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How to Write a Grocery Delivery Business Plan [Sample Template]

Are you about starting a grocery home delivery service? If YES, here is a complete sample grocery delivery business plan template & feasibility report you can use for FREE. Okay, so we have considered all the requirements for starting a grocery delivery business.

We also took it further by analyzing and drafting a sample grocery delivery service marketing plan template backed up by actionable guerrilla marketing ideas for grocery home delivery businesses. So let’s proceed to the business planning section.

Why Start a Grocery Delivery Service?

For sure it is challenging starting any business, but one business that you can start with minimal challenges is a grocery home delivery business. A grocery home delivery business is a business that involves helping your clients shop groceries and get it deliver to them in their homes.

With this type of business, you can choose to own a store if you have the financial capacity to or you can choose to operate without a store. The bottom line is that you should know how to source for groceries and how to get delivered to your customers.

The truth is that, starting a grocery home delivery business is a profitable business, it is very easy business to start and it is not so capital intensive. Getting the right products that people want to buy and good stock keeping records are the secrets of running a grocery home delivery business. A grocery home delivery business can be run offline from a conventional retail store or online on an online e-commerce retail site.

So, if you have decided to start a grocery home delivery business, then you should ensure that you carry out feasibility studies and also market survey. This will enable you properly locate the business in a location with the right demography and then hit the ground running.

Business plan is yet another very important business document that you should not take for granted in the bid to launching your own business. Below is a sample grocery home delivery business plan template that can help you to successfully write your own with little or no hassle.

A Sample Grocery Delivery Service Business Plan Template

1. industry overview.

The Grocery stores industry, including grocery home delivery, and supermarkets, account for the largest share of food sales in the US. In 2013, grocery stores and grocery home delivery services accounted for 90 percent of the country’s food and beverage sales, while supermarkets accounted for 95 percent of the total grocery sales.

The food retail industry is a high-volume, low-margin business, with cutthroat competition from all quarters. It includes grocery stores, grocery home deliver services and supermarkets, as well as convenience stores.

The staples offered at these stores make the industry non-cyclical. In addition, grocery stores, grocery home delivery services and supermarkets offer an alternative to restaurants during tough economic times, as buying groceries for home cooking is one alternative.

Buying prepared foods, which are new higher-margin offerings at grocery stores cum grocery home delivery services, is an additional alternative to restaurants. However, offering new higher-margin items such as gourmet foods, prepared foods, and general merchandise is making this industry more cyclical than in the past, creating pressures on revenue during the recent economic downturn.

Small chains and independent grocers still dominate this industry, but national chains, such as Kroger, are increasingly growing in dominance. Mass merchants, such as Wal-Mart, are competing with grocery stores cum grocery home delivery services at their “supercenters” by offering lower prices through lower cost structures. Wal-Mart is now the world’s No. 1 seller of groceries.

Warehouse clubs, such as Costco and SAM’S CLUB ( owned by Wal-Mart ), can also compete on price by selling in large bulk. Supermarkets have responded to these threats by building larger “superstores” and also engaging in home delivery services.

The truth is that, conventional supermarkets are grocery stores with over $2 million in revenue, with average square feet of 15,000. Grocery stores that have less than $2 million in annual revenue sell almost entirely packaged and perishable goods, and are mostly independently owned.

Superstores are supermarkets with about 30,000 square feet, averaging $12 million in revenue. They often have an extended selection of food and nonfood items, with specialty departments such as florists, delis, bakeries, banking, pharmacy, and video rentals. Combination stores are hybrids of superstores and drugstores under one roof, with an average of 55,000 square feet.

The grocery stores cum grocery home delivery services industry ( supermarkets inclusive ) is a major sector of the economy of the united states which generates a whooping sum of well over 2 billion annually from more than 42,539 outlets scattered all around the United States of America.

The industry is responsible for the employment of well over 2,624,650 people. Experts project the Supermarket and grocery industry to grow at a 1.4 percent annual rate. The establishment in this industry that has a dominant market share in the United States are; Albertson, Kroger and Publix Super Markets Inc.

It is a fact that an estimated two-thirds of the United States’ gross domestic product (GDP) comes from retail consumption of which the supermarket and grocery stores industry contributes greatly. This is why the United States of America’s economy is measured with the yardstick of how well the retailing business is fairing in the U.S.

In essence, when there is an unstable economy, purchasing power drops and it impacts the retailing / grocery stores industry negatively which may result in the closure of some supermarket / grocery stores.

In recent time, the retail landscape has seen tremendous changes in the last 20 years; it has grown from the usual mom and pop outlets to a more organized and far reaching venture. The introduction of franchise and online store makes it easier for a retailer to reach out to a larger market far beyond the areas where his physical store is located. Hence the increase of grocery home delivery businesses.

Over and above, grocery home delivery services business is indeed a profitable business venture and it is open for any aspiring entrepreneur to come in and establish his or her business; you can chose to start on a small scale without a store or you can chose to start on a large scale with standard Grocery Store and strong online presence.

