What kind of stores do you build in your game? I had a pretty decent bakery once, owned by Angela Pleasant after she graduated Uni, but I want to try to build some new stores. I miss all my toy, flower, pet and robot stores from Sims 2. What stores do you have in your game? Do you have any tips?

I made an ice cream shop & an occult shop (selling magic items, vampire items, herbalism recipes, refined crystals & jungle adventure relics, etc). I have also created "retail" cafes selling various foods, as I got tired of dealing with actual restaurants.

I have the Olesons Mercantile store, which sells food and clothing mostly. Also a bakery, an outdoor store (with jungle and camping stuff) and a knitting store (with the different coloured llama wools).I used to have a flower shop too, but my sims never went there.I basically only bother with shops that mainly sell things you cannot get in bb mode, with a few standard bb items to fill it out if necessary.

Right now my game has the grocery store which I know you saw me mention in another thread, plus a small bakery. And I have 2 other retail lots that are in place, but no one has bought them yet to set up the actual store. The grocery store is huge, on a 40x30 lot, with 2 stories for the store plus a bar on the 2nd floor where Sims can also order drinks and food when they are shopping and a 3rd story with living quarters for the owners. It also has a playground in back so kids can stay occupied while their parents shop, and I have the grocery vendor stall from cottage living outside as well, because the store sells ALL food ingredients except red and white wrapped meat...the game won't let you sell those two things on a retail lot sadly.I use mods by LittleMsSams so that the vendor stall and the bar both automatically get staff assigned to them, even though normally they wouldn't on a retail lot.The bakery is just a tiny bakery like anyone would have in their game.One of the 2 currently inactive retail lots is a potion/herbalism shop that I'm going to sell potions from RoM and Herbalism out of and also all of the ingredients for those 2 skills. It is a small shop, with a large garden beside it for growing the ingredients and living quarters on the 2nd floor. I'll be buying and getting it set up for business with my Sim who is a teenage spellcaster right now, once she grows up and graduates from university.The 2nd currently inactive retail lot I just finished building right now and it is where I will sell upgraded appliances like that other thread was talking about. I set up an area for kitchen appliances plus areas for vacuum cleaners, stereos, TV's, computers, sinks, toilets, baths and showers and put a 2nd floor living area on it.I'll be buying that with the next Sim that rolls around who has traits appropriate for someone who is into handiness, whenever that happens. I randomize traits for Sims born in game so I have no idea how long it will be before it's open for business.I'll also probably open a flower shop at some point down the road, where a Sim can do flower arranging and grow flowers beside the shop. It's not in place anywhere in the game yet. I'm hoping the new world coming with the Wedding pack is large enough that I can find a small lot there to put it.Edit: Just remembered you asked for tips. I don't really have any other than "have fun". Retail locations can run themselves, so there's no real secrets that I can think of for having them. But they definitely are better if you have a Sim own them, because then the employees are there even when other Sims you play shop there. If the retail location is unowned there's never any employees at it...you can still shop there, but I just find it weird shopping somewhere that has no employees.

The Spark-n-Fizz, Bess Sterling's shop where she sells fizzy juices and upgraded appliances (Just starting out, pretty bare-bones right now. I'm happy that I got a run-down look, not easy in sims!)https://i.postimg.cc/KvkhdnB4/spark-customers.pngI'm pretty new to retail gameplay so I'm still learning as I go.So far, the most significant tip for Bess has been that when she sells an item, she can just click on the item's marker to restock it, and the restocked item is the same in every way as the item that just sold. She doesn't have to go to the fizzy station and make more juice. She doesn't have to do the same upgrades on the next appliance. Once she's upgraded an appliance to start with, all replacement appliances have the same upgrades. Restocking takes a little time but not as much as fizzing or upgrading from scratch.I haven't yet been successful in having customers buy bottles of fizz from the fridge. They will buy six-packs of it off a table. I'm not sure if there is a glitch at work or if the other items are just more attractive.

I have a couple of malls, they sell clothes (Moschino, everyday, swimwear), music instruments, bakery goods, pet treats, Christmas decorations, electronics, small gift type objects like vases and future cubes, baby furniture, make-up decor, toys, shoes. I also have some smaller shops that sell flowers, books, jewellery, icecream, wedding dresses, shoes and lingerie, seasonal clothing. I had a knitting supplies store with an area for knitting, but it got demolished. I also have some sims that sell stuff on the sales tables, so not really stores, but they could be. One sells honey, another one sells apples and apple juice, and another one sells relics and emotion berries. I have plans for a photography shop, but I haven't decided yet if it will be a proper shop or just use those picture displays. Anyway, I guess you could make a shop to sell just about anything, though some objects like the small aquariums cannot be set for sale, and sims can't reach objects placed in some glass displays. But if you want to make craftable objects available to other sims who don't craft, shops are a great way to do that. I also use the shops as places where sims can access the different craft machines, so they can either buy or craft items themselves.

