To open up a soil/supply store.

[Cincimilla Genetics]

Hey all. Was hoping to get your opinions and experiences. There is someone close to me considering opening a storefront as an option post retirement…warned them it’s tough these days.

Getting soil “locally” is harder and harder these days. Competition with the Zon and such are not allowing a supply store to thrive or stay above water.

Is the only option to only sell soil and wish for the best?

Thought of having a food truck or food available but that put another tier of costs with health codes and such.

Another idea, was a lumber yard style drive through set up, to hopefully get cheaper real estate.

Not sure a route would love to give southern Ohio a solid option….

 

[Amarok]

Hey all. Was hoping to get your opinions and experiences.

There was just a brief discussion of this in (I think) the "what's on your mind" thread. People were talking about how these places have been shutting down in their areas.

IMO, any retail is a tough go, especially so in an established marketplace like gardening. You can't match the volume of the big players, so you need a higher margin which then makes you un-competitive.

Even if you can make a go, it sure isn't a peaceful retirement.

 

[greenmachine29]

Coming from someone who has owned a grow store since 2018 in med. then a rec state. There’s not enough soil to sell to make any money. The only money in grow stores is grey area/clones and pushing seeds ime. And if your for a fun retirement look no further. Because you get to be the central hub of all growers and stoners in the area. It’s like being in the best reality TV show. In fact I might write the pilot episode for fun hahaha

 

[Cincimilla Genetics]

Yeah it’s crazy how everyone is shotting down…I drive 40 mins at the moment..

Soil vending machine would be nice.

The grow store in Traverse City was raking it in…but no one uses Amazon up there.

 

[Bodean]

Hey all. Was hoping to get your opinions and experiences. There is someone close to me considering opening a storefront as an option post retirement…warned them it’s tough these days.

Getting soil “locally” is harder and harder these days. Competition with the Zon and such are not allowing a supply store to thrive or stay above water.

Is the only option to only sell soil and wish for the best?

Thought of having a food truck or food available but that put another tier of costs with health codes and such.

Another idea, was a lumber yard style drive through set up, to hopefully get cheaper real estate.

Not sure a route would love to give southern Ohio a solid option….

Since a storefront would cost rent, utilities, etc. What about a soil delivery service, with products stored somewhere near home?

 

[Cincimilla Genetics]

Since a storefront would cost rent, utilities, etc. What about a soil delivery service, with products stored somewhere near home?

Not a bad idea…

 

[Cincimilla Genetics]

Thought of a small store front open a few days a week with pre orders online and pickups sort of thang.

Such a tough scenario.

 

[DemonTrich]

I have a few buddies who own grow stores. He said there's only a 2-3.00 profit per bag of ffof soil. He quit stocking it 2yrs back. Not much more money on promix or roots either. His business skyrocketed for the 1st yr after recreational went into effect with all the new grows popping up. Then fell flat and is barely hanging on.

I'll run a food truck with ya. As long as I get creative controll over the food. I have 30+yrs in the restaurant business, plus I'm a culinary arts school grad. I can cook a variety of foods from simple biscuits n gravy, to Oyster Rockefeller.

 

[sleazyB]

Maybe a booth at a local flee market would be cool . You already have thousands of people in the building looking to buy weird stuff . Anyone who likes cannabis or ever thought about growing is sure to at least look around and tell there friends about it . Rent and start up capital would also be low . That way If it don't work out not too much is lost .

 

[Cincimilla Genetics]

Maybe a booth at a local flee market would be cool . You already have thousands of people in the building looking to buy weird stuff . Anyone who likes cannabis or ever thought about growing is sure to at least look around and tell there friends about it . Rent and start up capital would also be low . That way If it don't work out not too much is lost .

Indeed good thought.

Farmers Markets too…

 

[greenmachine29]

Not a bad idea…

Logistically it could be a nightmare. A lot of wholesalers and shipping require commercial address.

Thought of a small store front open a few days a week with pre orders online and pickups sort of thang.

Such a tough scenario.

We used to be 7 days a week, long hours, employees and the works. After recreation it was about 1 year before the caregivers disappeared. And they are the bread and butter. Now we are 3 days a week and just the wife covers the shifts cause I work full time.



