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Retail sale of fruits and vegetables. Retailing vegetables as a business

At proper organization, a business based on the sale of vegetables and fruits will be stable. The demand for food is always constant, because people must replenish their vitality through food. Even in times of crisis, everyone finds money for food and strives not to save on vitamins, since it is these factors that determine human health and the availability of energy, which is so necessary to ensure a normal level of life. The advantage of this type of business is that opening a small store is not difficult, expressed in obtaining permits, in obtaining expensive leases and in large-scale financial investments.

Vegetable and fruit business

When planning business activities in the vegetable and fruit direction, it is recommended that you familiarize yourself with its nuances that may affect the performance outlet. When you open it, you need to strive to earn a positive reputation in the eyes of potential customers. To attract them, you should first think over and correctly form the assortment range. You will not be able to earn much by offering several positions of domestic products. Its assortment needs to be expanded with greens, mushrooms, dried fruits and exotic imported fruits.

The effectiveness of entrepreneurship directly depends on the location of the outlet and on the design of the window. It is best to locate a store or stall close to residential areas, in areas with high traffic, but at a distance from competitors.

Seasonal demand and the formation of an assortment range

The business of selling vegetables and fruits is seasonal.

V pre-holiday days people buy imported fruits such as bananas, tangerines, oranges and kiwis. In winter, apples and the entire pre-holiday assortment are popular. In summer, seasonal fruits and berries should be laid out on the window, not forgetting to decorate them appetizingly using trays and plastic molds. Strawberries, grapes, currants, raspberries, watermelons and melons will be popular. Vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, beets, onions and garlic are in demand at any time of the year, so the entrepreneur needs to make sure that they are constantly present in the assortment range.

Business planning

In the spring, the cost of goods always increases by 60 percent. At this time, consumers prefer to buy fruits, juices, dried fruits, herbs and the first vegetables needed to provide the body with vitamins. In the autumn, you can count on bulk purchases of customers for storage in the cellar, so you should include such an option as wholesale in your trading style.

What knowledge is needed

The entrepreneur must have information about the harvest time of each vegetable and fruit in order to purchase them at a low cost.

When dealing with the question of how to open a vegetable store from scratch, you should study the characteristics of the products, their varieties and storage rules. Such knowledge will allow giving recommendations to buyers who doubt their choice. Additional information to consumers will help increase the rating of the outlet, since it is always a pleasure to communicate with a sociable and competent person who is ready to help with advice.

Suppliers

When compiling a business plan for a vegetable store, you should include a section on finding a supplier. You should not plan cooperation with farms, as they offer a limited range of products, the price of which, most likely, will not be loyal, due to the purchase of an insufficient, in their opinion, batch of goods. Products are recommended to be purchased at wholesale bases, because there you can buy a wide range at a bargain price, because Wholesale prices begin to act after the acquisition of several tens of kilograms.

Vegetables and fruits are food products: those products that are easy to sell. The advantages of selling vegetables and fruits as a business are in constant demand. The product is valued by consumers. However, it is perishable and requires competent filing and procurement management.

What you will learn about:

Business on vegetables and fruits: model options

A fruit and vegetable store is one of the subtypes of grocery stores. The profit of a vegetable business will depend on how the entrepreneur manages sales and understands the needs of customers. The features of the business are similar to traditional grocery retailing.

In large cities, there is fierce competition in this area. Whether a business takes off or fails depends on suppliers, the ability to provide competent logistics, get regular customers. That is, on how an entrepreneur wins a place in the sun from competitors.

However, if the starting stage is completed without significant losses, then a small vegetable tent can be expanded to a vegetable store. The business plan for the sale of vegetables and fruits involves expansion.

Stall, tent or kiosk in the city

An entrepreneur, in order to experience all the pros and cons of this field of activity, can start by organizing a vegetable tent. Consumers appreciate products from such outlets, as stalls, tents, fruit and vegetable stalls offer higher quality fresh products compared to large stores.

Important! The owner of the vegetable stand needs to build relationships with the farmers in order to directly purchase goods from them.

The supply chain from local producers will offer best product at a price that is pleasant for the consumer, since there is no need to pay for intermediary margins. Also, interaction with farmers allows you to deliver fresh goods faster than it would be through a distributor.

This will be a marketing advantage over regular grocery stores that offer average prices for average quality products.

Delivery trade

Selling vegetables and fruits as a business from a car is optimal if the entrepreneur himself is a producer and has neighbors who grow a large amount of plant products.

