Fruit selling is one seemingly small, but very lucrative business across Nigeria. During Ramadan, however, the trade gets increased attention as it is expected that demand for fruit by the fasting Muslim faithful would skyrocket.
Apart from the readily available market, it is very easy to set up. It only requires an initial start-up capital, as little as N30, 000 or more, depending on location and target audience. Due to its small or mid-scale nature, sellers are mostly located at street corners while some put theirs in carts and push from street to street; but there are some entrepreneurs that have moved the trade a bit higher, selling fruits in groceries.
Unlike before when fruit selling was the exclusive preserve of itinerant sellers, grocery stores have now sprung up…in different parts of the country, especially in highbrow areas of most big cities.
Fruit selling is one business that rakes in several millions of Naira to farmers and sellers depending on the scale. Another advantage of the business is that it can be run from one’s home on full-time or on part-time basis depending on your choice and target audience.
If you want to operate on full time, it means you will be based in a place for buyers to come to you, while itinerant selling will require that you move from place to place, in order to meet buyers.
If you want to make much money from the business, then you need to target the highbrow areas, where people appreciate fruits.
A grocery and fruit seller in Ogba retail market, Lagos, Mrs. Yemisi Hughes, said that the fruit market is huge and people demand regularly for supply of fruits, especially during fasting periods, when sales are usually on the high side.
Unlike before when fruit selling was the exclusive preserve of itinerant sellers, grocery stores have now sprung up in their numbers, in different parts of the country, especially in highbrow areas of most big cities.
She said, “The good thing about this venture is that technology has advanced, which has made mobility and commerce easier such that fruits mostly found in certain locations and climes can now be sold in any locality.
What it requires is for the small-scale traders or middlemen to get to the sources of supply and buy, for onward distribution to the final consumers, which may be schools, restaurants, hotels, individuals and others.”
Before now, fruits such as apple, plum, fig, blueberry, kiwi, apricot and others were not known to be available in the Nigerian markets and even, when available, were usually found in groceries run by foreigners. But now, all that have changed as they are available at your doorsteps.
In order for your business to thrive, it is better you employ better packaging like canning and turning fruits to juice or smoothie. This process in recent times has received acceptability and more boost when it comes to the processing of agricultural produce in the country.
Apart from the fact that fruit selling has received major boost and acceptance at small, medium and big grocery stores, they are also contributing to the wellbeing of the buyers, who on health grounds are consuming more of fruits as well as creating jobs for others.
Though, most fruits are seasonal; they can always be preserved till another fruit season.
All you need to know is where to source them and how to preserve them to make them fresh and attractive to your patrons. Aside from getting a good selling location, you need a good refrigerator and you must know how to care for the fruits before putting them in the fridge.
Although, some fruits do not need refrigeration, they still need to be put in a place where there is plenty of air. Since the fruit market is wide, all you need to do is to go to the depot, where the farmers bring them from the rural areas to Lagos; there, you get the fruits cheaper.
Just clean them up and re-package for either the grocery stores or the open markets. Depending on your location and the category of people that you will sell to, try and package the fruits in the foil, nylon wrappers and put in crates or cartons.
Local fruits tend to bring in more money because you can get them at the markets where middlemen from the grassroots bring them to Lagos.
RECALL
- Startup capital needed is little.
- It is less time-consuming.
- No need to rent a shop.
- It is highly lucrative.
So aside from getting them cheaper, you tend to also get good ones. For a fruit like carrot, you can get the supply and other fruits, from local carrot farmers in Lagos and, sometimes, from suppliers, who bring them from Benue State.
Carrot is an important part of a healthy diet. It is naturally low in calories, fat, sodium and cholesterol. It also keeps the body healthy and could help lower the risk of many illnesses like stroke, heart attack, certain forms of cancer, kidney stones, and bone loss.
You must note that the location of the business determines the peculiarity of fruits that you want to sell. If you are selling in an upscale area or neighbourhood where many elite reside, you tend to deal more of foreign fruits than the local fruits, which is determined by the forces of demand and supply.
