How to Find the Perfect Retail Buyer for your Farm
Overview
Your loyal Buyers often determine the strength and consistency of your Farm sales. You want to attract local Buyers that are willing to pay a premium for sustainably-raised products, and will consistently place orders. Successful Farms across the country have become a staple in their community’s shopping routines. Follow these tips to find who your ideal retail Buyers are in your community, and how to effectively target them through marketing and packaging. Learn more:
Understand your Local Buyers
It is crucial for your Farm to identify target Buyers in your community. Consider where they live, what products they consistently purchase, their household size and what they value from their food. Some customers may be looking to support a local, family-owned business, while others are concerned with how their food is grown. Understanding what potential Buyers desire will help you create a Farm store that fits their needs.
If you want to better understand the retail Buyers in your community, consider sending out a survey. You can leave flyers with a QR code around your town for them to fill out questions online, or collect emails at in-person events like the Farmers market. Ask questions about their weekly routines, their purchasing habits, their budget and family size. This will be the best way to learn more about their needs, straight from the customer. Once you collect survey results, analyze them and see how the majority of Buyers would prefer to shop from your Farm.
Some Buyers may want a more convenient way to shop during their busy weekly routines, where popular pick-up locations and deliveries may better suit their schedules. Others may have difficulties finding healthy recipes to feed their families, so providing these in your orders can spur interest. Many customers want a healthier, more sustainable alternative to what is offered at the local grocery store, so sharing your life on the Farm and how you raise your products will attract purchases. Knowing what Buyers truly want from your Farm will help you better plan your inventory and marketing efforts.
No Farm can satiate the needs of every Buyer. Some may not want to pay for sustainably-raised food, while others prefer the convenience of a local grocery store. You do not need to focus on trying to please everyone, rather find the customers that are aligned with your values and want to support your Farm. Then, build your Farm product and ordering options around those target Buyers.
Finding your Ideal Customer
After surveying your existing and prospective Buyers, it is important to define the attributes of your ideal customer. Since you cannot serve everyone, it is smart to focus on Buyers that will be loyal to your Farm and support your business. You can create an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) to better understand who you are serving, and consider each aspect of the profile when creating your inventory, planning product packaging and considering fulfillments.
When you consider your bundle and Subscription sizes and pricing, it is important to know if your customers are wholesale, retail or private Buyers (or a mix). Wholesale pricing and product selection may differ significantly from what you offer to retail Buyers. Household size is important to know when assembling different bundle box sizes and options. Does your Farm cater to single, young Buyers who want a Subscription box that feeds one person, or do you focus on large families that want a box to feed 4+ people?
Price your products to serve households that will pay a premium for your products. Consider where your retail Buyers frequent (school, church, gym, other businesses) and place pick-up locations in areas that are convenient for their routine. If you have busy customers, offer delivery for a fee.
Other aspects to consider are their profession (for their schedule), social media sites they frequent (for marketing), their motivation for shopping local, and how committed they will be to consistent purchasing.
Targeting your Perfect Buyer
Once you find characteristics that best fit with your local community, you can plan efforts to target those Buyers and attract sales. If you know the places they frequent, online and in-person, you can focus your marketing efforts in those areas. Many Buyers are on Facebook and Instagram, so posting about new products, Subscription sign-ups and recipes will prompt followers to engage your content, and spur purchasing. Place flyers in areas that are part of the community’s local loop; at schools, outside of gyms, at Farmer’s Markets. You must get in front of Buyers to lead them to purchase from your Farm.
Offer product mixes that will attract Buyers. Consider including value-added items into Subscription boxes, (e.g. spices, jams, salsas) to excited customers and prompt a purchase to access exclusive products. By offering product mixes that intrigues Buyers and a package size that fits their needs, you can drive consistent purchasing, creating loyal customers. Partner with local businesses (other Farms, bakeries, etc.) to offer value-added items in your Subscription and bundle box orders.
Make your fulfillment options convenient for your ideal Buyers. Offer pick-ups in popular areas they frequent, or neighborhoods with a high density of potential customers. If someone sees Farm-fresh food delivered to their neighbors door each week, their interest will grow. They may ask their neighbors about your Farm and then place an order themselves. If you have enough orders in an area, consider making one house a pick-up location with a cooler to pick up orders.
If you are targeting busy customers, consider offering delivery for a fee. If they cannot pick-up your products themselves, that may lead them to abandon a purchase. However, if you make it easy for them to receive their order for a small fee, they will pay for the convenience.
Read: Double your CSA Members
Conclusion
Uncover your Ideal Customer by analyzing Buyers in your local community, what products and fulfillments they desire, and their commitment to your sustainably-raised goods. Once you find your ideal Buyer, you can tailor your purchase options to fit their needs, furthering their loyalty to your brand. You do not have to serve every person in your town, but focusing on a target customer for your products will help you better create a Farm store that will secure consistent sales.
Barn2Door offers software for Independent Farmers to create and promote their brand, sell online and in-person, and save time managing their business. If you’re curious to learn more, watch this 5-minute video.