How to start an online clothing store from scratch

Do you have an excellent eye for fashion? Are you always on top of the latest trends? Do you believe you can dominate the apparel market? Perhaps starting a clothing business online clothing store is your calling! Today, creating a website to sell online is easier than it seems, thanks to the wide range of digital tools that simplify the process. 

Below you’ll find a step-by-step guide on how to open an online clothing store in Spain/the UK using a website builder. Beyond web design, we’ll cover the most important considerations: legal requirements, estimated budget, and shipping management. Let’s get started! 

Why open an online clothing store today? 

Since the pandemic, the e-commerce sector has experienced strong growth. For example, in 2024, online sales in the United Kingdom rose to £127.41 billion in 2024, which was a 3.4% increase from the previous year.   

Within this boom, online apparel and fashion sales generated £16.52 billion in 2024, making it one of the strongest ecommerce segments. This confirms strong consumer interest in fashion e-commerce and opens a window of opportunity for entrepreneurs ready to open their own online shop.

What you need to start an online clothing store 

Before launching your online clothing business, there’s a few key aspects of your business to nail down. Let’s break them down.  

Choose your niche and target audience 

El sector del comercio textil es extremadamente amplio y competitivo, ya que la The apparel market is vast and competitive, since clothing is a basic need for everyone. So, the first thing to define is exactly who you want to sell to. 

If you’re opening your own shop, specialise in a specific niche. For example: 

• Sustainable, eco-friendly, fair-trade fashion 
• Yoga and activewear 
• Inclusive sizing (all body types) 
• Personalised children’s clothing 

These are just examples. You should conduct market research to validate demand. Tools like Google Trends can help you spot emerging trends.  

You can also run surveys on social media to find your target audience and build your buyer personas. 

Choose your stock and logistics models

Once you know your target and product style, it’s time to decide how you will manage inventory and shipping. Broadly, you have three options: 

• Self-fulfilment (own stock model): You purchase or produce the clothes, handle storage yourself, and ship orders from your premises. This gives you complete control over product quality, packaging, inventory levels, and delivery times. However, it also means a larger upfront investment for inventory and more time spent on warehousing and shipping logistics.
   
• Third-party fulfilment (3PL): You still buy and own the stock but outsource storage and shipping to a third-party logistics (3PL) provider. They pick, pack, and ship orders on your behalf. This reduces day-to-day operational workload, though your variable costs rise with each order, and you cede some control over transit times and handling. Fulfilment services typically integrate with your store via API or plugins for real-time stock updates. 
  
• Dropshipping: Your supplier holds the inventory and ships products directly to the customer as orders come in. You act purely as an intermediary, listing items for sale on your site. This model requires minimal upfront capital since you only pay for stock once a sale occurs. Still, it also reduces your profit margins and limits your control over shipping speed, packaging, and product quality. For a deep dive, see our article on what dropshipping is. 

Register as a self-employed worker 

To launch any online business, you must meet the legal requirements set out by the country you live in. You’ll likely need to register as a sole trader so you can issue invoices, declare your income, and pay the relevant taxes. 

If you’re operating in the UK, there’s a few first steps you need to take to register with the authorities:  

• HMRC registration: Register as a sole trader via the HMRC website. You’ll receive a Unique Taxpayer Reference (UTR) and must set up for Self Assessment to report your income and pay tax. 

• National Insurance Contributions (NICs): As a sole trader, you’ll need to pay Class 2 and Class 4 National Insurance, depending on your profits. These are calculated and paid through your Self Assessment tax return. 

• Bookkeeping and invoicing: You must issue VAT-compliant invoices (if registered), keep accurate financial records, and submit an annual Self Assessment tax return. If VAT-registered, you’ll also need to file quarterly VAT returns under Making Tax Digital (MTD) rules. 

Want more details? Check our guide on the first steps to becoming a sole trader. 

How to create your online clothing store: step by step 

Como mencionamos antes, montar una tienda online de ropa no tiene por qué ser Opening an online clothing store doesn’t have to be complicated. This guide explains the essential steps to build an attractive, fully functional website. 

You’ll need three fundamentals to get started: 

• A domain name. 
• A hosting service. 
• A website builder platform. 

Let’s explore each in detail. 

Step 1: Register a domain 

El dominio está compuesto por un nombre (en nuestro caso es one) y una extensión (.com). Es la identificación única de tu sitio web, lo que escribe cualquier usuario A domain consists of a name and an extension. Let’s use our own domain name as an example. Our selected domain name is one, and the extension is .com.  

The domain name is your website’s unique identifier, the unique address your visitors will use to find your site online. To create an online store, the first thing you need to do is to purchase a domain through a registrar. 

Your options for the name are nearly endless. You can use your brand name, a descriptive term (e.g., yogaactivewear.com), or a creative play on words. Then choose an extension that matches your goals: .uk for the United Kingdom; .com for a more global feel; or a specialist extension such as .shop for an ecommerce focus. 

