The Sweet Shop thread!

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arcon5

  • #202
    kelvin1950 said:
    Do you only ask questions? Answer mine first and I might think about answering yours.
    Click to expand...

    It completely depends on whether you are in a prime location or buying a freehold, which I referred to in my comment. So to answer your question would require an answer!

    But since (at least in the area of the country I'm in) a lot of sweet shops take on smaller premises not quite central where rents can often be sub £10k per annum, then £30k to fit out a sweet shops sounds exceptionally high. My last business involving the purchase of machinery of about £5k didn't cost half this to set up.
     
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    kelvin1950

  • #203
    arcon5 said:
    It completely depends on whether you are in a prime location or buying a freehold, which I referred to in my comment. So to answer your question would require an answer!

    But since (at least in the area of the country I'm in) a lot of sweet shops take on smaller premises not quite central where rents can often be sub £10k per annum, then £30k to fit out a sweet shops sounds exceptionally high. My last business involving the purchase of machinery of about £5k didn't cost half this to set up.
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    Doesn't sound like it was a shop selling edible goods then. You think it high, I don't. It's my money.

    You get very little for 30k these days when you're looking at everything I detailed in my answer above.
     
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    summer76

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    Jul 29, 2013
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  • #204
    I have read all 21 pages of this thread!!! and there are some amazingly helpful people about.

    I am looking into buying a lease on a little news kiosk that is looking a little sad but i am sure would be a good life style change. I have managed multi millions pound pubs for 9 years so I know the pressure will now be totally on me but i am up for the hard work and challenges.

    If you can pm me any useful tips wholesalers, how to get the best prices from whole salers and also other products that have a good gp.

    Any help additional advice would be great.

    Sarah x
     
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    warnie

    warnie

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    Sep 24, 2007
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    Wordsley
  • #206
    lak021978 said:
    It looks like after a lot of thought and research, I am going to open my sweet shop, however my next challenge is thinking of a name. Any suggestions everyone??
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    Grab a couple of bottles of wine and a pen and paper. Trust me, after the wine you'll come up with something quite unique! although you may have to tone it down a little the following morning:p

    Choosing the name is one of the best bits, especially when it goes up above your shop:)

    We named ours after our great grandmother, Fanny Beatrice Adam's as she lived just around the corner from our 1st shop. When she was alive that was!
     
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    Quickpacksupplies

  • #210
    Hey guys I don't mean to jump in and advertise here to cause annoyance.

    But we sell sweet bags striped and polka dot in two different sizes.

    Their a brand new line and we're in the process of putting them on our website.

    Would anyone be interested in these? We can ship for fairly cheap rates to any location in the UK.

    Hope business is all good for everyone.

    James

    Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2
     
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    Quickpacksupplies

  • #213
    Hi Guys/Girls

    I have uploaded our striped sweet bags which are available in two different sizes 5" x 7" and 7" x 9". All bags are manufactured from within the UK and are a strong 38/40mu.

    Our striped sweet bags can be found here: http://www.quickpacksupplies.co.uk/paper-counter-bags/striped-sweet-bags

    We also do the brown kraft and white sulphite bags:
    http://www.quickpacksupplies.co.uk/paper-counter-bags

    We also have zebra, leopart and Polka dot designs which will be uploaded over the next few days.
     
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    warnie

    warnie

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    Sep 24, 2007
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  • #214
    Ok then.....
    being as your around a 10 minute drive from us we can err 'test' your products, for free of course, and then write a small review on here on what we find:)

    We will not even charge for the review!;)

    Seriously though they look fine and the price seems decent too.

    Do you do any clear see through bags as well? we've always stocked both but some customers prefer the see through ones.
     
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    Quickpacksupplies

  • #215
    warnie said:
    Ok then.....
    being as your around a 10 minute drive from us we can err 'test' your products, for free of course, and then write a small review on here on what we find:)

    We will not even charge for the review!;)

    Seriously though they look fine and the price seems decent too.

    Do you do any clear see through bags as well? we've always stocked both but some customers prefer the see through ones.
    Click to expand...

    Hi buddy

    Your welcome to a selection if you want to do a review it would be most appreciated. Drop us a PM if you want and we can arrange a collection.
    We also do the clear grip seal bags in a variety of sizes which have the press seal on them. These can be used over and over again.

    They are also on our website at very similar prices.

    You would be saving a lot on postage as our website only adds it on if you choose anything but collection and it bases it all on weight. This makes it a lot more accurate than eBay "free postage" which is just the price of postage incorporated into the overall price.

    Thank you

    James

    Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk 2
     
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    warnie

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  • #217
    Hoppimike said:
    I can imagine this market at the very least would have become easier when Woolworths dropped off the radar!

    Personally I love little sweet shops - I have quite a sweet tooth and it's great to have more variety and be able to mix things at my leisure!

