Indian grocery shop

Indian and South Asian families, students and workers living nearby, plus home cooks who enjoy Indian food.

You buy from wholesalers and importers and sell at a markup. Regular weekly shoppers, bulk rice and flour sales and festival season demand help keep takings steady.

• Knowing Indian ingredients and brands
• Stock ordering and pricing
• Customer service and community ties
• Basic bookkeeping

• Food business registration with your local council, and any food safety supervisor or training rules in your state
• Labelling rules for packaged and imported foods, and import rules if you bring in goods yourself
• Fresh produce and chilled items can spoil, so order small and watch waste
• Public liability insurance and shop contents insurance
• Lease terms, rent and fit-out costs, which can be the biggest risk, so check them carefully
• GST registration once turnover reaches the threshold, and workers compensation insurance once you hire

Startup costs are typically around $40,000 to $150,000, depending on your lease, fit-out and opening stock. These are estimates. Lease terms and fit-out costs can be the biggest risk, so check them carefully.

Monthly revenue is typically around $20,000 to $80,000, depending on your location, shop size and the range you stock. These are estimates before rent, stock and wages. Fresh items can spoil, so order small and watch waste.

Check food business registration with your local council and any food safety supervisor or training rules in your state. Also check labelling rules for packaged and imported foods, import rules if you bring in goods yourself, and GST registration.