Marketing Strategies

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This marketing plan for Let Us Handle It - Grocery Shopping Service has been created to outline the strategies, tactics and goals of our marketing approach and to introduce this company to the marketplace. Let Us Handle It is a very unique business as there is no direct competition in the area and it combines the benefits of the brick and mortar grocery store with the convenience of online shopping and customized home delivery. We are here to fill a serious need in this community by relieving others of the stress of grocery shopping, fighting traffic, having to go to multiple stores, impulse buying and loosing out on time that could be spent doing something enjoyable. Our focus will be on providing the best customer service, at the lowest possible cost to the consumer in an environmentally friendly manor.

Because there currently no direct competition there is the potential for others to flood the market once we establish our business. Our success could drive others to open similar businesses and there is a high probability that others will invade our market area. Because we do not have any rights to certain geographical boundaries another company can target our customers directly. Our response will be to build a loyal customer base from the beginning, by treating our customers extremely well and providing the best service to our customers, so that they will have no reason to leave. "Build quality, lasting relationships, not just customers," will be how we hold onto our market share. We will also be very proactive instead of reactive and will anticipate the future needs of our consumers working to stay one step ahead. Finally, we will seek to make business connections with local supermarkets to seek discounts for our clients who utilize our service and their supermarket.

Vision:

Our vision is to eliminate all the countless hours our customers spend shopping for their groceries. We want our busy clients to focus on those things that are important and let us handle the grocery chore. The customer is our priority.

Mission:

The mission of Let Us Handle It is to be the leading provider of personalized grocery shopping service in the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, for those consumers who'd rather leave the shopping to us. The key to our success will be hiring and training the best employee's, providing unparalleled customer service, keeping cost low and upholding environmental responsibility.

Goals/ Objectives:

Over the next five years, Let Us Handle It seeks to achieve the following financial and nonfinancial goals by adhering to a narrow and focused set of objectives while sticking to our mission:

Financial:

1. Obtain financing to purchase and maintain twenty hybrid delivery vehicles.

2. Establish an unforeseen expense fund that is equal to at least six months of average operating expenses.

3. Increase revenues by at least 30 percent each year.

4. To increase customer base by at least 20 percent each year.

5. Donate at least $30,000 a year to charitable organizations within the community we serve.

Nonfinancial:

6. Expand our store selections to any grocery store in the metropolitan area.

7. Enter new geographic markets as demand allows eventually moving beyond the Washington D.C. market.

8. Develop a successful Internet site, and build a strong customer base with increases based on financial goals.

Projected Initial Start-Up Costs (Taken from financial portion of business plan):

This is a projection of first six months of business:

Indirect materials: $8,100

Drivers' salaries: $20,500

Advertising: $29,871.50

Office rent and Utilities: $9,000

Property taxes on office building $930

Office supplies $690

Gas and maintenance for delivery trucks $3,300

Office equipment: $6,000

Total Initial costs = $75,091.50

SERVICE DESCRIPTION

An online grocery service with Smart phone/Tablet applications that allows the customer to use their in store grocery lists from multiple grocery stores in the area and have these items delivered to their home with one standard delivery fee. Also, to help ensure that the times needed for delivery are met the customer will be able to select and store their prime delivery choices with the ability to change those peak times with each order. There will be dedicated shoppers who will go to each of the stores required and since the shoppers do not have a vested interest in the particular store they will pick the best quality items available, checking things like expiration dates and freshness. Finally, the site would keep personal profiles that monitors customers frequently ordered items and recommend stores with sales or specials on those items to help ensure that the customer is receiving the best possible deals in the area. The customer will have the option to accept or deny those recommendations. Because there is not a service exactly like ours currently in the area we will have a jump on the market segment and can drive the standards for this service. We will also be able to be the first to build partnerships with grocery stores and basically in return for us suggesting their store to our clients our clients can receive discounts. This is a win-win, the grocery stores do not have to invest heavily in the online division in this area and we will bring clients to them, the customer gets discounts that they normally would not and we would be able to push the fact that the costs savings in groceries using our shopper will offset our service costs. If the customer feels that they do not have to pay too much for a convenience they will be more likely to utilize it.

HEADQUARTERS LOCATION: 000 D St. N.W. Washington, DC 2000

SERVICE RADIUS: Serves customers within 50 miles of Downtown Washington D.C. Including; Northern Virginia, Southern, Central Maryland and all of the District of Columbia.

GROCERY STORE OPTIONS: Giant, Safeway, Whole