Delivery trade is possible at food fairs in large cities, markets in small towns, as well as in the form of a mobile shop in villages.

The advantage of selling vegetables from a car is that you do not need to pay for the rental of premises. However, there are also costs - logistical, temporary. Sales will be unstable - it is difficult to form a large customer base in distribution trade.

In the delivery trade, it is important to find a place where customers can come themselves, as well as park their cars. If space permits, it is necessary to install several pavement signs, temporary signs.

As for the equipment, the delivery trade requires only a small table where samples of goods will be laid out. However, the refrigeration unit inside the car will be able to increase the possible assortment: add eggs, mushrooms, milk and other farm products to vegetables and fruits.

Vegetable and fruit shop

The classic option is a stationary shop in a place with stable pedestrian traffic or next to high-rise residential buildings.

A business plan for the sale of vegetables and fruits may involve opening a small room, from 15 square meters, if it is possible to put some of the goods on the street.

The store needs a warehouse. More big store involves an expanded range (due to related products from farmers) and the availability of refrigeration equipment for its storage.

The Biznes.Ru Retail inventory program will help you keep a full warehouse record. Control the assortment, analyze sales, carry out inventory, posting, write-off and movement of goods between stores.

Features of vegetables and fruits as a commodity

What vegetables and fruits are best to choose for sale

Experts suggest dividing goods into permanent and seasonal in a business plan for the sale of vegetables and fruits.

In particular, the following fresh vegetables belong to the product of regular sales:

cucumbers;
tomatoes;
potato;
carrot;
beet;
bell pepper;
hot peppers;
onion and garlic;
cabbage ordinary and Chinese cabbage;
greens (parsley, dill, basil, lettuce).

There is a large range of seasonal vegetables that are grown in large quantities only in open ground. The price of such vegetables is low only in season. They are not stored for long, so in winter they are brought to warehouses from abroad. Due to the high price, the demand for imported vegetables is unstable. These products include:

peas;
eggplant;
zucchini and zucchini;
beans;
broccoli;
Brussels sprouts;
pumpkin;
turnip;
parsnip;
celery and other similar vegetables.

Such vegetables should be sold in season or in case of low prices from the supplier. Note that pumpkin and turnip are long-term storage products. They lie in a cool warehouse for several months.

Product name	Product storage conditions
Product name	storage temperature,C°	Relative humidity, %	Permissible storage period
Apricot, plum
Oranges
oranges yellow
Oranges unripe

Bananas, pineapples (ripe)
Grape
Cherry, sweet cherry
salted mushrooms



Sauerkraut
Potato
Roots

Onion and garlic
tangerines
Cucumbers, pickled tomatoes


winter apples
Summer/autumn apples

The same division is for fruits and berries. Constant demand is fixed for bananas and apples. In some regions - pears.

In summer, due to the large number of seasonal fruits and berries (strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, apricots, plums, peaches, grapes), the demand for citrus fruits (oranges, lemons, tangerines) decreases. However, in winter, they can make up half of a store's daily revenue.

Demand for imported fruits and berries such as mangoes, pineapples, avocados, kiwis, etc. is low but stable. Some fruit business business plans are based on the implementation of exotics with promotion through social networks and an online store.

Assortment of related products:

mushrooms;
nuts;
juices;
conservation;
vegetable oil;
vinegar;
dried fruits;
preservation tools (in season) and special freezer bags.

Places of purchase of products

A business plan for the sale of vegetables and fruits should include an analysis of possible places of purchase. The choice is influenced by the degree of exotic goods. Thus, it is advantageous to purchase imported goods at wholesale depots. Looking for a direct supplier is only worth it if the business expands to a large chain of stores.

For the purchase of vegetables and fruits of constant demand that grow in the same region, it is advantageous to conclude a supply agreement with two to five farmers.

The selection of a supplier for each region of Russia is distinguished by its specifics and pricing policy. If opportunities allow, you can study the situation in the neighboring region in order to make large purchases there (once every two weeks). However, in this case, the presence of a warehouse is important.

Market analysis

Market analysis when preparing a business plan for the sale of vegetables and fruits is needed to understand what external factors affect price and demand, as well as market structure.

Despite the increase in the number of farms and the policy of import substitution in Russia, the import of fruits and vegetables continues to occupy a significant market share. The reason is the climate.

