Depends. Some do well, some don’t, some close down, some won’t.

@avvooooooo considering the average stable store?

Again, it depends. The merchandise, the area its in, the overhead… There are way too many factors going into it to say what makes up an “average” store. The stable store selling cute underwear, the stable store selling vintage clothes, the stable store selling expensive handmade jewelry… They’re all going to be different in profits as well as the other factors that cause profit to happen or not happen. Its kind of like asking “How much does food cost?”

I found this staistic in a quick search over the lifetime of a business, 39% are profitable, 30% break even, and 30% lose money.

This blog might have some helpful pespective it’s from the NY Times on the art of running a small business.

A successful boutique in a quality hotel will generally earn around $30,000 to $50,000 after expenses income. If you have a stand alone or mall boutique, you will only see the lower end $25,000 – $30,000 profit.