If you need help, see our tips for finding a great domain. These are our key recommendations: 

• Keep it short and easy to remember. 
• Align it with your target market. 
• Avoid numbers, hyphens, or special characters. 
• Use a country-specific extension such as .co.uk if you’re targeting a specific country, otherwise select a more general extension (e.g., .com, .shop, .online) for broader reach. 

You can also try a domain generator for inspiration. 

Step 2: Select your web hosting 

El hosting o alojamiento web es un “espacio” que alquilas dentro de un servidor Web hosting is the ‘space’ you rent on a physical server to upload and store your website’s files, including text, images, links, documents, etc. It’s an essential service to ensure your site is available on the Internet and that users can access and interact with it. 

There are multiple types of hosting services that differ based on the features they offer. Which one you choose depends on your needs and your budget: 

• Shared hosting: the most budget-friendly option and the one recommended for beginners. Your hosting provider places several websites on the same server, so you share infrastructure with other sites. 

• WordPress hosting: the option you should choose if you decide to build your online store on the WordPress CMS. 

• VPS hosting: the recommended option for advanced online stores and those with high traffic. In this setup, you still share a physical server with other websites, but each site has guaranteed dedicated resources. Keep in mind that VPS hosting requires more technical knowledge. However, there are now managed VPS services where you can delegate all server management to a team of experts. 

Want to dive deeper? We have a special article on what hosting is and how it works. 

Step 3: Select a platform to design and publish your website 

Another essential requirement is a platform to design and publish your website. 

For WordPress sites, we recommend installing the WooCommerce ecommerce plugin. It’s generally easy to use, but it might require some technical knowledge. 

We recommend using the one.com Website Builder if you’re looking for a simpler option. It is a platform that any user, from complete beginners to advanced users, can utilise without complications. It doesn’t require coding, as it operates via a drag-and-drop system. Additionally, it offers ecommerce specific features such as product categories, payment integrations, and more. 

Step 4: Add your products 

Now that you have the basic elements of any website, it’s time to build your online clothing store. We’ll use our Website Builder platform to walk you through the process. 

In the online store control panel of Website Builder, you’ll see an area called “Products” where you can add each garment you have for sale, along with its title. You can also group products into categories to differentiate them and better organise your catalogue. 

You will also need to add a product image and a description. If you have trouble writing descriptive copy for each garment, you can use the AI Writing Assistant to generate it. 

It’s highly recommended to arrange your products by SKU (Stock Keeping Unit). This unique code is assigned to each product within an inventory management system. It helps keep your products in order and makes them easy to find by name or description. 

To differentiate sizes or colour variants of a single product, simply select the “This product has different options”. First, add the variant type (e.g., “colour,” “size”), then add each variant option (e.g., “orange,” “red,” “XL”). Save the variant and fill in all necessary inventory details. 

You can also enable “Visibility and additional information” to add keywords to each product. This ensures that related items are linked, and when a customer searches your site for terms like “leggings,” “red t-shirt,” or “hoodie,” those tagged products will appear in the results. 

Finally, you can add a promotion label to indicate if a product is discounted. For example, you might display “only a few left” in the top corner of the product image to highlight outlet items. 

Step 5: Configure payment and shipping options 

Accepting multiple payment methods and offering different shipping options drives conversions and increases sales. If customers don’t find convenient choices, they may move on to another online clothing store. 

Today, some solutions manage payments from multiple channels within a single system. Website Builder, for example, integrates with Stripe. This tool allows you to accept payments with credit and debit cards, Apple Pay, Google Pay, Klarna, and more. When a customer makes a purchase, a payment gateway secured by SSL security certificates is set up to ensure transaction protection.  

Additionally, you can add other popular payment methods, such as PayPal, or manual options like bank transfers or cash on delivery. 

When configuring shipping, you can take a similar approach to payments: work with a logistics service that centralises delivery management. Website Builder is integrated with Shipmondo, a tool partnered with the world’s leading carriers at pre-negotiated rates. 

If you don’t have a Shipmondo account or prefer to add your options manually, you can configure delivery methods with flat-rate shipping or weight-based fees. Furthermore, to offer free shipping on orders above a certain amount, simply tick the “free shipping” box and enter the minimum order value. 

Step 6: Add VAT, checkout, and invoicing options 

After setting up shipping options, the next step is to configure VAT settings for your shop. If you’re based in the UK, you’ll likely need to charge VAT on applicable sales. This may include applying VAT to shipping fees or setting up custom VAT rates for specific products or regions. 

If you’re selling to other businesses, you might need to include ways for them to enter VAT numbers at checkout for VAT exemption.  

Make sure your invoicing system clearly reflects VAT breakdowns and complies with UK tax regulations. Most modern ecommerce platforms offer VAT automation and integration with tax compliance tools. 