In our country, it is impossible to grow not only exotic fruits, but also citrus fruits in large quantities. We don't even have enough farmers with greenhouses to simply provide tomatoes and cucumbers for the entire nation of 150 million people in January.

According to statistics, Belarus is the key country that supplies vegetables to Russia. It supplies potatoes, cabbage, and is a transit country for prohibited products from the European Union.

As the market analysis showed, in 2017-2018. the demand for those types of vegetables and fruits, for which prices fell, grew. Last year, food prices fell due to the strengthening of the ruble. However, demand has corrected the fall in real incomes of Russians.

In the future, the price will be affected by:

rising fuel prices;
an increase in VAT to 20% (indirectly, due to an increase in the price of machinery and equipment).

A small positive effect on the increase in demand is caused by:

increase in pensions;
budgetary allowances.

The geographical location of the region also affects prices. For example, on Far East and the North-West region, vegetable prices are high. This is due to the low competition of farmers, climate and logistical features.

The lowest prices in the south of Russia and in the Central Federal District. Most of the farms specializing in open field cultivation during the season and in greenhouses all year round are concentrated here.

Features of competitors in the vegetable business

Competitive analysis of a fruit and vegetable business is an important part of planning. Each region and city has its own competitors in this market. These include:

Groceries;
farmers' markets;
pavilions and stalls;
fruit and vegetable shops;
fruit and vegetable delivery companies;
companies specializing in exotic and unique fruits and vegetables.

Competitive analysis should include a study of market concentration - the degree of predominance of a particular format in the market.

For instance, competitive analysis might start like this:

“In the city in the immediate vicinity (2-3 km) there is a Sunday farmers' market, three convenience stores, one supermarket of the federal network, and two vegetable stalls. There is also a shop selling exotic fruits in the city.”

Determining the format of a vegetable and fruit store

size of the trading area of own business;
assortment policy;
pricing policy.

For example, if there are many competitors and they offer mainly farm vegetables, then it is necessary to draw up a business plan for a fruit store. Offer favorable prices bananas, apples, and seasonal berries. The accompanying goods will be dried fruits and nuts.

The fruit shop can offer the following services:

preparation of freshly squeezed juices and smoothies;
cleaning, cutting and shock freezing of selected fruits for the winter.

In this case, the audience of the fruit shop will not be pensioners, but young people leading active life, and vegans.

A grocery store business plan can also take several formats. You can focus on a diverse assortment, on low prices, on loyalty to customers with low purchasing power (a system of discounts for pensioners, large families).

You can keep a full-fledged warehouse accounting in the store, control the assortment, analyze profits and predict sales by connecting the Business.Ru inventory system.

Risks when opening a vegetable and fruit business

Business advantages in constant demand and opportunities minimum investment, allowing you to open a vegetable tent and make a profit. In Russia, fruit and vegetable consumption per capita in Lately remains stable.

The average price for vegetables has increased, a segment of those customers has appeared who need fresh premium vegetables and exotic fruits.

high competition;
supplier search;
organization of storage of perishable goods;
sales organization problem.

The last point is especially important to consider when drawing up a business plan for the sale of vegetables and fruits. In this business, hired personnel are needed: someone needs to bring, lay out the products, sort the goods that have already been sold for several days in order to prevent damage to the entire batch.

That is why entrepreneurs try to involve the whole family in such a business, using the labor of children and relatives.

Marketing plan

The sale of fruits and vegetables as a business is characterized by high competition. Therefore, it is necessary to use advertising tools:

signboard and outdoor advertising (pillars and pointers);
distribution of leaflets offering discounts for a certain type of product;
improving the quality of service (home delivery of heavy bags, ordering from specific types of exotic vegetables, fruits and berries);
using social media to reach young people and the active population;
development of a loyalty system and implementation of CRM .

Production plan

The production plan for a vegetable and fruit store includes all stages of starting a business, excluding registration costs.

Floor space for a fruit and vegetable store

A profitable place for sale will be a retail outlet in a residential area, surrounded by high-rise buildings, with stable pedestrian traffic. However, the store can also successfully operate on the highway in a small town (at the intersection of traffic flows, not far from the bus stop).

Due to the fact that expensive repairs are not required, the premises can be either rented or owned.

Its size is from 10 to 40 square meters. It is important that the store has running water, sewerage, the building or pavilion is connected to the power grid.

Procurement, transportation and storage

About where to look for suppliers when drawing up a business plan for a vegetable store, it was said above.

