Corner Shop suppliers

paulsm

I am looking into buying a corner grocery shop does anyone know if there are any shopowner forums etc around , I am looking to find the best suppliers in my area as the local bookers etc are queit expensive , there must be suppliers that cater better for the small shop etc

windswept

costco seems fairly cheap for groceries and household goods, I always stock up for my freezer when we visit, they have some good offers, e.g. 6 X 12 packs of andrex toilet rolls for £12 and 6 bottles of shweppes lemonade for £2.
all the really cheap stuff seems to be in bulk packs like tinned goods etc.
costco seems an awful lot cheaper than makro, for instance.
for help, try the uk business forums, they are a knowledgeable bunch over there.

Gewens

Hi Paulsm
Have you loked into joining a symbol group, their are many about, which provide you with stock, and also run promotions. The ones i can think of are Premier, Spar, Londis, Mace and their are a few others.
The other suppliers are Palmer and Harvey and Nisa which supply ambiant & Frozen.
Kerry foods deliver fresh chilled food daily.
Bread can come from Allied Bakeries or British bakeries, their are other but they are the ones i have used. For milk you have got Co-Op, Dairy farmers of britain or wiseman Daries, but as with bread their are others.
If you want to know anything else please let me know.
Genn

paulsm

thats what I was looking for cheers , how does it work?

Gewens

Which part are you reffering to? and in what area is the shop to be in?

richt71

I used to work for Costcutters travelling around the country setting up new shops for shop owners. As far as I know they charge fees to set-up but then offer you buying power via themselves.

dawnybabes

I find Batleys are cheaper than Bookers/Makro

paulsm

I am in great yarmouth , so costco is out , what sort of investments are involved with symbols?

Gewens

I dont know what the amount of investment would be but have a look at http://www.booker.co.uk/premier/index.asp and send them an e-mail. I have never been part of one, i was a manager for a national convenienve chain for many years.
Where do the current owners get their stock from?

paulsm

bookers but myself and accountant suspect that may be why profit margins are lowish

Gewens

Have a look at http://www.palmerharvey.co.uk this may give you an idea. Have you got a couple of invoices from bookers, (if not ask for some) this way you can compair the prices you are paying to some other suppliers to see how much of a difference it will make, although on the occasions i have been to bookers it does not seem that cheap.
How does the store stand with costs, Are their any services in their like paypoint or lottery?