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Many small business entrepreneurs face a difficult choice - to open their own stand-alone store or rent a small point in a shopping center. Both options have their pros and cons. St. Petersburg entrepreneur Dmitry Ogorodnik also faced the same choice - he already had a separate store, but he also decided to test drive the “island” format in a shopping center. We think many small business entrepreneurs will find it useful his experience.

34 years old, entrepreneur from St. Petersburg, general director of the Karelshungit company, which manages stores and "Planet of Shungite". Education: Ryazan Institute of Airborne Forces. Dmitry Ogorodnik – author business blog , in which he shares his own entrepreneurial experiences. Until the end of 2016, the company had its own standalone store; In December, a retail outlet opened in the June shopping center.

Think about the design, make a good presentation

The advantage of shopping centers is that there is already traffic there. You won’t have to spend years getting people to know about your store’s location and start coming to you. You immediately gain access to a mass audience.

The first thing you need to understand: although you sign a lease agreement, in fact you do not need the lease itself, but access to the maximum number of people who “live” in a particular shopping center.

Therefore, you need to start by giving yourself the setting - your goal is not just to stand in some shopping center, but to find a good walkable place in any shopping center.

The first thing you need to do is create a presentation. Almost all shopping centers will ask you to send a presentation of your project; without it, your proposal will not be considered at all. The presentation should contain the following components:

Design of your store. You need to order it in advance, even before you start looking for a place.

Competitive advantages. Write why you are a great option for a shopping center. Here you have to use your imagination and come up with arguments.

Portrait of your target audience.

Planned average check in your store.

General information about your company.

The most important point is about design. Accordingly, you will need to find an agency that develops the design of retail outlets and stores. There are not many such agencies (at least in St. Petersburg), but they do exist.

You need to think about how the store will look schematically - i.e. how the display cases will be located, what kind of display cases they will be, where the cash register area will be, etc. If you don’t have any thoughts on this matter, then I advise you to walk around shopping centers and look at the points that are already operating. And take the decision you liked as a model.

Designers will then have to turn your overall design into a 3D rendering. This picture needs to be inserted into the presentation - 50% of the decision they will make about you depends on it. If you don't have a picture, decision makers simply won't be able to understand whether you will fit into the overall visual concept of their shopping center.

I want to warn you right away: if you want an “island”, then it’s better to immediately plan to make it out of glass and plastic. Not made of wood! Then there will be more chances that you will be approved. Shopping centers are very fond of plastic “islands”.

After the presentation is ready, you need to make a list of all shopping centers in your city. You need to contact every possible one. And then choose from what is offered to you.

Renting in all shopping centers is handled either by the contract department or the rental department. You need to find on the Internet all the contacts of rental managers from the relevant structures. Then call them, ask about available places, clarify work emails and send your presentation.

Be prepared for the fact that at first no one will answer you at all. After a few days, I advise you to call everyone again, remind them of yourself, and ask them to watch your presentation. If necessary, you need to call every 3-4 days - until you are directly told that “there are no places” or “you do not fit into our concept,” or they offer some options.

Let’s say you still wait for feedback, you are offered some options to choose from and are invited to meet with the manager.

And here is a very important point: before this meeting, be sure to go to this shopping center, and it is advisable to go at least twice - once on weekdays, the second time on weekends. Take a convenient observation position and count the traffic. Record how many people pass by your future store in 30 minutes or an hour. This will allow you to identify potential traffic.

Also study the quality of parking, access roads, competing shopping centers nearby, etc.

Read the contract carefully, bargain,
ask for rental holidays

Let's say they called you back, offered an option, you monitored everything and you are satisfied with everything. And then there is the signing of the agreement. But before this, as a rule, you sign a preliminary agreement or letter of intent (this is essentially the same thing). This document specifies the footage, amount of payment, terms of cooperation, etc. Negotiate before you sign. As a rule, you can always discount 10% of the advertised rental price.

You need to read the lease agreement very carefully, delving into each clause. Each shopping center has its own lease agreement. And very often there are a lot of different nuances “hardwired” into it, which can put you in a very unenviable position.

It is important that you are offered so-called rental holidays. Usually this is a month, maximum two. This is the time for you to prepare commercial equipment and equip your outlet. If there is no clause in the contract about rental holidays, then be sure to ask about it!

If everything in the contract suits you and you have signed it, then it’s time to put into production the equipment of your outlet - according to the approved design.

