How to Start a Fruit and Vegetable Business Philippines

How to Start a Fruit and Vegetable Business Philippines:

As Filipino kids, learning about go, grow and glow food is a foundational knowledge that all children go through. Go foods talk starches and energy-providing food items, grow refer to protein-dense meals while glow are your fruits and vegetables. Wherever you are in the country, glow food is always a banner requirement in Pinoy’s everyday meals. After all, they complement go foods like rice perfectly and they’re far cheaper than grow foods like fish and meat.

My point is: there will always be Filipinos in search for fruits and vegetables in the Philippines. Preferably, farm-fresh, rot-less and plump fruits and veggies. If you’re a Filipino looking to start a business here in the country, this duo is an excellent combo. But how exactly do you start one? Stay tuned because I’m here to teach you how to start a fruit and veggie business here in the Philippines. We’ll discuss the following:

Is a Fruit and Vegetable Business Profitable in the Philippines?
Tips for Finding Fruits and Vegetable Suppliers in the Philippines
Fruits and Vegetables Suppliers in the Philippines
Awesome Fruits and Vegetables Business Ideas
Costing and Pricing

Is a Fruit and Vegetable Business Profitable in the Philippines?

There’s no black-and-white answer for this question. As mentioned above, there is a growing market in need for fruits and vegetables, wherever you are in the country. However, the precise answer for this question will base on your feasibility study. In a nutshell, a feasibility study is a form of detailed research to assess the likelihood of success of a given project. All forms of venture, applying for a job, acquiring a new property, starting a business, etc. require a feasibility study to keep you from being blindsided by the perils of your choices.

In my humble opinion, based on my observation in our community, this place could use more fruits and vegetable businesses. But that may vary from your perspective (unless kapitbahay kita). Let me give you a quick run-through of how feasibility studies work:

Do a preliminary analysis

Starting a business means solving felt needs. Does your community require fruits and vegetables or do you live among carnivores? If the latter, then a fruits and veggies business might not be a smart move. Moreover, if there are competitors around, do you think they’re serving an unserved need? Check their produce for freshness and their scales for accuracy. These are elements you can leverage if ever you start your own business.

Conduct a market survey

This is where you’ll review the demographics, popular trends, and purchasing power of the people in your locality. For example, if you live in a fairly small neighborhood of 1,000 residents and most of them are “suki” in fruits and veggie stalls already, it will be extra difficult to pierce through the market. Plus, a rural barangay with limited purchasing power may not be interested in relatively pricier fruit options like strawberries. This allows you to also assess what to offer and what not to.

Plan your business organization and operation

If ever you found the research positively leaning towards starting your business, start planning:

How will your business operate?
What equipment will you require?
Who will be in charge of what?
Where will you look for suppliers?
Where is the ideal location?
What are the merchandising steps?
How much is the overhead?
How much capital do I need?
How should I price my products?

All of these questions will be instrumental to know the overall feasibility of the business, from your end.

Decide whether it’s a Go or a No Go

Pretty self-explanatory. Pool in all information you collected and formulated and weigh all pros and cons. Then come to a decision. A business is not something you magically come up with. Businesses are a product of research and analysis.

Tips for Finding Fruits and Vegetable Suppliers in the Philippines

Speaking of finding suppliers (in item #3 above), this is perhaps one of the most complicated processes you’ll go through when starting a fruits and veggie business in the Philippines. First of all, you’re dealing with perishable goods. That means your supplier must be capable of delivering the items to you within a day or a couple of days (ideally) to keep them from going bad. Otherwise, the fruits and veggies you buy will make great pig food. That said, here are some tips in finding fruits and vegetable suppliers:

Suppliers should be knowledgeable

Since suppliers are the ones providing the sources to you, they should be well-versed in the industry. Their knowledge should cover all bases, not only the market but also the science behind fruits and veggies.

For example, when asked about the variety or source of apples, they must have a definite answer. Suppliers should be well-aware of the proper storage and distribution practices of those produce too, to maintain their structural integrity. The secret here is to ask them relevant questions.

Intensive research

You don’t just Google suppliers up and expect to find the best of them. It’s not that simple. The best way to do this is through serious research. Check their local Google My Business listings, visit their Facebook pages, analyze their followers, etc.

Ask your friends and family for recommendations

Perhaps you have some friends or family members in the same business. Ask them if they know suppliers you can call up. Of course, they’ll skimp on helping you out especially if you plan on becoming a direct competitor. Assure them that you’ll start your business elsewhere, in any case.

If you can, visit the supplier directly

Nothing beats making sure. If there is a way you could meet and transact directly with the supplier, the better. Doing so allows you to see their operations and assess if it meets or exceeds your standard. If you can’t meet them, at least send people you know who can verify their legitimacy. Otherwise, you enter the playing field blindly. Although there are many legitimate suppliers in the Philippines, so there is nothing much to worry about.

Fruits and Vegetables Suppliers in the Philippines

Here are some fruits and vegetables suppliers in the Philippines. Again, take this list with a grain of salt. Before hitting them up and asking for a quote, do your due diligence to research and know more about them.

