Do you want to start a grocery shop? If yes, you have landed at the right place. Here in this article, we provide you with a complete grocery store business plan guide with costs, licenses, stocking inventories, and much more.
Is Grocery Store Business Profitable?
The grocery store is a lifeline for almost all of us. We cannot think of our lives without a grocery store. From fresh fruits, and vegetables to processed meat, from milk to ice cream or cheesecake, from bread to breakfast cereals-the grocery store is a one-stop solution for all. As per the latest study, the market volume of the supermarkets and grocery Stores industry is around $818 billions in 2023.
If you can set up a grocery store at a strategically located place and stock up the daily essentials intelligently, you are sure to achieve success. In fact, grocery shop is one of the most profitable and popular retail-based businesses across the world.
Keep in mind, people often expect some specialties in the local grocery store. That is why you have to find out the local demand and try your best to fulfill those through your grocery store.
Your grocery store business needs careful planning and good research on various points like the market, target audience, location, and many others. Here is a list of steps you should follow to set up your grocery store business successfully.
10 Steps to Start a Grocery Shop Business
1. Choose a Location
To be successful in your grocery store business, you must plan wisely regarding the location of the store. A good location will get you more customers, while a poor location can ruin your prospect.
A good location for a grocery store should be accessible and preferably located near big stores, restaurants, or coffee shops where a lot of people come every day. Apart from that, it should be visible and have parking space for the convenience of your customers.
Choose a locality that is clean, safe, and secure. That gives your customers a sense of satisfaction and security. Your grocery store should be close to the supply of fresh fruits, vegetables, or dairy which adds to your brand value.
Residential areas have restrictions regarding the setting up of grocery stores. Therefore find a place near the marketplaces or busy areas, where it will attract the attention of customers.
You take the grocery store on rent, lease, or buy space and renovate it. It depends on your budget. However, it is better to start with rent or a lease.
2. Know the Market
Before starting your grocery store business, try to know the market trends of the area. Do market research and gather information regarding the demand and competition of the local market. The common items of a grocery store have steady demand throughout. However, in choosing the brands you are going to keep you have to know the local favorites.
Apart from that, you have to know the items which have more demand in the area of your grocery shop. Every area has a specific choice and demand. Note that carefully and plan the inventory likewise.
Think of the value addition of your grocery store business. You can include fresh, organic, or local products or food that has good demand.
3. Create a Grocery Store Business Plan
After you complete the research part, make a business plan. Work thoroughly on all the aspects of the business while making the business plan. For a well-crafted business plan, you can take advice from a financial expert or an experienced grocery shop owner.
Your business plan should have a detailed study of the important points like:
- Investment Needed
- Source of Fund
- Cost Structure
- Projected Income
- Prospective Customers
- Marketing Plan
4. Name Your Grocery Store
Choose a good name for your grocery store business. Do some brainstorming and find a suitable name for your business. Rely on the opinion of others in finalizing the name.
Get the domain in the name of your business and after that launch the website of your grocery store. Also, get a trademark on your business name.
Learn More: How to Name Your Business? Step-By-Step Guidelines
5. Register Your Business
It is essential to register your business if you plan to run a legally compliant grocery shop company. Every country and state provides a wide range of business structures as per the scale of operation and size of the business.
For example, in the United States, LLC or sole proprietorship are the two most preferred business structures of a business. Forming an LLC does provide some extra benefits like liability protection and also makes filing taxes much easier.
One can form an LLC of himself or herself doing the required legwork. The other way is to hire a professional LLC formation provider and get the job done without hassles.
6. Get Licenses and Open Business Bank Account
You need to have several licenses and permits at the federal as well as state levels to open a grocery store. Licenses and permits retail food store license, general business license, etc. Furthermore, if you wish to sell alcohol, you will need a liquor license. For example, if grocery shop owners in New York City plan to sell beer, they will need a Grocery Store Beer License.
You will also need to register your business for the necessary taxes. Getting the Employer Identification Number or EIN is also important. Apart from that, you have to register your business for collecting sales tax for the goods you are selling.
Open a bank account in the name of your grocery store business. Also, get a business credit card which will help you get credits on various purchases needed for your business. Employ an experienced accountant to keep the books of accounts updated.
