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How To Start Provision Store Business In Nigeria For Profit

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How To Start Provision Store Business In Nigeria For Profit

In this post you will get to know the steps to take in opening provision store business. Come to think of it, provision store business seems to be one of the easiest business to start. Take a look around your area I am sure you have people who are selling provisions under umbrella, kiosk, wheelbarrow etc. This is to tell you that you can actually start this business with any available capital.

However, to start provision business and be consistent in growing it you have to put some things into considerations. It may interest you to know that there is no item you display for sale that won’t get buyers. Almost every home make use of one item or another on a daily basis, ranging from toiletries, beverages, snacks etc. So you have a ready market already.

But the way you set up your store will attract certain caliber of customers to your shop. I’m sure you understand what I mean if it looks shabby and disorganized you will welcome few persons that don’t care as your customers. But make it standard neat and attractive you will get sophisticated customers. Do you know why some provision stores are considered as mini supermarkets it is because of the settings.

Like any other commercial business you have to write a provision store business plan in other to succeed. But first determine how you want to start the business. Is it as a retailer, wholesaler or distributor? Each has different mode of operation even though it is the same business.

Steps to Start Grocery store business in Nigeria

  1. Source for Capital
  2. Get a shop
  3. Write a provision business plan
  4. Identify where to purchase provision items
  5. Register for a business name

Starting a grocery shop business require steps and here are the steps to start provision shop business.

  1. Capital

Capital is the number one thing that will determine the category you belong. If you have less than #100,000 you will consider retailing, more than #100,000 you can do wholesale, millions can start distribution business. That bring us to the question often asked, ‘how much does it cost to start a provision store in Nigeria’?
Any amount can start the business even if it is #10,000 you stock your shop according to that amount. But to start averagely, you will need about #500,000 but to start big time one million and above. The prices of provision items are sky rocketing so write a provision store business plan before starting in other to succeed.

In your capital you have to capture money for:

  • Container or shop,
  • Wood for shelves, you will pay carpenter to do it for you the woods should be good quality so that ants will not raise them down easily.
  • Tables to display some items
  • Chairs for you and your customers to sit and wait
  • Books for inventory
  • Cartons for packaging items bought
  • Nylon for wrapping other items.
  • Wheelbarrow, For big provision store to convey customers goods

2. Shop

Your store should be positioned in a strategic place and made visible for all to see. There are some places you go to except you ask you will not be able to locate where a provision store is simply because it is opened to capture only the people residing in that area.

The provision shop design will depend on the capital and the type of provision store you are starting with. You need a small shop if your capital is small so that the few items you showcase in the shop will appear plenty. People natural bypass shops that look scanty because they believe it will not have all the items they want to purchase.

Provision store business

List of Items in a Provision Shop in Nigeria

  • Soaps for bathing and washing,
  • Cream
  • Indomitable
  • Biscuits
  • Beverages,
  • Pampers
  • Matches,
  • Toiletries
  • Drinks,
  • Custard
  • Batteries,
  • Chin chin
  • Detergents,
  • Candle
  • Sweets and candy,
  • Bulb
  • Tissue papers
  • Insecticides
  • toothpaste,
  • Salt
  • Macaroni
  • Spaghetti
  • Sugar,
  • Salt,
  • Noodles
  • Seasoning
  • Relaxer
  • Dettol
  • Hypo
  • Izal
  • Super glue
  • Bread
  • Bleach
  • Cornflakes
  • Baby food. Etc

You can sell anything buy-able in your shop ranging from food items, cosmetics, books, gift items alongside with the provision.

The prices of provision items are not fixed, the change according to the countries economy and cost of manufacturing. For instance, powder Milk that used to go for #1,000 is ńow #1,200 because there is an embargo on their importation. The same apply to many other provision items.

3. Write Business Proposal for Provision Store Business

To start up any business it is advisable to carry out feasibility study or at least write a business proposal. Don’t take provision business idea for granted make sure you write a provision store business plan. It will guide you on the path to success.

4. Identify where you will be buying the provision Items

You should be able to get more than 5 distributors or wholesalers on ground as the case maybe; so you can always purchase your items from them. The reason being that if this one does not have they other one will have. Once you purchase from them, they will be the ones to be bringing the products to your shop. And some will drop the items for you to sale, then come back later for the money. 

In Akwa Ibom State, Eniong Street and Nepa line are known for provision wholesale and distribution business. There are provision distributors in Nigeria that are in all the states. Find out the one closer to you from the people already in the business.

Register a Business name

It will be an added advantage when ypu register your business name with CAC, it will help you when you want to get a loan for expansion. Read my post on how to register a company name to know how to go about it.

