Is it possible to open pawnshops in universal markets. Pawnshop as a business: pros, cons and whether to start

Despite the abundance of banks and microcredit organizations that offer the most variety of options loans, the services of ordinary pawnshops have been in great demand among citizens for many years. An imperfect credit history, the need to collect too many documents or a long wait for a decision - there are many reasons why it is not always convenient for a person to go to the bank if they urgently need money. But in a pawnshop, the required amount will be given instantly and without unnecessary formalities, as a rule, on the security of expensive jewelry. In the meantime, there is a demand for the service, you can earn on this demand. We will figure out how to open a pawnshop and how profitable this enterprise can become.

Business specifics and legal framework

The main source of income of any pawnshop is the issuance of loans in the amount of 70-80 percent of the assessed value of the pledged property. At the same time, the risk of the organization is minimized: if the borrower does not return the loan, the pledge is sold and all costs are thus compensated.

Anyone who plans to open a pawnshop needs to know: a separate legal entity is created to sell the values. A pawnshop cannot sell borrowers' property on its own.

And yet, minimal risk does not mean its complete absence. Certain problems may arise if the client of the pawnshop obtained the collateral property illegally. Although appraisers are not required to determine where a visitor has a brooch or earrings, if this property turns out to have a “criminal” past, law enforcement agencies may well confiscate dubious gizmos.

In addition, the pawnshop is responsible for the safety of the pledged property, so it must be insured for the entire time that it is in the warehouse.

An agreement concluded by a pawnshop with clients must provide for all conditions, terms for the repurchase of the pledged property, its estimated value and interest paid for the use of credit funds. Drafting standard contract It is better to entrust experienced lawyers.

Usually, borrowers try to return their things, and for this they need to pay in full and on time, but a certain part of the pledged things still remains unredeemed. In this case, the pledge may be sent for free sale or, if its value exceeds 30,000 rubles, for an auction.

The work of pawnshops in the Russian Federation is regulated by the relevant regulations:

• Federal Law “On pawnshops” dated July 19, 2007 No. 196. According to it, pawnshops can issue loans for up to one year, store borrowers’ property and must evaluate and insure it.
• Regulations on the training of personnel working with money and material values, approved by Order No. 203 of Rosfinmonitoring dated August 03, 2010. In accordance with it, the pawnshop undertakes to conduct periodic training of personnel on AML and CFT. In addition, Rosfinmonitoring authorities should be informed about all transactions for amounts exceeding 600 thousand rubles.
• Instructions for accounting and storage of precious metals and stones No. 68-n. dated 29.08.2001.

We draw up documents

To open a pawnshop, first of all, you will need to register with State Inspectorate Assay Supervision and Rosfinmonitoring.

Within one month from the date of registration of a legal entity, the following documents must be submitted to the Federal Financial Monitoring Service:

• application, signed by the director with the seal of the organization;
• card in the form of 2-kpu, which indicates the person responsible for internal control employee (notarized).

To register with the Assay Office, you will also need a number of documents:

• statement;
• accounting card in a special form;
• a copy of the state registration certificate;
• a lease agreement for premises or supporting documents for the property;
• copy information letter with statistics codes;
• founding documents.

In addition, before opening a pawnshop and starting its work, you need to get:

• permission from Rospotrebnadzor, which will list all the services provided by the organization;
• registration card and certificate of assay supervision.

A pawn shop does not need a license.

For bookkeeping, you need to choose a general taxation system: a pawnshop cannot use any preferential tax regimes. You also need to know that accounting should be kept separately: for interest income and for storage of property.

Room search

The main requirement for the premises of a pawnshop is its good location: in a “passing” place next to transport stops, preferably on the first or basement floor. The perfect place for a pawnshop - in a residential area: usually things are taken to a pawnshop near the house.

At the beginning of work, you are unlikely to need a large room, two spacious rooms are enough: one is used as a warehouse, the second is to work with clients. The warehouse will need shelving and at least one safe. An office for receiving visitors should be furnished with comfortable furniture and equipped with everything necessary for receiving and evaluating things, as well as accounting for loan transactions.

This territory will be sufficient if you first specialize in the reception of watches, jewelry and technology. To store antiques, paintings and fur coats, special conditions will be required ( certain temperature and humidity) and, of course, additional rooms. If later you want to take cars and other vehicles as collateral, you can’t do without a guarded parking lot.

There must be a fire department on the premises. security alarm, video surveillance, in addition, you need to conclude an agreement with a specialized company for physical security.

