How To Start a Personal Grocery Shopping Business
84
Imagine this: It's 6:00 pm and Jane, a mother of three, is driving home, exhausted from a full day at the office. After picking up her children from the sitter, she remembers the pantry is empty, the refrigerator is barren, and they've already eaten out four times this week. Fearfully, Jane pulls into the grocery store parking lot and circles for five minutes trying to find a parking space. She drags the kids out of the car. As she walks up and down each crowded grocery aisle, her kids toss junk food into the cart left and right. Jane doesn't have a list, so there's no rhyme or reason as to what she puts in the cart. Regardless, it fills up with food quickly, and just when it feels like she's approaching the finish line, Jane sees the long lines at the checkout. Thirty minutes and $300 later, she's loading the kids and the groceries into the car. When Jane and the kids finally get home, it's almost 9:00 pm, and she's so worn out that she throws in the towel and hits the speed dial for the local pizza joint.
This scenario may seem a bit exaggerated, but it highlights the reasons why most people view grocery shopping as a hated household chore. The lines are long, the parking lot is crowded, it takes forever, it's expensive, and it's just not a fun way to spend your precious free time. The stress created by a trip to the grocery store can be eliminated by hiring a personal grocery shopper. Personal grocery shoppers offer an invaluable service to people who are short on time.
If you are looking for a way to earn some extra money, personal grocery shopping might be a great option for you. Unlike other small business ventures, the start-up costs for this endeavor are minimal. The biggest investment required is your time. Personal grocery shopping can be a full time job or a supplement to current income. The earning potential for a personal grocery shopper really depends on the number of clients you serve and how much time you are willing to devote to the success and growth of the business. Fill the most orders you can in the least amount of time to optimize your earnings.
|
Shop'NCook Home - Recipe Organizer and Grocery Shopping Manager for Windows and Mac
Price: $44.95
List Price: $49.99 |
|
The Elite Grocery Shopper: Principles to save your Hard Earned Money (English and Spanish Edition)
Price: $10.59
List Price: $10.95 |
|
FabJob Guide to Become a Personal Shopper (FabJob Guides)
Price: $21.53
List Price: $49.95 |
Getting Started
To get your personal grocery shopping business up and running, you'll need customers. A good marketing plan is essential. Create attractive flyers that highlight the services you provide. Include information on your flyers about how orders can be placed, contact information, and fees. Make yourself available via both phone and email. Potential clients may have a stronger preference toward one channel of communication versus the other.
Be strategic about where you distribute flyers. Seek out neighborhoods where most families have two working parents. Find neighborhoods populated by senior citizens who may not be able to shop for themselves anymore. Post flyers on bulletin boards at libraries, community recreation centers, and public swimming pools. Meet with grocery store managers and ask if you can post flyers on bulletin boards in their stores. Develop a professional relationship with store managers. They may be willing to hand out flyers to customers in exchange for doing a large volume of shopping at their particular store.
Targeting women is a productive strategy, since the female in most households does the majority of the grocery shopping and meal preparation. Place flyers on cars in school parking lots, or other places that employ mostly women. Posting flyers at day care centers might be a worthwhile plan for marketing your services. Parents who use day care facilities usually work full time and are more likely to sign up for a grocery shopping service. Email a copy of your flyer to friends and family, and ask them to spread the word about your new business. Word of mouth can be a powerful marketing tool.
Marketing is really the only start-up cost, as long as you have a reliable vehicle that can accommodate a large number of groceries. If you don't already have one, invest in a large ice chest to keep food cold if you plan on delivering multiple orders in one trip.
Sample Flyer
|
Reusable Grocery Tote Bag 6 Pack Combo
Price: $9.95
|
|
Reusable Grocery Tote Bag Black 5 Pack
Price: $9.95
|
|
Reusable Grocery Tote Bag Super Saver 12 Pack
Price: $18.90
|
Placing Orders
Try to keep order placement simple. There are many possibilities for how orders can be placed. Telephone, email, and fax are all good options. A standardized grocery shopping list might be helpful once you establish a large number of customers. Arrange the list according to where items are in the store to make shopping time more efficient.
