Specialty foods have become so popular now that supermarket chains have dedicated aisles for their cultural selections. This added competition makes it even more important for a small business owner to take up initiatives to help them stand out. Customers that visit a specialty food market are looking for fresh and unique items. There are many small things you can do to increase sales. There are also larger projects that you can undertake to completely transform your business. We’ve compiled some tips on how you can bring in more customers and make more sales to those customers while they’re in your store.
Descriptions
Since you are likely to be offering an assortment of imported and rare goods, a product description is a must for each of your unique items. Details that you will want to list include the origin of the product, different uses, flavor profile and even recipes. Many people may not be aware of the items that give their favorite ethnic dishes their flavor. A well written product description will give your patrons direction on how to use your variety of items and the confidence to experiment with them in their own dishes. Including pictures of old world dishes that have come to life is a sure way to get your customer’s creative juices flowing.
Layout
Having a customer friendly layout is a key ingredient in the success of your ethnic market. Foods from common areas should be grouped together. Promote the traditional groupings of flavors through your product descriptions and recipes. Many smaller markets lack a large amount of space so balancing a wide selection with accessibility should weigh heavily in your design. As a small market, it’s important that you focus on what can make your store stand apart from supermarkets. Having lines that don’t interfere with shopping foot traffic and enough registers to check customers out efficiently can be a big differentiator from chain stores. You’ll also want to make sure your product descriptions are prominent and the names of your items are clearly displayed. If you feel like you don’t have enough space to realize your dreams of a successful small business, it may be time to make a larger investment and seek out a new location.
Freshness
Freshness is of the utmost importance in any type of specialty food market. Having imported goods that arrive in a timely fashion to your store will help extend their shelf life. Any types of fresh fruits and vegetables need to be checked frequently to ensure you’re always offering top quality products. The same goes for baked items and store made dishes. This will help you to maintain consistent customers and develop a good reputation for your business.
Selection
As an independent business, you have complete control over your product offerings. You need to take advantage of this and offer a wide variety of world class items. Having items that people can’t get in larger stores will breed a loyal customer base. You also want to ensure you have important base ingredients such as oils, flour, sugar and spices is another great way to maximize your revenue opportunities. This will allow you to siphon some of the cash flow that normally goes to supermarkets into your own business.
Samples
With so many unique tastes available at ethnic markets, there’s a good chance your patrons haven’t tried a good percentage of what you offer. Offering samples of exotic fruits and vegetables as well as home cooked traditional dishes is a great way to showcase your lesser known items and turn customers onto new flavors.
Marketing
What many ethnic food markets lack these days is a marketing plan. Relying on word of mouth and long time customers may help you stay afloat, but a well developed marketing plan can take your business to new heights. Simply helping yourself to become known and promoting your unique items will help to bring in new business. A website, company blog and social media pages are a necessity for small businesses these days. Your website should give the history of your market, the origins of your products and blogs that detail how your wide selection can be used. Your social pages should promote any website content you release and also help you to spread the word about sales and specials.
How Quikstone Capital Solutions Can Help
Some of these suggestions can easily be done on a shoestring budget, however, some of the more necessary and revenue increasing improvement may require a larger investment. If you’re looking to transform your Specialty Food Market into a true competitor in today’s food industry, a merchant cash advance from Quikstone Capital Solutions could lead the way.
