The business of selling food is relevant always and everywhere, because satisfying hunger is the most important need of any person. Is it profitable to open a grocery store, how much money do you need to start your own business and how to attract customers? All the information a new entrepreneur needs is collected here.
Registration of individual entrepreneur
The first step towards opening a grocery store is registering as an individual entrepreneur. Independent costs from 1800 to 6000 rubles. This amount includes mandatory expenses:
- state duty - 800 rubles;
- making an entry about an individual entrepreneur in the Unified State Register of Individual Entrepreneurs (notary service) - 1000 rubles.
And optional:
- - 300-3000 rubles. depending on the type;
- opening a bank account - 800 rubles.
Finding a location for a store
The profitability of a grocery store depends on its location:
- the most accessible places are located near train stations, bus stops, metro stations, large business and entertainment centers;
- there should be no supermarkets near the store;
- To ensure that your retail outlet is always provided with a stable income, try to choose areas with a population of about 1,500 people;
- It has been observed that if a supermarket is located more than a 10-minute walk from home, buyers prefer to use the services of small stores near their home. Don't forget this when choosing a location;
- if the assortment consists mainly of inexpensive essential products, it is profitable to open a store in a residential area.
Rent or buy?
You can open a grocery store in rented premises, or buy a modular building for a retail outlet. The first option is the least expensive, even taking into account the fact that the store will most likely have to be renovated. The only drawback is the need to pay monthly rent for the premises.
Modular pavilions are expensive, although they have their advantages:
- you choose where to locate your store;
- no need to pay rent every month;
- the building is easy to install and dismantle.
Average cost of a modular building depending on area:
- 20-30 m 2 - 300-500 thousand rubles;
- 40-50 m 2 - 560-750 thousand rubles;
- 60–80 m 2 ‒ 800–1,000 thousand rubles.
Add to the amount the costs of transportation and installation (100 thousand rubles) and communications (100 thousand rubles).
How much area should a grocery store have?
The size of the outlet is limited only by your financial capabilities and assortment. For most grocery stores selling over the counter, a room with an area of 30–50 m 2 is sufficient.
Paperwork
To open a grocery store you will need the following documents:
- individual entrepreneur registration certificate;
- a lease agreement or a document confirming ownership of the premises;
- SES conclusion, sanitary passport;
- fire department report;
- employee medical records;
- waste removal agreement;
- a certificate confirming the entry of the individual entrepreneur into the trade register;
- book of reviews and suggestions;
- cashier's book and other documents for the cash register;
- quality certificates for products;
- information for buyers, in particular the text of the law “On the Protection of Consumer Rights”.
In some cases, additional documents are required to open a grocery store. For example, if you plan to hire foreign citizens, you need to obtain a special permit. Licenses will also be needed if the store sells tobacco and alcohol products.
Purchase of equipment
A significant portion of the initial costs is associated with the purchase of commercial equipment, including:
- cash machine;
- refrigerators and freezers;
- showcases;
- scales;
- racks, food storage containers, knives, cutting boards.
The total cost of new equipment averages 150 thousand rubles. Purchasing used equipment allows you to save up to 50% of this amount. Installing video surveillance will cost an additional 10 thousand rubles, and you will have to shell out 50 thousand rubles for beer bottling equipment. However, the latter is not necessary
Do not forget also that at first it is necessary to provide an initial inventory, which requires from 300 to 500 thousand rubles. A sign for a store will cost from 3 to 5 thousand rubles.
Recruitment of personnel and determination of the wage fund
The number of employees in a store depends on its size and operating hours. A convenience store typically requires 4 sales associates: two per shift. For a small store that closes at night, two people are enough, who will work according to the schedule a week after a week, two after two, etc. The wages of sellers range from 10 to 15 thousand rubles.
If you do not have management experience, you cannot do without a hired director. The average salary of a store manager is 30 thousand rubles. You will also need a loader and a cleaner, the salary of each of whom is 8-12 thousand rubles.
In addition to wages, the employer monthly pays an additional 22% of the employees’ salary to the Pension Fund. Personal income tax (NDFL) is also paid by the business owner, but in fact this amount (13%) is deducted from the employee’s salary.
Formation of assortment and determination of markup
It is impossible to immediately determine the needs of your customers - only experience will help you create the optimal assortment of your store. The location of the outlet is of great importance: while chocolates, ice cream, pasties and similar products are in demand in the city center, residents of residential areas buy mainly bread, milk, and eggs.
Grocery store assortment
A small convenience store must contain essential goods: household chemicals, bread, dairy products, personal hygiene items. These are the most popular products, providing the store with stable revenue. When forming an assortment, it is also important to take into account the needs of your target audience.
Suppose that nearby stores do not have vegetables, so customers are forced to go to the market to buy them. Use this circumstance to your advantage - offer people what they need. Even if a kilogram of potatoes costs more than in the same market, customers will still come to your store. The desire to save time and effort usually outweighs the desire to save money.
Another piece of advice: don’t copy your competitors’ assortment, offer people something that others don’t have, and your store will quickly gain regular customers.
Markup on goods
The entrepreneur determines the cost of most goods independently. The average markup on store products over the counter is 30%. But there are a number of goods whose retail prices are regulated by the state: baby food, medicines, products sold in the Far North and equivalent regions.
Monthly revenue and payback period
Small grocery stores pay for themselves much faster than supermarkets. If the latter reach profitability only after 5-6 years, then a grocery store with an average monthly revenue of 700-800 thousand rubles and a net profit of 60-70 thousand rubles pays for itself within a year.
What contracts does an entrepreneur need to conclude?
Before opening a grocery store, you need to conclude several agreements:
- with the bank that will perform collection and service your current account;
- with a security company that will take control of your store;
- with wholesale companies supplying products. To ensure the most complete range, it is worth concluding agreements with several suppliers. These could be wholesale companies offering products of different brands, or representatives of the manufacturer;
- One of the mandatory requirements of the SES is the conclusion of an agreement for the removal of garbage and solid waste.
Summary
It is impossible to say exactly how much it costs to open a grocery store, but the approximate initial costs are easy to determine:
- paperwork - 5-10 thousand rubles;
- rental of a retail space - on average 30 thousand rubles (repairs 10-30 thousand rubles) Purchase of a modular pavilion - 300-1,000 thousand rubles (delivery, installation and arrangement - 200 thousand rubles);
- purchase of new equipment - 150 thousand rubles; used - from 80 thousand rubles;
- initial inventory - 300-500 thousand rubles;
- staff salary - 40-120 thousand rubles;
- sign - 3-5 thousand rubles.
Bottom line: to open a retail outlet you need from 500 thousand rubles to 2 million rubles.
At first, you may encounter an excess of goods. Nothing wrong with that. Before you make your next purchase, analyze which products are in high demand and purchase only the items that are in demand.
Get direct access to the most popular and inexpensive products. And place the least popular and expensive ones behind the counter. This will speed up service and simplify the seller's work.
If you plan to sell cigarettes and alcohol in the future, choose the location with special care. In accordance with the law, a store located less than 100 meters from a school or kindergarten is not allowed to sell tobacco and alcohol products.
A small grocery store is not able to compete with a large chain supermarket. It's a fact: in a convenience store, prices are usually higher and the assortment is much smaller. How to open a grocery store and not be left without customers? Study your competitor's weaknesses. For example, if the supermarket is open from 8:00 to 23:00, switch your store to 24-hour operation, but do not forget to calculate the financial feasibility of such a regime in advance.