Retail Store Ideas | EA Forums

JaggidEdje
3 years ago
@Kalaksed, I'm one of those folks that had said I was toying with adding a florist shop. I've ended up deciding to sell some scented floral arrangements out of the potion/herbalism shop I recently set up.

It's a (very) small shop, on a 20x30 lot where i use over 2/3 the lot for gardening, not retail. But after realizing that the best way to sell the potions and herbal concoctions is out of a LICE retail freezer rather than display shelves, I have a lot of room for some other merchandise and with the garden already growing most of the flowers, it just makes sense.

I'm probably going to also add selling of candles to it as well. Bee hives in the garden are producing wax, and candles at a "Witch's Shop" seem fitting.
JaggidEdje
3 years ago
I'm revisiting this thread because I got my retail location set up for selling upgraded appliances, electronics and artwork and I wanted to mention here that it is turning out to be the most profitable retail business I've ever had a Sim run. Even at bare bones (not much for sale yet) and no perks, It is generating a profit approaching 5 figures in a short day (open around 7-8 hours).

It's also a crazy expensive store to get up and running. Between building the lot, and stocking just a handful of options for sale, the household has already spent close to 300,000. It's a business that definitely is going to take a while to pay for itself, even though profits are good.

Below are some images of the store so far. It's 3 stories for the store, plus a small living area on the 4th floor so that the owning sims have a place to do "life stuff" without leaving the property. So far only the first floor of the store is open for business though, and it's not even full. I just wanted room to have separate "departments" once the store has more stock. It's very expensive to stock the store and the upgrades all take time, so it may be a lifetime before it's a fully stocked location.

Building exterior:
https://64.media.tumblr.com/0f77a069856d09145cd12d222ab5b974/3e2c1256b9c9401e-44/s2048x3072/95a619d7afe4a72e186b8fb1e339ab2a7fcfb1b4.jpg

Inside images below the spoiler tag:

Bryanna decided to sell some of her artwork at the store as well as all the things Abby is upgrading to sell:
https://64.media.tumblr.com/93fbff78bb719892b514189385aa82c8/3e2c1256b9c9401e-e8/s2048x3072/b1d6bd5eaf852d1f9ec4ac3e7537b2a6213a7ecb.jpg

The bathroom area is very small so far and not yet arranged with show pieces, but the items are still selling:
https://64.media.tumblr.com/a5b80f8dca96995517baed2fb3a66a3d/3e2c1256b9c9401e-72/s2048x3072/5da4b3cb6aae5990999fbc04eb8b4147e07ce4d5.jpg

Toilet and shower selection in particular is abyssmal atm.
https://64.media.tumblr.com/a3cb035e10029ae5029ff551f85793f4/3e2c1256b9c9401e-22/s2048x3072/b704695708d70a91b0c1b2e57c5bce90a697e149.jpg

And the entrance into the store with the cashier's station is, literally, barren. The sim with the umbrella walking in is the one employee hired so far, wearing her uniform.
https://64.media.tumblr.com/099174ab0fa53fdd4c4dfb885169f43c/3e2c1256b9c9401e-b6/s2048x3072/89c12cb227eb71c472c8007fce937963325f4081.jpg

But the appliances and electronics available are looking good so far, and selling really well.
https://64.media.tumblr.com/2294999fc88d72e80608308a8bbc3b74/3e2c1256b9c9401e-69/s2048x3072/606f728c73d890ca0f1a60f3b3c7ee40515acf3d.jpg
https://64.media.tumblr.com/e0b678d86890ef972d37e9f4c56e077a/3e2c1256b9c9401e-af/s2048x3072/9564b4cf7b001610678b87edb096b34614b28076.jpg
CaptainMe120
3 years ago
My sim had A flower shop, she sold plants from BB mode and flowers she arranged. She hired her ex to be a salesman because why not, and unfortunately she was attacked by a customer by a customer on Brawl day. That jerk didn’t help her! She had a lot of customers which was great but the relationship tab grew so long it began lagging my game(it took like half an hour to load) so sadly no more stores.
I want to have my sim run a restaurant but i don’t want to have the same issue as before.
manicobsessive1
Seasoned Newcomer
3 years ago
I have just started a magical save, and your occult stores sound perfect @EmmaVane and @EternalSunshine! Are they on the gallery?
JaggidEdje
3 years ago
"manicobsessive;c-18060739" wrote:
"EternalSunshine;c-18060736" wrote:
"manicobsessive;c-18060684" wrote:
I have just started a magical save, and your occult stores sound perfect @EternalSunshine! Are they on the gallery?

No, sorry. I'm not a builder, so I took someone else's build off of the gallery & gutted it to turn it into a functional occult shop. I know a lot of builders who add to the gallery don't like others reuploading builds even if they have been substantially changed, so I don't upload things to the gallery myself.

Okey dokey. Thanks. Guess I'll have to not be lazy and make my own :D

What I did for my occult shop that I set up in my game is search the gallery for an appropriately occulty looking residential lot that I liked the look of, and then I converted the bottom floor to a retail space and reno'd the 2nd (top) floor to be a decent living space for the shop owner.