Do not forget that very often the designers themselves have access to various production facilities - and can advise you on a good contractor. If your designer doesn’t know anyone, then Google and Yandex will help you - there are plenty of companies that make equipment, choose based on price-quality ratio, and don’t forget to monitor reviews.

Start hiring salespeople
order acquiring, equip the point

While the equipment is being manufactured, simultaneously start the process of hiring salespeople. This is not a quick task; it may well take 1-1.5 months. In our experience, this is exactly how long it takes to find competent sellers.

Then you immediately need to submit an application for registration and installation of acquiring. It happens that they also delay it - until they give you a terminal, it may take a couple of weeks.

Request your copy of the contract as soon as possible. The administration of the shopping center can delay this - for example, send it to its directors and departments for signature. And you will need it in order to install a cash register. It will need to be ordered from specialized companies and registered with the tax authorities.

And at the same time you need to purchase commercial equipment. In our case, this is jewelry - so we ordered tablets for rings, earrings and other products.

All installation work is carried out at night, so you will need to submit a request for installation of equipment in advance.

If you did everything correctly and carried out all processes in parallel, then your outlet should start operating soon.

And now - our experience

On the other hand, in 2011-2012 I myself worked on the “island” - and sold well. People come up, are interested, and buy. So I thought it was necessary to at least try. Even if it doesn’t work out, rent isn’t that expensive, and you can still make a profit. The main thing is to understand whether the format is suitable or not.

So, we opened our first “island” in the St. Petersburg shopping center “June” in December 2016. The first month we worked to zero. For us, “zero” is 260,000 rubles of turnover.

January 2017 got off to a rocky start. For the first eleven days, our turnover again went to zero. I walked around very upset. It seemed that this would continue to happen. There were thoughts that, no, the “island” format is really not for jewelry.

But after the holidays the situation changed dramatically. Sales went up. As a result, January was closed in the amount of 417,000 rubles. And this is already net profit - over 150,000 rubles. For us, this is an indicator that the format makes sense.

And we closed February at 750,000 rubles. According to intelligence data, we have overtaken our closest competitors, who have been trading silver in the same trading center for nine months. Their maximum turnover at this place was about 600,000 rubles in December.

Our net profit in February was around 300,000 rubles. This is significantly more than our expectations. This means that we can definitely say that this is a working format, and we will promote it.

Now they have already begun to look for a new place for the second “island”. Once we have fully worked out the format, we will start working on the franchise. But this is the future.

There is no shortage of retail food outlets today. In any city, regardless of size, there is a serious struggle for consumers. At the same time, a crisis buyer is no longer a cake. Is it a good idea for a small business to open a grocery store during a crisis? Will a single retailer be able to resist the chains?

The situation in retail, including grocery, is not rosy: the crisis has affected everyone, federal and regional chains, stand-alone stores, and markets. To successfully start in this area, you need to take into account a lot: directions for retail development during a crisis, changes in buyer behavior, the prospects of niches, new legislation... Let's try to figure out how to open a grocery store from scratch in 2016 so as not to go broke.

Product Market - 2016

Situation and trends

Retail is stormy. According to the report of the Ministry of Economic Development "On the results of socio-economic development of the Russian Federation in 2015", retail trade turnover in January-December 2015 amounted to 27,575.7 billion rubles, i.e. 90% of the previous year. The decline was recorded in all federal districts, the saddest situation was in Sevastopol (-23.0%), Samara region (-19.1%), Karachay-Cherkess Republic (-18.1%), Chelyabinsk region (-17.3 %). Analysts from the Ministry of Economic Development consider the retail indicators to be the worst since 1970.

In 2015, food products accounted for 48.6% in the structure of retail trade turnover. Conclusion - grocery retail is experiencing the same difficulties as other industry segments. In some regions, food retail suffered even more. Thus, in Bashkortostan, food retail fell by 14.6% over the year, the industry as a whole - by 12%.

* - with excerpts, only indicators affecting the retail market are presented

Source: Ministry of Economic Development report for 2015

The product market is forced to change, and the following trends can be observed:

• “Hard discounter” format outlets are multiplying;
• large chains are actively experimenting with formats, occupying traditional small business niches: “At Home” store, “Family” store, etc.;
• Specialized stores are increasingly in demand: butchers, fishmongers, organic food stores, etc.;
• optimization of retailers' costs leads to an increase in local assortment;
• Retailers are introducing online trading as one of their sales channels.

The middle class crisis: the evolution of the buyer

Following the situation in the country, the buyer himself, his mood and behavior in stores are changing. Yes, there are consumer groups that have not been affected by the crisis. However, the grocery trade is based on another pillar - the mass segment represented by the middle class (and it suffered significantly during this crisis).