The production plan involves the formation of a procurement schedule that will reduce time costs. Transportation of goods for such an outlet is one of the main financial costs.

Therefore, it is worth calculating best option purchases by time and volume, so as not to visit the wholesaler more than twice a week. Proper storage of vegetables and fruits will also optimize transport costs and reduce damage to goods.

With the help of the Business.Ru Retail product accounting program, you can analyze revenue and purchase goods based on sales dynamics. Inventory, posting, write-offs and transfer of surplus between stores. Calculate the profitability of products and predict sales.

List of mandatory equipment for a vegetable store

A vegetable store can only be content with shelves for displaying goods, a cashier's table and one type of equipment - an online cash register with scales connected to it.

Note that stand-alone cash desks often do not have the ability to work with scales, so it is recommended to purchase a fiscal registrar. Also, please note that the Business.Ru Retail program can work with both checkout and hall scales.

When expanding a business, more expensive equipment will be required: freezers, refrigerators, juicers for making freshly squeezed juices.

A table with calculations can be included in a business plan for the sale of vegetables and fruits.

	Quantity, pcs	Price	total cost
Racks
CCP with installation

Total

organizational plan

The organizational stage of launching a vegetable store - all the moments associated with registering a business. Consider what documents are needed for the trade in vegetables and fruits.

Document on registration of an individual entrepreneur or LLC in the tax office. Most of the entrepreneurs who are engaged in such a business are registered in the form of an individual entrepreneur. OKVED codes should be selected from this list (you can write everything down just in case):

Premises lease agreement;

Permission from firefighters (they will give it for a store not lower than the second floor with an emergency exit and a fire extinguisher);
Permission from the sanitary inspectorate. To do this, you will need to apply to the SES with a statement so that their laboratory assistant checks the premises for compliance with the requirements. Also, before contacting the SES, you will have to conclude contracts for garbage collection and waste disposal, correctly draw up a consumer corner, a book of reviews and suggestions.

Taxation can be chosen either according to the simplified tax system, or as UTII. It all depends on the planned income of the business.

No special permits are required for the sale of vegetables and fruits. However, there must be papers that confirm the safety of the goods.

For farm products - the conclusion of the state veterinary examination at the place of production. If the assortment contains imported vegetables and fruits, then it is necessary to have papers on passing phytosanitary control.

Stages	1 month	2 month	3 month
Market research
Competitor analysis
Search for a place to rent in a selected area
Writing a complete business plan for the sale of vegetables and fruits
Preparation of documents for registration of individual entrepreneurship
Registration in the tax
Drawing up a lease agreement
Equipment selection
Purchase of equipment and delivery arrangements
Cosmetic repairs, installation of equipment
Selection of wholesalers or farmers for cooperation
Recruitment
Obtaining a work permit from firefighters and SES
Delivery of goods to the store
Opening

Fruit and vegetable store staff

The main staff is two sales assistants working 2/2 shifts or one sales assistant who works 5 for 2 and is replaced by the store owner on weekends.

We also need a driver, a loader and a cleaner. To save costs, the functions of the cleaner can be entrusted to sellers.

Each seller has a salary part of the salary - from 15 to 25 thousand rubles and a bonus part, which is calculated as 5% of the proceeds.

The salary of the driver is calculated based on the workload of his work and the cost of the cost of transporting products.

Financial plan

A business plan for the sale of vegetables and fruits includes detailed payback calculations.

In the tables below, we calculate the costs before opening a 30-square-meter store selling vegetables and fruits when buying truck to the property.

Monthly expenses in the presence of one seller and one driver / loader:

Daily revenue - about 15 thousand rubles. Monthly revenue is 450 thousand rubles. Initial investment payback in about 7 months.

How to open a fruit and vegetable store

Since the Middle Ages, the agricultural business has been revered for the inhabitants of our country as the most natural occupation. For this, as it seems at first glance, there are all conditions:

Various climatic conditions for growing great amount different crops, vegetables and fruits;
large areas of agricultural land;
the innate trust of most consumers in agricultural products of "home" origin;
a system of subsidies and various kinds of benefits, to which domestic producers gain access due to the introduction of an import substitution policy.

At the same time, making money on the wholesale trade in vegetables and fruits is not always easy - it's all about choosing right business model. It could be like own production– for example, farmlands or greenhouses for growing vegetables, orchards, vineyards or berry plantations, and wholesale. Any model requires investment in assets or infrastructure, the establishment of a marketing system, and of course - documentary support.

