To start a dress hire business in Australia, you need a collection, a Shopify store that can take date-based bookings, and clear rules for bonds, cleaning, shipping or pickup, and returns. Dress Hire Websites is an Australian-based Shopify Partner. The Complete Website Package with The Dress Rental App set up is $550 AUD as a one-off build fee, and we work with stores across Australia.
Set up the store
Shopify hosts the website and checkout. Date-based availability, refundable bonds and try-ons are handled by The Dress Rental App, which is installed and set up in the package. Standard builds take 20 business days. Fast turnaround is 5 business days for an extra $149, which does not include revisions.
On our packages page, Shopify Basic is listed as $56 AUD per month, or $42 AUD per month when billed yearly, plus card-processing rates. A custom domain is often around $20 AUD per year. Shopify also includes a free yourbusiness.myshopify.com address. Confirm current Shopify charges on Shopify's Australian pricing page, because prices can change.
The Dress Rental App's Big Business plan, valued at $54.99 USD per month, is free for the life of your store as a founding member offer for our first 100 customers. After that, the Big Business plan is A$15.00 AUD per month for package customers.
Optional add-ons are a Fully Custom Website Build + Mockup for $1,000 (combined total $1,550) and a Vendor Consignment Build for $1,395 (combined total $1,945). After launch, website care plans are $49 or $89 AUD per month and can be cancelled at any time.
Shipping, pickup and returns
Many Australian hire brands offer studio pickup, Australia Post or another tracked courier, or both. Plan when the garment leaves you, when the customer needs it, and when it must be back so you can check it and clean it before the next booking. Give a prepaid or clearly explained return method, and write the return-by date on the booking.
Bonds, cleaning and pricing
Refundable bonds are common in Australian dress hire. Set the amount and the conditions in your terms, and release or refund the bond when the garment comes back as agreed. The Dress Rental App can take hire bookings and refundable bonds on the same website.
Say whether cleaning is included in the hire price or added as a fee, and leave enough time in the calendar for cleaning between hires. Price each hire with the garment cost, expected number of hires, cleaning, postage and your time in mind, rather than copying another store's numbers.
Local requirements
Check local requirements for registering a business, collecting GST where it applies, and following Australian consumer rules for online orders, refunds and cancellations. We can help you put terms and conditions pages on the website. We cannot give legal or tax advice.