2. Executive Summary

Gina Grocery Home Delivery Services®, LLC is a standard and registered grocery store business that will also be involved in home delivery services. Our grocery store will be located in one of the busiest streets in Trenton – New Jersey. We have been able to lease a facility that is big enough to fit into the design of the kind of grocery store that we intend launching and the facility is centrally located in the heart of town with easy delivery network.

Gina Grocery Home Delivery Services®, LLC will retail (home delivery services inclusive) a wide range of durable goods and non – durable goods at affordable prices from different brands. We will engage in retailing general lines of food products, including fresh and prepared meats, poultry and seafood, canned and frozen foods, fresh fruits and vegetables and various dairy products et al. to our customers and also offer home delivery services.

We are aware that there are several large and small chains of supermarket / grocery store outlets all around Trenton that are also into home delivery services, which is why we spent time and resources to conduct our feasibility studies and market survey so as to offer much more than our competitors will be offering. We have self – service options for our customers, strong online presence and our outlet is well secured with the various payments of options.

Beyond selling the goods and products of top brands in the manufacturing and food industry and also offering home delivery services, our customer care is going to be second to none in the whole of Trenton – New Jersey and our home deliveries will be timely and highly reliable.

We know that our customers are the reason why we are in business which is why we will go the extra mile to get them satisfied when they patronize our products and also to become our loyal customers and ambassadors.

Gina Grocery Home Delivery Services®, LLC will ensure that all our customers are given first class treatment whenever they visit our grocery store. We have a CRM software that will enable us manage a one on one relationship with our customers no matter how large the numbers of our customers’ base may grow to. We will ensure that we get our customers involved in the selection of brands that will be on our racks and also when making some business decisions.

Gina Grocery Home Delivery Services®, LLC will at all times demonstrates her commitment to sustainability, both individually and as a firm, by actively participating in our communities and integrating sustainable business practices wherever possible.

We will ensure that we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards by meeting our client’s needs precisely and completely. We will cultivate a working environment that provides a human, sustainable approach to earning a living, and living in our world, for our partners, employees and for our clients.

Gina Grocery Home Delivery Services®, LLC is a family business that is owned by Gina Jefferson and her immediate family members. Gina Jefferson has a B.Sc. in Business Administration, with well over 15 years of experience in the retailing / supermarket and grocery store industry, working for some of the leading brand in the United States. Although the business is launching out with just one outlet in Trenton – New Jersey, but there is a plan to expand our distribution network all across the state of New – Jersey.

3. Our Products and Services

Gina Grocery Home Delivery Services®, LLC is in the supermarket and grocery store industry to ensure that we go all the way to make available a wide range of goods and products from top manufacturing brands in the United States and other countries of the world.

We will have available in our store a wide range of durable goods and non – durable goods at affordable prices. Our products and services offerings are listed below;

• Home delivery of fruit and vegetables
• Home delivery of fresh and frozen meat
• Home delivery of dairy products
• Home delivery of beverages (including alcohol)
• Home delivery of frozen foods
• Home delivery of other food items
• Home delivery of other non-food items
• Home delivery of drugs and health products

4. Our Mission and Vision Statement

• Our vision is to become the leading brand in the grocery home delivery services line of business in the whole of Trenton – New Jersey.
• Our mission is to establish a grocery home delivery services business that will make available a wide range of goods and products from top manufacturing / production brands at affordable prices to the residence of Trenton and other cities in New Jersey where we intend marketing our services and products.

Our Business Structure

Gina Grocery Home Delivery Services®, LLC do not intend to start a grocery home delivery services business like the usual mom and pop business around the street corner; our intention of starting a grocery home delivery services business is to build a standard and one stop grocery store cum home delivery business in Trenton – New Jersey.

Although our grocery home delivery services business might not be as big as Albertson, Kroger or Publix Super Markets Inc., but will ensure that we put the right structure in place that will support the kind of growth that we have in mind while setting up the business.

We will ensure that we hire people that are qualified, honest, customer centric and are ready to work to help us build a prosperous business that will benefit all the stake holders ( the owners, workforce, and customers ). As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our senior management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of ten years or more.

In view of that, we have decided to hire qualified and competent hands to occupy the following positions that will be made available at Gina Grocery Home Delivery Services®, LLC;

• Chief Executive Officer (Owner)
• Store Manager
• Human Resources and Admin Manager

Merchandize Manager

Sales and Marketing Manager

Information Technologist

• Accountants / Cashiers
• Customer Services Executive
• Drivers / Distributors

5. Job Roles and Responsibilities

Chief Executive Officer – CEO:

• Increases management’s effectiveness by recruiting, selecting, orienting, training, coaching, counseling, and disciplining managers; communicating values, strategies, and objectives; assigning accountabilities; planning, monitoring, and appraising job results; developing incentives; developing a climate for offering information and opinions; providing educational opportunities.
• Creates, communicates, and implements the organization’s vision, mission, and overall direction – i.e. leading the development and implementation of the overall organization’s strategy.
• Responsible for fixing prices and signing business deals
• Responsible for providing direction for the business
• Responsible for signing checks and documents on behalf of the company
• Evaluates the success of the organization
• Reports to the board