Advantages and disadvantages of fruit and vegetable business

Trading fruits and vegetables as a business has both its own pros and cons. The owner of such a company will definitely win, because:

There is always a demand for this product;
the availability of seasonal fruits and vegetables allows you to make a profit all year round;
this business does not require sky-high investments and allows you to constantly stay within the framework of high profitability, especially if you focus on big cities.

In the same time, vegetable business carries certain risks:

Vegetables and fruits spoil quickly enough, it is not always possible to work at the warehouse, and the turnover of the warehouse should be quite high;
competition among suppliers and traders is high;
seasonal work is not always comfortable - hot in summer, cold in winter, especially in an open tray.

Forms of doing vegetable business

Like any other business, a vegetable and fruit business can be built in different forms- it all depends on the size of the initial capital and the scale of the business that the owner intends to build. Much depends on who the business is designed for, who potential buyer, what is his consumer basket, how much he is willing to spend and for what. Before scaling a business, an entrepreneur often experiments with the assortment, tries different formats of outlets - from trading from a car to opening a kiosk or store, studies consumer tastes and experiments with marketing ideas. What are the advantages of those vegetable business models that are most popular today?

Trading from a car

This trading format is best suited for selling seasonal fruits and vegetables. All that is required to start such a business is permission, but you don’t have to think too long about a marketing strategy. It is unprofitable to rent for the sale of seasonal products trading area or tray, especially if the product is perishable, like garden or wild berries. It is much more expedient to go shopping by car in countryside and sell goods in the city. Recently, you can often come across the practice when a car with vegetables goes around residential and sleeping areas, and the seller with a loudspeaker announces the sale fresh vegetables and fruits. It is profitable to sell seasonal products from a car, wholesale of vegetables from a car is also quite profitable - you can transport large volumes of goods at once. Among the minuses are the lack of comfort and high fuel costs.

Market, tray, small trading form

Trade in vegetables and fruits is also possible from a stall in the market - such a business organization at first will be ideal to ensure a stable income. Renting an area in a residential area will be inexpensive, and having recommended your products, you will also gain regular customers. In a small town, this form of trading is often the best form of business. In a big city, the main obstacle is competitors concentrated in one place and the difficulty in finding a really convenient and noticeable place in the market. It is clear that the tray, which is lost among many other similar ones, and at the same time does not differ high quality service and product range, is unlikely to attract its buyer. But if the latter knows that only you will find the “exotic” product he needs (and any product always has its own, albeit limited, audience of buyers), he will inevitably come to you.

Concept store idea, farm products and organic products store

Today, a vegetable business can be built not only by volume, but also by building an interesting concept. Due to the fashion for organic products, the fear of fertilizers and pesticides, the reluctance of people to buy tasteless products in supermarkets and a kind of “return” to the roots, the demand for farm products has increased. It is one thing to sell bags of food grown "without a soul" in vast areas of agricultural firms using chemicals to control weeds and pests - and quite another to sell a product grown by a specific person who has invested all his talent and skill in growing large and juicy tubers of potatoes, beets or onions. Such marketing, backed up by a good story, is bound to strike right in the heart of its consumer today. Naturally, the audience of organic products is concentrated in big cities, and in order to reach it, special tools are needed - a concept, a store design, and enough large investments into external effects. But the benefits that can be obtained from such a trade in vegetables are immeasurably higher.

Deliveries of fruits and vegetables to retail chains

Perhaps the most profitable wholesale trade in vegetables and fruits is possible in the format of organizing deliveries in large chains supermarkets. However, in terms of the level of bureaucratic delays, the number of necessary permits and other procedural nuances, this is the most unprofitable strategy. This path is worth going if you are ready to organize really stable and large deliveries, and you should not start for the sake of several batches of goods. Yes, and it's no secret that go to the big retail chains to a person "from the street" is almost impossible.

Online store or targeted delivery of goods

Is it profitable to trade vegetables and fruits via the Internet? Yes, it's profitable. Everything more people today they experience a catastrophic lack of time even for an elementary shopping trip. They will be only too happy to visit your website, add to cart desired goods, specify convenient terms and format of delivery and payment and get everything you need right on the threshold of your own apartment. However, this format of work can have its own pitfalls:

Limited delivery channels due to perishable products;
it would be advisable to expand the range at the expense of other food products;
it will still not be possible to reach a low cost due to the mandatory costs of delivering goods.