7. Buy a Business Insurance
To avoid loss and remain safe you need to buy insurance for your grocery store business to cover various kinds of damages and accidents. You need different types of business insurance coverages including:
- General liability insurance
- Fire and general property insurance
- Accidental coverage insurance
- Burglary insurance
- Fraud insurance
- Worker’s compensation insurance
You can consult an insurance or legal expert in deciding the types of insurance you need for your grocery store.
8. Hire Manpower
It is without saying, employees play a key role in the success of the overall success of a grocery shop business. Hence, it is important to hire personnel with expertise and good communication skills to run a grocery shop. Some of the key people you need to hire to run a grocery store are as follows:
- Floor Executives
- Cashier
- Accountant
- Security Personnel
9. Calculate the Cost of Starting a Grocery Store Business
You need a good amount to start your grocery store business. A one-time franchise fee of 7-Eleven will cost you around $50,000 to $70,000. The cozy will be much less if you plan to open a grocery store of your own from scratch.
A grocery store has expenses on different heads. These include:
- The stock of goods you are going to sell
- Rack, furniture, refrigerator, etc
- Rent Cost of retail space
- Salaries of staff
- Point of Sale software
- Insurance, License fee, tax
- Publicity, Advertising, and Marketing expenses
- Cost of the opening ceremony
In addition to all these, there will also be certain incidental expenses that will be added to the expenditure.
10. Marketing Plan
Chalk out your marketing plan keeping in mind the nature of your business and its specific requirements. You need to follow various methods and strategies for the successful marketing of your grocery store business.
a) Personalized Approach
Since the grocery store is a local store, try to build up your name locally through the door-to-door campaign, distribution of flyers and pamphlets, putting up posters, etc. Distribute them at housing societies, shopping centers, coffee shops, theatres, and places of large gatherings.
b) Advertisements
Rely on advertisements of different kinds for the marketing and publicity of your grocery store. Give regular advertisements in newspapers, radio, and television, and also use direct mail. Use banners, hoardings, and posters at busy places in the area of your shop.
c) Highlight Your Niche
If you are selling fresh local veggies, organic fruits, and vegetables from local farmers, or some freshly made sandwiches, highlight that in your advertisements. That will generate interest among your customers. Along with that, your niche will set you apart from the competitors.
d) Display the Pattern of your Grocery Shop
Make the display pattern of your grocery store intelligently, so that the customers can easily find their necessary items without much problem or waste of time.
e) Making the Customers Aware
Appoint staff and train them properly about the products, highlighting your niche. These staff will work as a major force in making the customers aware of the things they are buying and what is special and different about them.
f) Good Network of Suppliers
Create a good network with the suppliers and distributors. This will help you to run the business smoothly and successfully.
g) Go Online
Advertising on online portals is very effective. Your website is a good medium for advertisement and publicity. Make the website equipped with the goods and services you provide along with the price. This will create an idea of the grocery store among your customers even before they visit.
h) Explore Social Media
Social media is an effective marketing tool that informs many people about your grocery store business. Create pages in the name of your grocery store. Make the pages informative and share the website link in the pages.
i) Provide Extra Service and Offers
Give some extra service to the customers by taking an order over the telephone or online and delivering the goods to their doorstep.
Also, offer special discounts and gifts to the customers at different festivals and occasions.
j) Soft Launch and Grand Opening
Advertise your grocery store before it starts operating. ‘Opening shortly’ or ‘Coming Soon’ are the taglines that will create interest among your customers along with publicity and advertisement.
After a few days of preview, organize a gala opening ceremony at your grocery store. Try to bring some celebrity or public figure to open your shop. Offer special discounts to all your customers on an opening day.
Despite these important points, there are a few important questions about the business and you are keen to know the answers. Here are some of them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is starting a grocery store business profitable for me?
A Grocery store business is certainly a profitable business. The rate of profit ranges between 2-3%. However, the amount of profit largely depends on the volume of sales. Still, an independent grocery store can earn a profit of more than $300000 per year.
How much money is needed to start a grocery store business?
You will need approximately $45,000 to $50,000 to start a full-fledged grocery store business.
Editorial Team at 99BusinessIdeas is a team of experts led by Rupak Chakrabarty with over 25 years of experience in starting and running small businesses. Started in 2010, 99BusinessIdeas is now one of the largest free small business resources in the industry.