In 2015, not only did consumer demand fall, the dynamics and structure of consumption changed. “Middle peasants” began to visit grocery stores less often, but to buy more, choosing goods carefully. Consumer trend - we buy more necessary and cheaper things. Another trend is an increase in the promotional activity of buyers: the majority are ready to move around the city in search of bargains.

However, cheapness is not the main criterion for Russians when choosing products. According to a survey by the Romir research holding, more than half of the population values ​​the freshness and quality of food, and people are willing to pay more for this. Over the past three years, a group of “food patriots” has emerged who prefer domestic products. There are fewer and fewer people willing to pay for the fame of brands.

Networks versus singles: do autonomous stores have a chance?

Creating large chains is beyond the capabilities of small businesses: at best, “little ones” manage to promote several geographically close stores, usually in the “Convenience” or minimarket format. The worst situation today is for autonomous establishments with wine and vodka departments, the costs of which have increased following changes in the rules for the sale of alcohol: they have to buy jobs from the Unified State Automated Information System.

Networkers and singles are in different weight categories. During a protracted crisis, it is easier for federal and large regional networks to survive. They have reserves, a better developed logistics system, and more favorable delivery conditions. Large retailers can afford attractive promotions and low prices, that is, they invest in “price marketing.” In addition, many networks have long been developing all possible formats, displacing small businesses from their traditional territories. As a result, large retailers are “killing” stand-alone stores, luring customers with low prices, close proximity, rich assortment, and more comfortable shopping conditions.

Small businesses have little chance of competing with online companies. But they exist. Retail giants have a weak spot: they are inert in terms of assortment, are in no hurry to change large suppliers and push unclaimed low-quality goods off the shelves. At the same time, more and more consumers in the mass segment prefer fresh and organic products and value freshness and quality. Small businesses can take advantage of this.

SMEs in grocery retail: components of success

In the current reality, success for a startup is brought by a combination of factors:

• geographical proximity to the buyer and simultaneous distance from network points;
• high-quality and popular assortment;
• perfect service, customer-facing service.

As for the assortment, this is the cornerstone of success. Depending on the location of the store and its neighboring competitors, you can choose a wide assortment with the presence of fresh and takeaway categories, and specialization in one product group. Sometimes a combination works well: a wide selection of products with an emphasis on a specific category. For example, “only we have farm dairy products” (farm meat or poultry, organic vegetables, “healthy baked goods”, etc.).

Despite the crisis and fierce competition with chains, small shops with a bakery, deli, coffee shop, etc. are also promising. The main thing is the convenience and relevance of the concept.

The question “I want to open a grocery store, where to start” can be answered with advice:

• first, assess the viability and relevance of the business idea, analyze how well it meets the needs of customers;
• think about whether you can provide quality service and an original assortment, and how;
• choose the appropriate format for the concept.

If everything comes together, then go ahead.

Choosing a grocery store format

Retail establishments selling food products, according to GOST R 51773-2009, differ:

• by type of ownership (private, municipal, unitary, etc.);
• service format (full or partial self-service, over the counter, etc.);
• method of organizing trade (network, branded, autonomous);
• by specialization (universal, specialized, with a combined or mixed range);
• by type (hyper-, super- or minimarket, grocery store, supermarket, Cash & Carry store, pavilion or “Products” store, “Discounter”, “Fish”, “Fruit and Vegetables” stores, etc.);
• types of retail facilities (stationary and non-stationary);
• according to the terms of sale (with or without a sales area).

Not all formats can be opened by small businesses. Among these, for example, are hypermarkets with an area of ​​more than 4,000 sq. m and supermarkets (600 - 5,000 sq. m), i.e. stores with a wide range and a large share of non-food products (30-40%). Let's look at the modern formats available to SMEs.

1 "Convenient store"(convenience store), also known as “Around the corner”, “Next door” and “At home”

This format involves a low share of trade over the counter. Store area - 50-400 sq. m. The assortment includes 1,500 - 3,000 items, up to 60% of which are everyday goods, i.e., products of the weekly consumer basket. The share of non-food products is up to 15%.

There is an opinion that such points should offer both goods and service of average quality. However, following such a tradition during a crisis is a guaranteed failure. For “At Home” stores, it is important to properly arrange the equipment, ensure neat display and quality service, and avoid delays in goods. The best location is residential areas and areas of new buildings.