Advice

Do not procrastinate, if you have the money start provision business immediately. My sister was looking around for shop to start a supermarket for more than 3 months she couldn’t find a good place. And her capital kept on depleting every day until I found a place for her inside the market. She is doing fine in the business.

How to Make Money in Provision Business

You have to spread your capital to capture almost every fast consumable products. Purchase more of want is highly demanded in your area for sale. Don’t in the name of trying to buy everything you think will be bought go and buy the things that will take a long time to sale. You can keep those kind of items one or two for customers who will need them.

Reduce price especially if a customers ask you to do so, by so doing you will get that customer to yourself. You can use another item to make up for the one you deducted.

There is always room to grow in a business, add sub-distribution business to your grocery business. Something like noodles or biscuit.

Is provision business profitable?

Provision business is very profitable even though the profit for one item is very small, #10, #20, #30, #50, highest #100. When you sell these items in bulk you make good profit. For instance, if you add #50 to an item and you sale like 200 items in a day that will fetch you #10,000 for a day, in a month you will make more than #300,000 as profit. The more groceries you sell, the more profit you make. 

That is why I like wholesale provision business in Nigeria although retailers make more gain in an item than wholesalers. An item that a wholesaler makes like #10 a retailer will make about #50.

Mini-supermarket, provision store business

Items that Sales very Fast in a provision business in Nigeria

Indomie, biscuits, snacks, beverages, tissue papers, soaps, detergents, insectivides etc. To make money in provision store business you have to be skillful.

Foodstuff and provision business

You may ask which is more profitable? They are both profitable because it involves every day consumables. You can add foodstuff business to your provision store business, just like in supermarkets.

Conclusion

Provision store business is profitable that is why you see people that start small expanding within a short time. Having a knowledge of how to start a profitable provision store is very important so write a provision store business plan before you start. Look for provision store images so that you will know how to set up your own. Let me end this post by answering this question, ‘what are provision stores’? Provision stores are retail stores where items like; beverages, toileteries, seasoning, spices, stationery, drinks, cosmetics etc.

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223 COMMENTS

    • @Caleb is not compulsory but is ideal. My sister didnt go fot training because a family friend who is into the business had shop very close. She helped her with the pricing and the business. But our family friend went for training for more than 3 months before opening her own

      • God bless you Madam, for the teaching. This is what I have been looking for. Apart from biscuits, beverages, indomie soaps and detergents what other items can I add to my wife provision that can attract more customers. What are the things that you know with your experience that are highly demanded. Thanks

  1. Thanks so much for the ideas,plz the place where I’m selling provisions we are 3in numbers and I don’t really stay there that much,my idea is to be distributing around my areas,plz what do you think?

    • Start a sub-distribution maybe biscuit from there you can be adding more things since you like supplying aspect of it

  2. Thank you so much Eno Johnson. Your ideas are really helpful at this time. They are what I really really need now.

    Please can I reach you via WhatsApp?

  3. Go morning Mrs Eno
    I want to start up a provision /cosmetics shop in my street in onitsha, where can I see a distributor to buy from?

  4. Madam pls i want to start a retail provision store in my street but want to borrow money like 200k.can i recover this money and pay back in two months from this business??.. advice pls

  5. Thank you very much madam eno Johnson, I really appreciate ur teaching, plus I want to start provision business in uyo but Dere are lots of competitors in my area Aka Itiam, which other area is advisable pls

  6. I really love this write up .it’s very comprehensive.but I av a question .How can I start a provision biz from my house (wholesale ) because I don’t have much to allow me rent a space . thanks ma

    • Please start with foodstuff and be adding provision small small like indomie, soap etc With foidstuff you can make money fast to grow the business

  7. Please ma I have started a cosmetic wot of 60k but I want to add provision wot of 100k, can I be able to add peovision with 100k

    • @Azubike, when you get to the dealers shop tell them you are new in the business and want them to give you fast moving products, they will do it for you

  8. Good morning ma, please I will need your contact for more assistance as am about to start my provision business , I mean your number please

  9. Very impressive ????
    You Worth more to call mentor, I was really procrastinating, but your ideas helps allot

    I want to ask a question, how much can someone use in this falling economy to set up exacts provisions indicate in that picture ????
    Any idea from you will help allot, THANKS

  10. Good morning ma’am, please can someone start wholesale and retail supper store in a 12 by 12 shop also can you help with the distributors contact in Port Harcourt those into it will not want to help.Thanks.