It's not so much that I can't build, in my case, but that I prefer playing to building so I take whatever shortcuts I can to get the job done. :lol:
EmmaVane
Rising Hotshot
3 years ago
"Stormkeep;c-18054900" wrote:
@Kalaksed, I'm one of those folks that had said I was toying with adding a florist shop. I've ended up deciding to sell some scented floral arrangements out of the potion/herbalism shop I recently set up.

It's a (very) small shop, on a 20x30 lot where i use over 2/3 the lot for gardening, not retail. But after realizing that the best way to sell the potions and herbal concoctions is out of a LICE retail freezer rather than display shelves, I have a lot of room for some other merchandise and with the garden already growing most of the flowers, it just makes sense.

I'm probably going to also add selling of candles to it as well. Bee hives in the garden are producing wax, and candles at a "Witch's Shop" seem fitting.

Make a roof garden, more room for stock.
elliandre
3 years ago
"Stormkeep;c-18060069" wrote:
I'm revisiting this thread because I got my retail location set up for selling upgraded appliances, electronics and artwork and I wanted to mention here that it is turning out to be the most profitable retail business I've ever had a Sim run. Even at bare bones (not much for sale yet) and no perks, It is generating a profit approaching 5 figures in a short day (open around 7-8 hours).

It's also a crazy expensive store to get up and running. Between building the lot, and stocking just a handful of options for sale, the household has already spent close to 300,000. It's a business that definitely is going to take a while to pay for itself, even though profits are good.

Below are some images of the store so far. It's 3 stories for the store, plus a small living area on the 4th floor so that the owning sims have a place to do "life stuff" without leaving the property. So far only the first floor of the store is open for business though, and it's not even full. I just wanted room to have separate "departments" once the store has more stock. It's very expensive to stock the store and the upgrades all take time, so it may be a lifetime before it's a fully stocked location.

Building exterior:
https://64.media.tumblr.com/0f77a069856d09145cd12d222ab5b974/3e2c1256b9c9401e-44/s2048x3072/95a619d7afe4a72e186b8fb1e339ab2a7fcfb1b4.jpg

Inside images below the spoiler tag:

Bryanna decided to sell some of her artwork at the store as well as all the things Abby is upgrading to sell:
https://64.media.tumblr.com/93fbff78bb719892b514189385aa82c8/3e2c1256b9c9401e-e8/s2048x3072/b1d6bd5eaf852d1f9ec4ac3e7537b2a6213a7ecb.jpg

The bathroom area is very small so far and not yet arranged with show pieces, but the items are still selling:
https://64.media.tumblr.com/a5b80f8dca96995517baed2fb3a66a3d/3e2c1256b9c9401e-72/s2048x3072/5da4b3cb6aae5990999fbc04eb8b4147e07ce4d5.jpg

Toilet and shower selection in particular is abyssmal atm.
https://64.media.tumblr.com/a3cb035e10029ae5029ff551f85793f4/3e2c1256b9c9401e-22/s2048x3072/b704695708d70a91b0c1b2e57c5bce90a697e149.jpg

And the entrance into the store with the cashier's station is, literally, barren. The sim with the umbrella walking in is the one employee hired so far, wearing her uniform.
https://64.media.tumblr.com/099174ab0fa53fdd4c4dfb885169f43c/3e2c1256b9c9401e-b6/s2048x3072/89c12cb227eb71c472c8007fce937963325f4081.jpg

But the appliances and electronics available are looking good so far, and selling really well.
https://64.media.tumblr.com/2294999fc88d72e80608308a8bbc3b74/3e2c1256b9c9401e-69/s2048x3072/606f728c73d890ca0f1a60f3b3c7ee40515acf3d.jpg
https://64.media.tumblr.com/e0b678d86890ef972d37e9f4c56e077a/3e2c1256b9c9401e-af/s2048x3072/9564b4cf7b001610678b87edb096b34614b28076.jpg

@Stormkeep Your store looks amazing. :heart:
elliandre
3 years ago
"SelinaKyles;c-18060458" wrote:
My sim had A flower shop, she sold plants from BB mode and flowers she arranged. She hired her ex to be a salesman because why not, and unfortunately she was attacked by a customer by a customer on Brawl day. That jerk didn’t help her! She had a lot of customers which was great but the relationship tab grew so long it began lagging my game(it took like half an hour to load) so sadly no more stores.
I want to have my sim run a restaurant but i don’t want to have the same issue as before.

@SelinaKyles I love flower shops. It was one of my favourite shops in Sims 2. I think I will try to build another one today.
RoseOfMontana
New Traveler
3 years ago
I have been trying to think of ways to improve my game play and you all have given me some really great ideas. I love the builds of @mightysprite and @Stormkeep beautiful and nicely built.
Simmerville
Seasoned Ace
3 years ago
That looks cool! Love the colors! Question about selling upgraded stuff... once you sell it and restock will it then spawn a plain item and you must upgrade that object again? Or do you restock a similar version as the one sold?
(asking for a friend)