“Convenient” are today developing in the direction of increasing the range of food to go and the “fresh” category (fresh, not frozen products and products of their own production). Here you can install coffee making machines, equip service areas for selling tickets, paying for services, issuing online orders, and arrange food eating areas. An entrepreneur who chooses this format, depending on the city, will compete with the network projects “Kopeyka”, “Perekrestok Express”, “Dixie”, “Every Day”, etc.

2 Health food store(eco-products)

Refers to specialized stores with a small assortment, but with great depth. Trade in one group of goods is possible: dairy products, meat, honey. Retail area - 18-200 sq.m. m. The markup is usually higher than for analogues in non-specialized stores. The remaining parameters (location, required traffic, share of trade through the counter) are not decisive, but are determined only by the characteristics of the profile product.

By the way, about a unique product. If the store also sells everyday products, then when laying out and placing the emphasis should be on core products: allocate central shelves for them, display them at eye level, etc.

Some figures for the well-known Moscow chain of farm dairy products “Izbenka”. To trade 70 items, 15-20 sq.m. is enough. m area. Opening one point requires 150,000 - 200,000 rubles. investments. The main problem of business is to find several reliable suppliers to ensure stability of price and quality of products in retail outlets.

Eco-product stores are relevant in large cities, where the economically active population is not burdened with their own gardening and vegetable gardening. In settlements of up to 100 thousand people, the prefix “eco” is perceived as pampering. People in such cities have somewhere to spend their money besides organic carrots.

3 Shop with mini-bakery (cooking)

Essentially, this is the format of “Near Dom” or “Traffic” stores located at traffic intersections, but with its own bakery production. The assortment may be limited to baked goods itself, or may include everyday goods. It is important to remember that in addition to administrative, warehouse and retail premises, production space will be required (by law, they cannot be located everywhere).

How to choose premises, equipment and complete all documents for the bakery.

What is the advantage of the U Doma bakery? Bread, buns, pies are baked in small batches. You can quickly change the assortment, respond to customer requests, and focus on “healthy bread” and interesting additives. This store format involves selling drinks, organizing places to consume baked goods, and installing a coffee machine.

How to open a grocery store

Brainstorm

Competition in retail is enormous; proper business planning is half the success. Decide on the format and location of the store, find several suitable premises options, and begin lease negotiations. Make a business plan, make several options: optimistic, realistic and pessimistic.

Registration

It is better to register a grocery store in the form of an individual entrepreneur or LLC. Please note that individual entrepreneurs cannot sell strong alcohol (only beer and beer drinks). Therefore, LLC is the choice of those who plan to organize a wine and vodka department at a retail outlet. Select OKVED codes provided for retail trade in food products from groups 52.1 - 52.27.

Decide on the taxation system; for retail trade, the following are optimal:

• patent - only for individual entrepreneurs with a sales area of ​​no more than 50 sq. m;
• UTII - for LLCs and individual entrepreneurs, if the area of ​​the trading floor of the pavilion/store is up to 150 sq. m;
• The simplified tax system “income minus expenses” can be used by LLCs and individual entrepreneurs without restrictions on retail space.

The first two systems are introduced in the regions by the laws of the constituent entities of the Russian Federation, and therefore are not available throughout the entire territory of the Russian Federation. The simplified tax system is applied throughout the country without restrictions.

Selection of premises and renovation

When looking for premises for a store, you should focus on the area and location required for the chosen format. In addition, food retail outlets must comply with the rules of the Ministry of Emergency Situations and SES, this must be taken into account.

For example, fish and vegetable stores cannot be located in residential buildings, as well as attached/built-in premises. There are requirements for the organization of an additional exit for evacuation in case of fire, the inadmissibility of counter flows of customers and personnel, etc. It is easier to take all these points into account at the stage of selecting a premises, its redevelopment and renovation.

Obtaining permits and approvals

Entrepreneurs today are legally protected from excessive control by supervisory authorities and are spared from many approval and licensing procedures. A clear knowledge of your rights and responsibilities comes in handy in the event of bureaucratic “excesses on the ground.”

• Law N294-FZ of December 26, 2008 “On the protection of the rights of legal entities and individual entrepreneurs in the exercise of state control (supervision) and municipal control.” Let's go through the key points.

  Entrepreneurs in certain types of activities must notify supervisory authorities about the start of their work. Conclusions from control authorities for starting activities (SES, Ministry of Emergency Situations, etc.) are licensing requirements established for specific types of business. If the activity does not require obtaining a license, then conclusions are not needed. The conduct of scheduled and unscheduled inspections is strictly regulated for the period 2016-2018. Supervisory holidays have been established for small businesses (Article 26.1.).