Staff

To accept collateral, you will need qualified appraisers. The level of skill should be quite high: an experienced specialist will be able to identify a fake, understand the characteristics of precious stones and metals. Of course, this will require the appropriate equipment.

If you plan to take not only jewelry, but also technology, you will need appraisers who are well versed in it: the same employee is unlikely to be an expert in everything. Thus, two receivers should work per shift.

How to get started

When determining opening hours, keep in mind that most often clients come to the pawnshop in the evening - after work, so it is better if the office is open until late.

large-scale advertising campaign you will not need it: just make a bright sign and distribute leaflets-ads in the surrounding houses and organizations so that the residents of the area are aware of where, if necessary, they can intercept money.

You should not count on the fact that satisfied customers will recommend you to their friends: usually people do not advertise their financial difficulties and the visits to the pawnshop associated with them. So ads need to be constantly updated.

How much does it cost to open a pawnshop?

Composing detailed business plan pawnshop, you need to remember that the main monetary investment here is working capital, the amount from which loans will be issued. To start productive work, it should be at least 10 million rubles.

There will also be initial costs for opening a business and equipping an office, they will amount to about 500-800 thousand rubles. This will include:

• renovation and furnishing of office premises;
• purchase of office equipment and software;
• purchase of a safe and special equipment for evaluation;
• creation of promotional materials.

In addition to one-time expenses, there will also be monthly expenses:

• rent of premises - 150 thousand rubles;
• staff salaries - 300 thousand rubles;
• insurance - 50-80 thousand rubles;
• advertising - 10 thousand rubles;
• security - 150-160 thousand rubles.

The average rate for loans in pawnshops is about 10 percent. In order for the institution to work without loss (to cover monthly expenses), it is necessary to issue loans for 8–9 million rubles monthly. This means that 20-30 people should use the services of a pawnshop per day. When calculating costs and profits, one must also keep in mind that things not redeemed by the owners, most likely, will not be sold immediately, it will take some time.

As a rule, it takes 6–12 months to break even and recoup the initial investment. This largely depends on the location of the pawnshop and the advertising campaign, as well as how much competition there is in the market.

AT recent times Pawnshops are springing up like mushrooms after the rain. Every now and then you see advertisements in the subway, transport, on the Internet, in various newspapers and magazines, that certain financial institutions are ready to give you a loan against the outpost of precious metals, real estate and movable property. Each pawnshop offers some of its own, special conditions, luring customers with low rates, preferential loan terms, various systems loyalty and discounts.

A completely logical question arises, is the activity of pawnshops really so profitable that their number is increasing every day? In this article, we will talk about how to open a pawnshop what is needed for this, and what profit can be received in the first month of its activity.

How to open a pawnshop: we study the legislative framework

The first thing you need to start opening your own pawnshop is to study the legislative framework, and all the regulatory legal acts regulating the work of a pawnshop. When starting any business, it is important to clearly understand what you will work with, how to protect yourself, and what to rely on, and opening a pawnshop is no exception. Already at the planning stage, study all the subtleties of this case, delve into the standards of conduct financial activities pawnshop, understand what rights you have as a borrower, and the one to whom you will lend money. It is necessary to understand everything in detail, so that later you don’t “break wood”, and not get into a difficult and unpleasant situation.

In Russia, the main law regulating the activities of pawnshops is the Federal Law of 2007 N 196-FZ of July 19 “On Pawnshops”.

In the context of this article, we will not consider the entire law in detail, because you must do it yourself, paying due attention to it, but we will highlight the main aspects that everyone who wants to open a pawnshop simply needs to know and understand.

• The pawnshop is a commercial, financial institution, the main purpose of which is to issue money to the population on the security of some material values.
• Pawnshops can store things that are collateral and issue loans for a period not exceeding one year. Any other activity within this financial institution, is prohibited.
• Pawnshops are required to insure for the entire term of the loan the things that serve as collateral.
• All transactions for the issuance of loans must be formalized by drawing up an agreement. The agreement should describe all aspects of providing money for loans - the loan term, interest rate, liability of the parties, penalties, etc.