Next, you’ll need to configure the checkout process in your store. For example, you can require customers to enter their phone numbers since carriers often need them for successful delivery. 

Finally, you should consider customising your invoices. You can decide what information appears on invoices based on your business needs. You’ll be shown a sample invoice to choose which customer details, invoice line items, payment information, and legal terms to include. 

Step 7: Comply with the legal requirements for your online clothing store 

You must meet specific legal requirements before you launch your online clothing store. We’ve already covered registering as a solo trader worker, which will let you issue invoices and pay your taxes. In addition to that, your website must include the following legal documents: 

• Privacy policies to specify how you protect your customers’ data. 

• Cookie consent banners explain how you collect browsing information from your visitors. 

• Terms and conditions for sales, refunds, and returns to outline the rules governing purchases and returns. 

• Shipping and delivery policies that detail delivery times, carriers, and costs. 

This legal paperwork can seem overwhelming, but today some solutions simplify the process. One of the most recommended is Termly: you simply provide your store’s specific data, and the system instantly generates all the required documents. 

Step 8: Build your website 

You’ve completed all the preparatory steps to get your online clothing store up and running. Now, it’s time to bring it to life by creating an attractive, accessible website ready to welcome visitors. This will be your digital shop window. 

When you start with the Website Builder, you’ll have two possible paths. You can choose a pre-designed template or opt to take a shortcut with the AI onboarding assistant. 

Either way, you’ll answer a few basic questions about your online clothing store and brand. The system will then present you with design options to get started. 

If you choose a template, you’ll design the site yourself. It’s simple: select elements (text, images, buttons, etc.) and drag and drop them onto the layout like a digital canvas. 

If you opt for the AI route, the system will instantly generate a personalised design based on the specifications you provided. If you like what the AI offers, just click “Apply” to import it, and then you can customise it to your liking. 

If you want to dive deeper, check out our article on all the steps to create a website from scratch or our complete web design guide. 

Step 9: Publish and promote your online clothing store 

Once you’ve finalised your website’s design and virtual storefront, you can preview and publish the site. Congratulations! You now have your online clothing store, and the real adventure begins. 

One of your main tasks is to implement digital marketing strategies so that your store attracts qualified traffic and starts generating sales. Some effective strategies include: 

SEO 

Create optimised content with relevant keywords, such as fashion trends, how to style outfits, styling tips, etc. This will help you rank in search engines like Google. 

Additionally, it’s advisable to reach out to related sites for backlinks, which will boost your domain authority. We recommend our article on SEO for ecommerce for helpful tips to get started. 

SEA campaigns 

While SEO focuses on attracting organic traffic over the long term, SEA (Search Engine Advertising) lets you capture customers immediately through paid ad campaigns. This strategy is especially valuable at launch because, with a small investment, you can begin driving visits and sales from day one. 

To leverage SEA, identify the most relevant keywords for your business and create Google Ads campaigns. For example, if your store sells yoga apparel, you might bid on terms like “buy yoga clothes” so that your site appears among the top sponsored results. 

Social media engagement 

Instagram, TikTok, and Pinterest are ideal for showcasing outfits, launching promotions, and connecting with your community. Choose a consistent, polished aesthetic and engage with your target audience through posts, stories, and direct interactions. 

Email marketing campaigns 

As your customer base grows, you can use email marketing to foster loyalty. Send newsletters announcing new arrivals, exclusive promotions, and relevant content to keep subscribers interested and coming back. 

How much does it cost to open an online clothing business? 

Opening an online clothing store doesn’t require a significant upfront investment. Thanks to one.com, you can launch your store with a very accessible budget and without hiring developers or designers. 

Your one.com plan includes a free domain for one year, an online store, a drag-and-drop website builder, an AI text generator, a cookie banner, social links, Google Analytics, a Meta Pixel, SEO analysis tools, automatic backups, custom code insertion, and widgets. 

In addition, keep these costs in mind to get your project up and running with full peace of mind: 

• one.com plans: £4 – £18 per month (≈ £48 – £216 per year)
• Initial stock purchase: £430 – £1,700 € (depending on number of SKUs).
• Shipping fees: £1.75 – £4.50 per order (e.g., 100 orders/month → £175 – £450)
• Product photography and branding: £170 – £430 (product photoshoot and logo design).
• Marketing and advertising: £130 – £430 per month (Google Ads, social media, influencer campaigns, etc.).
• Self-employment registration and accounting: £0 to £300+ (registering as a sole trader is free).

Total estimated first-year budget: £1,100 – £4,000.  

Turn your fashion dreams into a real business 

Opening an online clothing store is more accessible than ever, but requires careful planning, commitment, and a solid digital strategy. If you choose your niche wisely, start marketing from day one, and perfect every detail of your store, you can turn your passion for fashion into a sustainable online business.