• Resolution No. 584 of July 16, 2009 “On the notification procedure for starting certain types of business activities.” The document lists the types of activities for which notifications must be submitted, and establishes the procedure for submitting notifications.

From the above regulations it follows that retail trade in products is not a licensed activity (except for the sale of alcohol), therefore the store owner:

• after registration with the Federal Tax Service, but before starting activities, notifies Rospotrebnadzor (you need to send a standard form);
• should not receive conclusions from the SES and the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

Retail sale of alcohol according to Law No. 171-FZ of November 22, 1995 is possible only for legal entities and only on the basis of a license. The list of licensing requirements is impressive, from the size of the authorized capital to 1 million rubles. (set by regional authorities) until the availability of technical means for transmitting information to the Unified State Automated Information System. But conclusions from the SES and the Ministry of Emergency Situations are not required to obtain an alcohol license. Individual entrepreneurs can only sell beer and beer drinks, but without a license.

Despite the fact that it is not necessary to obtain conclusions for a grocery store, the retail outlet must comply with fire safety rules and sanitary standards.

At the time of opening, the store must be equipped with a fire alarm and fire extinguishers, have separate emergency exits, and meet other requirements. Familiarize yourself with the regulatory framework regarding fire safety and the requirements of the Ministry of Emergency Situations for retail facilities.

Regarding the requirements of the SES. You need to focus on SP 2.3.6.1066-01 “Sanitary and epidemiological requirements for trade organizations and the circulation of food raw materials and food products in them.” The main provisions of the document concern the placement and arrangement of retail outlets, their water supply, ventilation and heating, issues of reception, storage and sale of products, sanitary and hygienic rules for personnel, etc.

There are many rules and requirements, but the vast majority of them are based on common sense and are aimed at protecting the life and health of customers and store employees.

Formation of assortment, selection of suppliers

Find out exactly who your client is:

• people purchasing goods for immediate consumption (students, schoolchildren, young people who prefer ready-made food);
• purchasing groceries once a week in hypermarkets and coming to the U Doma store for perishable goods (fruit, milk, bread);
• buyers who do all their shopping close to home and do not have a car or time for long shopping trips.

Form an assortment based on the share of which clients will prevail among buyers. Don’t overload your shelves with goods, don’t compete with hypermarkets for the breadth of assortment. Be flexible, analyze sales, survey customers, replace poorly selling items. Find your unique product category.

The main thing when choosing suppliers is that you must receive a product of satisfactory quality, price and range. Interact not only with wholesale centers and small wholesale organizations (read: intermediaries), but also contact direct suppliers and manufacturers. This way you can get a larger markup and choose what you really need for your store concept.

Selection of commercial equipment

A grocery store will require universal commercial equipment: cash registers, lighting, ventilation, air conditioning and heating systems, scales, terminals for card payments.

In addition, you need to select equipment depending on the range, size and layout of the room:

• shelving for sales floors and warehouses;
• packaging equipment, refrigeration and freezing (display cases, chests, chambers).

The refrigeration system in a grocery store is the main consumer of electricity and a significant expense item. Therefore, when choosing, pay attention not only to ergonomics, functionality and price, but also energy efficiency.

Hiring staff. Advertising and promotion

At the final stage, it is necessary to hire employees: salespeople, administrators, accountants - everyone who is necessary for the effective functioning of the chosen concept. The main thing to remember is that sellers are the people in direct contact with buyers. Their task is an attentive and friendly attitude towards the client, fast and high-quality service.

If you want to have an additional source of income and are thinking about where to start a business, opening a store will probably be one of the first ideas that comes to mind. New retail outlets are opening in every city and many of them are actually making a profit. Learn how to open your store from scratch, step-by-step instructions will help you avoid many beginner mistakes. You can find out more important and relevant information about what you need to open a store and develop your business from the book “Retail: How to Open your Business from Scratch.”

Where to open a store

Marketers believe that two circumstances are most important for successful trading: the location of the store and the product in demand. Moreover, some experts claim that there are three such circumstances: place, place and place. This is, of course, a joke, but like every joke, there is a significant amount of truth in it.

Indeed, if the location of two stores (each of which sells approximately the same product) is very different, then the buyer will come to where it is closer and more convenient to get to. There is even such a concept - a zone of attraction, i.e. the territory whose residents the store can consider its potential customers.

