What to Know about Choosing a Bread Supplier for Your Store
If you are opening a grocery store, or need to find a new bread supplier for your store, here are some basic tips to help you choose a supplier.
Wholesale or Local Bakery?
Depending on the size of your store and how many patrons your store receives on any given week, you may need to assess how much bread you want to stock in your store. If you have a relatively small grocery store, you may not want a huge variety of different breads. You would really need to do some guess work at first and see what sells the most. Many people like fresh bread from a bakery, but you have to remember that this type of bread will likely be more expensive and it will not last as long since it has few or no preservatives.
On the other hand, a great deal of people like to purchase mass-produced bread because it is less expensive and tends to last longer. If you want to go with basic white and whole-wheat bread, look for a wholesale bread supplier to start an account with, and set up a delivery schedule that will work for you.
Combine the Options
Don't limit yourself either; you may want to try getting most of your bread stocked by a wholesale supplier, but maybe have a more limited selection of bread made and delivered by a local bakery. Try it for a while to see if it pans out. Remember that people enjoy a variety to choose from, but you have to find a balance between offering a wide variety of bread and offering what is most convenient and cost effective for you.
If you decide to try getting some fresh bread delivered every few days from a local bakery, you could advertise it as healthier, since that is most often the case, But, if you also have mass-produced bread for sale, you could offer sales, and count on the less expensive brand selling more quickly.
Other Things to Consider
You need to think about the actual space you have on your shelves for bread. Think about what you will do with the bread that doesn't sell. Some wholesale suppliers will offer a credit for unsold bread, and some will only deal with you if you purchase a certain amount of bread from them. Be sure to ask questions about their terms before you enter into a contract with any bread supplier.
Also remember that seeing what sells and what doesn't will require some risk at first on your part. It takes a bit of trial and error to see what will work best for you and your patrons. Talk to a bread supplier to get started.