At the same time, there is no need to keep large warehouse- a fairly extensive network of suppliers.

Legal nuances

Selling vegetables and fruits as a business requires legal registration. You can register as an individual entrepreneur or register an LLC. It is also important to choose a tax system that will not become burdensome for you, and for this - carefully calculate the business model of your future costs and potential income.

Permits

What documents are needed to trade fruits and vegetables?

Naturally, the most important documents are related to the registration of IP. All extracts from state registers must be available.
The second step is the registration of the type of activity in the OKVED system - this is a list of types of domestic economic activity that you are engaged in or potentially intend to be engaged in in the future. Please note - if you are ambitious enough to enter the direct conquest of the foreign market in the future, the volume of documentation will increase several times. Therefore, we recommend that you first stop, however, only in the domestic market. According to the OKVED system, your code will most likely be 52.21 - Retail fruits, vegetables and potatoes.
The third step is to obtain permits for work from the fire, sanitary and epidemiological, and, if necessary, from the phytosanitary service.
Making a corner of the buyer and consumer, where your registration information, extracts from registers, certificates of the taxpayer, extracts from the law on consumer protection, and also a book of complaints and suggestions should be presented.
Collection of product quality certificates - certificates of conformity, if necessary - radiological control, certificates of product origin, etc.

If you want to conduct a safe and responsible business, it is important to remember that these documents, especially those relating to the quality of goods, are mandatory for any form of trade. What documents are needed to trade vegetables from a car? All of the above, except perhaps for permits from the fire service due to the lack of a stationary room, which must be equipped according to all fire safety requirements.

IMPORTANT! For those wishing to learn in the future foreign market It is important to remember that within the framework of the regulation of trade in agricultural products within the WTO (World trade organization) there is a system of restrictive and incentive quotas for exports and imports certain types agricultural products. This means that the sale of some types of goods is encouraged, while others are limited. Therefore, before leaving international market it is important to study not only consumer demand and tastes in the country of export, but also the legislation governing quotas and preferences for this commodity item.

Seat allocation

Selling vegetables as a business may involve finding a stationary point of sale. If we are talking about a market stall, then in order to sign a lease agreement for it, you need to contact the market administration. If you are looking for a space that can be rented on a long-term basis as a shop, then you need to apply to the city council for the appropriate permission.

Business setup costs

Selling fruits and vegetables as a business requires investment, the amount of which will depend on the size of the project and the initial base. When calculating costs, we take into account the following factors:

Rent of land, garden, greenhouse;
costs for growing products - seed fund, tillage of land and seeds, fertilizers, treatment from weeds and pests, top dressing;
fuel costs for sowing, processing and harvesting;
wages of hired personnel;
certification;
primary processing of products, processing for long-term storage;
rental of storage facilities;
rent of a point of sale;
logistics and delivery costs;
storage losses, depreciation of transport and equipment;
other minor expenses.

Each entrepreneur, based on these articles, calculates his expenses and potential income (based on profitability in the amount of 15 - 25%). Of course, the costs will be lower if you are going to sell products from your own garden or vegetable garden, and higher if you have to purchase products from wholesalers or farmers.

Marketing strategy development

No matter how high-quality your product is, without a well-thought-out marketing strategy, you will not be able to successfully compete in the market. According to statistics, the import substitution policy shows the following results: last years vegetable imports fell by more than a third, while fruit imports fell only slightly. It is understandable - Russian market is able to offer an alternative to imported potatoes, onions or apples, but not oranges and bananas. But even such natural limitations, modern marketers manage to turn to their advantage with the right approach to finding “their” buyer and, last but not least, the ability to tell a story about why this buyer should buy their products.

Formation of the assortment

The right range and price policy- this is already half the success. It is unlikely that you will be able to earn a lot by selling expensive greenhouse pineapples in a small village. But in the central market big city tomatoes from a closed farm will certainly be in demand. If you are determined to educate the buyer and change his tastes, also think about supplying your exotic products with branded recipes for their preparation. Remember that in our market, the option of alternative products that can replace something more expensive works well. So, legumes once became popular as an alternative to expensive meat products, and popularization healthy way life has created popularity for such previously unseen fruits as avocados, celery, etc.

Quality service from packaging to cuisine

If you do not have the funds to promote the brand, but you want to look worthy in the eyes of your customers, use the tools that a good service can offer. Smile and neat appearance a seller, neatly laid out goods, and what’s there - packaging in paper bags instead of annoying cellophane, which we are actively fighting now - and your point already looks “expensive” and prestigious compared to those standing nearby.

