How to Open an Organic Retail Store
Organic growers and manufacturers have expanded their product offerings in recent years. Although many consumers are familiar with organic fruits and vegetables, organic products can now be found in the dairy, meat and poultry aisles. Some organic beers and wines are also on the market, and organic fiber and textile products are growing more popular. Bedding products, towels and linens, and clothing often carry the organic certification.
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Things You'll Need
- Business license
- Sales tax license
- Building signage
- List of regional organic competitors
- Lists of products carried by each competitor
- Product documentation for staff information sessions
- Health Department certificate
- List of products ordered
- List of chefs' menu ingredients from store
- Organic seminar schedule
- Door prize forms
- Fliers
- Ad rates and copy for newspaper ads
Instructions
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Address your business logistics. Meet with a certified public accountant with specialty retail experience. Find a commercial insurance agent with similar expertise, plus familiarity with food-related liability issues. Obtain a business license from your city or county clerk's office. Finally, acquire a sales tax license from your state department of revenue.
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Select a strategic location. Find a site readily accessible from major roads and with plenty of parking. Look for buildings near health-related businesses such as fitness centers or near upscale shops, like gourmet kitchen emporiums. Order signage featuring fresh fruit and vegetable graphics to attract customers' attention.
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Examine your organic market competitors. Obtain a regional map and pinpoint locations of organic supermarkets and other organic retailers. Visit each store anonymously to review its organic food products and other merchandise. View the store's website for additional information (if applicable). Taken cumulatively, this information will help you find unfilled market niches and new product opportunities.
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Educate yourself about "certified organic" products. According to the Organic Trade Association, "certified organic" products have been grown under rigid standards verified by independent organizations. Before a product is certified organic, inspections of crop fields, processing equipment and soil ensure that established standards are met during the product's development.
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Hire friendly and knowledgeable employees. Look for organic lifestyle devotees who are well educated on product attributes. Schedule regular staff information sessions to explain documented features and benefits of organic products from the store.
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Obtain health department approval. If you will be selling refrigerated produce, other cold case products or fresh foods, you probably will need health department approval for your operation. Contact your local health department for specific criteria. Thoroughly clean and sanitize your store before the inspection and fix any discrepancies immediately. Post food handling guidelines throughout the store.
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Place your first product orders. Choose the organic product lines you will carry in your store, such as produce, personal care and baby food. Within each category, assemble a good selection of products for different tastes. In the protein category, for example, offer organic beef, turkey and chicken. For vegetarians, order peanut butter, tofu and other vegetarian protein sources. Verify products' "certified organic" status with your suppliers. Finally, order from product wholesalers to increase your profits.
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Open with an Organics Open House. Prepare your store and staff for a daylong event. Feature organic chefs who prepare favorite delicacies with ingredients from your store. Invite holistic medical professionals to talk about organic products' benefits. Schedule hourly organic seminars and offer door prizes that help you build a mailing list.
Place fliers at holistic medical practices, fitness centers and other health- and wellness-related businesses. Finally, place ads in both the food and health sections of your local newspapers.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit garden organic ryton ryton gardens warwickshire mi image by david hughes from Fotolia.com
