Quirky/Different ideas for farm shop.

[Wink]

Hi,

So we have a farm shop built and will be soon to open. Just wondering whether there are any tips from existing farm shop owners or from customers/visitors to farm shops of things that work really well and were a bit different but really stood out and were memorable.

Not necessarily looking for the knowledge and friendliness of staff or the quality of the meat and the locality of the produce sold etc. as hopefully that will be sorted but perhaps more of a particular layout, product placement, unusual products, water for the dogs etc. you get the jist?

I know this is perhaps a bit vague but deliberately as we have the core of it and plenty of other little ideas but just want to see what might be said as I'm sure there will be some fantastic ideas out there that we have probably not thought of.

Thanks.

 

[wilber]

One of those vending machines for after hours/closed sales?

 

[Wink]

One of those vending machines for after hours/closed sales?

Think that might be a bit much for now, especially money wise but certainly a good idea for the future that I hadn't thought of. Get a chilled one so locals can pick up the essentials - bread, milk, eggs, bacon and sausages etc when the shops shut, especially Sundays for a last minute thought breakfast. Thanks for the idea

 

[ladycrofter]

We went to a local farm shop (once), it wasn't well lit. They had freezers full of local beef cuts but not really displayed in a way you'd want to buy - just frozen lumps of vac packed beef. Another farm shop does the same but in addition to it being more welcoming inside, there are nice display cards with pictures of the cuts/prices/etc. So the customer does not have to try to read a frozen wrinkled label. They also have the eggs stacked on keyes trays and the customer fills the 6 or 12 box themselves so I guess they feel a bit more involved or whatever about the eggs.

I think some farm shops go overboard and stock stuff you can get at the supermarket, I think it kind of cheapens the whole idea that it is somewhere you can buy stuff the supermarkets don't sell.

Another one is full of "farm tat" - tiny chicken-shaped chalkboards, little bits of wood with all of that cheesy have a good life sayings sort of stuff written on them and a little bow on the top, lots of "rustic" bits and pieces like cows made from twigs. OTOH maybe that's what people want to buy.

 

[Wink]

We went to a local farm shop (once), it wasn't well lit. They had freezers full of local beef cuts but not really displayed in a way you'd want to buy - just frozen lumps of vac packed beef. Another farm shop does the same but in addition to it being more welcoming inside, there are nice display cards with pictures of the cuts/prices/etc. So the customer does not have to try to read a frozen wrinkled label. They also have the eggs stacked on keyes trays and the customer fills the 6 or 12 box themselves so I guess they feel a bit more involved or whatever about the eggs.

I think some farm shops go overboard and stock stuff you can get at the supermarket, I think it kind of cheapens the whole idea that it is somewhere you can buy stuff the supermarkets don't sell.

Another one is full of "farm tat" - tiny chicken-shaped chalkboards, little bits of wood with all of that cheesy have a good life sayings sort of stuff written on them and a little bow on the top, lots of "rustic" bits and pieces like cows made from twigs. OTOH maybe that's what people want to buy.

Like it. Thankyou. The choosing of eggs and the pictures and clearness of the freezer especially.

Lighting won't be a problem it is extremely well lit with led lights and chiller lights inside and nice spot lights lighting the shop from the outside.

If it's overpriced or not what people want to buy we won't be selling it and hopefully there will not be any tat but everyone has different opinions. We no longer have a village shop and so there may be a few essentials that could be bought elsewhere if that's what people want/need to buy but the focus will be our meat and our other local farmer friends produce and other local producers.

 

[phillipe]

make it well lit,presentation of the meat is crucial,if it looks good people will buy it

 

[piper80]

Air con is well worth doing people will stay longer if they're comfortable
Listen to your loyal customers stock what they want and you won't go far wrong.