What should I check before buying an Asian grocery store?

An Asian grocery store often looks like any other grocer from the street, but it runs on a different mix of fresh goods, imported dry goods and prepared food. A buyer is acquiring that mix, plus the relationships that keep the shelves full. Spend your first visits watching how the store actually trades, then ask for the paperwork that explains what you saw.

Fresh produce and seafood turnover

Produce and seafood sell fast and spoil fast. If the store keeps live tanks or a wet counter, ask how often they are serviced, who maintains them and what happens to unsold stock. Look at how loss and write-offs are recorded. A store that never shows any spoilage in its books may be recording it somewhere else. Our page on checking a grocery store’s spoilage covers the questions in more detail.

Hot food, bakery and other counters

Many of these stores run a barbecue counter, a bakery or a sushi bar inside the shop. Each counter has its own equipment, staff and food handling routine. Ask for revenue by counter, who trained the cooks and whether the recipes belong to the store or to a person who may leave. A counter that depends on one cook is a risk you should name early.

Suppliers, language and the owner’s role

Imported goods usually come through a handful of importers and distributors, often on long personal relationships. Ask who the main suppliers are, how long they have dealt with the store and whether they would keep supplying a new owner on the same terms. Ask also how much of the daily work happens in a language you do not speak. Staff who know the customers by name are an asset, so ask how you would keep them.

The community the store serves

Find out who the customers are, which festivals drive the busiest weeks and whether regular shoppers come from one community or several. A store that serves a single neighbourhood group can be steady but exposed if that group moves or a competitor opens nearby. Compare busy and quiet weeks in the sales records to see how seasonal the business is.

• Revenue and loss records for each counter, not only the store total.
• A list of main suppliers and how long each has supplied the store.
• Equipment and refrigeration service records.
• Which staff hold the customer and supplier relationships.