How to open an organic food shop

Natural products are, today, a thriving market thanks to the ever-increasing awareness of consumers: we will therefore explain to you how to open an organic food shop.

Entering the organic food business is a very interesting idea today, both in terms of development and earnings opportunities, and because it is an exciting area.

But what do you need to know and what documents do you need to have to get started?

Documents and certifications for an organic shop

Unlike, for example, pharmacies and parapharmacies, no specific qualifications are needed to open an organic food shop. Despite this, making use of the collaboration or advice of a nutritionist can be an advantage over the competition.

Thebureaucratic processis the classic one for opening any commercial establishment:

• you need to open a VAT number and register with the Chamber of Commerce,
• it is necessary to report the start of the activity to your municipality (SCIA),
• you must possess suitability for the food trade, which can be obtained by attending the SAB course, and then obtaining the certificate. For those who have worked for at least 2 years in the last 5 years already within the food sector, the course becomes optional.
• there is an obligation to request health authorization from the relevant ASL.

Advice for opening a successful organic grocery store

First of all, it is a good idea to evaluate whether you want to open a independent point of sale or apply to join a franchising.

The difference is above all linked to the freedom of choice of products, pricing policies, and the image of the shop itself: obviously, remaining independent ensures that your organic shop is truly personal and personalized.

The franchising route, however, should not be underestimated: with affordable entry costs, it allows you to streamline many procedures and have a turnkey package, from furnishings to the supply of products.

Once this first decision has been made, here are some ideas for taking the first steps:

• The choice of location is fundamental: a bright, welcoming place, of the right size for the customer traffic you estimate you will have, is the first business card to be chosen.
• The location of the shop is essential, preferably in a point with good traffic but perhaps not excessively central, to contain the costs of renting or purchasing the space itself.
• Also be careful do not position yourself too close to other outlets selling similar foods, with the risk of saturating the area with your offer and therefore having few customers.
• You need to carefully choose the products to present to customers, trust the suppliers and purchase only references of the quality you can personally guarantee. Anyone who enters an organic shop is ready to spend a little more but only in exchange for real quality, safety and sustainability of the product.
• The"Organic"certification of the products is the sine qua non of being put on the shelf: rely only on serious and transparent suppliers, who rely on serious bodies such as AIAB.
• A big plus is the ability to explain the products: advice on uses, properties and recipes always pleases the undecided customer!