding a Storefront (2)
The location that Lao Hu had identified was quite good. It was just 2-3 minute-walk from the start of the block. There were two compartments, adding up to around 100 m2. The clothing on the inside, however, made her a little speechless. Well, to say the least, they looked very cheap.
West City Nan Road was mainly mid- to high-end merchandise. Most of those who shopped here were either well-off families or that the women have their own jobs. The location of this shop was problematic. If they wanted to go the cheap but pretty route, they shouldn’t have their store right on this block. There were lots of other boutiques in the cross streets that would suit their purpose better.
“The business here at my store is great. I wouldn’t transfer it if I didn’t need to go back home to take care of some matters,” said the boss lady with wavy hair. She had on a red one-piece dress, some light makeup, looking quite westernized.
Yan Shuyu didn’t really believe her. Nobody would look for a change of ownership if business was swell. Forget about anything else, just looking at their employee it was problematic. A store this size only has the boss lady plus one employee, not to mention the employee looked sluggish. They didn’t even turn the lights on. Lights must always be on and bright inside a shop so customers would walk inside. If it looked dark, it just looked cold and empty. Even if the clothing were pretty nobody would walk inside, let alone that they weren’t even pretty.
“Hey, boss lady, I was here yesterday and this is my friend that I mentioned who was looking for a storefront. We can skip the pleasantries; just tell us how you want to transfer the ownership. How much are you asking?” Lao Hu had stepped in.
“We can do it one of two ways. Empty store for $3,000, or the entire place for $10,000. I still have so much merchandise in here. I am losing so much money!” said the boss lady with a painful look on her.
“Oh, c’mon now, boss lady. Your merchandise here isn’t worth $7,000,” said Lao Hu with a smile.
He wasn’t in the clothing industry but he wasn’t blind. These clothing aren’t of high quality. He’d give them $3,000 at the most.
“The merchandise might not be worth that much, but there’s also the cash register, cloth racks, couches. These are valuable. You had no idea how much I spent when I acquired them,” retorted the boss lady.
Shu Yan had already toured the entire place and returned by now. When she heard the boss lady’s word, she just smiled. She didn’t want any of these items in here. She was sure she’d remodel the entire place; at least she didn’t care for the way it looked right now.
“I don’t want any of these items. If we are going to go through with it, I’ll take the empty store.” Shu Yan made her decision. “How much longer is the contract? And what did the landlord say about it?”
To her, the biggest obstacle is the rent. They wouldn’t get anywhere if the landlord wasn’t onboard with it.
“There’s still a few months left on the contract and the landlord is pretty easy going. You have nothing to worry about. If the empty store is what you want, I’ll have this place emptied out.” The boss lady smiled.
“Do you have the contract? I’d like to take a look at it. Plus, I’d like to meet the landlord first.”
You must be kidding. Shu Yan wasn’t just going to go with what she was told. She must meet the landlord first and have a direct discussion with them before she takes it over. Where the heck was she going to find this person once she had given her the money?
Stunned a little, the boss lady smiled and said, “You are too careful. Do I look like a scammer?”
On the contract, it clearly listed that the term was up in a month and three days. She had twisted it around to a few months. That in and of itself was a big scam. Shu Yan casted her a glance and insisted on meeting with the landlord first.
Today wasn’t a good day, the landlord was out of town and wouldn’t be back for another two days, so there was nothing Shu Yan could do but to wait.
“Ms. Shu, are you only interested in storefront on West City Nan Road? The couple streets nearby weren’t half bad. I have been observing them and the businesses on those streets weren’t that much worse than that on West City Nan Road. There is a storefront for sale. Are you interested?” asked Lao Hu as he carefully studied Shu Yan’s reaction.
“Sure!” It didn’t have to go West City Nan Road. As long as it was a suitable storefront, everything in this area would appreciate 100 folds in the future. It was a sure win situation.