• When issuing a loan, the pawnshop is obliged to provide the borrower with one copy of the document, which will describe what property the money was issued against. Such a document is called a "mortgage ticket". One copy of the ticket must remain in the hands of the borrower, one in the pawnshop.
• The contract specifies the term of the loan, and the borrower is obliged to repay the amount, plus accrued interest for the use of money, within a clearly defined time frame. If the borrower does not repay the loan, or does it incompletely, then the pawnshop has every right to sell the item received on security in order to compensate for its costs.
• Realization of the pledged thing takes place by selling it. If the thing is valued at more than 30,000 rubles, then it must be sold only at open auctions, which anyone can access.

As we said above, a pawnshop has the right only to store things and issue loans. But what if the borrower did not return the money within the agreed period, and you need to sell the mortgaged property? Here you have to open additional venture(as a rule, this is a legal entity), the main activity of which will be the retail trade in jewelry or other goods (depending on the type of pawnshop).

It should also be noted that the activities of the pawnshop are still regulated by Order No. 203 of RosFinMonitoring dated August 03, 2010 “On Approval of the Regulations on the Requirements for Education and Training of Personnel Carrying out Operations with Cash or Other Property to Counter the Legalization (Laundering) of Criminally Obtained Income and the financing of terrorism”.

Read this regulation in detail, because it describes in detail:

• The requirements that the state imposes on the education and training of personnel working in the financial sector and those involved in monetary transactions.
• The form of personnel training, as well as the timing and frequency of the necessary recertification.
• Organization of the training process for pawnshop workers.

Many ignore the requirements of this order, but thereby expose their business to some risks. For the first violation, you face administrative liability and a possible fine. If you systematically violate the requirements of the decree, then the pawnshop may be closed.

Since the activities of pawnshops are associated with the circulation of precious and semi-precious stones, as well as various metals, Order No. 68n of the Ministry of Finance of Russia dated 08.29.2001 applies to it. This order regulates the procedure for storing and keeping records of precious metals and products made from them. This order is relevant only if you are going to lend secured by stones or precious metals. If the activity of your pawnshop does not provide for this kind of operation, then you can ignore this order.

Also pay special attention to questions regarding the taxation of pawnshops. There is also certain subtleties and features associated with imperfect legislation. The tax code of the Russian Federation states that the activities of pawnshops fall under the general grounds for taxation, and the interest received from the pledge should not be subject to VAT. At the same time, activities related to the storage of things are subject to value added tax. Based on this, we can say that it is necessary to conduct different accounting reports, in which to display different profits.

Economic benefits of opening a pawnshop

If you wondered how to open a pawnshop, then you need to immediately think about the economic benefits of this type of activity. This is one of the most important points on which it is worth dwelling in detail, calculating everything, weighing the pros and cons of opening a pawnshop, and only after that make a decision on the appropriateness of this type of activity.

You need:

• Clearly understand what investments will be required for initial stage(opening a pawnshop), and whether any funds are needed to maintain the activities of the pawnshop in the first months, or until it reaches self-sufficiency.
• Determine the cost of the business. Understand where, when, and how much to invest.
• Clearly understand how much loans you need to issue monthly in order to reach the level of self-sufficiency.

All these questions require detailed study, good and qualitative analysis. Let's look at the example of an already operating Moscow pawnshop all the issues that we outlined above. It is clear that Moscow is not a cheap city, and the numbers that we will use further should not frighten you too much. The total amount of investment in Moscow and in the regions may differ by three or even five times. If you plan to open a pawnshop in a small town, then the amount can be ten times less.

So, in order to equip a pawnshop in a room of 40 square meters, we need at least 17,000 dollars. This amount included: repair of the premises in which the pawnshop was located, the purchase of new office equipment and furniture, the purchase of special equipment, a safe, accounting programs, the order and printing of promotional materials, the purchase for an appraiser necessary tools and reagents, etc. Also, do not forget that you must have free funds, which in the future will be issued as a loan. In our case, opening a pawnshop cost $350,000, of which $17,000 was spent on repairs and technical questions, and 333 thousand amounted to money for loans.

Any business has monthly expenses, and our pawnshop, opened in Moscow, is no exception. Such expenses include:

• Room rental. Based on $200 per square meter, monthly rent is $8,000.
• Employee wages. In our pawnshop, the director received a salary, and 4 appraisers working in shifts. In total, 10,000 dollars were spent on salaries per month.
• Security is an important part of the pawnshop business. You will work with precious metals, with large amounts of money that are stored in the premises of the pawnshop. Therefore, you need round-the-clock, high-quality and reliable security. In our case, all necessary funds defenses cost $5,000.
• Other expenses. Pawnshop advertising, collateral insurance, administrative and accounting activities - $6,000.

