Starting a Retail Business? Top 5 Tips for Saving Money

Businesses that are just starting up can always benefit from saving money and, in today’s economy, that’s especially true.

Whether you’re starting a candy store or opening a gift shop, the five tips below can help you save money.

1. Buy Only What You Need

Actually, this tip has two parts: First, you figure out what you need, and then you buy only what you need.

Chances are, you already have a pretty good general idea of what you need, such as merchandise and display fixtures. For example, maybe you already know you’re going to sell candy and you need display fixtures for your store’s floor and countertops. At this point, you just need to decide what kind of candy you’re going to sell (wrapped candies? unwrapped candies? novelty candies? gourmet candies?) and how you want to display the candy (clear plastic containers? colored acrylic bins? glass fish bowls? gravity bins?).

Determining exactly what you need before you start shopping ensures you don’t spend money on items you won’t sell or use.

2. Don’t Buy Everything at Once

This tip goes hand-in-hand with buying only what you need.

While you don’t want to buy too little for your store’s opening day, you can opt to buy only what you know for sure you’ll need during the first few months and then, after spending that time observing your customers’ needs, buy more. This also gives you a great opportunity to advertise “new” and “special” items that will please your existing customers and attract new customers!

3. Buy Bulk Items at Wholesale Prices

Generally, buying in bulk and buying at wholesale prices go hand-in-hand. When you buy bulk items for wholesale prices, you’re getting large quantities of items for a lower price than you’d spend if you bought the items individually or in smaller quantities.

Think of the kinds of merchandise you want to sell a lot of, as well as the kinds of display fixtures you plan to use the most, and find a distributor that sells those items at wholesale prices. Just be sure to compare the prices of several different companies, because many companies that claim to offer wholesale prices actually don’t.

4. Buy On Sale

In addition to looking for wholesale items, look for on sale items. Just like the retail businesses they cater to, retailers and distributors have sales and offer discounts. Store owners can save tons of money when they browse the catalogues of sale and discount items.

Just be sure all the savings don’t sweep you up, because you’ll waste money if you purchase items you don’t need just because they’re on sale.

5. Buy Start Up Specials

Many retailers and distributors offer start up specials for retails stores that are just getting started. Such start up specials might include:

• Pre-filled candy displays for your floors and countertops.
• Pre-filled novelty displays for your floors or countertops.
• Versatile display racks designed with basic display needs in mind, like bucket racks wooden basket racks for countertops and floor displays.
• Basic tools like aluminum scoops and acrylic tong kits for handling unwrapped food items.
  

5 Tips for Shopping for Candy Store Supplies

So, you’re thinking of opening a candy store. Or, maybe you already have a candy store, but you need some ideas for giving the place a facelift. Whether you’ve yet to schedule the Grand Opening or you just want to freshen up your existing establishment, below are five tips to help you shop for supplies best suited for your candy store.

Tip #1: Know Your Store

First, you need to get to know your candy store – or the candy store you want to operate. Ask yourself the following questions:

• What kind of candy store do you want to operate? Will it have a particular theme, color scheme, or overall “feel”?

• How much space will you have to work with inside your store? Will there be room outside the building for outdoor displays?

• Will you candy store have any special features? For example, will your business have an area set aside where customers can sit and snack on the candy they’ve just purchased?

Tip #2: Know Your Customers

Second, you need to know what kind of customers you plan to cater to. Candy stores generally appeal to two main kinds of customers:

• Children and families who prefer “fun” kinds of candies.

• Adults who have more mature tastes in candies.

Tip #3: Choose the Candy You Want to Sell

In order to choose the kind of candy you want to sell in your store, you need to look again at the first and second tips. Consider your candy store’s “theme” as well as the kind of customer base you plan to cater to.

• If you plan to operate a fun, fast-paced candy store that does most of its business with children and families, consider selling popular traditional candies like gumballs, Jawbreakers, lollipops, Jelly Beans, and Tootsie Rolls.

• If you plan to operate a more mature establishment that caters mostly to adults, consider candies like gourmet chocolates, including chocolate-covered nuts, pretzels, cherries, and coffee and espresso beans.

Tip #4: Think About the Best Candy Displays

Now that you’re familiar with your candy store, the kinds of customers you plan to have, and the types of candies you want to sell, you’re ready to choose the candy displays that will best suit your business.

Most all candy stores can use display items like glass and plastic containers, colored acrylic bins, and floor and countertop display racks; however, depending on your candy store’s theme and the kinds of customers you expect, you can choose versions of these display tools that best suit your store.

For example, if your store will do business mostly with children and families, colored acrylic containers and bright display racks for your floors and countertop might be best. You can even add additional fun display items like gumball machines and lollipop trees.

