Opening a mobile Canal Shop!

[TheOneStopFoodShop]

Hi Guys, Im new to this site and after some advice on my business proposal, I currently have a canal boat located on the grand union canal near Stoke bruerne in Northampton, Im looking into opening a mobile shop situated along the side of the grand union canal catering to passers by as the nearest shop is some 6 miles away so not very friendly for people without transport, Im looking for advice on whether you think this would be a good idea or not? Im looking to sell the essentials such as fresh bread, canned products, meats, diary products and fresh fruit and vegetables along with other bits and bobs! Sorry if this is the wrong place to post however was unsure!

 

All the best! Mike

[Ray T]

These links may help:

 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/boating/boating-businesses

 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/news-and-views/features/trading-on-the-towpath

 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/boating/boating-businesses/starting-or-expanding-a-boating-business/fixed-location-trading-boat

 

https://canalrivertrust.org.uk/boating/boating-businesses/starting-or-expanding-a-boating-business/roving-traders

 

All about trading on C&RT waters.

 

Oh, BTW welcome to the forum.

Edited March 1, 2015 by Ray T

[RLWP]

Presumably you would need to comply with a whole load of trading standards regulations, like cleanliness, hand washing facilities and so on

 

Don't forget to work out the costs of running refrigeration

 

Also, consider how you are going to go about restocking your shop. Lugging stuff down the towpath for your own consumption is hard enough, what about multiplying it to cover your customers needs

 

And then there is the VAT man

 

Richard

 

(My in laws ran a shop similar to what you are proposing. It was bloody hard work and that was with good regular customers buying papers and using the post office)

[Leo No2]

Would be interested to know where 'near to Stoke Bruerne' is out of interest. Tight mooring restrictions from the southern portal of Blisworth Tunnel to the Museum Green, slightly less onerous in the Long pound and then into the 14 day moorings south of the bottom lock (Lock 20) once you have got away from the CRT moorings In that vicinity. Can't quite imagine where you are going to sell your wares. If it is commercially sensitive feel free to say so.

 

ETA: It's about a mile and a half (over pleasant pathways) to Roade where the new BP garage has an extensive shop so 6 miles can't be correct. Bus service six days a week (Mon-Sat) into Towcester and Northampton - not the best timetable in the world - (Sundays every two hours to Milton Keynes and Northampton). Boat Inn shop covers most of the necessities. One of the issues is keeping produce cool - the Cheese Boat runs its engine for most of every day it is here, I assume in an attempt to keep the produce cool and saleable.

Edited March 2, 2015 by Leo No2

[tillergirl]

You would do better at Fradley................not even a loaf of bread to be had there now.....but if you are planning on staying in one spot/area you will also need planning permission from the council as well as the appropriate licence etc from C&RT and then there's Environmental Health that you will have register with for regular audits...............lots of hoops to jump through

[Keeping Up]

A shop at Stoke Bruerne would certainly be useful.

[alan_fincher]

Im looking to sell the essentials such as fresh bread, canned products, meats, diary products and fresh fruit and vegetables along with other bits and bobs!

 

 

A shop at Stoke Bruerne would certainly be useful.

 

Stating the obvious, perhaps, but a limited number of "essentials", (and certainly things like fresh milk), are already available for purchase at the Boat pub.

 

I'm sure you are probably thinking of an at least somewhat wider range, but it isn't strictly true that there is no shop in the village.

[mark99]

And then there is the VAT man

 

 

Only if turnover is > £80K or something. But worth doing to be able to claim VAT back - however food = 0% vat?

Edited March 1, 2015 by mark99

[zenataomm]

My two penny'orth ......

 

+ Stoke B good suggestion

- Length of stay

+ Little competition in Stoke B

- Selling food attracts Health regulations by The Big Woolwich load.

+ Selling off shelves attached to the side of your boat attracts less bureaucracy.

- Allowing people onto your boat is more professional but involves endless expensive licenses and regs.

- You'd also need to run a van to Cash & Carry

- Any fresh dairy or frozen also adds issues as well as running freezers or chillers 24 hours

 

........ for what it is worth.

[keble]

Would be worth selling those canal badges; we always buy one on a new canal. Must have a good mark up!

Other nick nacks should sell.

SWMBO and I volunteer at CCT visitor centre. Its amazing what grannies buy for their little angels!