In large cities, shopping areas do not exceed 10 minutes (no more than 1 km) for walking distance and 15 minutes by transport. In residential areas of cities, 30% of residents living in this 10-minute zone are considered possible buyers. The smaller the settlement or retail outlets, the larger the store’s area of ​​attraction will be. Now that large chain supermarkets have penetrated almost all cities, convenience store outlets manage to compete with them precisely due to their proximity to customers.

Before opening your business from scratch in a premises where there has not yet been a retail outlet, find out from the local branches of the SES and the Ministry of Emergency Situations whether it meets sanitary, hygienic and fire safety requirements (especially stringent for grocery stores). In addition, opening a retail outlet requires approval from the local administration. There is no point in resolving the issue with the property owner or buying a premises if it turns out that it is impossible to create the necessary conditions or obtain permission to open it.

If you are thinking about how to open your own business from scratch, but do not have enough money to rent a separate building, explore the options for premises offered by shopping centers. As a rule, shopping centers are opened in places where shoppers gather; in addition, many issues with government agencies have already been resolved, so administrative barriers are lower here.

What to sell

Unfortunately, it is quite difficult to choose which product will be guaranteed to sell and bring a good profit. Even experienced sellers can make the wrong choice, but there are still certain patterns here. Here is a list of product categories in descending order of consumer demand:

• Products and essential items (household chemicals, office supplies, hosiery, inexpensive skincare cosmetics, animal food);
• Childen's goods;
• Clothing and footwear;
• Household goods, electronics and household appliances;
• Furniture, repair goods, sporting goods, watches, gifts and decorations.

Sometimes the choice of goods for sale is made by analogy with already operating stores that sell furniture, clothing, repair goods, etc. well. However, you shouldn’t just copy their range; offer customers something new and on more favorable terms. In addition, the local market may be on the verge of oversaturation with goods of a certain category, and when a new outlet opens, trade will decrease for all sellers.

By the way, you can find out what revenue a competitor store has, if it is a legal entity, completely legally. Request data from the organization’s annual financial statements (individual entrepreneurs do not maintain accounting, so this method is not suitable for them) from the regional office of Rosstat. The regulations for this public service were approved by Rosstat Order No. 183 of May 20, 2013.

When choosing a product category for sale, you need to take into account not only its demand among buyers, but also the possible margin, i.e. trade margin. On average, the markup for product groups is:

• Furniture and household appliances - 20-25%
• Food and essentials - 30-35%;
• Children's products - 40-50%;
• Clothes and shoes - about 50%;
• Books, accessories, jewelry - 70-80%.

Explore the offers of wholesale suppliers on the Internet; there is a high probability that you will be able to find a product that is of high quality, low price and is not represented on the local market.

How much does it cost to open a store?

Bringing business ideas to life from scratch is not easy in any direction, but the trade sector requires greater costs than, for example, the provision of services. To create a store, you need to resolve the issue of premises, commercial equipment, purchase a sufficient amount of in-demand goods, and hire qualified personnel.

Each retail outlet will have its own cost amount. As an example, let's look at how to open your own business from scratch, if it is a store located a few steps from multi-storey buildings. To attract customers, in addition to the usual product range, the seller offers hot pastries, grilled chicken of his own production, and draft beer.

Let's calculate how much costs will be required to purchase commercial and special equipment for a store with an area of ​​50 sq.m. We will also take into account the costs of purchasing the first batch of goods and a sign.

To the costs of opening a store, you need to add semi-fixed expenses, such as rent, utilities and security services, staff salaries, taxes and fees. This amount will be about 150,000 rubles per month. Don’t forget about free working capital to replenish the assortment - 200,000 rubles. In total, if you want to open such a store near your home, you need to have an amount of 1.5 million rubles.

When can such investments in the store pay off, and will it become profitable? Suppose that 8 people enter the store per hour, the average bill is 250 rubles. With a 12-hour operating mode, the average revenue will be 24,000 rubles per day or 720,000 rubles per month. With such indicators, the store has every chance to break even within one year.

What to register: individual entrepreneur or LLC

How to open your own business from scratch in trade - in the format of individual entrepreneurs and LLCs? You need to know about the characteristics of these organizational and legal forms, because they differ significantly from each other.

What can be concluded? If you are thinking about how to start your own business from scratch in the field of retail trade and you do not yet have experience in running your own business, then choose individual entrepreneur registration. If you want to expand your business, you can quickly deregister as an individual entrepreneur and register an LLC.

Taxation system for a store

Even before opening a store, you need to calculate which taxation system you will have the minimum tax burden on. If you do not make such a calculation in advance and do not switch to one of the preferential regimes that you are entitled to use, you will work on the general taxation system (OSNO). In this regime, small businesses pay the highest taxes.