Then it’s just hobbyist left and they don’t spend money. Usually will only come in to grab a bag of soil and ph down and whatever they couldn’t get online for cheap.

 

[Willie]

Hey all. Was hoping to get your opinions and experiences. There is someone close to me considering opening a storefront as an option post retirement…warned them it’s tough these days.

Getting soil “locally” is harder and harder these days. Competition with the Zon and such are not allowing a supply store to thrive or stay above water.

Is the only option to only sell soil and wish for the best?

Thought of having a food truck or food available but that put another tier of costs with health codes and such.

Another idea, was a lumber yard style drive through set up, to hopefully get cheaper real estate.

Not sure a route would love to give southern Ohio a solid option….

Not exactly the same thing happened around here a few years ago. A guy took a commercial lot and opened it as a log dump for tree services. Initially they dumped free, now they pay a small fee. But Tree Co's charge for the removal from site and it was an easy place to dump for them. Now the place is filled with firewood. There are now several firewood processors......these big ass machines that do everything. It really got BIGGER! Mountains of firewood and it seems it all sells as those mountains go down.
You never know..........some things work out.

 

[greenmachine29]

Hey all. Was hoping to get your opinions and experiences. There is someone close to me considering opening a storefront as an option post retirement…warned them it’s tough these days.

Getting soil “locally” is harder and harder these days. Competition with the Zon and such are not allowing a supply store to thrive or stay above water.

Is the only option to only sell soil and wish for the best?

Thought of having a food truck or food available but that put another tier of costs with health codes and such.

Another idea, was a lumber yard style drive through set up, to hopefully get cheaper real estate.

Not sure a route would love to give southern Ohio a solid option….

Also been thinking a lot about this today. Another thing is the only reason we still have a store is honestly getting all our own supplies at cost. And selling some Supplies can sometimes break even and pay the rent/ overhead. Or just meeting people in the industry is always a plus to having a store as well. You never know who might come through.

Either way I’d drop ship ya some skids of supplies and soil if your serious let me know Just shoot me a private message

 

[Frosty78]

Would it be worth making you're own compost/soil to sell to people to grow not only cannabis but their own beggies backyards etc? Like a garden supply but with the offshoot of bagged living soil.
I think the key in the time we are all living in is to be as open to as much business yet not spread yourself too thin.
Willie is on track with the log fella. We have recycled concrete plants where old concrete is ripped up and originally disposed of free to be crushed up for different grades of crushed rock/Road base. It was originally free then they added little costs to it. Tandem load is like $3m3 to tip off clean concrete only. Then they sell the rock back to you at a cheap rate too. Big machinery involved in there now so there must be big $$$ involved aswell as volumes. I'm sure the same approach could be used to logs as Willie stated and compost aswell. Once they line up you could be making your own soil and selling it with everything in it while still getting business from average Joe's buying for their properties. I make everything myself on a small scale in a rural area of Australia. I'm sure with a bigger area you could do the same there and while it might not make you bill gates style rich it might help keep the wolves from the door.
Great idea on your part

 

[Deebs]

Training newbs, while continuously learning yourself. Running diff courses staggered monthly

 

[AppleDeez]

A lot are shutting down by me, but also we had an obnoxious amount of them. Also I have noticed that the big box stores that always stayed away are slowly starting to stock it as it becomes a more socially accepted activity

 

[Cincimilla Genetics]

A lot are shutting down by me, but also we had an obnoxious amount of them. Also I have noticed that the big box stores that always stayed away are slowly starting to stock it as it becomes a more socially accepted activity

Hmm. I’ve been waiting for the big box to start carrying fox farm or roots…only a matter of time.

 

[Cincimilla Genetics]

Thank you everyone for your insights, experiences and ideas. Wheels are turning. I will let you know if anything moves forward.

 

[DemonTrich]

Hmm. I’ve been waiting for the big box to start carrying fox farm or roots…only a matter of time.

Local meijer superstore has had ffof nutes (bottles) for the past 8yrs here.

 

[DemonTrich]