Online filipino grocery with local pickup

Filipino families and newcomers missing familiar brands, plus curious home cooks. Many shoppers live in towns far from an existing Filipino store.

You buy from wholesalers and importers and sell at a markup per item. Bundles such as a 'adobo kit' or 'merienda box' raise the average order, and local delivery fees add a little extra.

• Knowing Filipino products and what customers ask for
• Basic online shop setup and social media
• Stock tracking and organizing orders

• Selling packaged food may need registration or a permit, and rules differ by province and municipality, so check with your local public health unit
• Imported food labelling rules (including bilingual labels) apply to what you sell, so check with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency
• Home-based business licensing and zoning, as well as storing stock at home, so check with your municipality
• Product liability insurance, and check whether your home insurance covers business stock
• Short best-before dates and stock that does not sell, so start with small orders
• Collecting GST/HST once you pass the small supplier threshold, and checking provincial sales tax rules

Startup costs are typically estimated at around $3,000 to $12,000 CAD, depending on your opening stock, online shop set-up, insurance and whether you use a spare room or a small rented storage unit.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $1,000 to $5,000, depending on your product range, how many customers you reach locally and how well you manage stock. Short best-before dates mean it helps to start with small orders.

Check whether selling packaged food needs registration or a permit with your local public health unit, and imported food labelling rules, including bilingual labels, with the CFIA. Also check home-based business licensing, zoning and insurance.