Admin and HR Manager

• Responsible for overseeing the smooth running of HR and administrative tasks for the organization
• Maintains office supplies by checking stocks; placing and expediting orders; evaluating new products.
• Ensures operation of equipment by completing preventive maintenance requirements; calling for repairs.
• Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities; reading professional publications; maintaining personal networks; participating in professional organizations.
• Enhances department and organization reputation by accepting ownership for accomplishing new and different requests; exploring opportunities to add value to job accomplishments.
• Defines job positions for recruitment and managing interviewing process
• Carries out staff induction for new team members
• Responsible for training, evaluation and assessment of employees
• Responsible for arranging travel, meetings and appointments
• Oversees the smooth running of the daily office activities.

Store/ Warehouse Manager:

• Responsible for managing the daily activities in the store
• Ensures that proper records of goods are kept and our racks and warehouse does not run out of products
• Ensure that the store facility is in tip top shape and goods are properly arranged and easy to locate
• Interfaces with third – party suppliers (vendors)
• Control goods distribution and supply inventory
• Supervise the workforce in the grocery sales floor.
• Manages vendor relations, market visits, and the ongoing education and development of the organizations’ buying teams
• Helps to ensure consistent quality of groceries on our rack
• Responsible for the purchase of goods and products for the organizations
• Responsible for planning sales, monitoring inventory, selecting the merchandise, and writing and pricing orders to vendors
• Ensures that the organization operates within stipulated budget.
• Manages external research and coordinate all the internal sources of information to retain the organizations’ best customers and attract new ones
• Models demographic information and analyze the volumes of transactional data generated by customer purchases
• Identifies, prioritizes, and reaches out to new partners, and business opportunities et al
• Identifies development opportunities; follows up on development leads and contacts; participates in the structuring and financing of projects; assures the completion of development projects.
• Responsible for supervising implementation, advocate for the customer’s needs, and communicate with clients
• Develops, executes and evaluates new plans for expanding increase sales
• Documents all customer contact and information
• Represents the company in strategic meetings
• Helps to increase sales and growth for the company
• Manages the organization website
• Handles ecommerce aspect of the business
• Responsible for installing and maintenance of computer software and hardware for the organization
• Manages logistics and supply chain software, Web servers, e-commerce software and POS (point of sale) systems
• Manages the organization’s CCTV
• Handles any other technological and IT related duties.

Accountant / Cashier:

• Responsible for preparing financial reports, budgets, and financial statements for the organization
• Provides managements with financial analyses, development budgets, and accounting reports; analyzes financial feasibility for the most complex proposed projects; conducts market research to forecast trends and business conditions.
• Responsible for financial forecasting and risks analysis.
• Performs cash management, general ledger accounting, and financial reporting
• Responsible for developing and managing financial systems and policies
• Responsible for administering payrolls
• Ensures compliance with taxation legislation
• Handles all financial transactions for the organization
• Serves as internal auditor for the organization

Client Service Executive

• Ensures that all contacts with clients (e-mail, walk-In center, SMS or phone) provides the client with a personalized customer service experience of the highest level
• Through interaction with customers on the phone, uses every opportunity to build client’s interest in the company’s products and services
• Manages administrative duties assigned by the human resources and admin manager in an effective and timely manner
• Consistently stays abreast of any new information on the organizations’ products, promotional campaigns etc. to ensure accurate and helpful information is supplied to customers when they make enquiries

Distribution Truck Drivers

• Assists in loading and unloading groceries
• Maintains a logbook of their driving activities to ensure compliance with federal regulations governing the rest and work periods for operators.
• Keeps a record of vehicle inspections and make sure the truck is equipped with safety equipment
• Assist the transport and logistics manager in planning their route according to a delivery schedule.
• Local-delivery drivers may be required to sell products or services to stores and businesses on their route, obtain signatures from recipients and collect cash.
• Inspect vehicles for mechanical items and safety issues and perform preventative maintenance
• Complies with truck driving rules and regulations (size, weight, route designations, parking, break periods etc.) as well as with company policies and procedures
• Collects and verifies delivery instructions
• Reports defects, accidents or violations

6. SWOT Analysis

Our intention of starting just one outlet of our grocery store on concentrate our home delivery services only within Trenton – New Jersey is to test run the business for a period of 2 to 5 years to know if we will invest more money, expand the business and then start our home delivery services all around the state of New Jersey.

We are quite aware that there are several supermarket and grocery stores all over Trenton and even in the same location where we intend locating ours who also into home delivery services, which is why we are following the due process of establishing a business.

We know that if a proper SWOT analysis is conducted for our business, we will be able to position our business to maximize our strength, leverage on the opportunities that will be available to us, mitigate our risks and be welled equipped to confront our threats.