You must submit a notification about the transition to the simplified tax system no later than 30 days after registering an individual entrepreneur or LLC; next time such a right will only be available starting next year. If you have chosen UTII, then you must submit a notification to the inspectorate at the place of activity within 5 days after state registration.

An application for a patent can be submitted simultaneously with documents for registration of an individual entrepreneur, but it will be accepted only if the place of registration of the entrepreneur and the territory of validity of the patent coincide. If you register an individual entrepreneur in one city and plan to open a store in another, then an application to the Federal Tax Service at the place of activity must be submitted 10 days before the patent begins to be valid.

Any competent accountant can make a preliminary calculation of the tax burden under different regimes. Resolving this issue will allow you to legally reduce the amount of taxes several times, so do not delay it.

Cash register for trade

Since 2017, the requirements for using a cash register have become more stringent. New online cash registers are being introduced everywhere. For those sellers who have chosen the simplified tax system or remained on OSNO, a new type of cash register is required from July 1, 2017.

Entrepreneurs on UTII and PSN can still work without using cash registers, but this period for them has been extended for only a year - until July 1, 2018. If you sell beer, then the online cash register will have to be installed earlier - from March 31, 2017, regardless of the mode.

The costs of a new cash register will not be limited to the purchase of the device itself. It is necessary to enter into an agreement with a fiscal data operator who will transmit sales information to the tax office in real time. That is, sellers are required to provide a stable Internet connection in their store and annually pay for the services of a fiscal data operator.

Step-by-step plan for opening a store

Here is a step-by-step plan on how to open your own store, where to start implementing a business idea from scratch:

1. Select several options for store premises and find out about its compliance with the requirements of the SES, Rospozhnadzor and local administration.
2. Resolve with the owner the issue of long-term (more than a year) right to use the premises.
3. If you have such an opportunity, then before opening your business from scratch, order marketing research. It is important to know what circle of buyers you can count on, taking into account the level of demand and the presence of competitors.
4. Order from an accountant or calculate your tax burden in different modes yourself. Choose the most profitable option for you.
5. Study the offers of several suppliers offering the goods you need, find out the conditions of working with them (minimum purchase amount, the possibility of obtaining a trade credit and the percentage of return of unsold goods, etc.).
6. Calculate what investments are needed to open a retail outlet.
7. Make a preliminary calculation of the return on costs for the store; if this period does not exceed two years, then this is a good indicator.
8. Decide in what organizational and legal form (individual entrepreneur or LLC) to start implementing a business idea from scratch in trade.

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.

Before you learn how to open a grocery store, you should understand one important detail. Since everyone (that is, absolutely everyone) is interested in buying groceries, grocery stores are in demand anywhere and at any time. All you have to do is clarify other questions regarding your future store. The first one is: how much does it cost to open a grocery store.

If you have a budget of several tens of millions of rubles at your disposal, then think about opening a supermarket: marketers agree that the future lies with them. But this future has not yet arrived, and grocery stores, like small grocery stores, are still in demand.

When opening your grocery store, decide on a few basic issues, which we will discuss below. First of all, you will need to register a legal entity in the form and collect documents to open a grocery store.

Step 1 – Gather the required documents

You can choose either or as the legal form for your business, based on your own preferences and the characteristics of each form. You may need to consult with a lawyer to make the right decision.

To ensure the full legitimacy and legality of your store, you will need the following list of documents (they may be requested by inspection authorities):

• certificate of registration of individual entrepreneur or LLC;
• title document for commercial premises (lease or purchase and sale agreement);
• permits from the sanitary and epidemiological service;
• conclusion on the compliance of the retail facility with fire safety regulations;
• documents on the implementation of control sanitary and epidemiological measures, as well as agreements on the removal of food waste and garbage;
• personal medical records of employees;
• the text of the law “On the Protection of Consumer Rights”, as well as legislative, legal and reference information for buyers and documents on the sale of certain types of products (all information must be located in the buyer’s corner in the sales area);
• book of reviews and suggestions;
• certificates confirming the quality of products sold;
• if necessary - a license for the sale of alcohol and tobacco products, permission to use foreign labor;
• documentation of the cash register and the cashier-operator's journal;
• certificates of control and measuring instruments;
• agreement for entry into the commercial register.

Step 2 - Find a room

In the case of grocery stores, the choice of premises is especially important. Exactly identical grocery stores located in different places can differ in profitability by 2-3 times.

