How to Start a Grocery Store

Grocery stores sell food and other household items. Often called supermarkets, grocery stores are go-to sources for a home’s food needs. They similarly sell important kitchen utensils, disposable items, cleaning materials, candy, alcohol, soft drinks, and self-care items. Today’s grocery stores are great resources for many products, making them important local resources.

Ready to turn your business idea into a reality? We recommend forming an LLC as it is the most affordable way to protect your personal assets. You can do this yourself or with our trusted partner for a small fee.

Northwest ($29 + State Fees)

DIY: How to Start an LLC

Start a grocery store by following these 10 steps:

  1. Plan your Grocery Store
  2. Form your Grocery Store into a Legal Entity
  3. Register your Grocery Store for Taxes
  4. Open a Business Bank Account & Credit Card
  5. Set up Accounting for your Grocery Store
  6. Get the Necessary Permits & Licenses for your Grocery Store
  7. Get Grocery Store Insurance
  8. Define your Grocery Store Brand
  9. Create your Grocery Store Website
  10. Set up your Business Phone System

We have put together this simple guide to starting your grocery store. These steps will ensure that your new business is well planned out, registered properly and legally compliant.

Exploring your options? Check out other small business ideas.

STEP 1: Plan your business

A clear plan is essential for success as an entrepreneur. It will help you map out the specifics of your business and discover some unknowns. A few important topics to consider are:

Luckily we have done a lot of this research for you.

What will you name your business?

Choosing the right name is important and challenging. If you don’t already have a name in mind, visit our How to Name a Business guide or get help brainstorming a name with our Grocery Store Name Generator

If you operate a sole proprietorship, you might want to operate under a business name other than your own name. Visit our DBA guide to learn more.

When registering a business name, we recommend researching your business name by checking:

  • Your state’s business records
  • Federal and state trademark records
  • Social media platforms
  • Web domain availability

It’s very important to secure your domain name before someone else does.

What are the costs involved in opening a grocery store?

When startup investment is considered, grocery store owners can expect to spend between $70,000-$100,000 on equipment. A good point-of-sale system will require another $40,000. Initial inventory can be a massive investment, sitting around $160,000. Pre-opening expenses, including rent and insurance, can add another $10,000. These expenses, when combined with grand opening advertising, security deposits, and working capital, can easily surpass $500,000.

What are the ongoing expenses for a grocery store?

In some states, you can pay your employees between $7.25-$10 per hour, although in major cities that number could be much higher, and there are also currently 12 states with a minimum wage over $10 per hour. Utilities can be expensive, costing a grocer as much as $5,000 per month, depending on the size of their freezer section. Food needs to be restocked, which is a varying expense. To save money, purchase goods in bulk.

Who is the target market?

Preferred customers are locals. Because the grocery store business is competitive, small grocers thrive on local communities. Many shoppers choose to go to big-box stores like Walmart, Costco, Kroger, or Target for their food. Because of this, a new grocer will need to prioritize small communities, individual households, and college campuses by offering affordable food.

How does a grocery store make money?

Grocery stores generate most of their volume selling processed foods, but they also make money by offering fresh meats and produce, cleaning products, and alcohol.

How much can you charge customers?

Grocery store prices vary wildly, as they offer a huge selection of products. Lesser food items may cost as little as $1, while packaged meats can cost as much as $20. As a rule of thumb: offer lower prices for multiple purchases. Again, your low-value offers will win your spot in the local market.

How much profit can a grocery store make?

In 2016, the average American supermarket had total sales over $17 million. However, grocery stores are volume businesses with thin margins, as the average supermarket has a profit margin of just 1% to 3%. Even then, a successful independent store can profit up to $300,000 annually. Of course, these rates vary greatly on the area, the store’s specialty, and its size. For this reason, the average grocery store owner’s typical income is a bit unclear.

How can you make your business more profitable?

The easiest way to increase your store’s profitability is to stock the front of the store with impulse buys. Items like magazines and batteries can have profit margins of up to 70%, meaning that selling just a couple of these items can bring back the same profits as another shopper’s entire cart. Also, diversifying your store by adding amenities like a coffee shop can dramatically increase your profit potential.

Want a more guided approach? Access TRUiC’s free Small Business Startup Guide – a step-by-step course for turning your business idea into reality. Get started today!

STEP 2: Form a legal entity

One crucial aspect that cannot be overlooked when starting your grocery store is the importance of establishing a solid business foundation. While sole proprietorships and partnerships are the most common entity types for small businesses, they’re a far less stable and advantageous option than LLCs.

This is because unincorporated business structures (i.e., sole proprietorships and partnerships) expose you as an owner to personal liability for your business’s debts and legal actions, while LLCs protect you by keeping your personal assets separate from your business’s liabilities.

In practice, this means that if your grocery store were to face a lawsuit or incur any debts, your savings, home, and other personal assets could not be used to cover these costs. On top of this, forming your business as an LLC also helps it to appear more legitimate and trustworthy.