As a result, the pawnshop's monthly expenses amounted to $29,000.

Next, an analysis was made of the rate of all the largest pawnshops in Moscow, and it was found that it is about 10%. Taking this rate as a basis, and adding there fixed costs on the activities of the pawnshop, it was found that it was necessary to issue loans for at least 350 thousand dollars per month. It is this amount that will allow the pawnshop to work without a loss.

It is not hard to guess that in order to make a profit, you need to issue loans in the amount of more than 350 thousand dollars per month. you can use this method, and calculate the required amount for your specific case.

Next, it was calculated required amount borrowers, and the average loan amount. Based on the initial investment, and monthly expenses, it was determined that every day 30-40 people should become customers of the pawnshop, and borrow from 170 to 340 dollars. In order to reach self-sufficiency, a pawnshop, on average, needs up to six months. Of course, a lot depends on your initial investment, and monthly costs. Also, the place where the pawnshop will be located, your customer acquisition policies, advertising activities, etc. play a big role. There were cases when, in the second month of operation, the pawnshop already paid for itself, and in less than six months it made a profit.

In our case, a pawnshop in Moscow paid off in full in 5 years.

Next step: registering a pawnshop

So, you have familiarized yourself with the legislative framework, and now you clearly understand what you will have to face as a result of opening a pawnshop. We also calculated the economic component of your future business, and realized all the risks and difficulties, if any. Everything suits me? If yes, then you can proceed to the next step - registering a pawnshop. Let's take a step-by-step look at what and how you need to do in order to officially register your pawnshop.

1. First you need to choose the form and type of activity. You can open a pawnshop as an individual entrepreneur, but in this case you may encounter a number of problems and difficulties. Many experienced businessmen advise immediately registering an LLC, and tying up your pawnshop under it. You can find the list of required documents and the process of registering an LLC on the official website of the Federal tax service— nalog.ru

When registering an enterprise, you will need to indicate the type of future activity (KVED). Among hundreds of different KVEDs, you need to choose the following:

• provision of short-term loans by pawnshops secured by movable property (65.22.6 OKVED);
• provision of services for storing valuables (67.13.5 OKVED);
• provision of information and consulting services (74.14 OKVED - consulting on business management and commercial activities).

1. After the state registration, you must register the pawnshop with the federal financial monitoring service. You are given no more than 30 days for this procedure. You will also need to collect a certain package of documents for registration. More detailed information can be found on the website of the federal service.
2. If you plan to work with precious stones and metals, and the vast majority of pawnshops work with them, then you still need to collect documents and register the pawnshop with the Assay Office. This is done in accordance with the Order of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation No. 68n dated August 29, 2001
3. Also, do not forget that all things accepted by you as collateral must be insured. The next step is choosing an insurance company and signing all the necessary contracts with them for the provision of property insurance services. Insurance is carried out exclusively at the expense of the pawnshop, and it is forbidden to force the borrower to pay for insurance.

The insurance agent of the selected company will tell you more about the insurance process.

Choosing the right location is the key to successful pawnshop operation.

If you are going to open a pawnshop, you should understand that right choice location is a guarantee successful work. The potential profit, the term for reaching self-sufficiency, and the prospects for the development of your business depend on where your pawnshop will be located. When choosing a place for a pawnshop, follow simple but very important rules:

• The premises for the pawnshop should be located on the first line. Perfect for this ground floor, or the basement, which leads comfortable staircase. Do not rent premises in the depths of courtyards, on impassable streets, where you cannot find the right pawnshop during the day with fire.
• The place should be crowded, lively, with a large flow of people. The example that we described above showed that in order to pay off, a pawnshop must issue loans to 30-40 people a day. This can only be achieved through good location in a crowded place.

• by the most comfortable places for the location of pawnshops are nearby areas from metro stations, public transport stops, in densely populated residential areas.
• In order not to have problems with regulatory authorities, choose a room that meets all SES standards and fire service. You do not need extra checks and fines at the very beginning of the activity.

