Independent organic shop

Local households who care about where their food comes from, plus people looking for plastic-free and natural products.

You buy from wholesalers and suppliers and sell at a mark-up. Regular weekly shoppers, refills and own-label or local products help build steady sales.

• Customer service
• Stock buying and pricing
• Basic bookkeeping
• Knowing your products well

• Register as a food business with your local council before selling food, and check hygiene requirements
• If you label products as organic, check the rules on organic certification with your supplier and the relevant UK authority
• Public liability and stock insurance, plus employer's liability if you hire staff
• Lease terms, business rates and any change of use needed for the premises
• Margins can be tight and fresh stock can spoil, so start with a modest range

Startup costs are typically around £15,000 to £60,000, depending on the premises, the shop fit-out and how much stock you buy. These are estimates, so get lease terms and supplier prices in writing before you commit.

Monthly revenue is typically around £6,000 to £30,000, depending on location, footfall, range and pricing. This is an estimate of sales rather than profit, and it assumes roughly 40 hours a week of work at the lower end.

Check whether you need to register as a food business with your local council and meet hygiene requirements. If you label products as organic, check certification rules with your supplier and the relevant UK authority, plus lease terms, business rates and change of use.