More than 84% of our readers opt to collaborate with a professional LLC formation service to kickstart their venture. We’ve negotiated a tailored discount for our readers, bringing the total down to just $29.

FORM YOUR LLC

Note: If you’re interested in more information before getting started, we recommend having a look at our state-specific How to Start an LLC guide (DIY) or our in-depth Best LLC Services review (for those opting for a professional service).

STEP 3: Register for taxes

You will need to register for a variety of state and federal taxes before you can open for business.

In order to register for taxes you will need to apply for an EIN. It’s really easy and free!

You can acquire your EIN through the IRS website. If you would like to learn more about EINs, read our article, What is an EIN?

There are specific state taxes that might apply to your business. Learn more about state sales tax and franchise taxes in our state sales tax guides.

STEP 4: Open a business bank account & credit card

Using dedicated business banking and credit accounts is essential for personal asset protection.

When your personal and business accounts are mixed, your personal assets (your home, car, and other valuables) are at risk in the event your business is sued. In business law, this is referred to as piercing your corporate veil.

Open a business bank account

Besides being a requirement when applying for business loans, opening a business bank account:

  • Separates your personal assets from your company’s assets, which is necessary for personal asset protection.
  • Makes accounting and tax filing easier.

Recommended: Read our Best Banks for Small Business review to find the best national bank or credit union.

Get a business credit card

Getting a business credit card helps you:

Recommended: Apply for an easy approval business credit card from BILL and build your business credit quickly.

STEP 5: Set up business accounting

Recording your various expenses and sources of income is critical to understanding the financial performance of your business. Keeping accurate and detailed accounts also greatly simplifies your annual tax filing.

Make LLC accounting easy with our LLC Expenses Cheat Sheet.

STEP 6: Obtain necessary permits and licenses

Failure to acquire necessary permits and licenses can result in hefty fines, or even cause your business to be shut down.

Federal Business Licensing Requirements

In most states, it is necessary to obtain a grocer’s license. Learn more about licensing requirements in your state by visiting SBA’s reference to state licenses and permits.

In particular, if you want to sell alcohol at your grocery store, you will need a liquor permit, the specificities of which vary locally.

State & Local Business Licensing Requirements

Grocery store businesses may also wish to look into applying for a resale certificate, which allows retailers to purchase goods intended for resale without paying sales tax.

For more information about local licenses and permits:

Most businesses are required to collect sales tax on the goods or services they provide. To learn more about how sales tax will affect your business, read our article, Sales Tax for Small Businesses.

Food Regulations

When selling food, you will need licensing from a local health department, because all establishments serving food are required to pass a health inspection. Check out these tips for faring well on health inspections.

There are federal regulations regarding what can and cannot be added to, sold as, and processed with food. Attached is a resource from the Food and Drug Administration detailing the process of starting a food business: How to Start a Food Business.

Certificate of Occupancy

A grocery store is generally run out of a physical location. Businesses operating out of a physical location typically require a Certificate of Occupancy (CO).  A CO confirms that all building codes, zoning laws and government regulations have been met.

  • If you plan to lease a location:
    • It is generally the landlord’s responsibility to obtain a CO.
    • Before leasing, confirm that your landlord has or can obtain a valid CO that is applicable to a grocery store.
    • After a major renovation, a new CO often needs to be issued. If your place of business will be renovated before opening, it is recommended to include language in your lease agreement stating that lease payments will not commence until a valid CO is issued.
  • If you plan to purchase or build a store:
    • You will be responsible for obtaining a valid CO from a local government authority.
    • Review all building codes and zoning requirements for your business’ location to ensure your grocery store will be in compliance and able to obtain a CO.

STEP 7: Get business insurance

Just as with licenses and permits, your business needs insurance in order to operate safely and lawfully. Business Insurance protects your company’s financial wellbeing in the event of a covered loss.

There are several types of insurance policies created for different types of businesses with different risks. If you’re unsure of the types of risks that your business may face, begin with General Liability Insurance. This is the most common coverage that small businesses need, so it’s a great place to start for your business.

Another notable insurance policy that many businesses need is Workers’ Compensation Insurance. If your business will have employees, it’s a good chance that your state will require you to carry Workers’ Compensation Coverage.

Find out what types of insurance your Grocery Store needs and how much it will cost you by reading our guide Business Insurance for Grocery Store.

STEP 8: Define your brand

Your brand is what your company stands for, as well as how your business is perceived by the public. A strong brand will help your business stand out from competitors.

If you already have a logo, you can also add it to a QR code with our Free QR Code Generator. Choose from 13 QR code types to create a code for your business cards and publications, or to help spread awareness for your new website.

How to promote & market a grocery store

Grand opening promotion should be widespread. A successful grocery store will promote in apartment complexes, college campuses, nearby stores, and on social media. Because grocery store products have such a steady demand, they cater to a wide-ranging audience. As for marketing, grocery stores survive and thrive from word-of-mouth advertisement. Once your grocery store becomes known for its low cost, high-quality food — or for its unique options — it will market itself.