Gumball machines and lollipop displays might also work for older customers, but if you plan to have a more mature customer base, you might want to choose wooden baskets and display racks and glass candy jars in lieu of plastic and wire.

Tip #5: Shop for True Wholesale Candy Prices

You’re familiar with your store, your customers, and the kind of candies you want to sell and how you want to display those candies. Now it’s time to make sure you stock your store with those candies at true wholesale prices.

As you're shopping for wholesale candy, make sure you compare the prices of several different candy retailers. Some companies will claim to offer wholesale prices on bulk candies, but further shopping around will prove these prices aren’t true wholesale at all.

Hey, Store Owners: Candy Isn’t Just for Kids Anymore

Because candy is so popular, a number of retail businesses such as convenience stores, gas stations, and grocery stores include candy displays on their countertops or on display racks situated throughout their stores. Even establishments that aren’t generally in the business of selling food products, like hotels, bookstores, and gift shops, will create candy displays to offer customers add-on merchandise as they’re shopping or checking out.

Most of these establishments – especially gas stations, convenience stores, and grocery stores – sell mainstream candies like Atomic Fireballs, Good & Plenty, Skittles, Jolly Ranchers, and Mike & Ike. Chances are, you’ve never been to one of these kinds of stores and not seen some kind of candy display that included M&Ms, Laffy Taffy, Sprees, or Runts. This is due to the wide variety of customers these businesses deal with on a daily basis. These kinds of candies generally appeal to the masses.

While these common candies certainly have something to offer (they wouldn’t be so popular if they didn’t, after all), sometimes businesses cater to customers who aren’t fans of candies like Tootsie Rolls, Lemonheads, and Bit-O-Honey. Businesses that attract customers with more mature tastes in candy can still benefit from having candy displays; they just need to use candies that appeal more to these kinds of customers. Such candies include gourmet chocolates.

Consider Gourmet Chocolates

European-style gourmet chocolates are excellent additions to your store’s gourmet candy display. These candies with their fancy wrappers and wide variety of types appeal to many customers. You can find milk chocolate-covered European-style gourmet candies like covered raisins, dried cherries, peanuts, walnuts, pecans, cashews, macadamia nuts, and almonds, as well as other kinds of chocolate candies like pretzel twists, malted milk balls, coffee beans, espresso beans, and caramel corn.

Another gourmet candy to consider is rich gourmet chocolate. You can find a wide variety of rich, gourmet chocolate candies including Mint Meltaways and Peanut Butter Meltaways, Coconut Haystacks, Vanilla Caramels, and Peanut Butter Cups. For customers who enjoy chocolate-covered nuts, consider Rocky Road Clusters, Peanut Caramel Patties, Cashew Caramel Patties, Pecan Caramel Patties, and Toffee with Almonds. Also keep in mind that you can find sugar-free versions of many rich gourmet chocolate candies, too.

Displaying Gourmet Chocolates

You can display gourmet candies much the same ways as you can display other kinds of candies. You can create countertop displays for your gourmet chocolates, or you can use display racks to hold the candy containers and situate the displays throughout your store.

Acrylic or plastic containers are perfect for storing and displaying just about any kind of candy or sweet treat, and gourmet candies are no different in that respect. Of course, given that these candies are gourmet you might want to forgo colored or clear plastic containers and use glass candy containers instead. Glass candy jars provide a look of elegance that’s perfect for displaying gourmet chocolates. Regardless of the kind of containers you choose for your candy display, make sure your jars have lids if they’re going to hold unwrapped candies.

Choosing Candy for Countertop Displays

Candy is one of the most common items included in countertop displays. There’s plenty to choose from, so it’s easy for storeowners to choose a selection that will please their customers, and it’s popular among a wide variety of customers, which means you’re just as likely to please a shopping grandmother as you are to please the grandson she’s with.

As a business owner, maybe you’ve already decided what kind of candy your store will sell, as well as the kind of candy you’re going to display on your countertop; however, if you need some help, consider these two factors: the kinds of customers your store will attract and the countertop space you have to work with.

Consider Your Customers

Because they cater to a wide variety of customers, retail businesses like convenience stores and grocery stores tend to include just as wide a variety of candies in their countertop displays. For example, bulk wrapped candies like Laffy Taffy, Squirrel Nut Zippers, Starlight Mints, Jolly Ranchers, and Atomic Fireballs tend to satisfy the masses, as do bulk unwrapped candies like Mike & Ike, Good & Plenty, Hot Tamales, Jelly Beans, Skittles, M&Ms, Runts, and Sprees.

However, if your business deals with a more mature demographic, you might want to consider candies like European-Style Gold Label Chocolates and Rich’s Gourmet Chocolates. These kinds of candies work well to make your countertop displays more appealing for customers who’ve outgrown the days of Jawbreakers and Tootsie Rolls. While they’re popular in convenience stores and grocery stores, they’re also well received in more formal restaurant settings and hotels.