Final stage: the beginning of the pawnshop

So, you have dealt with the legislative framework that regulates the activities of a pawnshop, calculated the economic benefits of this type of activity, looked after and evaluated the premises for a future business, collected Required documents, and have already begun the process of registering the official activities of the pawnshop. And now the final stage - the beginning of work. There is very little left, after which you can tell everyone - I am the owner of the pawnshop. So, you need:

• Select qualified personnel, the number of which is determined based on the size of the pawnshop, the number of services that you are going to provide, and the jewelry you want to work with. If you plan to work with precious stones, then you need a specialist appraiser, or technical means that determine the value of the stone, its carat and clarity.
• Choose the best work schedule. Of course, it is ideal for a pawnshop to work around the clock. If this is not possible at the initial stage, then an excellent schedule is from 11 to 23. As a rule, it makes no sense to start working in the morning, because few people apply for a loan as soon as the sun rises.
• Next, we conclude an agreement with a security company that will provide a wide range of services. Keeping a security guard on staff is impractical. It is much more profitable and better to cooperate with a professional security company, have surveillance cameras and an alarm button.

• Do not forget that you need to develop internal documentation: the rules of the pawnshop, internal regulations, employment contracts with personnel, contracts for issuing loans, etc.
• We live in a technological time when business activities are greatly simplified with the help of various gadgets and programs. Therefore, buy a special software for pawnshops, which will help you keep accounting records faster and more accurately, calculate potential profits, tell you when and how much to pay taxes.

That, perhaps, is all that we wanted to tell. Now you know, how to open a pawnshop what steps you need to go through, and what to pay attention to first.

Pawnshops are a business with the highest level of profitability, which is approximately 30-40%. These establishments have a rich history that dates back a long time and to this day they are in insane demand. This is a kind of "people's business", whose services are always worth their weight in gold.

On the modern market pawnshops are places for new businessmen who want to get into this very lucrative business. Firstly, there are practically no institutions of this kind in the periphery, and secondly, the market is ready for the arrival of highly specialized institutions that are happy to accept certain things as collateral: cars, antique jewelry and furniture, as well as expensive Swiss watches.

The advantages of this business

Among the main advantages of opening this institution, the following:

• risk of losing Money extremely small, since the loan is equal to no more than 90% of the total cost of a particular product or product. If the client is not going to buy back the jewelry, then the pawnshop has the right to sell it at a much better price.
• In this case, for organizing your business, the impressive area of ​​the rented premises is not so much important as the presence of a large and reliable safe in it.
• The services of pawnshops have always been, are and will be in great demand among the population.
• Good income.
• Low competition due to the small popularity of this business.

Cons of investing in opening a pawnshop

• Must have a keen eye for recognizing fakes in short time. If this is not done in time, you can lose money.
• There is a risk of issuing a loan secured by stolen goods. In this case, precious items are confiscated, and no one compensates for the damage caused to the pawnshop.
• The pawnshop does not have the right to issue a loan for domestic medals, precious metal ingots, as well as for precious stones that have not been processed.
• All types household appliances and clothes (fur coats, expensive natural furs, leather gizmos) tend to quickly go out of fashion, because of this, no one can simply buy them.
• Although the car pawnshop is rapidly gaining popularity, it still has a number of requirements, the main of which is the presence of a guarded parking lot. In addition, it is important that there is a qualified employee who can assess the liquidity of the vehicle. If the borrower does not return for his vehicle, then most likely the car will remain in the pawnshop. And all because it will be extremely difficult to sell.

Naturally, the negative aspects of business far outweigh the advantages. In this case, it would be advisable to combine this type of activity with some other. If the pawnshop plans to place types of household appliances or clothing, then the area of ​​the rented premises should be much larger.

Conclusions: is it worth investing in starting a pawnshop business?

Despite a number of pluses and minuses, which also turned out to be more, we can conclude that this type of activity is still bearing fruit. A popular and well-known pawnshop passes more than a hundred customers through its doors every day in just one working day. Basically, a huge part of the visitors is the middle class, who bring their valuables to redeem them after a short period of time.

People with the lowest income will never go to a pawnshop: it is much more profitable for them to simply sell their things. Opening a pawnshop is much more expedient in residential area where the bulk of the potential customer base lives.

When opening a pawnshop in a city that has more than half a million people, it should be placed on the main street, where a constant flow of people passes.

As a rule, the main visitors of pawnshops are individuals who urgently need cash: for example, to pay off a loan or an extremely important purchase. Usually the most frequent visitors are young people who are not too serious about taking and repaying a loan.

In order to significantly increase the attendance of a new pawnshop, advertisers should be involved in the business, who will advertise your establishment so that they learn about it as much as possible more people and took note. The stronger the advertising campaign, the greater the profit. Inexpensive and simple advertising in the pawnshop area can be incredibly effective. Besides, very in an efficient way Let the world know about your pawnshop by printing flyers, small signs, and good old-fashioned outdoor advertising.

