Neighbourhood asian grocery shop

Local families from Asian communities, home cooks, students and curious shoppers looking for authentic ingredients.

You buy from importers and wholesalers and sell at a markup. Income comes from steady repeat shoppers, bulk rice and noodle sales, and higher-margin items like snacks, drinks and house-made sauces.

• Knowing the foods and brands your community looks for
• Stock control and ordering
• Negotiating with suppliers
• Friendly customer service
• Basic bookkeeping

• Check with your local public health unit about food premises permits, especially for chilled, frozen or fresh items
• Check CFIA labelling rules, including bilingual labelling for imported products, and ask your supplier who is responsible for compliance
• Commercial general liability and property insurance
• Registering for GST/HST once you pass the small supplier threshold, and check provincial sales tax rules
• Stock with short dates can go to waste, so start with a tight range
• Quebec has French-language signage and labelling rules to check

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $40,000 to $150,000, depending on the size of the premises, shop fit-out, refrigeration, and the amount and range of opening stock. Treat this as an estimate and start with a tight product range.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $15,000 to $60,000, depending on your location, the communities nearby, your product range and opening hours. Stock with short dates can go to waste, which affects what you keep.

Check food premises permits with your local public health unit, especially for chilled or frozen items. Also check CFIA labelling rules, including bilingual labelling for imports, insurance, GST/HST and provincial sales tax, and French-language signage and labelling rules in Quebec.