With the advent of the global pandemic, almost all businesses have collapsed except grocery stores. As the country’s population increases, people’s purchasing power is also increasing rapidly. That is why it is the best time to open a grocery store franchise in India. However, starting any business has its own challenges, and a grocery store is no different.

Grocery stores are one such type of store that is never going to be out of style. Move your head once, and you will find a lot of grocery stores around you. Even when you surf online, there are so many stores available that are happy to help the customer by delivering the product to your doorstep. 

There are even grocery store franchises that are starting with online grocery stores too. The biggest advantage of having a franchise is the trust factor. People are bonded with the stores in such a way that they will always go to the same store or its franchise. That is why, if you are thinking of opening a grocery store in India, it’s never a bad option.

Things to Be Kept in Mind While Opening the Grocery Store

• The first and foremost thing is to draw up a business plan. Having the proper business plan will make it all easy. It may take a bit of your time, but it is all worth it.
• The second thing that must be clarified is who your target audience is and the market. This will ensure certain clarity in the mind on where to focus and where not.
• Choosing the right location plays a vital role in helping the business grow. If it is in the vision of the customers, you are good to go. Just a one-time investment in getting the right location can lead you to the peak.
• Set up the investment cost of the business. It is influenced by many factors like the location, rent, inventory and the number of salesmen you hire. Other things, like buying furniture and products, etc. are also included in this cost.

7 Ways How to Open Grocery Store in India 

• Choose the right business model

If you are planning to open a grocery store with a small investment, you should always be very careful about choosing the right business model. For example, you can start with a small grocery store and then expand your store operations once you start making big profits. Additionally, you also need to consider the ownership structure, e.g. whether you want to open a grocery store as a sole proprietorship or as a partnership.

• Create a business plan

In turn, developing a business plan is the most important step if you want to start a Grocery store franchise in India. By making a plan, you can always understand the capital you have to start a grocery store, how to attract customers, and how to get more profits. 

Apart from this, you should also spend time analyzing your competitors and planning a better marketing strategy to stay ahead of your competition.

• Choose a suitable location

The location of your grocery store is crucial because the customer base varies from place to place. Also, foods used in big cities would always be different from items used in rural areas.

Therefore, it is important for you to find the right location that does not have many competitors to run your grocery store successfully. Also, a good store location is essential because it guarantees you high traffic every day.

• Handle all legal formalities

To run a Grocery store franchise in India smoothly, you should always complete all legal formalities on time when opening a grocery store in India. To get started, you should always register your shop.

If you have rented the property, always enter into a lease agreement that contains all the details, such as maintenance costs, rent, renewal terms, etc. to save a lot of costs in the future. Also, to run a grocery business, you will need a business license and a GST registration number if your annual turnover is more than Rs 20 lakh. 

• Check your store’s loan requirements

The average cost of opening a basic grocery store in a local area in India ranges from Rs 1 lakh to Rs 2 lakh. However, if you think you don’t have enough money to even start a simple grocery business, you can always opt for a business loan. Nowadays, it has become easy for everyone to get a hassle-free  loan to start their own small business and make it thrive. So, with a business loan, you can easily fulfill your dream of opening a grocery store, even if you have a low investment amount.

• Market your business effectively

Once you are done with the business loan formalities, you should focus all your attention on planning effective marketing strategies to take your grocery business to a whole new level and make huge profits. In order to market your business effectively, you can take advantage of online platforms, and you should dedicate part of your funds only to promotional purposes.

• Start online ordering feature

Everyone wants to get things done with just one click these days. So, to attract more and more customers to your grocery store, you can launch the online ordering feature through a mobile app.To make things less stressful for your customers, you can start setting up door-to-door grocery delivery. Not only will it help you earn huge profits, but it will also help you reach a wider customer base.

Conclusion 

If you are passionate about the business and are able to raise the necessary capital, definitely stop thinking about how to start a Grocery store franchise in India.  There are many choices today and you need to hit the right one. 

But you must consider the above points before doing so.  Also remember that there is no business without risk. You will only be successful if you take a few risks, but first you have to start and take the first step.ṣ