Japanese candy and packaged sweets store

Students, families, anime and Japan fans, gift shoppers and tourists.

Retail mark-up on packaged items sold at the counter, plus gift sets and seasonal limited editions. Online ordering can supplement walk-in sales.

• Buying and stock control
• Merchandising and display
• Customer service and basic bookkeeping

• If you import food yourself, check whether a Safe Food for Canadians licence and import rules from the CFIA apply to you
• Labelling of imported products, since packaging often lacks English and French, and allergen information
• Best-before dates and stock that doesn't sell, order small at first
• Commercial general liability and property insurance
• Whether a local business licence is needed from your municipality
• Currency and shipping cost changes that affect your margins

Estimates put startup costs typically around $25,000 to $80,000, depending on your premises, fit-out and opening stock. Ordering small at first helps limit stock that doesn't sell.

Monthly revenue is typically estimated at around $8,000 to $30,000, depending on location, product mix and season. Currency and shipping cost changes can affect your margins, and unsold stock nearing its best-before date can cut into what you keep.

If you import food yourself, check whether a Safe Food for Canadians licence and CFIA import rules apply to you. Also check labelling of imported products, since packaging often lacks English and French, allergen information, and whether your municipality needs a business licence.