I have a general business question about an idea I have

Not really related to the internet but would like your opinions.

[sadelb]

I live in a resort town, (400,000 population in summer.. (30,000 population in winter).. Anyways I have had this idea of starting a grocery delivery service in the area. I checked with all three local grocery stores and none of them offer a service like this in the area. What do you guys think of a service like this? Could this appeal to a resort location where tourists might not feel like going grocery shopping. I would target the renters who stay for a week or two. What do you think?

[vkaryl]

Would be a good idea from my personal view, were I one of the renters you're speaking of.

I would see if you can somehow come up with a mailing list of a decent cross-section of people who've rented there in the past, preferably for several years in a row, and put together a demographic survey to send out. Some people of course will not answer such a thing. Others do so all the time. Key would be to NOT keep their personal info on file, and to explain that up front.

You might also want to talk to local rental agencies, travel agents, etc.

[sadelb]

I was thinking of going to every real estate agent and talking to them but also make lots and lots and lots of flyers.. I was seriously thinking of putting a flyer in every single mailbox with houses/elevators/outside condo doors/ etc... How would you manage a flyer campaign.. oh yeah and maybe on the cars outside grocery stores as well. I see this as being convenient to people; I am really set on this but worried about putting in all of this effort with no customers. :/

[vkaryl]

Couple problems there: first, it's illegal to put anything in mailboxes except for mail; second, most people absolutely hate stuff on their car windshields.

Plumber I used to work for had VERY good results with "doorknobbers". Kinkos et al print them up very reasonably usually. I would also opt for printing the survey and placing it wherever it looks like being seen. You would want to discuss with the groceries including something about your service on their weekly ad-sheets that go out in the mail or are included in the local newspaper.

[olwen]

it's illegal to put anything in mailboxes except for mail

Not where I live. All sorts of fliers, free newspapers, etc. all arrive in the mailbox hand delivered. I've even seen electricity bills dlivered rather than posted.

But I'd fancy that contact through real estate agents might work better. A helpful flyer on the kitchen bench when they settle in, or with the keys when they collect them could work well.

[lawman]

Not where I live.

THE LAW [pe.usps.gov] in the U.S.

[olwen]

I'm a very long way outside the jurisdiction of the USPS. Half a world away in fact.

Edited because Lawman altered his message

[edited by: olwen at 8:00 pm (utc) on Feb. 6, 2005]

[narrowboater]

Great idea in principle Sadelb. How will people place their orders? Since most probably won't have online access whilst they're on vacation, I'm assuming they'll need to phone them in.

One challenge to overcome would be to find a way for customers to be very specific about what they want, when there's no way of seeing what's in the store. I'm guessing there would be, say, several different varieties of milk in the store - but isn't a customer simply going to ask for 'a quart of milk'? How are you going to know which they'll be happy with?

Online grocery shopping has got very big here in the UK - but when I place my order I can see exactly what's on offer and make my selection. Can't see it working on the phone somehow... I'm sure you'll find a way though!

[sadelb]

Vkayl,

The doorknobber idea is great. I didnt think of that. I found a site that makes them for pretty cheap as well. Is this legal though? Can I legally hang advertisement banners on doorknobs? I know that flyers on cars are legal but you are right, they are probably annoying to the customer. Door hangers on the other hand dont seem to annoying and could get the message through really well. I hope its legal.

[vkaryl]

sadelb, it's legal in Washington County, Southern Utah. That's the only jurisdiction I know about. Contact your local gov't entities about that - assuming you're in the US, that would be the county your town is in, and the town itself. I don't personally know of any areas where they're illegal, but that's not really going to help you.

[jbinbpt]

I believe that you need to check with the local authorities about what you need to do and let them know what you want to do. You might need a vendor’s permit of some sort.

The door hanger idea is cool. Order form on backside, contact info on front

[Dawson]

I agree that the doorknobbers idea may work. I'd check with the local government. Where I live putting flyers on cars is illegal as well without a permit. It's better to check now that have to pay fines later.

That said, I'd use the service on vacation. It's a pain to have to find a local grocery and get what you need - and who wants to grocery shop on vacation anyway?

When we go on vacation with my husband's family, my in-laws rent a condo. Last time we got a bag of flyers from the real estate agency about where to rent jet skis, barbecue equipment, etc. You could check to see if the local places do something like that. Then you have a very targeted audience, and it would be much easier to print flyers and take stacks to the agencies instead of door-to-door.