    • yes you can but how you arrange the shop matters. I’m sorry I dont know any, find out if anybody from your church or religious gathering, they will be in the best position to help

  11. Hello Ma’am thanks alot for the information. I have been looking for this opportunity for a long time and have it now. Please I want to start a provision store but I have to write business proposal for it and send to my sponsors for fund. Could you please help me how I can go about this? Is very urgent. Thank you ma.
    Kind regards

  12. Thank you for the information, I’m really grateful for this,at least I have an idea on how to start a provision store may God bless you ma

  13. Comment:thank you ma is test on business plan that we are asked to wrote in school but with your help i score the highest mark thank you ma

  14. Thank you very much for this.. But can 500k open a provision store including shop rent, deep freezer, generator, counters, A. C(or fans), etc and how much to register a business

    • @Amy, it depends on which of the registration you are going for but Ventures is from #15,000 and above depending on who is doing it for you

  15. Ma please wish advise do you have for me about provision business cuz am a young boy and I like provision business, please ma I wish to start and I need your help ma am in akure

  16. Ma please wish advise do you have for me about provision business cuz am a young boy and I like provision business, please ma I wish to start and I need your help ma am in akure

  17. Ma please wish advise do you have for me about provision business cuz am a young boy and I like provision business, please ma I wish to start and I need your help ma am in akure

  18. This really helps thanks so much ma for this I was even about to start up a provision shop and looking for someone to ask about it.

  19. Honestly I really appreciate ur encouragement it melt my heart, at first I really don’t know what to do but I just got ur site, u really put strength in me thanks so much ma

  20. Hi dear.. I really appreciate the ideal you shared with us here. GOD bless. I will like to ask if it’s a good ideal to open a provision store in a market area?

    • Amen, thank you. yes please very very good. my sister has her own in the market. Retailers go to the market to purchase in bulk for their shops

  21. Please ma I will like to have your WhatsApp number am very interested to open a provision store business

    • it depends on location, lets assume you are paying rent 1k a month then you can start very small with 49k with few items

  22. Good day ma, pls apart from those selling whosale in the market where else can one get dealers to buy from at cheaper rate am going into whosale and retail provision and food stuff.

  23. Good morning madam, I want to start a provision shop in osogbo, I’ve been into wholesales drink before but bcos of the scarcity, I was thinking of adding provision to it. Can I combine both ma

  24. Good day ma, I’m into detergent soap business but some people said I should add provision business to it, please me I want you to put me through. Thanks ma God bless you

    • it is okay by the time you arrange the items the shop will look full. Mind you the price of items have gone up, don’t be surprised when you seed a handful of items from that money…Lol

  25. please ma, I’m about starting a provision/Foodstuff business, old is it advisable to stay in an enclosed estate, I mean inside the estate

  26. Please ma am from abia , I want to start a full provision business , I need site please any available shop in aba now .

    • @Chima, I don’t reside in Aba, if you are not committed to looking for a comfortable and good location for your business how will you commit to the business. Please go look for a place, i can guide you after that

  27. Thank you so much
    Have been thinking on how to go about my shop
    I will soon graduate my mum use to sell stuffs like this
    So I can handle a provision store
    Thank God I decided to check and not to act only on my own

  28. Hmmmm, thanks you ma for the guideline, am in the school now but i have the plan to open wholesale provision store with 500k and employ sales boy/girl and i want you to guide me through, please your Whatsapp number ma .

  29. Hi ma I just got to the area and is also a new site.. But they already have one person selling there can I also open my shop with the same item.

  30. Thank you very ma i really appreciate your efforts in answering all questions.pls ma i just started my provision business what can i do to attract customer

  31. Ma, please I need you to help me write a business plan for a provision store, my big sister requested for it and I don’t know how to go about it…… My capital budget is 300k, I have a shop and other equipment already…. Please ma it’s urgent…..

  32. Ma I’m a student and I sell in my room in the hostel. I started with 10000 naira ., It’s not moving fast partly because many students are at home and l use the money for transportation and other very basic female needs it’s not helping me and l feel l should stop the business, what do you think?

    • Put a hold to it for now because provision business profits more when there is overturn, you can look for one thing that is in high demand but in short supply and deal on that for now until school resumes

  33. You no longer need to worry about reaching more customers, sales growth, cashflow or managing your provision shop business. Shopurban as an omni channel POS empowers your business to operate optimally offline and exposes your inventory to online shoppers in real time to drive more sales. Visit shopurban.co to download our Mobile App or Desktop Application For Free.

  34. I was looking for someone to put me through on starting my provision store thank God I come across you, please ma can you put me through on how to write my provision store plan?

  35. Good evening ma, God bless you for all you do. Pls ma, now that things are costly in the market, how much do you think can set up a provision store and pls I will really need the items to set up a provision store.

  36. Good day, ma. Nice platform and thanks for being helpful.
    I want to set up a provision store, can a 500k start on a wholesale aside shop rent?
    Can you help me with a list of products likely to make wave.
    Thanks

    • There is no specific item, what you have to do is to observe the product having high demand in your location. No please 500k cannot in Nigeria of today

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