Merchandising Plan (6)
WHOLESALE
Version #1 is wholesale prices and lists your approximate current cost per case and per item.
RETAIL
Version #2 is suggested retail price based up cost per item x 3 and rounded to the nearest .50¢ increment. I think you’ll find these prices to be competitive with what’s offered in vending machines and convenience stores but, of course, feel free to price as you so choose. It’s your business! I DO recommend rounding everything off to .50¢ increments if you’re using our standard payment system. It’s just easier for the user and keeps things simple.
SUPPLIERS
As you’ll see there are over 200 products listed and I’ve found them all at either Sam’s Club or Costco. I recommend becoming a member at both clubs. If there is a Costco “Business Center” near you, you’ll find that they have some items not available in most regular Costco stores (your Costco membership gives you full access to the Business Center as well). There’s usually at least one in every major metropolitan area. Just Google it.
YOUR PRODUCT LINE
All of these products sell well so I suggest you make a shopping list based upon what’s available and/or what you’d like to offer also considering inventory space available on shelves and in coolers. Try and limit it to about 50 or 60 items as you certainly do not need to offer 200!
FIELD TRIP!
I recommend you take a field trip to BOTH Sam’s Club AND Costco. Familiarize yourself with what each store carries (not the same product lines) and where in the store they place things. You will need to buy from BOTH companies to fully cover your needs as neither has “every” thing you’ll need.
STOCKING UP
If you like you could buy some of the NON-perishable items now if you have a place to store it. Don’t buy anything perishable until you have your first market placed. In addition…
GIFT BOXES
If you’re planning to offer gift boxes, you’ll also need products for that. Gift boxes should be about 40% healthy and 60% traditional foods, just to visually impress upon them the mix you’ll offer in the markets. Be sure to include a Snickers bar, which is the best-selling candy bar tho, certainly not healthy. Also, include one bottle of a premium drink such as Starbucks’ Frappuccino or juice (not merely water), which will give the box more weight and remind them that we offer drinks.
WHAT’S HEALTHY?
That’s a can of worms! Madison Avenue marketing has convinced people that many products are healthy if the labeling says non-GMO, keto, natural or organic (for example). Those same products may sometimes include high amounts of preservatives, sugar (even organic sugar), refined carbs and unhealthy oils. DON’T GET HUNG UP ON THIS! You’re here to make money and we sell what people want… what they will buy. We are not the food police. So, while we Healthy Smart Mart™ operators do what we can to offer truly healthy items and we’re certainly raising the bar in promoting healthy living, some of what they want is marketed and perceived as healthy when that may be questionable. Let it go! Just do the best you can and give them what they want.
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