This is primarily determined by the client audience. Before making your final choice of store premises, assess the population of the area. Find out how often people come here, what social strata and categories they belong to (schoolchildren, students, pensioners, housewives, workers, specialists).

A store located in a crowded place, near large stops, metro stations, railway stations, entertainment and business establishments, will obviously bring in more revenue than a similar store inside a residential area, and especially a residential area.

You will need a total area of ​​at least 100–130 square meters. m, of which about 80 sq. m can be allocated for trade. Make sure that the rent is not very high, otherwise your store will be unprofitable or even unprofitable.

Step 3 – Carry out repairs

You can significantly reduce costs at the initial stage if you agree with the owners of the premises not to pay rent while the retail space is being renovated.

The argument in this case may be the simplest: if you suddenly decide later to abandon your project, the landlord will receive the renovated retail space virtually for nothing. This can convince most retail space owners.

Step 4 – Select staff

If you do not have sufficient experience in selling food products, then you will need an experienced employee for the position of store director. He must have a good knowledge of the range of goods, be able to quickly negotiate with product suppliers, optimize store activities and monitor employees. To keep the director motivated, add to his salary a percentage of the revenue received by the store.

Pay special attention to the trustworthiness and honesty of the person appointed to the position of director. Then you won’t have to worry much about all the other employees. Hire a sufficient number of shift salespeople (and, if necessary, floor consultants). Think about how many security guards and movers you need for your store.

Don't let your guard down, especially at first. Monitor the conscientious work of the staff. Make sure that they are polite to customers and do not steal or eat food stored in the store. Also pay special attention to the medical examination of employees. These documents for opening a grocery store are also necessary to avoid problems at work.

Step 5 - Install the Hardware

This is the main item of your expenses. To ensure storage of a minimum set of goods that are in demand among customers, you will need refrigerated display cases, refrigerated cabinets, freezers, and scales for weighing products. The equipment also includes ordinary display cases and shelving. But this issue is still not as difficult to solve as opening a grocery store.

Include inventory in this same expense item: food storage containers, cutting boards, knives and other tools. Plan to buy them in advance as they only seem like small change. Don’t forget that using new branded equipment guarantees you high-quality work and also raises the prestige of your store in the eyes of customers.

Step 6 – Define your product mix

On a retail area of ​​80 sq. m you can safely place from 500 items of goods. It is best to organize the trading floor by dividing it into sections. This will make it easier for buyers to navigate and make your trading more rational.

Do not forget about the ordinary needs of people - based on them, you can place household goods, household chemicals and personal care products in separate sections. In addition, compile your list of products based on the capabilities of retail and refrigeration equipment.

As you can guess, there is no universal product ratio. You can look to the experience of successful supermarkets, but in general you will still have to find the right solution yourself. To improve store performance, keep records of the demand for each type of product. Find out which brands of goods and which products are in greatest demand, and which ones have been lying on display for a long time.

Step 7 – Find suppliers

Of course, most food products can be found from a huge number of suppliers, even in a small city. Two main issues remain important: the profitability of the purchase and the quality of the goods. Having found the most reliable suppliers, purchase the first batch of goods and immediately start trading. After a month or a little more, suppliers’ agents will begin to contact you, offering their services for the supply of goods.

At first, you will have to work on an advance payment basis, since the history and reputation of the store is very important for suppliers to trust it. In the meantime, you don’t have this history - suppliers cannot be completely confident in the reliability of your store. With successful work, you can show them that you can be trusted by delivering goods for sale.

Do not forget to check all the necessary documentation for the products supplied to you: certificates, invoices and certificates. Do not work with suppliers whose honesty and compliance with the law cause you even the slightest doubt.

Step 8 – Don't be afraid of competition

In almost all cities, there have long been no places left that are completely undeveloped by grocery store owners. Therefore, in any case, you will have to face tough competition, especially from hypermarkets and retail chains. Is it profitable to open a grocery store, given this situation? Oddly enough, yes.

Do not rush to be upset if you find a grocery store or supermarket that has been operating for a long time in the place where you are planning to open your store. Visit it, evaluate the range and quality of service. It often turns out that an outwardly presentable store is completely unable to satisfy the needs of customers - in this case, you can easily compete with it from the very beginning of work.

Practice shows that within six months after opening, a well-organized grocery store or supermarket attracts the majority of customers and becomes the leader among all nearby stores. In addition, unprofitable grocery stores close, and then, if you have sufficient capital, you have the opportunity to buy out the vacated retail space in order to expand your own trade.

Is it profitable to open a grocery store?