Fees for Service
Like order placement, there are many different ways to set up a fee structure. If you want to keep things simple, charge a flat rate for each trip. For example, you could advertise a $40 shopping fee, which includes two hours of shopping, delivery, and mileage (cost of groceries not included). The downside to charging this way is that it will not appeal to customers with small orders. No one is going to pay $40 to have $20 worth of groceries delivered.
Arranging your rates according to the size of the grocery order may draw in more customers. For instance, you could charge $20 for grocery orders totaling up to $150, $30 for grocery orders totaling between $150 and $300, and 15% of the total for orders over $300. Once again, these fees could include shopping, delivery, and mileage. Other possibilities include charging separately for mileage, an extra fee for picking up coupons before shopping, or additional fees for shopping at more than one store.
Once your business is soaring, offer referral bonuses and other incentives to keep your customers coming back. Send out a weekly newsletter with outstanding grocery deals for the current week. Include recipes that use items that are on sale. Most of all, remember that one of a kind customer service is the key to a successful personal shopping business.
|
Time Management for System Administrators
Price: $14.41
List Price: $24.95 |
|
The 25 Best Time Management Tools & Techniques: How to Get More Done Without Driving Yourself Crazy
Price: $14.00
List Price: $21.95 |
|
Time Management from the Inside Out, second edition: The Foolproof System for Taking Control of Your Schedule--and Your Life
Price: $4.94
List Price: $16.00 |
|
No B.S. Time Management for Entrepreneurs (NO BS)
Price: $4.89
List Price: $9.95 |
|
42 Rules for Working Moms: Practical, Funny Advice for Achieving Work-Life Balance
Price: $17.37
List Price: $19.95 |
|
Working Mom's 411: How To Manage Kids, Career and Home
Price: $2.80
List Price: $14.99 |
|
Chicken Soup for the Working Mom's Soul: Humor and Inspiration for Moms Who Juggle It All (Chicken Soup for the Soul)
Price: $0.98
List Price: $14.95 |
|
My Working Mom
Price: $1.94
List Price: $5.95 |
Comments
Yes, it's a great opportunity for moms who want to earn a little extra money. You can even take your kids with you if you need to. Thanks for your comment!
I agree with RainbowRecognizer and up her one: This idea is *totally* awesome.
I am a single person, and I HATE GROCERY SHOPPING! I have never seen an ad in my area for a personal grocery shopper, but I will be looking for one now.
Shawna, your idea is fantastic whether you are a consumer or an entrepreneur. There's something in it for everyone. Plus, you did a great job with the business strategy, including the sample flyer, which shows the possibilities.
For anyone who is interested in pursuing this business, I'd like to offer a weekly menu plan that I created for those who cook for one. This plan can be modified for any number of people. I can see this plan as a great tool for entrepreneurs who would like to build this business. Let your imagination soar about how you would use it.
You can find this plan here on HubPages:
http://hubpages.com/hub/How-To-Plan-and-Prepare-Me
Both thumbs up on this one. What a great Hub.
Best regards, Sally.
Great idea. i was just kicking this around with my wife the other day.
Tom
Hi shawna,
Nice Hub, in this recession, i woun't mind doing it for some one. Good Hub? Are you from Kansas City?
it is a good idea well done,why didnt you do it??? and would be interesting to see how meny people give it a go. spose we will never know. think people will actually save money this way
Sharon-I think people can definitely save money this way simply because it eliminates impulse buys. If you only buy what's on the shopper's list, there won't be any added expenses like candy bars and sodas at the check out stand.
Shoesfact1-Nope, I've never even been to Kansas!
Sally-Thanks for the positive feedback. It's very encouraging to an uncertain new hubber like myself.
I like the suggested flyer- if I saw this in a store, I'd be tempted.
Wonderful article!
so true, then you could go shopping every once in a while for yourself and actually enjoy it. maybe buy a chocolate .
Awesome article, and very helpful too!
Thank you so much.
Amazing hub! Thanks a ton for the info. :)
Psioni-Thanks for the compliment on the flyer. I had fun making it.