In a crisis, people need money “before payday,” but banks don’t lend to everyone, and MFIs are scared. The alternative is a pawnshop. Investments in it can be recouped in two years, says Alexander Oleinik, owner of the Pledge of Success network

Bet on people

On an early winter morning, a girl in Chanel boots walked into a pawnshop near the Krylatskoye metro station. The owner of the network of 37 pawnshops "Pledge of Success" Alexander Oleinik likes to communicate with clients from time to time, so he met the visitor himself. “I looked at her boots and immediately realized that this was not our audience at all,” Alexander recalls. A visitor wanted to deposit some designer jewelry for just one day. It turned out that the girl flew to Moscow at night from vacation, and the bank blocked her card, and she needed cash to have breakfast.

Oleinik likes this story: he is trying to get rid of the image of pawnshops as institutions for the marginalized and relies on " ordinary people". Anyone can suddenly need money, and a pawnshop is far from the most risky way to get it, Oleinik assures. “When they ask me what I do, I usually answer - I shoot social tension. We give money to people who sometimes have nowhere to get it, he says. - There are different situations: for example, a man comes in, he gold chain so serious, we start talking, it turns out that this is a foreman, the commissioning of the facility in two weeks, and the wages of the workers must be paid today. Or a girl comes running, takes off all the jewelry, says, 20 thousand is necessary, otherwise I will die. What happened? It turns out that the discount on shoes is huge in the neighboring shopping center, you need to urgently take it.

Before pawnshops, the entrepreneur was engaged in the processing of scrap. In 2009, he sold a controlling stake in the metalworking company VMI Recycling Group to the Novolipetsk Iron and Steel Works (as NLMK reported at the time, the deal amounted to $28.4 million). “I was very worried - I had to do something, and the team had to be saved,” he recalls.

Why pawn shops? According to the Central Bank, there are about 7.8 thousand pawnshops in Russia. But at the same time, the market is very fragmented, and there are few large players on it. According to the National Association of Pawnshops, the key players are the Zolotoy/Gold 585 network, which has 625 jewelry stores with pawnshops (on the network’s website it is indicated that the pawnshop service is provided in each store), “585Gold” with 250 stores and pawnshops (both networks were part of the same company, but in 2010 its owners divided the business), as well as the Chelyabinsk chain without a retail component Fianit Lombard with 280 branches, Lombard Yuzhny Express LLC (Union of Pawnshops) from Rostov-on-Don with 250 outlets and "Jewels of the Urals" with more than 140. The Moscow market, which now has about 1,300 pawnshops, at that time was not divided among major players, and this attracted the entrepreneur. “It’s strange to enter, for example, cellular retail – everything is already divided there, huge companies, but there is no such thing in pawnshops yet,” Oleinik says.

The entrepreneur sent his brother Dmitry (now he CEO company) to the courses of expert appraisers, and he went to the USA and Europe to see how pawnshops are arranged there. Together with him, four managers from the metallurgical project moved into the new business.

In 2010, in Moscow, near the Skhodnenskaya metro station, Oleinik opened the first 911 pawnshop, and soon two more in other parts of Moscow.

Two in one

A year later, Oleinik already had 15 pawnshops, but four points had to be closed - they never reached the breakeven level. Initially, the founder of "911" conceived it as a traditional chain of pawnshops, but realized that the business model would become more effective if the jewelry trade was added to it. Since 2012, he began to open new and equip existing pawnshops with counters where jewelry was sold. “Today we position ourselves as a jewelry discounter, although in terms of business we have a more powerful pawnshop component. We are like a hospital where there are two doctors – a urologist and a cosmetologist,” Oleinik jokes. Others work on the same principle. large chains on the market, says Aleksey Lazutin, chairman of the board of the National Association of Pawnshops. At the same time, Oleinik rebranded - the network received a new name "The Key to Success".

The restructuring of the network helped Oleinik solve several problems at once: firstly, more customers began to enter jewelry stores with a showcase, some of whom later returned for pawnshop services, and secondly, it became easier to select qualified employees who were reluctant to go to interviews in pawnshops.