Gina Grocery Home Delivery Services®, LLC employed the services of an expert HR and Business Analyst with bias in retailing to help us conduct a thorough SWOT analysis and to help us create a Business model that will help us achieve our business goals and objectives. This is the summary of the SWOT analysis that was conducted for Gina Grocery Home Delivery Services®, LLC;

Our location, the business model we will be operating on (physical store and online store with robust home delivery network), varieties of payment options, wide range of products and our excellent customer service culture will definitely count as a strong strength for Gina Grocery Home Delivery Services®, LLC.

A major weakness that may count against us is the fact that we are a new grocery home delivery services business and we don’t have the financial capacity to compete with multi – billion dollars supermarket and grocery store outlets like Albertson, Kroger, Publix Super Markets Inc. and co when it comes to retailing at a rock bottom prices for all their goods.

• Opportunities:

The fact that we are going to be operating our grocery home delivery services business in one of the busiest streets with the right demography in Trenton – New Jersey provides us with unlimited opportunities to sell our groceries to a large number of people.

We have been able to conduct thorough feasibility studies and market survey and we know what our potential clients will be looking for when they patronize our products and services; we are well positioned to take on the opportunities that will come our way.

Just like any other business, one of the major threats that we are likely going to face is economic downturn. It is a fact that economic downturn affects purchasing / spending power. Another threat that may likely confront us is the arrival of a new supermarket, grocery store or retail outlet that are also into home delivery services as we do in same location where ours is located.

7. MARKET ANALYSIS

• Market Trends

Supermarket and grocery store business has been in existence for as long as human started trading goods, but one thing is certain, the supermarket and grocery store industry is still evolving. The introduction of technology and subsequently homed delivery options, online grocery cum retail store has indeed helped in reshaping the industry.

It is now a common phenomenon for supermarkets and grocery outlets to leverage on technology to effectively predict consumer demand patterns and to strategically position their shop to meet their needs; in essence, the use of technology help retailers to maximize supply chain efficiencies. No doubt data collected from customers goes a long way to help supermarkets and grocery stores serve them better.

Another common trend in the supermarket and grocery store industry is the pricing system. Aside from having varieties of products in a store, one of the easiest ways for supermarket and grocery stores to sell the goods on their racks as fast as they can and keep re – stocking is to ensure that the prices of their goods are a bit lower than what is obtainable in elsewhere.

For example, it is common to see items with prices in this format; $3.99, $99.99 and $199.99 et al as against $4, $100 and $200. Supermarkets and grocery stores also engage in massive clearance sales and discount sales to attract customers. It is a strategy that helps them welcome new customers and also reinforce the loyalty of old customers.

8. Our Target Market

Perhaps the supermarket and grocery store industry has the widest range of customers; everybody on planet earth has one or more things that they would need in a supermarket or grocery store. It is difficult to find people around who don’t patronize supermarket and grocery stores.

In view of that, we have positioned our grocery home delivery services to service the residence of Trenton – New Jersey and every other location our grocery stores will be located all over the state of New Jersey. We have conducted our market research and we have ideas of what our target market would be expecting from us.

We are in business to retail ( home delivery services inclusive ) a wide range of groceries to the following groups of people;

• Bachelors and Spinsters
• Corporate Executives
• Business People
• About to wed couples
• Expectant Mothers
• Sports Men and Women

Our competitive advantage

A close study of the supermarket and grocery store industry reveals that the market has become much more intensely competitive over the last decade. As a matter of fact, you have to be highly creative, customer centric and proactive if you must survive in this industry. We are aware of the stiffer competition and we are well prepared to compete favorably with other leading supermarkets and grocery stores in Trenton – New Jersey.

Gina Grocery Home Delivery Services®, LLC is launching a standard grocery store cum grocery home delivery services business that will indeed become the preferred choice of residence of Trenton – New Jersey. Our grocery store is located in a corner piece property on a busy road directly opposite one of the largest residential estates in Trenton – New Jersey. We have enough parking spaces that can accommodate well over 30 cars per time.

One thing is certain; we will ensure that we have a wide range of products available in our grocery store at all times. It will be difficult for customers to visit our store and not see the product that they are looking for. One of our business goals is to make Gina Grocery Home Delivery Services®, LLC a one stop shop.

Our excellent customer service culture, timely and reliable home delivery services, online store, various payment options and highly secured facility will serve as a competitive advantage for us.

Lastly, our employees will be well taken care of, and their welfare package will be among the best within our category (startups supermarkets and grocery stores / grocery home delivery services businesses) in the industry meaning that they will be more than willing to build the business with us and help deliver our set goals and achieve all our aims and objectives. We will also give good working conditions and commissions to freelance sales agents that we will recruit from time to time.

9. SALES AND MARKETING STRATEGY

• Sources of Income

Gina Grocery Home Delivery Services®, LLC is in business to retail (home delivery services inclusive) a wide range of groceries to the residence of Trenton – New Jersey. We are in the supermarket and grocery industry to maximize profits and we are going to go all the way out to ensure that we achieve or business goals and objectives.