I appreciate all the positive feedback everyone!
great article.
this is so good an idea, its life saving
Great advice! The sample flyer was good as well. I might have to suggest this to a few friends...
ib-I'm glad I could provide some helpful information to you. Do you plan on trying this idea?
rethansmith-Thanks for the comment...if you suggest this idea to friends, send them a link to my hub too :)
This idea is really great. It beats house cleaning and looks like a better income opportunity.
Yes, I'd definitely prefer shopping for a living over cleaning!
Great article! Need to think about doing this!
RGraf-Thanks for reading. If you try starting a personal shopping business, let me know how it goes!
Grocery shopping business sounds great!
Good stuff. Nice work and good hub. Thanks for sharing this information.
Sherlynavia-thanks for reading my hub!
nancydodds1-I'm glad you enjoyed this information.
What a great idea! I think I'm goin to try this...I'm in a small town, but I'm sure I can make it work.
Thanks!
Thanks for reading Rhelena. Be sure to update me with the success of your business!
Wow, this is a really awesome idea. There is grocery store chain in my area that has curbside pickup, where you can order online and then pick it up later, but I don't think anyone does the full shopping and delivery for you.
I think if you coupled this with a nice online store, that had pictures and images, allowing an individual to easily create a shopping list, this could have a lot of potential. You could even go so far as using the clients MVP card or whatever, so they still get points or milk coupons. Like Sally Trove said, having pre-made menu plans could add a lot of value as well.
This idea has a lot of potential.
Thanks, 49er. I thought long and hard about starting a shopping business myself. I had everything all planned out, and that's why I was able to write a hub about it in such detail. At the time, I really hated my "real job" and was trying to think of alternatives. Since then I've found a different job that I like 100 times more, and there's no way I could earn the same amount of money doing a shopping business. I still love the idea though, and I will keep it in my back pocket in case I ever need to generate additional income for my family.
I agree that an online store with pictures, menus, shopping lists, etc. would make the business incredible. Being able to place orders online would be awesome too. Thanks for all your feedback!
Like this idea as an alternative to "regular" jobs. One issue though...You would pay for the groceries yourself and then collect the money plus fee from the client afterwards..okay what if the client orders $300 worth of items? I do not have an extra $300 laying around. How would that work out?
Thanks so much!
Hi Jules. You may be able to ask for the payment up front if you know approximately how much the total will come to. I don't know how willing customers would be to pay up front. Otherwise you could just start with smaller orders and when you have enough money in your cash pool, then begin taking larger orders. Hope this helps!
I am definetly going to try this. I made my flyer and even have a website now with email. Where should I post the flyers? I also made a seperate flyer geared more towards the elderly. Would love some more advise!!
Great Debra! I would post the flyers on bulletin boards at grocery stores, and you could even ask the manager of your local store if he'll allow them to be handed out at the register. Daycare centers would also be a great place to post because working moms and dads are likely to be short on time to grocery shop. You can also post them at your church, your kids' school, local parks, community centers, community mailboxes, etc. Anywhere you can think of! The main thing is to get the word out. Word of mouth is incredibly powerful, so use that too. Email everyone you know and ask them to spread the word. For your flyer geared towards the elderly, find a senior center and post it there. Good luck! Make sure to let me know how it goes!
Thanks Shawna!! I will let you know how it goes, thanks for the luck and the great suggestions!
One other thought I had was to visit other local businesses and ask if you can post flyers there. In return, you could put their flyers in the grocery bags when you deliver the food. Just an idea!
Great Hub! I know a couple who started a grocery store business. I haven't seen them in a whilw but I hope they're doing well with it. One thing about this business, as you say, it doesn't take a lot of money at all to start up. Me personally, I would get the grocery shopping money upfront from clients, instead of afterwards. This way you can avoid getting stiffed!
Getting the money up front would be ideal, but it would be hard to know exactly how much to charge without buying the food first. Asking for a deposit might work well. Thanks for reading, multimastery!
How To Start a Personal Grocery Shopping Business
very good, I support you, come on , welcome to my hub!
I would try to find customers that all lived in the same general area say an apartment and /or neighborhood .That would make it easier on you and more convienent for your customers especially if you had to make multiple trips to the store or several different stores all in the same general area.