However, the problem of personnel, however, arose anyway: after a few months of work, Oleinik realized that an expert appraiser should first of all be good seller and communicator. Therefore, the entrepreneur had to fire the recruited gemologists - specialists in precious stones. “We thought gemmologist appraisers were cool. But it turned out that they are excellent specialists in stones, but they don’t feel the market - they take a Cartier ring and say: you have an inclusion here, a crack in the stone, it’s not worth anything, ”says Oleinik. Really unique designer pieces from famous brands, as a rule, in any case, have a high market value and sell well at retail, even with minor flaws, the entrepreneur continues.

Now the company attracts people from the jewelry retail market, but sends them for a month and a half of training at their own jewelry academy, and then for an internship at pawnshop branches. The programmers of the "Pledge of Success" developed their own program based on the 1C "VGDB: Lombard" software, which allows you to comprehensively evaluate customer products, as well as determine weak spots in employee qualifications. First, the expert drives in the characteristics and displays his assessment of the product, and then the program issues its own - this allows you to control employees and track their mistakes.

Pawnshop "The key to success" in numbers

37 pawnshops has a network today, up to 100 it is planned to increase their number by the end of 2018

11 thousand rubles- the average loan at the Pawn of Success pawnshop in Moscow, 6 thousand rubles. — the average loan in pawnshops on average in Russia

46 days - average term use of the loan

On the 5 million rubles the loan portfolio of one pawnshop grows per year

Near 8 thousand pawnshops registered in Russia

0,48% per day, or 175% per annum, - the maximum amount of interest allowed by pawnshops by law

Near 45 billion rubles makes up the total loan portfolio of pawnshops in Russia, 90% of which are jewelry pawnshops backed by gold

Source: company data, National Association of Pawnshops, Central Bank

Economics of the pawnshop

According to Oleinik, immediately after the launch, he made several mistakes. For example, at first the entrepreneur was afraid to rent premises in expensive places - on the first line of houses and near the metro, and only then realized that the second line simply did not work in the case of pawnshops. “If people find a grocery store on their own, then the pawnshop should be visible and attract attention,” he explains.

Now Oleinik rents premises of 60-80 sq. m. for his pawnshops. m on the first line of houses. Renting such a room in Moscow costs about 500 thousand rubles. per month (on the second line, according to Oleinikov, 200-300 thousand rubles). The pawnshop employs from three to six people in one shift (there are two in total) - these are expert appraisers, sellers and a security guard. Rent, together with a deposit, payroll and repair of the premises, immediately takes 5-6 million rubles.

When opening a branch, at least 1 million rubles. it is necessary to put it in the cash desk for issuing loans, Oleinik says, and during the year you will have to report another 2-6 million rubles. - depending on the location of the pawnshop, pricing and other things. A similar amount should be invested in the retail business - 6 million rubles. will go to the purchase of jewelry that needs to be put on display. Thus, the annual budget of one pawnshop "The key to success" is 12-15 million rubles.

Photo: Anton Berkasov for RBC

7-9 months after the launch, a pawnshop usually forms a loan portfolio (money issued to customers) of about 5 million rubles. At a rate of about 10%, this gives about 500 thousand rubles. interest income monthly, says Oleksandr Oleinik. Another 1.5-3 million rubles. revenue comes from the work of the store at a retail margin of 30% (jewelry - seasonal business, in winter, revenue increases, the beginning of summer is the off season). On average, after 9-12 months, the Pawnshop of Success pawnshop reaches a payback, and beats off investment costs in two to three years.

According to SPARK, the revenue of Pawnshop Success LLC (100% of the shares of Alexander Oleinik) in 2014 amounted to 347.9 million rubles, 140 million - profit from sales. But at the same time, the entrepreneur opened seven new pawnshops this year - 211.8 million went to "other expenses", and the net loss amounted to 62.6 million rubles. Oleinik also owns more than a dozen legal entities that specialize not in the activities of a pawnshop, but in retail jewelry— Staratel LLC, Prosta LLC, Lucky Trade LLC and others. Oleinik refused to comment on the business structure, but these legal entities similar to retail shops at pawnshops. For example, Prosta LLC in 2014 received 38.6 million in revenue and 3.9 million in profit.

Premium segment

The business model of the Pledge of Success is not quite typical for pawnshops, Maxim Drozdov, the first deputy general director of the Stolichny pawnshop, told RBC. As a rule, opening a pawnshop without retail is much cheaper - about 3-4 million rubles. A typical pawnshop is an armored semi-basement of about 20 sq. m area, reminiscent of a currency exchange office. People come here not from a good life, so the owners, as a rule, save on repairs.