Consider the Size of Your Countertop

Countertop displays that feature candy require containers to organize, store, and showcase that candy. You have many options to choose from including colored and clear plastic containers, food grade plastic containers, and glass jars. The kind of containers you choose will depend on the kind of candy you sell as well as the overall environment of your convenience store.

If you have ample countertop space to work with, you can display several different kinds of candies using numerous medium-sized or small candy containers or a few large candy containers. You might want to situate your candy bins atop countertop racks, or you might want to get creative and play with the positions of the containers to form your own display.

However, if your store’s countertop isn’t very large, you’ll probably need to use small glass or plastic containers; you might also be able to situate one or two large candy containers on your countertop. Keep in mind that countertop display racks work well to make the most of the space you have to work with.

Also remember that if you opt to include unwrapped candies in your countertop display, you should store them in glass or plastic containers with lids and make sure your customers have access to aluminum or plastic scoops. The lids help keep the candy fresh and clean, and the scoop makes it possible for your customers to easily dig out the amount of candy they want without contaminating the rest of it.

Thinking of Selling Bulk Candies in Your Store?

If you’re not thinking of ordering bulk candies for your store, you certainly should be! Candy is a popular food item among nearly every kind of retail business – even those that don’t typically sell food.

• Convenience stores and gas stations can set up countertop displays of candy, situate gumball machines near their stores’ entryways, and use c-store racks to display candy throughout their stores.
• Restaurants can create candy displays on their countertops near their registers so their customers can purchase gum, breath mints, or pieces of hard candy before they leave.
• Hotels and motels can offer candy to their patrons in their deli or snack areas, as well as their more formal dining areas. Some hotels even opt to place gumball machines throughout high traffic areas of the building such as hallways and near conference rooms and lounge areas.
  

There are so many different kinds of candies on the market, which means you’re able to easily offer your customers a wide variety of candies to choose from. Plus, when you buy bulk candy at wholesale prices, you’re helping your business save money and making sure your store stays stocked with your customers’ favorite kinds of candy!

Bulk Wrapped Candies Offer Many Countertop Display Options

Wrapped candies lend themselves to a great deal of flexibility when it comes to displaying them throughout your store. Wrappers protect the candies, so you don’t have to worry about choosing plastic containers with lids or scoops; this usually means you have more freedom to play around with the sizes and shapes of your display containers, as well as where you situate them.

Look for popular bulk wrapped candies at wholesale prices such as:

• Jolly Ranchers
• Bit-O-Honey
• Tootsie Roll Midgees
• Atomic Fireballs
• Smarties Rolls
• Lemonheads
• Jawbreakers
• Laffy Taffy
  

Add Bulk Unwrapped Candies To Your List

Unwrapped candies are great for gumball machines, but you can also create countertop displays using food grade plastic containers with lids and plastic or aluminum scoops. Containers with lids help protect the candy from dust and other debris, while the scoops provide a sanitary way for your customers to access the candy.

You can find a variety of bulk unwrapped candies at wholesale prices, including:

• Good & Plenty
• M&Ms
• Hot Tamales
• Jelly Beans
• Runts
• Skittles
• Sprees
• Mike & Ike
  

Save Money Buying Bulk Candies at Wholesale Prices

Saving money is something everyone – including business owners – strives to do during these tough economic times, and saving money is one of the best benefits of ordering bulk candies at true wholesale prices.

Be careful not to place your bulk candy order with the first vendor you run across. Although many companies claim to offer bulk quantities of candy at wholesale prices, a little research quickly shows that the prices these companies are quoting are significantly higher than true wholesale prices. Be sure to shop around and compare the prices of several different vendors before placing your order.

Making the Most of Your Store's Plastic Containers

Whether you’re running a convenience store, thinking of opening a specialty shop, or manage a hotel’s dining hall, plastic containers are beneficial for your business. Before you start shopping for wholesale plastic containers, though, you must first determine how you can make the containers work best for you. This includes choosing the plastic container most appropriate for your merchandise and the location where you plan to place it.

Choosing the Appropriate Plastic Container

The first thing you must do is think about which of your store’s merchandise you plan to hold and display in plastic containers. If you own a convenience store, you might purchase bulk candy wholesale which means your merchandise might include candy or bubblegum. If you own a specialty shop, you might want to place some of your shop’s smaller items in the clear plastic containers.

Once you’re sure about the merchandise to put in the containers, consider the following factors:

• Size: Choose plastic containers in sizes that work with your merchandise and the space where you plan to display the containers. Small plastic containers are great for countertops and checkout aisles, while containers made for wire display racks are ideal for displays in other parts of your store.