[MtB]

 

Only if turnover is > £80K or something. But worth doing to be able to claim VAT back - however food = 0% vat?

 

I think essential foodstuffs are exempt, not 0%. A huge and crucial difference when it comes to VAT registration, VAT returns and reclaiming VAT on inputs.

(But I could be wrong. I often am!)

[Peter X]

The main dilemma I think you'll face is that either

(1) you trade at a fixed location, in which case getting permission may be very difficult and/or pricey, especially at the sort of hotspot location where there will be plenty of customers such as Stoke Bruerne, or

(2) you are a mobile trader, moving about enough to satisfy CRT, and you'll have great difficulty finding customers. You'll need to plan your travels carefully to try to be at locations where there's trade to be had, and I can't see you acquiring regular customers. If you do attempt this approach, I suppose a website with a schedule of your planned route might be helpful, but how many people would have enough customer loyalty to follow it? If you could agree a regular schedule of movement around a limited area with CRT that might be good, but you'd definitely need a formal agreement to keep on the right side of them.

 

My gut feeling is that selling food which requires chilling or freezing from a boat would be an uphill struggle to compete with bricks and mortar shops even though some places on canals are miles from them..

 

VAT is a very secondary consideration, as you only have to register if your turnover is over about £80K, which is unlikely and would be a nice problem to have!

[Tam & Di]

Im looking into opening a mobile shop situated along the side of the grand union canal catering to passers by as the nearest shop is some 6 miles away

Im looking to sell the essentials such as fresh bread, canned products, meats, diary products and fresh fruit and vegetables along with other bits and bobs!

 

Post deleted.

 

I'm sure the OP is looking for encouragement, but I can only see the problems he would face trying to sell fresh food products from a boat on the towpath and he has presumably already considered those himself.

Edited March 2, 2015 by Tam & Di

[stickleback]

If you established a routine and got permission to arrive at / trade in the various marinas along the canal between Stoke Bruerne and, say, Whilton, with stops along the way, you might just get some regular customers. But speculative customers - I'm just not sure. I know I was always in dread of running out of essentials (like wine...!) and made a point of stocking up where ever there was a shop - and there are so many. You need to do a lot of research to make sure that it's really viable before launching - so to speak.

[RLWP]

essentials (like wine...!)

 

 

 

That could cause a whole new set of problems

 

Richard

[bottle]

We always plan our shopping and never run out of essentials or anything else.

 

We are continuous cruisers and know where shops are or are not, if visiting an unknown area then maps and the internet are helpful.

 

I think you may be on a sticky (treacle) wicket.

 

You do have to get past C&RT first, see previous links given in post #2

 

Good luck

[Athy]

We always plan our shopping and never run out of essentials or anything else.

 

 

What's it like being perfect?

[kevinl]

Does "Im looking into opening a mobile shop situated along the side of the grand union canal" so does along the side mean in a van parked next to the canal or from a boat in the canal?

K

[Paul C]

What's it like being perfect?

 

What's it like constantly running out of food and being hungry?

[Athy]

 

What's it like constantly running out of food and being hungry?

Most of us are somewhere between those extremes!

[bottle]

What's it like being perfect?

 

Difficult but I just have to live with it.

[Dharl]

Must admit I thought it related to a Mobile Chandlers rather than a mobile corner shop!

 

Either way welcome to the forum and good luck with your business plans!

[Mike Tee]

Don't forget the shop in Blisworth - thats only 2 miles away, plus it is a Post Office. And a dry(ish) cruise if its raining!

[cotswoldsman]

There was someone who did a similar venture a few years ago on the Llangollen and unfortunately it did not work out. The main reason I think being that most boaters plan quite well ahead. In my own case I know where I am going to stop next and just in case that does not work out I carry UHT milk and loads of Fray Bents. If I did run out of something I would have to consider the hassle of stopping and mooring up against maybe being without something for one day.

[blackrose]

 

I'm sure the OP is looking for encouragement, but I can only see the problems he would face trying to sell fresh food products from a boat on the towpath and he has presumably already considered those himself.

 

I'm sure you are right. As well as the logistical and refrigeration issues, many of the comments here point to the potential bureaucratic obstacles.

 

I'm sure most people don't intend to respond negatively, it's just indicative of all the hoops one has to jump through to do almost anything in a country which is regulated up to the eyeballs and where every 'angle' is restricted.

Edited March 2, 2015 by blackrose