Lodgehollow Funding Group arranges funding requests for retail stores in New Bern, NC and Craven County, from boutiques and furniture stores to hardware and general merchandise shops. Retailers buy stock ahead of sales and fit out space before opening the door. This page covers inventory financing, working capital, lines of credit and fixtures, with County Business Patterns 2023 figures for local shops.
| Shops with employees, Craven County, NC | 345 (CBP 2023) |
|---|---|
| Shops with employees in ZIP 28560 | 111 (ZBP 2023) |
| No-payroll retailers, county | 592 (NES 2024) |
| Hardware, lumber and garden dealers | 28 employers (CBP 2023) |
| Clothing and accessories stores | 22 employers (CBP 2023) |
The Retail Cash Cycle
A shop pays for its stock long before customers buy it. Orders for the heavier selling months may be placed and paid months ahead, while the money comes back one sale at a time. Fixtures, lighting, signs and a point-of-sale system have to be in place before the doors open. Meanwhile rent and wages run every month regardless of how the register looks.
Working capital for retail stores is mostly about bridging that gap between buying and selling without running the account dry.
Retail Inventory Financing
Retail inventory financing pays for stock and uses it as collateral. A partner may lend against a portion of cost rather than retail price, and will want to see how quickly stock turns. Sell-through records by category give a partner something to review. The inventory financing page explains the structure; a line of credit suits smaller, repeated orders.
Illustrative example only: a store orders $18,000 of goods for its stronger months. If the goods sell through in ten weeks, the financing cost covers ten weeks; if half sits until clearance, the cost runs longer and the markdown cuts the margin. Order from last year's sell-through, not from hope.
Hardware Store Financing
Building material and garden supply dealers carry wide, deep stock: lumber, fasteners, paint, tools, seasonal garden goods. County Business Patterns counted 28 such employer establishments in Craven County in 2023, with 462 employees; only 28.6% had fewer than five employees. Hardware store financing can combine inventory financing for stock with equipment financing for forklifts, paint mixers and delivery trucks.
Clothing Stores and Boutiques
A business loan for a clothing store or a boutique business loan can cover buying for the next season's lines, fitting out a space or opening a second shop. Craven County had 22 clothing and accessories employer establishments in 2023 (CBP), and Nonemployer Statistics counted 62 no-payroll clothing, shoe and jewelry retailers in 2024 at the NAICS 2022 level 458. The downtown boutique post walks through a small shop's request.
Furniture, Pharmacy and General Merchandise Stores
Furniture and home furnishings stores (16 employers in 2023) carry large items, which can mean longer financing on stock. Health and personal care stores (30 employers) and general merchandise stores (29 employers, only 10.3% under five people) are also counted. Each can pair inventory financing with a revolving line for smaller orders. All figures are County Business Patterns 2023 for Craven County.
Craven County, NC Shops in the Census Count
Retail Trade had more employer establishments than any other sector in Craven County in 2023: 345, with 4,754 employees and $160.2 million in annual payroll; 38.0% had fewer than five employees. In ZIP 28560, 111 retail employers were counted (ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023). Nonemployer Statistics counted 592 no-payroll retailers in the county in 2024, a separate program and year.
The New Bern, NC data page sets retail beside the county's other sectors.
Business Loan for a Retail Store: Second Shop or Online
Shops that add a second storefront or an online channel face both kinds of cost at once: a fit-out or website build, and more stock to fill it. A partner may prefer to see these split: a term loan for the fixed project and inventory financing or a line for the stock. A shop that can show the first location's sales by category, and how the second would be stocked from that history, gives a partner the clearest picture.
The Records a Shop Sends In
- Bank statements and point-of-sale reports by month and category
- Inventory counts, valuation method and turnover
- Supplier invoices or purchase orders for the planned buy
- The store lease and its remaining term
- Card-processing statements, if a merchant cash advance is being compared
Retail Store Loans for Fixtures, Signs and Remodels
Shelving, lighting, signage and a remodel are one-time costs. Fixtures with resale value can be financed as equipment; a remodel of leased space is typically a term loan. Grocers and fuel stations have their own pages on grocery stores and gas stations.
By Lodgehollow Funding Group · Updated