Additional bonuses for the client

Do not forget about the traditional marketing "tricks, due to which you can" leave "even at the peak moments of seasonal competition:

Discounts for regular customers - people value personal relationships and love to be distinguished from the crowd;
a slight but discount on a seasonal product - especially in lean years, when your neighbors inflate the price, in the hope that the buyer will buy the product at any price in the absence of an alternative;
small bonuses or gifts - a bunch of greens or a new variety of apple offered for tasting, a bag of dried fruits or seasonal seasoning. These little things are enough to sometimes cheer up your client and make him come back to you again.

I would like to present you my case on remote business on wholesale deliveries vegetables and fruits. It's about other people's vegetables and fruits, as you know. And we will act as an intermediary between the seller and the buyer. Everything that will be discussed below is personally tested by me in practice.

To make it easier, I will describe the whole scheme of our business for the sale (resale in our case) of vegetables and fruits using the example of potatoes. There is a fairly stable demand for potatoes in Russia, this is a mass product and quite inexpensive.

Intermediary agency business on wholesale sales vegetables and fruits is much easier than the classic business on the same products, which requires tens, and sometimes hundreds of millions of investments of personal funds. Therefore, in order to earn an average of a hundred thousand rubles in this business, it is enough to know general information and scheme of work in this area.

To make it as clear and understandable as possible, I’ll tell you, using the example of potatoes, the product that I chose. You can see how much the population of our country alone consumes this product every year: in 2017, 29.6 million tons of potatoes were harvested in farms of all categories, and this number is growing year by year.

So, let's begin.

Types and varieties of potatoes

All potatoes are divided into 2 types:

Seminal.
Food.

By varieties - in each area, 3-5 main varieties are usually grown. Therefore, you do not have to study a large amount of information.

Supplier search

Each supplier is interested in selling his harvest as soon as possible. Therefore, they are very willing to cooperate.

Contacts of owners Farms can be found on the websites of the Min. Agriculture almost any area in which you reside. Or we are looking for all organizations on request - KFH (Peasant Farming) and similar in meaning to the name of the organization.

Search for vegetable suppliers in Yandex

It’s worth calling in the morning and if you didn’t get to the owner of the enterprise, then immediately ask him mobile phone which they will gladly give you.

Negotiations with suppliers

It is better, of course, to arrange a meeting by phone and personally discuss everything live, but most often the fields are located somewhere in the region and without a personal car it will be a little problematic to get there.

If you do not have a car, but there is an opportunity to ask someone, spend a day and get to know the owners personally, it is better not to waste this opportunity. This will be to your advantage. If this is not possible, then everything can be discussed over the phone.

Negotiations on time can take 10-15 minutes, and this is normal - the owners of enterprises are used to such calls and usually react positively. The task is to find out important parameters, how:

grade;
caliber(size);
expected yield;
the workload of the economy;
package;
the presence of weights;
what is the most convenient way to get there, who meets;
cash / non-cash payment, whether they work under the contract.

After that, be sure to ask for product photos. The client always asks for photos, download others from the Internet - I do not advise, because. the client is most often not the first year in this business and upon arrival can easily understand that he was deceived, which will cause a negative.

Pricing (our markup on a product)

After discussing all the parameters of the potato, it is worth warning the owner about the size of your margin.

In potatoes, it is from 50 kopecks to 2 rubles on average (for 2018).

It is better to sell at least 20 tons - this is one truck. That is, earnings will be from 10 to 40,000 rubles. from one truck. I do not recommend trading with a smaller volume.

You can sign an agency agreement with the owner, but most often a verbal agreement is enough. You take your money either in cash after the transaction, or the owner transfers it to a debit card.

Sales channels, advertising

I don’t see the point in writing a lot here, since it’s not difficult to find a client with competitive prices and acceptable product quality.

Sites such as AgroServer and Avito work best. Again, publish good photos and a full description of the benefits of the product and work with you. It is very important!

Let's talk about how much you can earn on the resale of vegetables.

Now about the main thing. Personally, I earned 80-120 thousand rubles for the seasonal month (season September - December) that year. Remotely.

People who have the opportunity to attend transactions and carry out large orders through their company as intermediaries earn up to 10 million rubles. for the season. And most often then they already acquire their storage facilities and sell from it.

