Independent businesses are small operations with a lot of heart. The issue is, of course, that they can rarely offer the same prices or the sheer number of options as their large superstore counterparts. Add in the fact that they usually don’t have the parking space to accommodate large amounts of people, and it’s easy to see why independent grocers struggle. The good news, however, is that there are many fun and exciting ways that you can help your independent grocery business stand out and bring in more sales.
If you’ve felt the pressure as a small business these past few years, it’s time to rethink your approach. There are many great options for independent grocers and ways that you can offer more value to your customers.
These are just a few ideas. Start with the ones you believe will bring in the most sales, and then work on expanding your efforts to include the best options from this list:
Sell Products in Bulk
Selling bulk products is a great way to make your business stand out and upsell. For example, say you buy bulk garlic. With a few new equipment upgrades, you can now let customers fill their own spice jars (pre-weighed) and only pay for the price of the garlic itself. This means all the profits go directly to you since the garlic was unbranded. To upsell, connect with local artisans and sell their spice jars or grinders right next to the spice aisle. Customers may feel like upgrading their set so that it looks nicer in their home, or they may need a new spice jar. Since your products are right there, your customers will likely treat themselves to a new, pretty jar and then buy the spice based on its weight.
Just keep in mind that you’ll need to keep track of the weight of the containers you’re selling. That way, you can charge your customers the right price.
Tip: it’s a good idea to offer free options as well. This can be a small cardboard food container that they can put their spice in, or you can ask your locals to donate their old spice jars and other food containers to you. These will be plastic containers that would have otherwise gone to the recycling or landfill. Clean them, and offer them for free. For those customers that need to save as much as possible, it will be a big value-adding service.
Offer Delivery
When you don’t have a large parking space and want to get more sales than just those in your immediate vicinity, you need to offer delivery. You can start with simple packages. For example, you can create baking packages that include flour, butter, sugar, baking soda, and so on. You can also create an essentials package that includes milk, eggs, bread, and so on. Even if it’s from a small list, give your customers the ability to put together or customize their package to suit their needs.
If you want to really stand out, then either buy, rent, or hire a cargo bike. These electric cargo bikes come with plenty of storage space so that your driver can get to all their delivery spots without extra fuel or carbon costs. This way, you can serve your entire neighborhood with ease.
If that cost is too high at the moment, you can use a service like Uber Eats. Keep in mind, of course, the high fees they cost. You may need to increase the price of your packages. For transparency, it’s a good idea to let customers know why there’s an increase and that they can save so much by buying the order for collection.
Establish an Online Store
Eventually, you’re going to want to expand your package options to a full-scale delivery option. This doesn’t usually mean taking things off your shelves. To effectively offer a full-scale delivery, you’ll likely need a warehouse space so that you can quickly put together orders and send them off.
For the best service, allow customers to create their own account. This way, they can save a shopping list so they can quickly reorder their favorite items. This is a simple but effective method to encourage repeat shopping. You can even let them create subscriptions to get a discount. For example, if they need a small order of essentials every weekend, they can save 5% by booking a slot for a month.
These are small but simple ways that you can encourage your customers to return to you again and again.
Offer Special Events and Deals
The best way to get customers to shop with you repeatedly is to simply get them to look at your website or visit your store. A good way to do this is to host special events and deals. As a small, independent business, there are so many opportunities out and about for you to have access to. You could, for example, partner with local artisans to create a limited range of plates, napkins, or cookware.
The same applies to any food. Have demos where a nearby chef teaches your customers how to use a certain product or what they can do with it. You can even have tasting days where customers can try new products before they buy.
There are a lot of fun things you can do as a grocer to get people in. Online, this will be special sales or gift additions. In-store, however, you can really go all-out.
Add a Café
If you want to supplement your income, bring more people inside, and make your store an essential, add a café element. Something as simple as a few seats up front and an espresso machine is a good place to start. Offering to-go coffee, pastries, and sandwiches can transform your space into a go-to spot for those on their way to work. On slower days, this café can also encourage more people to come in and at least see the rest of your merchandise.