On this episode of the Ecwid Ecommerce Show, we have a conversation with Liz Abunaw, the founder of the Forty Acres Fresh Market.
We’ve already shared a bit of Liz’s story in our genstand about her mission and how she uses Ecwid to achieve it.
In the podcast, du vil lære mere om, hvordan Liz fik sin virksomhed til at ske, og hvad der inspirerede hende til at starte. Du vil også lære nogle værdifulde og praktiske råd fra Liz, herunder markedsundersøgelser, netværk, klare sig gennem trial and error, og mere. Sørg for at tune ind for inspiration!
Hvad Forty Acres Fresh Market handler om
Forty Acres Fresh Market er en købmand i kvarteret med base i Chicago, der fokuserer på at øge adgangen til overkommelig frisk mad i undertjente lokalsamfund. Fungerer i øjeblikket som et mobilt produktmarked gennem pop-up-markeder og leveringstjenester, their ultimate goal is to build a store on the west side of Chicago. Liz’s mission to provide access to fresh produce highlights her dedication to improving the community’s health and wellness.
Markedsundersøgelse
In the interview, Liz highlighted the importance of market research for business owners. Liz shared how she spent many afternoons auditing the different grocery options available in neighborhoods of interest. By looking at their pricing, what they offered, and their locations, she realized there was a large section of the neighborhood that effectively had no grocery store.
After researching the demographics, including household income and car ownership, Liz was able to identify what the neighborhood needed, what it lacked, and what it could support. By doing adequate market research, Liz aimed to offer a better grocery option in the neighborhood.
First Pop-Up Market
During the podcast, Liz shared how her journey started with a pop-up market. Despite overbuying inventory, hun var i stand til at forvandle et fællesrum til et fantastisk marked med udstillinger af friske råvarer. Med blot et par dusin mennesker til stede, de udtrykte deres kærlighed til markedet og behovet for det i deres nabolag.
Mund-til-mund begyndte at sprede sig, og Liz begyndte at modtage opkald fra andre, der spurgte, om hun kunne bringe markedet til deres placering.
At lære af fiaskoer
Liz delte sin erfaring med at starte i det små og lære af fiaskoer. For eksempel, by conducting trial runs at a temporary retail space til 30-60 dage, she faced challenges like terrible traffic. Imidlertid, the experience taught her about the community’s grocery leakage, leading to a better understanding of the neighborhood’s needs.
Testing Marketing Strategies
During the podcast, Liz discussed her experience with marketing strategies. She used social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram to promote her business. She hired a student from her sorority chapter to create promotional flyers. She also canvassed and sent direct mail to households. Imidlertid, hun fandt, at sidstnævnte var spild af penge, da manglen på mærkegenkendelse førte til, at folk smed hendes beskeder væk.
Opbygning af tillid hos kunderne
Liz kom ind på vigtigheden af at opbygge troværdighed gennem konsistens og tid. Hun talte om at finde partnere og støtte fra lokale nonprofitorganisationer og folkevalgte, som var med til at presse forretningen videre. Ved konsekvent at promovere sin mission og lave pop-up-markeder, virksomheden opbyggede sit ry nok til at udvide til leveringstjenester, which became especially successful during the pandemic. Building the foundation of the business through consistency and messaging proved crucial for the business’s growth.
Creating a Delivery Service
Liz also discussed the process of iterating and improving the delivery service for her business. By testing and getting feedback from customers, they were able to make the service more user-friendly and visible to staff members.
Choosing a Subscription Service
Liz shared how a customer’s suggestion led to the creation of a subscription service with produce boxes. The business experimented with different payment processing platforms and eventually settled on a flat rate box with different options. The low entry price point made it appealing to customers and helped the business grow.
Liz tried to use PayPal for billing but found it difficult to automate. She then looked at other services and discovered Ecwid, som var nem at bruge uden at have brug for en stærk teknisk baggrund.
Liz var i stand til nemt at indtaste sine produkter, billeder, leveringsgebyrer, og de specifikke postnumre, hvor hun leverer til sin netbutik ved hjælp af Ecwid. Plus, Ecwid automatically calculates the sales tax, hvilket også hjalp meget.
At komme igennem pandemien
Gradvist etablerede Forty Acres Fresh Market troværdighed i samfundet, hvilket resulterede i, at folk henvendte sig til dem for at få friske råvarer. Så ramte pandemien, får butikker til at sælge ud og folk undgår at gå i dagligvarebutikker. Dette førte til en stigning i antallet af abonnenter på Forty Acres Fresh Market. Det hurtige omdrejningspunkt for at bruge Ecwid en måned eller to før pandemien ramte var afgørende for deres succes med at få og fastholde nye abonnenter.
Udnyttelse af Ecwid-funktioner
Liz synes, at Ecwid er særligt nyttigt for personalet. Det giver hende mulighed for nemt at administrere virksomhedskalenderen for at bestemme antallet af kasser, de skal pakke hver dag, og hvor meget arbejdskraft der kræves. Mens nogle abonnenter kan opsige deres abonnementer, den samlede tilgang af nye kunder betyder, at forretningen stadig vokser.
Virksomheden værdsætter anvendeligheden af Ecwid til markedsføring og meddelelsesformål. Plus, funktionen kundenoter hjalp også virksomheden med at opnå omdømme, da kunder kunne give specifikke leveringsinstruktioner og anmode om visse varer, mens de noterede sig eventuelle allergier.
Inkorporerer produktopdagelse i deres abonnementer
I første omgang, Liz gav kunderne mulighed for at vælge individuelle produkter, but they noticed that customers were not choosing certain inventory items. To address this issue, her team began offering produce boxes with a surprise selection of items, giving them more control over inventory and creating a subscription model. The business ended up seeing an increase in demand for the flat-rate produce box model. Customers have given positive feedback to the business for introducing them to new fruits and vegetables they wouldn’t usually buy.
Working on the Brick-and-Mortar Location
Liz acknowledges that commercial real estate development is difficult and full of surprises but emphasizes that having a permanent mursten og mørtel presence is key to her mission of food equity in underserved neighborhoods. På trods af udfordringerne, der er potentiale for vækst og profit i dagligvarebranchen, hvis det gøres rigtigt.
Lær mere om Forty Acres Fresh Market, og sørg for at støtte dem, hvis du befinder dig i Chicago:
