advice needed

[crawford croll]

hello. I was wondering if there is anyone that could possibly give be some advice? I am wanting to start up a small mobile shop,
basically, I will have a van which customers walk into, & selling from the inside of that. I will be selling tinned produce, crisps, sweets, juice, vegetables etc. I would be visiting the local villages on certain days etc. because people cannot get into the main supermarkets/shop everyday (like you can i the city), so i believe there is a market for this kind of thing.

I have been thinking about this for a while, and i currently work in the white goods industry but due to a injury I'm having to take voluntary redundancy


I don't really know where to begin, so if anyone could perhaps help me in this matter, i'd be grateful.

thankyou

crawford

 

[Mr D]

The villages may well have shops selling those things already.
Local councils may refuse street trading where you want. Can imagine struggling to be visible to potential customers, I'll use my corner shop in the village a few times a year for goods like bread, margarine etc - without his post office he'd shut due to lack of trade. And that's with considerably more shelf space than you could fit in a van.

https://www.birmingham.gov.uk/info/20150/markets_and_street_trading/274/street_trading
https://www.gov.uk/street-trading-licence

 

[Socio South West]

I grew up in the country and such vans were very common throughout my youth, but they died out during the last years of the 20th Century as the rural population became more mobile and able to get the the supermarkets where prices were lower. Improved keeping (yeuggh - preservatives!) and deep freezers mean that shopping doesn't need to be done that regularly.

Your problem lies in being able to offer goods at an attractive enough price to get the people in. Unfortunately your customers do not factor in the time, stress and cost of driving the miles to the nearest town and back again... if you are selling say cornflakes at £2/box, and the supermarkets are selling them at £1.80 they will not shop with you.

You will almost certainly be relying on everyone having cash, which is becoming an increasing rarity in recent years, and this trend will only continue I believe, and you will also be fighting against the increasingly strong home delivery services that the supermarkets run.

The sort of vehicle you will be needing will be fairly large and powerful, and in mileage terms not cheap to run: The vehicles I remember in the later years were clapped out old bangers that the owners eventually couldnt afford to repair.

I don't like to pour water on anyone's entrepreneurial fireworks, but I would hate to see you pour your redundancy into this.

 

[titanlist]

The type of business depends on the capital. So you should get clear of the money you want to invest. Leaving the capital behind, there are many kinds of businesses which can be operated in and from villages and small towns. I myself live in a small town where there are a very few job opportunities present. So I went up with creating a business. I am a manufacturer.

 

[Newchodge]

Do you live in one of the villages that you are considering supplying?

 

[Mitch3473]

We have 2 smallish supermarkets in town, a couple of Spar type shops and the usual collection of bakers,cafes etc etc. On a friday we have several largish vans arrive on the car park, a butcher, a fishmonger, a florist and a ready made meals woman, they all visit different towns on different days. They all sell good products that the others dont and seem to do OK. I would try to offer something a little more niche than try and compete with the others. Most of what you intend to sell can be bought in bulk, cheaper and more conveniently at the supermarkets.
I dont know much about retailing but I would imagine your turnover and mark up wouldn't cover the costs if you try and compete.

 

[Chris Ashdown]

If as you say the shop is inside the van , Then it may mean you have to have disabled access (check with local council) the others I imagine will trade via a opening window of some sort

Don't forget all supermarkets now do home delivery at little cost extra

 

[Freelanzguy]

Have you thought about contacting local business parks or big companies in your area? Some of these now do regular in house markets / sales at lunch time. There you might find customers that don't have time to go shopping but might need something for evening / next morning. As these events are often inside you might not need to invest in a van immediately and you can test if there is a demand for this.

 

[Businessquotes]

I agree with mitch473 - a mobile shop doesn't offer anything that people can't get access to already - don't forget online food deliveries are quite popular in the countryside since the demise of the local shop. You need to satisfy a need - you won't know hwat that might be unless you do some research in the areas you'd like to serve. Go ask the people!

 

[Mr D]

If as you say the shop is inside the van , Then it may mean you have to have disabled access (check with local council) the others I imagine will trade via a opening window of some sort

Don't forget all supermarkets now do home delivery at little cost extra

Is access 'reasonable'?
A tail lift may help those with some disabilities but will prevent other people gaining access. No one method can suit all people. And has its own health & safety issues.