To start a dress rental business in Canada, you need a collection, a Shopify store that can take date-based bookings, and clear rules for deposits, cleaning, shipping or pickup, and returns. In Australia and other markets this is often called dress hire. Dress Hire Websites is an Australian-based Shopify Partner, and we build these stores for businesses in Canada and worldwide. The Complete Website Package with The Dress Rental App set up is $550 AUD as a one-off build fee.
Set up the store
Shopify hosts the website and checkout. Date-based availability, refundable deposits or 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 AUD, which does not include revisions. The package fee is paid upfront in AUD. Afterpay and Zip Pay are available through Stripe.
Shopify subscription pricing in Canada is billed separately by Shopify, usually in Canadian dollars, and can change. Confirm current plan and payment rates on Shopify's Canadian pricing page. Shopify includes a free yourbusiness.myshopify.com address. A custom domain is optional.
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 AUD (combined total $1,550) and a Vendor Consignment Build for $1,395 AUD (combined total $1,945). Monthly care plans are $49 or $89 AUD and can be cancelled at any time.
Shipping, pickup and returns
Canadian rental businesses often use Canada Post or another tracked courier, a studio pickup, or both. Plan the outbound delivery so the dress arrives before the event, and set a clear return-by date with a tracked return. Allow extra time for longer domestic routes, then inspect and clean the garment before the next booking.
Deposits, cleaning and pricing
A refundable deposit or bond is a common way to cover damage, loss or a late return. Write the amount and the conditions in your terms, and release it when the garment comes back as agreed. The Dress Rental App can take rental bookings and refundable bonds on the same website.
Say whether cleaning is included or added as a fee. Price each rental with the garment cost, expected number of rentals, cleaning, postage, platform fees and your time in mind.
Local requirements
Check local requirements for registering a business, collecting GST, HST or PST where they apply, and following consumer rules for online orders in your province or territory. We can help you put terms and conditions pages on the website. We cannot give legal or tax advice.