But we are discussing remote earnings, so you should count on the amount from 50,000 to 200,000 rubles per month. I have such earnings and the guys I know who work according to this scheme. As such, there is no ceiling on earnings of course. Everything, as always, depends on you.

Pros and cons of a vegetable resale business

pros

Earnings on average 100,000 rubles. per month.
remote work.
You do not bear any responsibility.
A lot of customers (if you post well-written ads).

Minuses

The owner can throw. In search of good suppliers, I was scammed more than once. Here, as they say, natural selection occurs by screening.
It is desirable to be on the phone from 7:00 to 22:00. Customers call at any time and you should strive to answer all calls.
Costs for telephone connection. Well, if desired, on Avito and agroserver (but not much). To earn 80-100 tr. I invested no more than 2 thousand rubles .. / month.
The transaction cycle varies from 1 day to 2-3 weeks. Depends on the buyer.

How to trade vegetables in the market? What to sell? Or maybe not? .. scary.
Back in the winter of this year, I decided to grow more seedlings than I usually did and try to go to the market with the grown vegetables. I also made more ridges for cucumbers and sowed the seeds in the ground.

It was just an experiment - to grow cucumbers, tomatoes and sell them on the market. It was necessary to understand PERSONAL EXPERIENCE- can you make money on it? What is the whole process from a seed to money in your pocket. There was no goal to earn a lot at once, just to understand the essence.
I must say right away that the experiment turned out to be successful. Everything has grown, delivered to the market, sold.

The very first problem I encountered was fear. I was afraid to go to the market, stand behind the counter, weigh it, talk to customers. The cucumbers have already been picked, the tomatoes have turned red, some have been eaten, rolled up in jars, and I am still delaying the market.
Thanks to my wife. She actually kicked me out to decide on a trip. Since I didn’t know how and didn’t know anything, I went to my friends in a neighboring village, who had been growing something for several years and went to trade in the market. Thanks to them, I plunged into trading.

In the evening I picked a couple of boxes of cucumbers and the same number of tomatoes. I could not fall asleep, my blood pressure jumped, it even seemed to me that my temperature had risen a little.
At five in the morning I got up and went by car to my friends. There we transferred my boxes to their car and drove to the market in the district center. All the way I asked them about something, and they all laughed and smiled from my fears and experiences.

We arrived, questioned the merchants who were already there, and began unloading crates of vegetables. They set up tables, boxes and began to wait.
A couple of hours passed and my boxes were empty, everything was sold. I was in mild shock. After counting the money, I realized that I received more for these hours than for two days of ordinary office work.

Half of July and the whole of August we traveled together to the market. Together it was more interesting, calmer and more economical.

So, what conclusions did I draw.
- It is possible and necessary to grow vegetables and trade them. On earth, you can actually grow money.
We will overcome fear. It is important to take the first step and not be afraid of mistakes.
- One of the problems that a vegetable grower can face is the weather. If the hail has passed, then you can forget about the profit for the whole summer.
- You need to be on topic. If I sell my cucumbers and position them as environmentally friendly, then I have to tell the buyer everything about cucumbers, how I grow them, whether I use chemicals, etc.
- You need confidence in your product. This is ensured by really high-quality cultivation of vegetables. Some traders in the market do not advise their friends to buy vegetables from them. Some distributors bought cucumbers for themselves from me.
- Low price not a guarantee of a good sale. My cucumbers and tomatoes were the best on the market and I charged higher than the others. All distributors traded the same cucumbers purchased at the same base. My cucumbers favorably differed from the general market goods, it was clear that they were homemade, fresh. Once it happened that at eight in the morning I was already sitting without goods, counting money.
- You need to talk to people. It happens that a person stands, as it were, nearby and looks past, but in fact he looks closely and evaluates. There is no need to call in a general way, a personal appeal to a person is more effective than a generalized one to the crowd. I talked with one person for five minutes, telling how cool cucumbers are, that I eat them, and my family, that this is the best on the market, and how I rarely come here. In the end, he took the whole box.
- good product and human contact with people, gains regular customers who are looking for you in the morning.
- You need to read books on vegetable growing and learn new things.
- From the fear of trading, you can go to the excitement of sales. Surprisingly, I did not expect from myself, but I liked going to the market, selling and earning.
- The atmosphere in each market is different from each other. There are tough markets, there are markets with a humane attitude between the implementers.

Next spring I will sow more seeds and plant more seedlings. The seeds have already been bought, the land has been prepared.