Do you have an existing farm shop, but just aren’t getting the traffic? Or are you thinking about setting up a farm shop, but are looking for some ideas? Then read on.
 Look at your location with a critical eye. Location! Location! Location! With the ever-increasing costs of fuel, people are reluctant to travel long distances to buy farm produce because suddenly there is a painful deliberation, by the customer, of cost-effectiveness versus quality. Try to have your farm shop located near an area that will draw a lot of custom and provide parking facilities that are safe and secure.
If your farm is not easily accessible, think about providing sales over the Internet. There is a strong demand for vegetables and farm products to be delivered, either through mail order, or delivery van, especially if they have been organically grown and produced. Therefore, if the customers are not coming to you, think about going to the customer!
Examine how you are displaying your products. Aesthetics plays a huge part in setting up your shop so that it is appealing to the eye and the senses. Display your products in woven baskets, for example, rather than in plastic crates.
Create a theme for your shop and carry it through. A country theme could be achieved very cheaply by using straw bales, old farming instruments, growing lavender in pots or tin buckets etc. Think about what you could do to ensure that when your customers visit your shop it is a pleasant experience that they would like to repeat.
Check your produce regularly, removing any spoiled food on a daily basis and only offering produce of a high standard.
Double the shopping experience, if you have the space, by selling arts and crafts along with your farm produce. There are many successful farm shops now that sell pottery, leather, paintings, wrought iron art, etc.
Perhaps you could open up a small cafe for light refreshments, or provide luncheons,or you could sell herbs and plants as another line? By diversifying what you offer, you are also increasing the chances of both sales and more visitors to your shop.
What sets you apart from the thousands of farm shops in the country? Find your niche because the competition is fierce. Find something to sell that others don’t to make you unique and to set you apart.
Finally customer service is what it is all about. If you have fulfilled all the above criteria, but still don’t provide a cheerful smile when you serve your customers and are not prepared to go the extra mile, you will not get the return service that builds you a large customer base.
People like to feel that they are getting good value for money and are important to you as their customer. This is where you can shine, and where supermarkets lose out, as there is no special relationship like you have the potential to capitalize on, and to edge them out of the competition.
