Grocery stores are what type of business

Working in stores can be a rewarding long-term career since most stores offer entry-level jobs with ample opportunity for advancement. There are many kinds of stores, each with products serving the specific needs of their target customers. Learning about the different types of stores can help you decide which retail career is right for you.

In this article, we review the different types of stores, what they sell and what career opportunities they offer. A store is a physical or online place where consumers can purchase merchandise.

Stores often target a particular customer need and provide a product to fulfill that need. Typically, stores do not produce the goods they sell. Instead, they source products from manufacturers or wholesale stores. Retail stores are for-profit businesses that sell goods and services to customers in person, on the phone, through online platforms or on social media. Retailers often focus on maximizing the customer experience, which means that they put extra effort toward building relationships with customers, designing store displays or providing convenience.

Wholesale stores are similar to retailers, though they generally provide goods in bulk, charge membership fees and cater only to business customers. Wholesalers focus primarily on offering the best prices for large quantities of merchandise. Here are a few things retail and wholesale stores have in common:. Read more: Retail vs. Wholesale: Definitions and Differences.

Stores cater to the varied needs and desires of their target customers. Knowing the different types of stores can help you find a retail or wholesale workplace that aligns with your interests, values and career goals.

When searching for your next job in this industry, consider the following 10 types of stores:. Single-location retailers are typically family-owned businesses, sellers of artisanal goods, thrift shops or markets. This type of store tends to be locally focused and may benefit from long-lasting connections with regular customers. Single-location retail jobs may be a great fit for people interested in building relationships with community members, supporting the local economy or being part of a small team of employees.

A chain is a store with several locations united by a shared brand, overall management and centralized business policies. Chain management can be local, national or international. Due to their larger customer base, chain stores can purchase goods in greater quantities than single-location retailers, which helps them reduce costs and gain more customers. Compare Accounts. The offers that appear in this table are from partnerships from which Investopedia receives compensation.

This compensation may impact how and where listings appear. Investopedia does not include all offers available in the marketplace. Related Terms Amazon Effect Definition The Amazon effect refers to the ongoing evolution and disruption of the offline retail market resulting from an increase in e-commerce activities. What Is Electronic Retailing E-tailing? Electronic retailing e-tailing is the sale of goods and services over the Internet, which can include B2B or B2C sales.

Online-To-Offline Commerce Online-to-offline O2O commerce is a business strategy that draws potential customers from online channels to make purchases in physical stores. Electronic Commerce e-commerce Ecommerce is a business model that enables the buying and selling of goods and services over the Internet.

Read about ecommerce benefits and trends. Rent Expense Rent expense is the cost incurred by a business to utilize a property as an office, factory, storage, retail space, or general use space. Click and Mortar: Retailers That Thrive Both Online and Offline Click and mortar is a type of business model that has both online and offline operations, which typically include a website and a physical store.

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We and our partners process data to: Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Service related businesses such as beauty salons and rental places are also considered retail businesses.

Grocery stores and supermarkets sell a variety of food and non-food products, such as meat, produce, cereal, dairy products, health and beauty aids and cleaning products. Depending on their location and the area's population, the size of a grocery store can vary from a small family market to a large supermarket. As of , there were approximately 40,00 grocery stores in the United States.

About 69 percent of these were convenient store outlets. Its combined fleet of full-time drivers travel over They utilize tractors, dry van trailers, and refrigerated trailers. In a typical week, they average 2, delivery stops, delivering between 28 and 33 million pounds of product.

Viking Stores' routing department builds 1, truckloads of product per week with an average load size of 25,, pounds. Much has changed over the years in the transportation system at Viking Stores including the fleet design, safety, and performance of the vehicles used in transporting product.

Associated Markets' trucks of the s, not much more than delivery vans, used to service the company's customers. For years, Viking used Delivery Line to carry its groceries, while it had its own drivers about 20 in to haul perishables.

The truck used was an early s model with a foot trailer. Viking started its own transportation department in , the same year that many Delivery drivers lost their jobs during a labor dispute. Viking hired many of these drivers. Four people in routing, two in dispatch, and 75 drivers hit the road. The trailer of the s and s was the footer, more than twice the size of the Associated Market's trucks of the s. It was nationally recognized for its safety-conscious design.

It could route loads in less than 5 minutes. Viking Stores' transportation fleet also became involved in backhauling activities. People are our most valuable asset and Viking Stores' ProActive Consulting Services provides a complete line of human resource services designed to help us develop the greatest potential from our associates. The people we employ are also a major investment in our company. It is their goal to help us fully capitalize on this investment.

Viking Stores' staff is highly experienced in the retail supermarket industry and familiar with its unique problems and opportunities. Our Store Manager will have a college degree and several years of experience with managing a retail store. The personnel plan is included in the following table. It shows the Manager's hourly pay, followed by that of the rest of the staff.

Each of these positions will overlap to make sure the customers are receiving excellent customer service and that adequate help is on hand. Viking stores prides itself on being in touch with the financial side of the business at all times. This starts with our budgeting program that sets sales goals, establishes payroll budgets, and creates criteria for gross margin, shrink, expenses, and profit.

Exception reporting directs operations in the right direction, saving time, and measuring results. Viking will save us valuable time and money plus the headaches and worry often associated with complex money matters. From Viking, we will receive a complete portfolio of financial, accounting, and payroll services, including comparative operating statements, bank reconciliations, sales tax returns, payroll tax returns, periodic and operational review, cash flows, break-even analyses, financial projections, wages, taxes, deductions, check printing, and deposit advice.

It is these kinds of thorough information and accurate recordkeeping that allow Viking retailers to make sound business decisions for the future. We predict consulting and accounting costs will go down in the next three years. Normally, a start-up concern will operate with negative profits through the first two years. We will avoid that kind of operating loss by knowing our competitiors and our target markets. We are positioning ourselves in the market as a medium risk concern with steady cash flows.

Accounts payable is paid at the end of each month while sales are in cash, giving the Viking Store—Springfield an excellent cash structure. All of our tables will be updated monthly to reflect past performance and future assumptions.

Future assumptions will not be based on past performance but rather on economic cycle activity, regional industry strength, and future cash flow possibilities. We expect solid growth in net worth beyond the year Toggle navigation.

Photo by: gwimages. Other articles you might like:. Also read article about Grocery Store from Wikipedia.