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Anonymous
I'm thinking of starting a high-end whisky/wine wholesale business to supply restaurants, hotels, etc.
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I would suggest that you do some primary market research first.
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It's a volume business. Gross and net margins are very low because you're essentially selling a commodity. A crate of Macallan whisky from Company A won't taste any different from Company B, absent factors like storage, handling, etc.
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It's also labour and capital intensive. The big liquor wholesalers in Singapore run their own warehouses, which require lots of staff, and cash to rent or own the warehouse. Cash flow management is also an issue with liquor wholesalers. Bad debt is very common because many F&B businesses have their own cash collection issues or go insolvent easily, which means your already thin margins will get hit by uncollectable invoices. Most wholesalers will have a Trade Credit Insurance policy to cover their bad debts, which can often be substantial.
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It's good that you've selected a niche in the wholesaling business by focusing on high-end products. If there are gaps in the local whisky supply market (e.g. obscure or rare whisky producers whose bottles are hard to get a hold of), then you'll have some differentation. If you already have contacts in the industry, that'll give you another headstart. Once you've set your business up, don't forget to protect your inventory and storage premises with Business Property Insurance, and have a good Workmen's Compensation policy to cover your staff against injuries stemming from manual work.