• Shape: Most plastic containers are round, square, or some variation of the two, but you can also find containers in common shapes like stars as well as holiday-inspired shapes like Christmas trees. Choose shapes that will work best with your merchandise, but keep in mind you might want to add a bit more visual appeal later on.

• Color: Clear plastic containers are probably the most common kind; however, colored acrylic dispensers are certainly popular choices for convenience store displays and you can find colored containers that are translucent enough for your customers to see the merchandise inside.

Location, Location, Location!

Your store is a piece of real estate property, so treat it as such. This includes realizing the benefits, or perks, of each location within your store. Where you place merchandise throughout your store will depend on the merchandise itself and the various spaces you have to work with.

Consider these possible locations throughout your store as you decide which kinds of plastic containers will work best for your store and its merchandise:

• Registers: Placing merchandise near registers is a popular choice among convenience store owners. Make sure you choose plastic containers and wire displays that are small enough to effectively showcase the merchandise and not get in your or your customer’s way.

• Countertops: Your countertop might be large enough so that the merchandise isn’t directly beside the register, which means you can store and display larger items. You might choose more sizeable plastic containers and wider wire display racks for these areas.

• Aisle: If your store has an aisle or two, this is a great place to utilize large convenience store racks to display multiple plastic candy containers or wire display racks for bagged items like chips.

• Entrances: Because you don’t want to make it difficult for your customers to enter and exit your store, choose displays for this area that take up little space and discourage thievery, such as gumball machines.

• Delis: Many convenience stores have deli areas to serve customers fountain beverages and quick snacks. In these situations, small plastic containers are ideal for holding condiments, utensils, straws, stir sticks, and napkins, but you might find that small wire displays and cereal dispensers work well for certain items, too.

Clear Plastic Containers: Not Just for Your Checkout Counter Anymore

While checkout counters are notoriously popular for convenience stores to showcase their merchandise within clear plastic containers, these containers are extremely versatile and can hold and display a wide variety of items throughout the entire store.

Consider Wire Display Racks

Clear plastic containers come in a variety of shapes and sizes; fortunately, so do wire display racks. You can use wire display racks to hold your plastic containers and create convenience store displays for an assortment of your store’s merchandise. Combining your store’s plastic containers and wire display racks is a great way to organize a variety of items, including:

• Edible items like candy, breath mints, and chewing gum.

• Fun and souvenir items like key chains decorated with personal names or the name of your city or state.

• Useful items like lighters, small packets of tissues, or lip balms.

• Personal hygiene items like shampoos, conditioners, soaps, razors, and shaving creams in travel sizes.

Reintroduce Yourself to Gumball Machines

As a convenience store owner, you probably purchase bulk candy wholesale, and among that candy is probably gumballs. Many stores choose to display and sell their candy from traditional gumball machines. Not only do these machines help protect the gumballs from dust and other debris, but they also help keep the gumballs safe from theft and are quite convenient for customers to use.

In the past, gumball machines have varied in height and have typically consisted of one stand and one plastic bubble. Today, convenience store owners can choose from a wide array of gumball machine styles. As your shopping for gumball machines, keep these varieties in mind:

• More than one plastic bubble: These gumball machines are space savers that allow you to organize your gumballs by flavor, size, or price.

• Various sizes: Gumball machines come in a variety of sizes, so choose the size that will work best with your store’s space.

• Standless machines: You can purchase gumball machines without stands, and these machines are perfect for displaying on convenience store racks. Choose a rack that’s sizeable enough to hold as many machines as you want, and one that will allow you to group the machines close together for convenience.

Keep in mind you don’t have to fill your gumball machines with actual gumballs. These machines are suitable for a variety of small candies – be creative!

Don’t Forget Your Store’s Hot Food Items

Many convenience stores go above and beyond simply offering their customers quick snacks like chips, candy, and bottled water or soda. These stores also provide a deli- or restaurant-style area where customers can purchase hot food items like hotdogs, corndogs, hamburgers, and nachos, as well as coffee, fountain drinks, and even ice cream. Little extras like condiments, seasonings, toppings, creamer, sugar, and sweetener, as well as non-edible items such as utensils, cups, straws, stir sticks, and napkins, also fit nicely in clear plastic containers.

Your store might actually employ individuals to prepare deli-style sandwiches for customers, and clear plastic containers are useful for storing and showcasing the kinds of sandwich meats and dressings available. And, if you offer dry food items like cereal, don’t forget to look for acrylic or plastic cereal dispensers that will comfortably fit in your store’s deli area.

Of course, what’s a hotdog or hamburger without a bag of chips and a piece of candy for dessert? Here you can use small wire displays and convenience store racks to display bags of chips and candy, as well as breath mints and chewing gum.