As far as money,I would only take customers who are able to pay cash if you can't trust them to write checks that are good.As for charges ,you might consider getting a website that has that kind of service available for your customers to use.as well as for the "terms" of your service For example ; any returned merchandise might require them to pay a small additional fee if it is a perishable item if your willing to go that route.Trial and error will tell the tale.Unless you know already by experiance what to expect.
I had another thought ,if you have a membership at cosco or one of those bulk item stores you may be able to give your customers a deal on a few things that they normally wouldn't be able to get at the supermarket.
Personal grocery shoppers?
That's a great idea, but it may take more energy to carry all the groceries around. It's also a great idea to help other people finding the local coupons they want, so they can clip and shop on their own.
There are many local coupon queens and coupn kings out there to help local residents save money shopping smarter. Check out the local TV station first. They may already have a list of personal shopper assistants available for you, if you don't have time to shop locally on your own.
Someonewhoknows-Thanks for your comment. I agree that finding people that live in the same area would be helpful.
Local Coupons-I don't think carrying the groceries around would be too exhausting. I am a die hard couponer, so I agree with what you're saying about saving money using coupons. I know a lot of people aren't willing to put forth the effort to clip and plan their shopping trips though. So why not capitalize on those who would rather have someone else shop for them? I enjoy grocery shopping because of all the incredible deals I find with coupons. So I guess that's why I thought this would be a good business idea. Thanks for reading!
O M G. This is a very intersting Hub. Verythoughtful and innovative.
Thanks for reading PC!
Great hub. I might mention this to my dd who just got married, in case babysitting doesn't work out for her. I'm glad you mentioned charging by the price of the order or size though. Because one local store we have shops and delivers groceries of any amount for a flat rate of only $10. But one thing, they only take online orders. My mom who is homebound, needs groceries delivered and does not have the internet, so I take her orders by phone and place them online. I babysit full time so I use their gro. delivery often myself, as I don't want to have to take the kids with me or have my own kids (teens) babysit them unless it's for a quick trip. They have things going on, too! LOL! Anyway, nice hub. Thanks for explaining how someone would do this.
Thanks for reading, Gwen. Wow, only charging $10 no matter the size of the order sounds like a steal for the customer! If I were running a shopping business though, I don't think $10 would be worth the time it takes to shop for and deliver a larger order. Glad you enjoyed this hub :)
Wow thank you for the ideas. I was thinking PayPal if needed for charge. I was wondering about food stamp cards though (EBT) any ideas on how to make that work?
I don't know much about paypal, but it sounds like it would be a good way to deal with the payment part of things. I don't have any experience with food stamps either. Sorry I'm not much help! Good luck to you :)
Hi Shawna! Thank you sooo much for the fabuous info! My friend and I are wanting to start our own grocery shopping business and this is just the info we were looking for :) I love the flier you made and the grocery list you made too- VERY proffesional! I was wondering if you could email me the originals so I could personalize them. Just let me know. Thanks!!
I did this for a number of years in Denver about 20 years ago. It worked well and once I guilt a clientele it was great -- especially in bad weather. As with everything, you must run it professionally and you must deliver what you promise!
Great post.
Hi Kristen-unfortunately when I created those documents I was using my old laptop that has since died. I don't think I have them anymore :( I used Microsoft publisher to create the flier, so if you have access to that program, it's really easy to use and I'm sure you could create one of your own. Good luck with your business! I'd love to hear how it goes.
Thanks for reading, KEckerle. It's nice to hear that you ran this type of business successfully.
If a client calls in to place an order, should i giv them the prices thats on my price list because i mite not know the price the shop is asking? Customers would like to know the total prices of what they'v ordered before hand.
Cassidy- You could quote them the store's regular price of the item, and then if it turns out to be on sale for less, they'll be charged less and might be really pleased. Does that make sense? Thanks for reading!
RainbowRecognizer says:
16 months ago
This is awesome! I'm a mother of three and I'd love this sometimes and I also would not mind doing it for someone else. Great idea, thanks :o)