How to keep customers coming back

Customers will be attracted to your store through typical marketing campaigns, but retention is more difficult. Because a grocery store needs to target mass audiences instead of individual customer types, it needs a “selling point,” which is usually low prices. However, a bit of creativity can create your own allure. Specialize in fresh meat, add a sushi station or hot bar, etc. Find out what local competitors are doing, and offer something different.

STEP 9: Create your business website

After defining your brand and creating your logo the next step is to create a website for your business.

While creating a website is an essential step, some may fear that it’s out of their reach because they don’t have any website-building experience. While this may have been a reasonable fear back in 2015, web technology has seen huge advancements in the past few years that makes the lives of small business owners much simpler.

Here are the main reasons why you shouldn’t delay building your website:

  • All legitimate businesses have websites – full stop. The size or industry of your business does not matter when it comes to getting your business online.
  • Social media accounts like Facebook pages or LinkedIn business profiles are not a replacement for a business website that you own.
  • Website builder tools like the GoDaddy Website Builder have made creating a basic website extremely simple. You don’t need to hire a web developer or designer to create a website that you can be proud of.

Recommended: Get started today using our recommended website builder or check out our review of the Best Website Builders.

Other popular website builders are: WordPressWIXWeeblySquarespace, and Shopify.

STEP 10: Set up your business phone system

Getting a phone set up for your business is one of the best ways to help keep your personal life and business life separate and private. That’s not the only benefit; it also helps you make your business more automated, gives your business legitimacy, and makes it easier for potential customers to find and contact you.

There are many services available to entrepreneurs who want to set up a business phone system. We’ve reviewed the top companies and rated them based on price, features, and ease of use. Check out our review of the Best Business Phone Systems 2024 to find the best phone service for your small business.

Recommended Business Phone Service: Phone.com

Phone.com is our top choice for small business phone numbers because of all the features it offers for small businesses and it’s fair pricing.

Is this Business Right For You?

Any individual who enjoys point-of-sale work, food, management, or finance can open a grocery store. The grocery business is competitive, but those who have a knack for making strong selling plans, capital-intensive business plans, or retail plans definitely have a shot. A grocery store owner should understand food very well, and they should have a passion for providing the best food around town.

Want to know if you are cut out to be an entrepreneur?

Take our Entrepreneurship Quiz to find out!

Entrepreneurship Quiz

What happens during a typical day at a grocery store?

A grocery store needs to stock a variety of products. They also have to help customers find, carry, and buy them. These products include ethnic foods, organic foods, frozen foods, and more. They must restock any perishable food before its expiration date. Additionally, the grocery store will need to stay competitive by offering low-priced options. Daily management includes cleaning, restocking, auditing, and selling.

What are some skills and experiences that will help you build a successful grocery store?

First, a grocery store must have a competitive pricing plan. It should also have unique amenities, like a fresh meat deli. Some grocery stores gain competitive advantages by offering in-house craft beer stations, too. Over time, a successful grocery store will be a preferred local hotspot. To become this hotspot, you’ll need to browse your area’s demographics—targeting the most lucrative segments.

What is the growth potential for a grocery store?

Grocery stores account for the largest share of food sales within the United States. In 2013 alone, grocery stores accounted for about 90% of the country’s overall food and beverage sales. The food retail industry is a low-margin, high-volume business. It has quite a bit of competition, and much of that competition is from well-established providers. If a small grocer doesn’t create a niche selling point, they may be outclassed by the big-box stores.

Take the Next Step

Find a business mentor

One of the greatest resources an entrepreneur can have is quality mentorship. As you start planning your business, connect with a free business resource near you to get the help you need.

Having a support network in place to turn to during tough times is a major factor of success for new business owners.

Learn from other business owners

Want to learn more about starting a business from entrepreneurs themselves? Visit Startup Savant’s startup founder series to gain entrepreneurial insights, lessons, and advice from founders themselves.

Resources to Help Women in Business

There are many resources out there specifically for women entrepreneurs. We’ve gathered necessary and useful information to help you succeed both professionally and personally:

  • Funding
  • Events
  • Guides
  • Support

If you’re a woman looking for some guidance in entrepreneurship, check out this great new series Women in Business created by the women of our partner Startup Savant.

What are some insider tips for jump starting a grocery store?

Make sure your highest-selling goods don’t perish quickly. If they do, market the store as a preferred “fresh market” of sorts. Vegan food and other organics are in high demand, and a newly started grocery store can thrive if it creates a niche for itself. That said, any additional costs will need to be leveraged against the revenue gained from your specialization.

How and when to build a team

For a grocery store of any size, your beginning team will probably need to have at least five people. Grocery stores are hard to manage, and you’ll need constant support to micromanage sales, restock inventory, help customers, and provide security. If you’re a small grocer who’s specializing in niche products, you may be able to get by with only having three workers. As your store grows, you’ll need at least ten employees, and possibly far more.

Read our grocery store hiring guide to learn about the different roles a grocery store typically fills, how much to budget for employee salaries, and how to build your team exactly how you want it.

Useful Links

TRUiC Resources

Industry Opportunities

Real World Examples

Further Reading