[MatthewHSE]

When our family visited the Tetons this past fall, we had to pick up the key to our Teton Village condo from the "resort management" company's building in Jackson. When we picked up the key, we were given a whole sheaf of brochures, one of which was for a grocery-delivery service. So if I were you, I'd start by looking around and seeing who manages the rental properties in the area - they might be tickled pink to be able to offer your service as an extra perk to their customers. (Of course, they might also steal the idea...)

[Essex_boy]

I like this idea, do you intend to make money off just the food sales or are you going to charge a small fee for delivery?

[coopster]

Does anybody remember peapod and homegrocer? Similar business model, except for the specific target market.

[Automan Empire]

Doorknobbers are a good workable idea, but some localities regulate them. Make sure you have whatever permits you need, and delegate it to minimum wage workers. In larger cities, there is a cottage industry of companies that run turnkey door to door campaigns, from printing to permits to walkers and supervisors, that may be more cost effective than your own homebrew thing.
Most private parking lots (shopping malls etc) have rules against flyering cars; for good reason because people often throw the flyers to the ground unread. You can be ticketed by local law enforcement, so ask first and don't be belligerent with the hapless mall cops.
There are companies that focus on advertising packets to newly-moved families... "Moving Targets" comes to mind. Not really suited for the weekly rental market but good for long term client building for a local business.
Not only work with the rental agencies, but see about partnering with websites that market this area. Try to get your ads bundled in with booking confirmations, rental agreements, local business guides, advertising circulars that are delivered weekly in the area, local businesses also catering to tourists like boat rentals, ads on the back of cash register tapes. Don't forget taxi and airport ads, resort tickets, and other things associated with the very funneling of all these people into town.
Try to offer your service as a "value added" to your potential partners. People will be grateful to someone that "hooks them up" to a useful needed service in a strange-town setting.
Also, offering your service once to the right mover-and-shaker at each business would go a long way. Do it in a special coupon one time kind of way, so greedy people don't pull you into eternal free service.
<added>Is one of the three local groceries going to partner with you as your supplier? THere is another whole avenue of mutual cross-promotion. What if all three band together against you, though?</added>
Good luck, the potential sounds very high!

[grandpa]

I think the delivery idea is a good one. Whenever I shop at the local market, I get a reciept. The back of the reciept usually contains coupons and ads. Pre-print your ads on the register tape and you're in business with every supermarket in town.

[vkaryl]

Here's another thought: if you can get some of the local agents and/or realtors on board, you might think about a "business card cum discount card" that gets attached to whatever package the agent/realtor sends/hands out to the renters. This is obviously your business card, with on the back a "free first delivery" or "10% off first delivery" (depending on your pricing policy: if I was doing this, I'd charge delivery based on a percentage of the total order - ESPECIALLY if YOU are the one going to do the shopping!) And I'd buy some of the magnetic business card kits from the local crafts outlet (like Michael's), and work that in somehow so the renters can not only have your card, but stick it on the 'fridge, and probably forget it, leaving it for the next guy along.... if you did the mag card thing, you'd have to put the discount offer on the front of the card of course....

[sadelb]

wow guys thanks so much for all of the tips. My idea was to actually charge $12.50 up to $150.00 worth of groceries. $15.95 from $150 - $300.00 and then anything over $300 I would charge 7% of the total receipt. I am also thinking of just keepint the price of $12.50 shop and delivery charge up to $300.00 and 7% of the receipt over $300. Of course drawbacks are I would have to put my own money down first and then have the customer reimburse me when I arrive at his or her house. The marketing ideas are great. I am very worried about somebody stealing my idea around here though. I will definitely find out about the laws regarding doorknobbers or flyers. I know this sounds crazy but I initially wanted to spend hours of just going up to every house, apartment complex, condo, etc. and put them on the door myself. I know it seems like a lot of work but if I could get to practically every house/ apartment/ condo here; I could then go to the real estate agents and talk to them. From there I would have to see how much it would cost to advertise this service in the local papers as well as the visitor guides that are located throughout the town. That is cool that one of you guys actually received and grocery delivery service flyer in Tenton I believe. I am located in the United States so I will have to research the different types of permits I may have to come about in order to do this marketing.