Sari-Sari Store Team and Negosyo Tips

A sari-sari store business is one of the most common negosyo in the Philippines. Almost every street corner in the country has at least one sari-sari store. Aside from giving income opportunities to the business owner, it also helps many individuals in the community. After putting up a sari-sari store business, the owner needs to reach other merchants and personnel. Each of them has a role to play in ensuring that it operates smoothly every day. Read on to learn more about a sari-sari store negosyo and the team behind its success from your Ka-Negosyo partner in the Philippines, Condura refrigerators.

The Team behind a Sari-Sari Store

Some of the individuals and businesses needed to run a sari-sari store are as follows:

Suppliers

Suppliers are the ones who supply the items that are being sold in stores. They buy commodities from manufacturers for distribution and resale. In some cases, suppliers are the manufacturers of merchandise. They process raw materials into finished products. Afterward, they contact the distributors to deliver the final goods to wholesalers and retailers in various parts of the Philippines. Buying commodities straight from suppliers is a good way for sari-sari store owners to save money. Some suppliers sell their finished products directly to consumers. They do not pay for transportation and repackaging, so they are able to sell their items at a low price. When shop owners purchase their wares from suppliers, they naturally end up spending less.

Distributors

Distributors bring the suppliers’ commodities to wholesalers and retailers. These often work exclusively for a single supplier. A distributor signs a contract stating that it will distribute the supplier’s items only. Once the contract is signed, the distributor becomes the contact between the supplier and its clients. If a client wants to buy the supplier’s merchandise, the supplier will request the distributor to deliver the goods to the client.

If the supplier does not sell directly to consumers, the sari-sari store owner should consider buying from the supplier’s official distributor. Some distributors offer discounts to clients who buy in bulk on a regular basis. Purchasing from distributors thus allows outlet proprietors to save money even if they cannot deal directly with suppliers.

Wholesalers

Just like what their name suggests, wholesalers buy items from distributors in bulk and resell these to retailers and consumers. Wholesalers do not enter into exclusive buying agreements with suppliers unlike distributors. They can avail of products generated by multiple suppliers. Wholesalers sell a huge selection of merchandise for low prices. Many sari-sari store proprietors buy their merchandise from wholesalers. Wholesalers have more outlets than suppliers, rendering them more accessible to shop owners. Also, suppliers have minimum purchase quantities, while wholesalers do not. Given their limited capital, sari-sari store owners will naturally choose wholesalers over suppliers.

Delivery Boy

The delivery boy is responsible for bringing products from suppliers, distributors, and wholesalers to customers in different store locations. Some of these enterprises have their delivery services, while others avail of the services of third-party logistics firms. Without the delivery boy, a sari-sari store’s shelves will remain empty even if the proprietor already ordered goods from suppliers, distributors, and wholesalers. A delivery boy must be proactive. He must be completely familiar with his delivery routes. If he does not know how to reach a particular area, he must have the initiative to call the client before making the delivery. Doing so will prevent him from getting lost, which will delay the delivery. Additionally, a delivery boy must know how to handle packages properly. Improper handling of packages can badly damage goods. The store owner will have to return these to the seller, resulting in wasted time and money.

Store Assistant

As a sari-sari store grows bigger and acquires more products to sell, it will become more difficult for the owner to run it by himself or herself. To keep an expanding shop efficient, it is necessary for him or her to hire a store assistant. A store assistant helps out in the sari-sari store’s daily activities. He or she cleans the store before opening it for customers. Throughout the day, he or she performs several tasks, including checking the inventory and restocking depleted stocks. He or she will compute the day’s earnings and clean the outlet again before closing it for the night. If the store owner has a day job or another business to run, then he or she should hire a full-time store assistant. Having a full-time store assistant will enable the store owner to devote more time on his day job or another business. But if the store owner wants to be fully in-charge of his shop, he can hire a part-time store assistant that can help him in repacking goods and can also attend to customer’s needs. It is important that a store assistant has initiative. He or she should be able to perform tasks without being told to do so. For example, if he or she will wait for the shop owner to order him to clean the store before doing it, then, chances are, the store will already be very dirty by the time he or she cleans it. A dirty shop will contaminate products and might be unsafe for consumption. Selling contaminated merchandise leads to refunds, loss of customers, and even lawsuits. A store assistant must likewise be trustworthy. He or she should not pocket the outlet’s revenues or steal goods. Stealing the store’s money or goods reduces its ability to create profits. If this continues, the business will close for good.

Store Attendant

A store’s expansion translates to more customers. A shop owner definitely cannot handle a large number of customers by himself or herself. He or she will have to hire a store attendant to guarantee that all customers will be properly taken care of. The store attendant attends to the needs of the customers. He or she processes their payments and answers their queries regarding the outlet’s merchandise. He or she also handles customer complaints. A full-time attendant is ideal for outlets that frequently cater to huge volumes of customers. For shops that experience occasional customer surges, a part-time attendant will do. A store attendant must be patient. He or she must take the time to correctly answer any question a customer may pose, be it a price inquiry or which item is better than the other. An impatient sales attendant makes customers feel unwelcome and will drive them to purchase from other shops instead. Courtesy is another crucial trait an attendant must-have. He or she should warmly greet every customer. Before they leave, he or she must thank them for coming over―whether or not they bought something. He or she should remain calm when dealing with angry customers. When customers are treated with respect, they will become loyal customers or suki.

Sari-sari Store Management Tips

A Successful Sari-Sari Store is a Product of Team Effort

Having competent and trustworthy associates and workers is important to your sari-sari store’s success. Not prioritizing the quality of products and services may result in a bad reputation. But if those behind your store are dependable and honest, you will be able to consistently meet, if not exceed, your customers’ expectations. Your customers, in return, will regard your store as a reliable business. With their support, your outlet will continue operating in the future.

Always Adhere to High Standards

Check the quality of your product or services frequently. If there are new store assistants or attendants in your growing negosyo, ensure that they will be able to follow the protocols to provide good products or services. If you’re selling food and beverages, teach them how to conduct equipment checking and introduce them to your partner refrigerator repair professionals.

The Right Store Appliance

Refrigerators are the most common store appliance. It is particularly useful, especially if the store owner wants to sell frozen foods and beverages. When starting, store owners use their home refrigerators. As the store grows, they will need to find the right and better refrigerator for business use. Having the right refrigerator can help the store attendant or store assistant to easily organize the drinks and chilled items. They can quickly attend to the needs of the customer. For example, they can easily search and get different variants of frozen goods. Fast service leads to greater profits and patronage. This is the advantage of having a business-use refrigerator rather than using a home refrigerator. As for affordable refrigerators in the Philippines, you can always count on Condura. Condura offers negosyo refrigerators, freezers, and chillers for an affordable price in the Philippine market. Negosyo refrigerators can have up to 10 years warranty on compressors which serve small- to medium-scale business owners like you, an excellent value for money! Condura provides better home solutions for the Filipino family toward a richer and more successful home life, because Condura, being a Filipino brand, knows the Filipinos’ unique needs well. Visit our website for details and refrigerator prices in the Philippines or check our partner stores such as Shopee and Lazada for promos!