    I hope things go well in future :)
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    Wilkinsons have taken over where woolworths left off with the sweets:)
     
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    SweetJo

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    Jul 24, 2013
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  • #218
    B&M also have a lot or sweets, and a pick & mix :(

    What do you sweetie shop owners have as shelving in your shops? We are having a bit of a refurbishment. Do you have specially made ones, or did you find a bargain somewhere? Our current units are from Ikea but they don't make them anymore. Plus, they're not really strong enough.
     
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    SweetJo

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  • #219
    I've just had an email from one of our American suppliers saying Wonka and Mars products won't be available much longer because Nestlé don't want their products imported over here. Because of EU regulations we may not be able to sell American soda either.

    Thankfully I sell a lot of other things other than USA products but we do get customers coming to us especially for American things. The Wonka range is so popular, why can't they make it over here?! :|

    I know of some shops around here who only sell American things. I wonder what they're going to do. I'm going to stock up now while things are still available.
     
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    kelvin1950

  • #223
    SweetJo said:
    B&M also have a lot or sweets, and a pick & mix :(

    What do you sweetie shop owners have as shelving in your shops? We are having a bit of a refurbishment. Do you have specially made ones, or did you find a bargain somewhere? Our current units are from Ikea but they don't make them anymore. Plus, they're not really strong enough.
    Click to expand...


    Wickes. Screwed to CLS battening on the wall for stability. http://www.wickes.co.uk/invt/533781..._source=RatingsAndReviews&utm_content=Default
     
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    SweetMad

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    Aug 25, 2013
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  • #224
    Hi Al,

    Just come across this thread and read it in full, some good advice on here.

    We currently have a sweet shop based in Blackpool but not the town centre. We have been wanting to open a second shop in the town centre for a while now and had been looking at locations and saving. We had decided to look at taking unit in the main shopping centre in town, but lo and behold this weekend a bloomin Mr Simms has opened up!

    Talking to family and friends thy think we should still keep looking in to it as it is a very busy shopping centre. We went down today to check it out and found it to be quite expensive compared to our prices, Our ranges would be quite similar sweet wise but we do sell other stuff that is not stocked by them. Am I right in thinking that they have to sell at a certain price and also that they can only stock certain items?

    Do any of you have a Mr Simms near to your shops, we really don't know which way to go with this now so if anyone has any experience of trading near to one, good or bad, I would be extremely grateful to hear of it.

    Thanks in advance
     
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    SweetMad

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    Aug 25, 2013
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  • #226
    Ah thank you -Think we will keep looking into it, but maybe wait until next year and keep saving a bit more. Funnily enough we have already had two separate customers come in and tell us that they weren't overly impressed with the new shop. Although I suppose they may have felt+
    obliged to say that. Think I will let the novelty wear off and then go and stake the place out see how they are going in a couple of months.
     
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    David1962

  • #227
    SweetMad said:
    Ah thank you -Think we will keep looking into it, but maybe wait until next year and keep saving a bit more. Funnily enough we have already had two separate customers come in and tell us that they weren't overly impressed with the new shop. Although I suppose they may have felt+
    obliged to say that. Think I will let the novelty wear off and then go and stake the place out see how they are going in a couple of months.
    Click to expand...

    A couple of months will make no difference at all. They will be committed to a lease for at least a year, probably three. Plus the fee's they have paid Mr Simms means they will, or at least should, be in it for the long haul.

    Plus you need to be realistic, there isn't enough business for two sweet shops in one town centre. A quarter of Hancocks sherbet lemons is a quarter of Hanckcoks sherbet lemons, what would you be doing so different? And forget competing on price as that never ends well.
     
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    SweetMad

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    Aug 25, 2013
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  • #228
    Whilst the weigh out sweets are the same this is not really where we make the most profit in our current shop. We aim to focus more on the gifts, the ones that we currently make up and sell I've not seen in any Mr Simms shops.

    The reason for waiting was to save really so that we were not needing any lending - I take your point on board though - there is another town nearby that we may look into instead - we're in no rush - I'm a little reluctant to start getting things in motion to be honest, just because I know how much hard work it's going to be and things had just started easing up with the current shop. Thank you for replying though :)
     
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    SweetMad

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    Aug 25, 2013
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  • #230
    They do do some gift yes, they have the plastic Victorian jars pre filled and what looks like nice chocolates and bars (although I've never tasted it but looks like a lovely gift) The one near me also has some gift things you can buy in Hancocks such as the 'My little sweetie shop' the box with 4 or 8 little jars in. But I didn't see any hampers or explosion type things and haven't in any others I've been in either.
     
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    SweetJo

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    Jul 24, 2013
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  • #235
    Are you wanting glass or plastic? Are they to store your sweets in or to make gifts up for people?

    We get ours from Hancock's. We use the smaller plastic ones for gifts for people, then use the 30cm high ones to store our sweets. A lot of our sweets come already in jars which makes things easier. Hancock's also do some nice Victorian style plastic ones but with the bobble lid on they don't fit on our shelves.
     
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