My Idea - Food delivery van...

Nomad25

G-G - it could be that fuel costs work in your favour - e.g. people don't want to use their cars for one off fresh pastries - but will happily buy from local van - depends on the folk in the area, who you will know.

I would recommend you do a feasibility [costs, time, available market, etc.] study on each of your options - it doesn't have to be anything too grand [large piece of paper + pencil, plus a bit of nosying around] to start with, but is quite helpful when deciding what is most suitable/profitable way to go.

Good luck and success.

G-G_4

Excellent advice Nomad.. I think I will have to certainly sit down and work out costings, suppliers, possible market area and demand..

djheath

I know when I was a student the one thing we really wanted on a sunday lunch time was a sunday roast. We would somtimes go to the local pub but it would cost quite a bit in added drinks, plus pudding, plus you had to wait for ages to get a seat. We could have cooked it at home, but it was never the same and if only one of you wanted it then it was a waste of a chicken etc.

I suggested we started a "sunday Roast takeaway". I.e you go to the shop, order your roast with all the trimmings and bring it home to watch in front of the telly with a can of cheap lager! I think if you could offer this service around student areas you could make a killing.

As a side note, when I lived in hungerford, they had a man who would come to the village and cook you chinese out of his van as there was no local chinese takeaway. That was always quite good!

*MF*

G-G wrote: »

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To be honest, I'm not entirely 100% sure on the exact things I want to sell, I suppose this is going to be my first market research

Use market research to find out what people want to buy - NOT - what you want to sell.

Example: We no longer have a fishmongers shop where I live - but every Thursday - without fail apart from holidays, a van sounds its horn outside in the street, delivering fish landed that day - he always gets custom from me and my neighbours.

So why not print off some leaflets, post them thru' nearby letterboxes and ask what people want, what they don't have local access to, and whether they would support your idea? Don't rely on the answers 100% - but it will give you a reliable guide as to whether your idea may work or not.

betterlatethannever

Hi G-G
i too, think its an idea worth looking into.
I remember the van coming round at weekends with fruit and veg and some other bits, such as cereals, sweets and milk.
I'd go out to help my gran, and with some gentle persuasion, i'd could usually manage to get a pack of sweets out of her too:rolleyes:
We also have a fresh fish van, and he does a roaring trade every week.

Good luck .

geordie_joe

G-G wrote: »

Geordie Joe,

Great reply, thanks

I never really thought about being a mini supermarket on wheels as such, that is something I could consider for sure.. I suppose it all depends on profits of the items I would be selling aswell.

& good point about being regular and reliable..

Also take account of the shelf live of your goods. Fresh cakes may sound nice but you would have to sell them quickly. fruit and veg will last a bit longer as will many other things.

G-G_4

Thanks everyone, some great input and ideas coming through..

I'm hearing fresh fish and fruit + Veg, so maybe this would be the way to go..

betterlatethannever

G-G wrote: »

Thanks everyone, some great input and ideas coming through..

I'm hearing fresh fish and fruit + Veg, so maybe this would be the way to go..

and sweets:D

samtastic7

G-G wrote: »

Thanks everyone, some great input and ideas coming through..

I'm hearing fresh fish and fruit + Veg, so maybe this would be the way to go..

could you get the local shop to buy its vegatable from you or pubs and resterants

Daddyo

Okay, great idea and a couple of musings:

* Duncan Bannatyne started his empire with ice creams - have a look in his biog, its very interesting

* we have the mobile fish and chip van where we live. Its a big van, removal van sized with the chip fryers on board. Tastes real nice too!!

* I knew someone who had an ice cream van, and they went round in the winter selling sausages and mash (mash coming through the Mr Whippys!!)

No advice, just musings as I said.

Best of luck in what you do, and keep us posted.