A&J Fruits and Vegetables Suppliers

Number: 0916 496 2083

Email: aandjvegetabletrading@gmail.com

Location: Cloverleaf Market, Balintawak, Quezon City, Philippines

VeggieFoods

Number: N/A

Email: dailyveggiefoods@gmail.com

Location: Amaia Skies Stamesa Manila, Manila, Philippines

Claire’s Fruits & Vegetables Wholesale and retail

Number: 0938 282 6385

Email: N/A

Location: Purok 5 @ Casa Gardenia, Barangay Danao , Panglao, Philippines

Tintin Online FreshVeggies

Number: +63 949 141 4902

Email: N/A

Location: Barangay Pinagsama Taguig 1630, Taguig, Philippines

Marina Fruits

Number: 0945 748 1527

Email: punojohnmharty@gmail.com

Location: Marina Fruits and Vegetables (Wholesale & Retail), Quezon City, Philippines

6. Balintawak Public Market

Known as the “bagsakan” ng murang prutas at gulay. They have a wide range of vegetables and fruits to choose from, so it’s hard not to go crazy! But don’t expect Balintawak Market to be all clean and pleasant-smelling. It’s also the kind of place where you really have to keep an on your bags and valuables.

7. Baclaran Market

A gritty place that’s similar to Divisoria. Fruits and vegetables are super cheap but the streets are a little bit crowded and bombarded with different smells and sounds- all worth it though if you are a true-blue bargain hunter.

Fruit and Vegetable Business Ideas in the Philippines

Here’s the great thing about starting a fruit and vegetable business in the Philippines: your options are not limited to simply selling them. You can innovate and think of new “gimiks” to make a solid name for your business. Check out the examples below for business model ideas:

Establish a fruit smoothie stand

Who doesn’t like a smoothie when the sun is perched at its highest peak? Smoothies are always a go-to of people no matter the season. Prepare your fruits and vegetables and put them on display to attract buyers. Then prepare the shake in front of them.

Set up an online store or peddling service

In a world where digital marketing dominates the economy, without an online store, you’re bound to be left out. Online stores are your leverages against businesses that pervade your local market. Through this online business, you could offer free delivery services or peddling solutions– which means you deliver door-to-door for orders.

Partner with local food stores

The success of local food stores lies in the freshness of the ingredients used for their menus. Search for local businesses in your locality and ask if they need a supplier. Chances are, they already have one, but if you could prove your produce better, then you become the frontrunner in their choices.

Put up a roadside or market fruit stand

Instead of going into the market to buy produce, some prefer stores by the road. Why? They’re generally regarded as cheaper and more convenient especially for motorists. If you have a space by the roadside to sell your goods, then selling from that place is a good idea. Pair this business model with a smoothie stand (#1) and you win the game.

Supply your local market with fresh produce

The benefit of having the freshest produce in your locality is that people will look to you for sources. Partner with local food stores and offer your produce to them. Don’t be selective on who to provide for. If you can be the source of them all, do it.

Other awesome fruit and vegetable business ideas in the Philippines:

Create a mobile app for fruit and vegetable listings
Start an Organic Produce Farm
Start a fruit and vegetable subscription box
Start a packed cut fruit and vegetables business
Sell fruit cups and bowls for customers who are into healthy living
Make and sell candied fruits like dried mangoes
Write fruit and vegetable-based cookbook. Read our ultimate guide on how to self-publish your own book.
Make and sell Fruit and Vegetable Chips
Make and sell fruit Jam (remember the strawberry jam in Baguio?)
Package fresh fruit and vegetable juice for sale

Fruits and Vegetables Suppliers in the Philippines

How to Price Your Fruit and Vegetables

Pricing your fruits and veggies is crucial. This will determine how much profit margin you could allot which makes your business competitive yet remain enticing to buyers. Of course, you have to first consider your market analysis to determine how much competitors sell their products for. Then you’ll counter-check with your supplier for how much they sell their wholesale products.

Here are some quick and easy pricing strategies you could implement:

Supply-and-demand based pricing

The key here is balancing your profits to the price that is appealing to customers. The more demand, the higher price you could sell products for and vice versa. You could look into Departmen of Agriculture’s price monitoring list to know the average prices of fruits and veggies.

Competitor-focused pricing

Look at your competitor’s pricing models and then define yours. If they sell at this amount, sell yours similarly or at a relatively cheaper price.

Related article: How to Compute & Price Food Products (w/ example) Philippines

Cost-plus pricing

Apply a fixed mark-up to the entire cost of goods sold (COGS) you incurred for selling your produce. Consider the cost of produce, cost of delivery, all overhead in operating your business. All of these costs will be pooled, then divided by how much produce you have, then add a mark-up based on your desired profit margin.

Here’s a strong tip: Don’t let the pricing pressure you into staving off all forms of markup you could make, otherwise you’ll end up losing more in the long run. For your pricing, focus on value. You could still sell at a higher price if your value outweighs all other competitors. You just have to spell it out for them.

Starting a fruit and vegetable business in the Philippines is a really good business, especially because not all see this business as lucrative as others. In reality, you can still make a fortune when you grow and scale this enterprise. In any case, do your research and analyze the opportunities in your locality.