In essence, our source of income will be the retailing (home delivery services inclusive) of a wide range of durable goods and non – durable goods at affordable prices. We will retail groceries such as;

• Fruit and vegetables
• Fresh and frozen meat
• Dairy products
• Beverages (including alcohol)
• Frozen foods
• Other food items
• Other non-food items
• Drugs and health products

10. Sales Forecast

One thing is certain when it comes to supermarkets and grocery stores, if your store is well stocked and centrally positioned coupled with effective and reliable home delivery services, you will always attract customers cum sales and that will sure translate to increase in revenue generation for the business.

We are well positioned to take on the available market in Trenton – New Jersey and we are quite optimistic that we will meet our set target of generating enough income / profits from the first six month of operations and grow the business and our clientele base.

We have been able to critically examine the supermarket and grocery industry and we have analyzed our chances in the industry and we have been able to come up with the following sales forecast. The sales projections are based on information gathered on the field and some assumptions that are peculiar to startups in Trenton – New Jersey.

Below are the sales projections for Gina Grocery Home Delivery Services®, LLC, it is based on the location of our business and other factors as it relates to supermarkets and grocery stores start – ups in the United States;

• First Fiscal Year-: $120,000
• Second Fiscal Year-: $350,000
• Third Fiscal Year-: $650,000

N.B : This projection is done based on what is obtainable in the industry and with the assumption that there won’t be any major economic meltdown and there won’t be any major competitor offering same products, home delivery services and customer care services as we do within same location. Please note that the above projection might be lower and at the same time it might be higher.

• Marketing Strategy and Sales Strategy

Before choosing a location for Gina Grocery Home Delivery Services®, LLC, we conduct a thorough market survey and feasibility studies in order for us to be able to be able to penetrate the available market and become the preferred choice for residence of Trenton – New Jersey. We have detailed information and data that we were able to utilize to structure our business to attract the numbers of customers we want to attract per time.

We hired experts who have good understanding of the supermarket and grocery industry to help us develop marketing strategies that will help us achieve our business goal of winning a larger percentage of the available market in Trenton.

In other to continue to be in business and grow, we must continue to sell the groceries that are available in our store which is why we will go all out to empower or sales and marketing team to deliver. In summary, Gina Grocery Home Delivery Services®, LLC will adopt the following sales and marketing approach to win customers over;

• Open our grocery store cum grocery home delivery services business in a grand style with a party for all.
• Introduce our grocery home delivery services business by sending introductory letters alongside our brochure to organizations, households and key stake holders in Trenton – New Jersey
• Ensure that we have a wide range of groceries from different brand at all times.
• Make use of attractive hand bills to create awareness and also to give direction to our grocery store
• Position our signage / flexi banners at strategic places around Trenton – New Jersey
• Position our greeters to welcome and direct potential customers
• Create a loyalty plan that will enable us reward our regular customers
• Engage on road shows within our neighborhood to create awareness for our grocery home delivery services business.

11. Publicity and Advertising Strategy

Despite the fact that our grocery store cum grocery home delivery services business is well located, we will still go ahead to intensify publicity for the business. We are going to explore all available means to promote our grocery home delivery services business.

Gina Grocery Home Delivery Services®, LLC has a long term plan of opening expanding our home delivery services all around New Jersey which is why we will deliberately build our brand to be well accepted in Trenton before venturing out. As a matter of fact, our publicity and advertising strategy is not solely for winning customers over but to effectively communicate our brand.

Here are the platforms we intend leveraging on to promote and advertise Gina Grocery Home Delivery Services®, LLC;

• Place adverts on community based newspapers, radio stations and TV stations.
• Encourage the use of word of mouth publicity from our loyal customers
• Leverage on the internet and social media platforms like; YouTube, Instagram, Facebook ,Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, Badoo, Google+  and other platforms to promote our business.
• Ensure that our we position our banners and billboards in strategic positions all around Trenton – New Jersey
• Distribute our fliers and handbills in target areas in and around our neighborhood
• Contact corporate organizations, households, landlord associations and schools by calling them up and informing them of Gina Grocery Home Delivery Services®, LLC and the products we sell
• Advertise our grocery home delivery services business in our official website and employ strategies that will help us pull traffic to the site
• Brand all our official cars and distribution vans and ensure that all our staff members and management staff wears our branded shirt or cap at regular intervals.

12. Our Pricing Strategy

Pricing is one of the key factors that gives leverage to supermarkets and grocery stores, it is normal for consumers to go to places (retail outlets) where they can groceries at cheaper price which is why big player in the supermarket and grocery industry like Albertson, Kroger and Publix Super Markets Inc. will attract loads of consumers. Products in their store are tagged with the cheapest price you can get anywhere in the United States.

We know we don’t have the capacity to compete with Albertson, Kroger and Publix Super Markets Inc., but we will ensure that the prices of all the groceries that are available in our store are competitive with what is obtainable amongst supermarkets and grocery stores within our level.

We also have plans in place to discount our groceries and home delivery services once in a while and also to reward our loyal customers from time to time.

• Payment Options

The payment policy adopted by Gina Grocery Home Delivery Services®, LLC is all inclusive because we are quite aware that different customers prefer different payment options as it suits them but at the same time, we will ensure that we abide by the financial rules and regulation of the United States of America.

Here are the payment options that Gina Grocery Home Delivery Services®, LLC will make available to her clients;

• Payment via bank transfer
• Payment with cash
• Payment via credit cards / Point of Sale Machines (POS Machines)
• Payment via POS machines
• Payment via online bank transfer
• Payment via check
• Payment via bank draft

In view of the above, we have chosen banking platforms that will enable our client make payment for farm produces purchase without any stress on their part. Our bank account numbers will be made available on our website and promotional materials to clients who may want to deposit cash or make online transfer for the purchase of our products.

13. Startup Expenditure (Budget)

In setting up any business, the amount or cost will depend on the approach and scale you want to undertake. If you intend to go big by renting a place, then you would need a good amount of capital as you would need to ensure that your employees are well taken care of, and that your facility is conducive enough for workers to be creative and productive.

This means that the start-up can either be low or high depending on your goals, vision and aspirations for your business.

The tools and equipment that will be used are nearly the same cost everywhere, and any difference in prices would be minimal and can be overlooked. As for the detailed cost analysis for starting a grocery store cum grocery home delivery services business; it might differ in other countries due to the value of their money. This is the key areas where we will spend our start – up capital;

• The Total Fee for Registering the Business in the United States of America – $750.
• Legal expenses for obtaining licenses and permits as well as the accounting services (software, P.O.S machines and other software) – $3,300.
• Marketing promotion expenses for the grand opening of Gina Grocery Home Delivery Services®, LLC in the amount of $3,500 and as well as flyer printing (2,000 flyers at $0.04 per copy) for the total amount of $3,580.
• Cost for hiring business consultant – $2,500.
• Insurance (general liability, workers’ compensation and property casualty) coverage at a total premium – $2,400.
• Cost for payment of rent for 12 month at $1.76 per square feet in the total amount of $105,600.
• Cost for Shop remodeling (construction of racks and shelves) – $20,000.
• Other start-up expenses including stationery ( $500 ) and phone and utility deposits ( $2,500 ).
• Operational cost for the first 3 months (salaries of employees, payments of bills et al) – $60,000
• The cost for Start-up inventory (stocking with a wide range of groceries) – $100,000
• Storage hardware (bins, rack, shelves, food case) – $3,720
• The cost for counter area equipment (counter top, sink, ice machine, etc.) – $9,500
• Cost for serving area equipment (plates, glasses, flatware) – $3,000
• Cost for store equipment (cash register, security, ventilation, signage) – $13,750
• Cost of purchase and installation of CCTVs – $5,000
• The cost for the purchase of furniture and gadgets (Computers, Printers, Telephone, TVs, Sound System, tables and chairs et al) – $4,000.
• The cost for the purchase of delivery vans – $25,000
• The cost of Launching a Website –   $600
• The cost for our opening party –   $7,000
• Miscellaneous –   $10,000

We would need an estimate of $500,000 to successfully set up our grocery store cum grocery home deliver services business in Trenton – New Jersey. Please note that this amount includes the salaries of all the staff for the first month of operation.

Generating Funds / Startup Capital for Gina Grocery Home Delivery Services®, LLC

Gina Grocery Home Delivery Services®, LLC is a private business that is solely owned and financed by Gina Jefferson and her immediate family members. They do not intend to welcome any external business partner which is why he has decided to restrict the sourcing of the start – up capital to 3 major sources.

These are the areas we intend generating our start – up capital;

• Generate part of the start – up capital from personal savings
• Source for soft loans from family members and friends
• Apply for loan from my Bank

N.B: We have been able to generate about $200,000 ( Personal savings $150,000 and soft loan from family members $50,000 ) and we are at the final stages of obtaining a loan facility of $300,000 from our bank. All the papers and document have been signed and submitted, the loan has been approved and any moment from now our account will be credited with the amount.

14. Sustainability and Expansion Strategy

The future of a business lies in the numbers of loyal customers that they have the capacity and competence of the employees, their investment strategy and the business structure. If all of these factors are missing from a business (company), then it won’t be too long before the business close shop.

One of our major goals of starting Gina Grocery Home Delivery Services®, LLC is to build a business that will survive off its own cash flow without the need for injecting finance from external sources once the business is officially running.

We know that one of the ways of gaining approval and winning customers over is to retail our groceries a little bit cheaper than what is obtainable in the market and we are well prepared to survive on lower profit margin for a while.

Gina Grocery Home Delivery Services®, LLC will make sure that the right foundation, structures and processes are put in place to ensure that our staff welfare are well taken of. Our company’s corporate culture is designed to drive our business to greater heights and training and re – training of our workforce is at the top burner.

As a matter of fact, profit-sharing arrangement will be made available to all our management staff and it will be based on their performance for a period of three years or more. We know that if that is put in place, we will be able to successfully hire and retain the best hands we can get in the industry; they will be more committed to help us build the business of our dreams.

Check List / Milestone

• Business Name Availability Check: Completed
• Business Registration: Completed
• Opening of Corporate Bank Accounts: Completed
• Securing Point of Sales (POS) Machines: Completed
• Opening Mobile Money Accounts: Completed
• Opening Online Payment Platforms: Completed
• Application and Obtaining Tax Payer’s ID: In Progress
• Application for business license and permit: Completed
• Purchase of Insurance for the Business: Completed
• Leasing of facility and remodeling the shop: In Progress
• Conducting Feasibility Studies: Completed
• Generating capital from family members: Completed
• Applications for Loan from the bank: In Progress
• Writing of Business Plan: Completed
• Drafting of Employee’s Handbook: Completed
• Drafting of Contract Documents and other relevant Legal Documents: In Progress
• Design of The Company’s Logo: Completed
• Graphic Designs and Printing of Packaging Marketing / Promotional Materials: In Progress
• Recruitment of employees: In Progress
• Purchase of the Needed furniture, racks, shelves, computers, electronic appliances, office appliances and CCTV: In progress
• Purchase of distribution vans: Completed
• Creating Official Website for the Company: In Progress
• Creating Awareness for the business both online and around the community: In Progress
• Health and Safety and Fire Safety Arrangement (License): Secured
• Opening party / launching party planning: In Progress
• Compilation of our list of products that will be available in our grocery store: Completed
• Establishing business relationship with vendors – suppliers of groceries: In Progress

More on Wholesale & Retail

How To Build a Successful Grocery Delivery Business Plan in 9 Easy Steps?

• Last Updated: June 12, 2023

• Developing a grocery delivery business plan requires 9 steps, in which the first one is in-depth market research.
• It is important to consider possible challenges and solutions in the grocery delivery business plan.
• Besides a business plan, you must finalize a revenue model that can help you generate a stable income.

The global grocery delivery services market is expected to grow revenue by over $630 billion by 2024. So, it’s the best time for you to start your own grocery delivery business.

The first thing that you need to focus on is preparing a perfect business plan for your business. But, it’s a very challenging task as you need to do proper market research, obtain funding, analyze your competitors, track what they are doing, perform legal formalities, and develop marketing strategies.

To help you with building your own grocery delivery business plan , we have important steps that you can consider.

Table of Contents

Essential Steps To Make a Perfect Grocery Delivery Business Plan

Revenue model for your online grocery delivery business.

Whether you are starting a grocery delivery business from scratch or planning to take your brick-and-mortar store online, all you need to do is create a business plan. Even if it is just a bunch of home delivery business ideas that you are exploring, you will need a strong plan for that.  So, let’s give a quick look at these mentioned steps.

Conduct Market Research

Before starting a new grocery delivery business, the first step you should take is to analyze the current market scenario. Detailed marketing research will help you in many ways like:

• You will get a better idea of current marketing needs
• You will get to know the customer’s pain points and expectations
• You can quickly make better decisions to include service offerings of what your competitors’ lack 

With the increasing customer expectations, the demand for selling groceries and delivering them on time will increase. So, your target market should not be limited to just a few people or companies within your business location, but even households, restaurants, hotels, motels, fast food restaurants, assisted living homes, and camp houses.

Plan quickly, deliver faster, delight customers and get home early.

Everyone deserves to have simple and easy route planning.

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Obtain Funding To Get Started

To start a food delivery business from scratch , it’s apparent that you need to spend some money.  In your grocery delivery business plan, you need to decide on appropriate planning for your finances. Generally, there are three costing parameters that you have to consider.

Average startup cost

The startup cost entirely depends on your business goals and objectives. Common startup costs include vehicle maintenance, employee’s salary, marketing strategy, and even setting up a new office or renting a grocery store.

First, you need to decide on whether to include app development or not. 

If you consider starting with a small grocery store without app development, the average cost will be around $1,500. On the other hand, the average cost of a grocery store with app development will be approximately $7,000.

Full cost breakdown

To start your own grocery delivery business, you need to keep in mind the following costing parameters:

• Website/Email/Domain = $200-$300 
• Business & legal formation = $500-$700
• App Development (optional, depending on your service) = $2,000-$4,000
• Reusable bags and sustainable measures: $700-$2,000

Average labor costs

If you plan to include shoppers in your grocery store, you need to consider their costs, including workers’ compensation. On average, it will cost $12-$15 per hour.

So, if you are planning yearly, you should expect $99-$200 per person per year.

It helps you to scale the revenue potential of the grocery delivery business quickly. Once expanded into more cities, revenue growth is accelerated rapidly.

Let’s say you don’t have any funding on an initial level; you should apply for a bank loan or take a loan from your friends or family members. You have to visit a Small Business Administration (SBA) source and can help you qualify for the money you need.

It will be tricky for you to search for customers that can easily cover all your expenses in the initial phase. So, you need to be ready to fill the gap to fulfill your budget criteria.

Identify Your Competitors

The next thing that you have to concentrate on is searching for your competitors. You have to analyze what they are doing, which grocery delivery services they are offering, and what they do to include more customers in their business?

When searching the list of competitors, you need to check for the factors that provide the best customer service. Generally, there are two types of competitors that you need to look out for:

• The one that has been in the industry for a long time
• The others that usually conduct their business and the results they have achieved over the years

So, before starting your new business, you need to be very careful about identifying your competitors.

Decide for Franchise or Start from Scratch 

For your delivery service business plan , you have to make a decision on whether you want to start your own business or need to go for a franchise.

If you have the potential to easily maintain all your business operations, then going solo is the best option for you. On the other hand, if you do not want to undertake any risks and are not interested in dealing with the trial-and-error process, the franchise is a perfect choice.

Name Your Business

The next essential thing that you need to work on is deciding the name of your grocery delivery business.

Remember that the name must be catchy and something that makes your customers get attracted to use your delivery service by seeing your name. In addition, you must try to search for a business name having a common domain name on the website and isn’t similar to most businesses.

Perform the Legal Formalities

To operate your business legally, the first thing that you need to perform is selecting the business entity.  Generally, there are four types of legal entities that you need to select as per your business needs:

• Sole proprietorship : If you are completely ready to manage your business by yourself.
• Partnership :  This suits you the best if you feel that you want to do a strong partnership with someone whom you trust more and who will help you to enhance your business.
• Corporation : Two types of the corporation: S-Corp and C-Corp, both are intended to deal with more leg work.
• Limited Liability Company (LLC) : You can use it to grab the opportunity for protection against various business operations

Now, whatever business structure you select, each comes up with its pros and cons, including liability exposure, costs, and administrative requirements.

You need to take care of all the due diligence and laws for any business type you select. It entirely depends upon the state where your business locates as different states have different rules to follow.

Along with the business structure, it is mandatory to have business insurance policies and a business bank account for your grocery delivery business.

Choose a Suitable Location For Your Business

Now is the time to decide on the location of your business. 

But trust me, it’s the most crucial decision you need to take as it affects your income, expenses, and even the company’s success and failures. You need to consider the following factors while selecting the business location:

• The population and the working area must be large enough to support the business
• The current scenario of the business economy
• The overall impact that business influence the demographic factors
• The value of your company in the competition

Hire Employees for Your Technical and Manpower Needs

In the initial stage, you can efficiently start your grocery delivery business from your home. And once your business grows and you feel that your home is not sufficient to work as a business, you need to hire employees in your business. 

But, once your business grows, it becomes quite challenging for you to handle multiple customers at a time. So, you need to include more employees in your business to make your work easier and smoother. 

Develop Marketing Strategies

Now, it’s time to bring new customers to your business, and it is made possible by including marketing strategies in your business plan.

To market your business effectively, word-of-mouth and customer referrals are the best options that help you enhance the traffic to your company. You can opt for marketing activities like:

• Using social media platforms
• Direct mail promotions
• Print advertisement
• Word-of-mouth
• You can also use online marketing on leading sites like Facebook, Craigslist, Yelp, and even Angie’s List.

The most crucial step to increase customers in your grocery delivery business is building a perfect marketing strategy.

A revenue model helps you in many ways to make your online grocery delivery business profitable and scale it. Please note that all these methods have their own set of advantages and conditions. 

So, let’s talk about revenue generation. The commission is by far the oldest and the most preferred revenue model for all marketplace owners. 

There are two key aspects that you need to be more reliable: one in creating a business plan and another in generating revenue models for your business. And we have highlighted both the points in a more detailed way. Still, if you have any questions about the same, just read the frequently asked questions in the next section.

Yes. It’s a profitable business as you can start it from your home. This business doesn’t require any heavy equipment tools, and you have the convenience to deal with grocery home delivery, and most importantly, getting customers very quickly.

The routing software that helps your delivery drivers to reach the customer’s location on time by providing the shortest route is the best one. And one such software is Upper Route Planner that not only provides efficient routes but also helps you save time and fuel.

Having perfect business planning is an essential aspect as it defines the clear way on how you are going to make your grocery business a great success. The steps mentioned in this article include all the essential metrics that are very important for your business, from conducting marketing research to developing marketing strategies.

Now, it’s high time to start and enhance your grocery delivery business productivity by including a grocery delivery app. This delivery app is beneficial to you, your customers, and even drivers. With the help of this app, the drivers deliver the groceries to the customers. But what happens when there is heavy traffic, diversions, and even other obstructions in their delivery route.

You need to include grocery delivery route planning and optimization software like Upper Route Planner that helps drivers quickly and safely deliver the groceries to the customers. This routing software easily tracks the driver’s status and provides proof of delivery on completing the delivery.

Rakesh Patel, author of two defining books on reverse geotagging, is a trusted authority in routing and logistics. His innovative solutions at Upper Route Planner have simplified logistics for businesses across the board. A thought leader in the field, Rakesh's insights are shaping the future of modern-day logistics, making him your go-to expert for all things route optimization. Read more.

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