Oleinik went the other way - the premises are spacious, renovated, there are chairs for clients. Some pawnshops even have facial recognition software. “This is a wow effect, you came for the second time, and the expert remembers your name,” says Alexander Oleinik. “There is Coffeemania, and there is Shokoladnitsa — our task is to become Coffeemania, that is, a network of pawnshops with a higher level of service.”

The expert determines the loan amount after evaluating the product according to three criteria: metal, precious stones and liquidity. Prices for metals vary depending on their type, weight and fineness: for example, gold of the lowest, 375th fineness in the "Key to Success" is estimated at 870 rubles. per gram, and for gold 583/585 they give 1350-1750 rubles. Once a week, the price of gold is recalculated depending on its changes at the exchange rate of the Central Bank. As a rule, all pawnshops offer a client for 1 gram of 583/585 gold for 150-200 rubles. less than its market value - this is enough to compensate for the risks if the client does not redeem the product.

According to Oleinik, 80% of what is brought to pawnshops is "scrap", products that have no value other than by weight. The amount varies depending on the understanding whether the client is going to redeem his item. If a person is decently dressed and claims that he is going to buy the product, he can count on a higher assessment. Believe it or not - the expert decides, he must have the skills of a psychologist.

If the client intends to pledge a designer item that may be in demand in retail, the pawnshop will most likely accept it at a price significantly lower than the original one. “For example, you bought a new ring for 100 thousand rubles, the expert estimates that it can be sold for 60 thousand, which means we can offer you 30 thousand,” Oleinik says. “Jewellery is not bread, it has an average turnover of 6-8 months, so the markup is 100%.”

The interest rate on a loan at a pawnshop is from 10.2% per month (122.4% per annum) for loans over 30 thousand rubles. up to 12.9% per month (154.8% per annum) for loans below 10 thousand rubles. This is an order of magnitude higher than bank rates, according to the Central Bank on February 1, the average rate on loans up to one year for individuals was 23.65% per annum. But it is also much lower than the average rate in MFIs - for loans up to 30 thousand rubles. for up to a month, according to the Central Bank, it is 614% per annum.

According to Oleksandr Oleinik, out of 100 borrowers, about 20 clients who pawn "scrap" do not return to the pawnshop. Among designer items, the percentage of non-redemption is less - only 10%.

Designer items that did not wait for their owner in the safe are sold in the auction room of the pawnshop at public auction or go to retail sale. "Scrap" is sold in bulk to jewelry factories or sent for processing on a give-and-take basis (according to Oleinik, "Key to Success" cooperates with 8-10 large factories, including Sokolov and the Bronnitsky Jewelry Factory). The cost of processing is from 100 to 300 rubles. per gram, depending on the type and complexity of the product. In return, the managers of the Pledge of Success order new jewelry at the factory desired weight and qualities that then go to her jewelry stores.

“The fact that pawnshops make money on unredeemed collateral is a myth. We are counting on interest income here, it is beneficial for us that borrowers return,” Oleinik says.

live up to paycheck

During a crisis, the demand for the services of pawnshops is growing - people are fired, their salaries are delayed. According to Lazutin from the National Association of Pawnshops, in 2015 the total portfolio of the pawnshop market increased by 70% and reached 45 billion rubles. But recently, numerous MFIs have been actively competing with this business, distributing money without any collateral. But pawnshops have their own advantages - their clients do not run the risk of falling into debt bondage. There are no sanctions for overdue loans, a person simply loses his collateral, but he is guaranteed not to run into collectors and not ruin his credit history.

The bad image and lack of transparency of their business slows down the development of pawnshops. Many people believe that pawnshops sell mostly stolen goods. “The decoration cannot be verified - it's not a car with a serial number. But people who deal in stolen goods are not idiots either. At the pawnshop, they ask for a passport, there is video surveillance, in which case all traces are preserved,” Oleinik says. According to him, the police turned to the "Pledge of Success" only a few times and mainly for domestic cases - for example, when a husband took a thing from the house without the knowledge of his wife.

The second problem is that people don't understand how their products are valued. “Customers don't sell jewelry every day. You know how much a bag of yogurt costs in a store, but you don’t know how much your ring costs,” Oleinik says. Therefore, the experts of his pawnshops are obliged to explain to each client point by point what the price of a particular product consists of. According to Oleinik, 70% of the clients of the Pawnshops of Success are regular customers. And there is even a loyalty program for those who periodically use its services. The entrepreneur plans for the next two or three years to expand the network to 100 pawnshops.