A convenient version of the farmer's market?

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A convenient version of the farmer's market?
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Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Mon Jul 14, 14 7:58 am Post subject: A convenient version of the farmer's market?

Link.

I can see this makes a lot of sense. Running a market stall must be a considerable investment with a high risk of getting not enough sales. Imagine only going for two hours, with all of your stock presold.

150 miles seems a lot to be local, but France is big, and it would exclude sea food and wine, I guess, from a lot, otherwise.

It brings a lot of the convenience of supermarket shopping to a farmers market, so might just attract different, new customers.

I saw it and thought of, especially, Ty Gwyn and Rob. Chester's within reach, potentially?

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Mon Jul 14, 14 8:28 am Post subject:
And Chester is currently in need of a meat supplier.

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Mon Jul 14, 14 8:48 am Post subject: Re: A convenient version of the farmer's market?

Nick wrote:

I saw it and thought of, especially, Ty Gwyn and Rob. Chester's within reach, potentially?

150 mile radius, it says on the website...

Approximately:

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Mon Jul 14, 14 8:53 am Post subject:
Maybe people in chester might want extra virgin rape seed oil. Who knows?

NorthernMonkeyGirl

Joined: 10 Apr 2011
Posts: 4631
Location: Peeping over your shoulder

Posted: Mon Jul 14, 14 9:33 am Post subject:

Nick wrote:

And Chester is currently in need of a meat supplier.

I know an excellent butcher on the Wirral, if that helps

Ty Gwyn

Joined: 22 Sep 2010
Posts: 4613
Location: Lampeter

Posted: Mon Jul 14, 14 10:19 am Post subject:

Thanks again Nick,something worth looking into,
But i already do something similar with Big Barn.com.they advertise my produce,the customer pays them,i`m told the order details for delivery and dispatch the order,then i get paid from Big Barn minus their commission,

But at the moment the bulk of my Wild Boar`s now goes through Rob Rattray the butcher in Aberystwyth,and its flying out the shop,i just deliver to the abattoir in Tregaron, Rob pay`s the killing charge,i just wait for the cheque,i have no cutting and vac pack charges,and no need to keep advertising my meat on websites,when clearly people ain`t interested,in fact its giving me a satisfying feeling knowing the butchers customers are paying well for this quality product,and knowing the fact they could have had the product cheaper from myself.

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Mon Jul 14, 14 11:28 am Post subject:

Seems like you're set then.

An interesting concept.

It's worth noting that your stuff from a butcher is not the same stuff as from your house. The stuff that comes from a butcher, comes from a butcher's shop, and they add that level of comfort, I suspect. Yes, it's daft, but some people feel more comfortable that way. And to take it further, many would be much happier if it came from a well lit, shiny supermarket, at double the price, in a glossy wrapper.

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Mon Jul 14, 14 11:37 am Post subject:

It sounds very attractive being an assembly leader! I'm not sure that supermarkets take that much.

Quote:

The company takes 16.7% of the pre-tax turnover from each producer that sells at The Food Assembly. Of this, 8.35% goes to pay for using the central IT support and the online platform, and 8.35% goes to the individual assembly leader.

That is one of the reasons that I've never done markets though - there are only two of us running the farm at the moment and selling by mail order does allow some flexibility in when the work gets done. The only constraints are when the courier collects, and the abattoirs opening times. I could make the extra investment to do more, and employ someone to deal with that side of it but there are always so many things needing the investment to deal with any increase that it is like spinning plates, and there's rarely enough to go round. Keeping the plates spinning is the most important bit, though.

Not wanting to pee on your campfire Nick but this scheme doesn't guarantee that people will buy it, I could still be left with too many joints at home because everyone wanted steaks that week, for example.

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Mon Jul 14, 14 11:52 am Post subject:
No, of course it doesn't. But, it's another avenue for sales. If you've got plenty of those, grand. Nothing says you have to offer steaks, you could stick with your meat boxes, or half beasts. As for the commission fees, how does it compare with the cost of your packaging and the courier fees? I genuinely don't know. Either way, if it's not for you, it's not for you. Just passing it along.

earthyvirgo

Joined: 24 Aug 2007
Posts: 7972
Location: creating prints in the loft, Gerlan

Posted: Mon Jul 14, 14 12:15 pm Post subject:

Ty Gwyn wrote:

I remember Rob Rattray in school, a couple of years younger than me I think - he seems to have done very well for himself.

Didn't he have a twin or a brother, Derek?

EV

arvo

Joined: 04 Dec 2006
Posts: 3321
Location: Somerset

Posted: Mon Jul 14, 14 12:16 pm Post subject:
Sounds great. Chez's Minehead lot were looking to do something like this, except not with the assembly bit.

earthyvirgo

Joined: 24 Aug 2007
Posts: 7972
Location: creating prints in the loft, Gerlan

Posted: Mon Jul 14, 14 12:17 pm Post subject: Re: A convenient version of the farmer's market?

Hairyloon wrote:

Nick wrote:

I saw it and thought of, especially, Ty Gwyn and Rob. Chester's within reach, potentially?

150 mile radius, it says on the website...

Approximately:

Very easy from York direction, dual carriageway and M'way all the way.

EV

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Mon Jul 14, 14 12:34 pm Post subject:

Nick wrote:

No, of course it doesn't. But, it's another avenue for sales. If you've got plenty of those, grand.

Nothing says you have to offer steaks, you could stick with your meat boxes, or half beasts.

As for the commission fees, how does it compare with the cost of your packaging and the courier fees? I genuinely don't know.

Either way, if it's not for you, it's not for you. Just passing it along.

Yeah, thanks, I didn't mean to sound like a miserable Yorkshire git (I do try to hide it).

The packaging is the same whether it goes by courier or if I take it. It could be less, but I'd need to invest in one of those vans like the supermarkets have, so probably no cheaper for the quantities involved. At the end of the day it's just a (comparatively) bad business model (right now), I should just be selling plastic widgets bought from China.

Hairyloon

Joined: 20 Nov 2008
Posts: 15425
Location: Today I are mostly being in Yorkshire.

Posted: Mon Jul 14, 14 12:44 pm Post subject:

Nick wrote:

Maybe people in chester might want extra virgin rape seed oil. Who knows?

I've already plotted the 150 mile radius of my place. Up to Dumfries and down to Bristol...
But I was never convinced that "virgin" is a meaningful term for rapeseed oil and "extra" just takes it even further away.

Haven't forgotten yours BTW, I'd just delegated the task...

Mistress Rose

Joined: 21 Jul 2011
Posts: 16033

Posted: Tue Jul 15, 14 8:14 am Post subject:
It does open up some interesting ideas to me, and would save standing at a farmers market stall for 4 or 5 hours, but not quite sure it is exactly the right business model for us either.

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