Robin's Refills | Application Preview
Robin's Refills is seeking government grants to secure a physical storefront in Sharon, PA, where the average monthly lease ranges from $700 to $1,000. With a funding goal of $15,000, the business aims to establish a stable location, as their current approach of pop-up markets has proven inconsistent for their eco-friendly product offerings.
The primary focus for the grant would be to rent a storefront for at least a year and to expand their inventory with a wider variety of cleaning supplies and scents. This would allow them to appeal to a broader audience while enabling bulk purchasing, which could lower costs for customers in the long term.
The business emphasizes its environmentally conscious mission, aiming to reduce plastic waste in landfills and oceans through natural products and a closed-loop system that allows customers to refill their containers. This model not only supports a healthier lifestyle but also educates the community on sustainable living practices.
Currently, the nearest similar store is over an hour away in Pittsburgh, making Robin's Refills poised to serve an underserved market in their local community. Competing against large retailers like Wal-Mart and Giant Eagle, Robin's Refills underscores its commitment to sustainability through natural products and a refillable system, setting it apart from conventional stores that primarily use single-use plastic containers.
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General Information
Business Registration Number: 1260389513
Location: Hermitage, PA, United States
Length of Operation: 1-5
Number of Employees: 1-10 Employees
Annual Gross Income: Less than $100k
Annual Gross Expense: Less than $100k
Open to Loans: NO
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Funding Usage
We would like to purchase a brick-and-mortar store front in PA. We are currently looking in Sharon, PA, where the average lease for a store front is between $700 and $1000 a month. With $15,000 we would be able to rent a store front for at least a year. This type of business does best with a set location, as pop-ups at markets are inconsistent for the type of product we sell. We would also like to be able to purchase a wider variety of new products and scents for existing products to reach a larger audience. We could also purchase our stock in larger quantities which will reduce the price for the customer in the long run.
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Business Plan
We would like to get a brick-and-mortar store front to provide convenient and continuous service for customers. Pop-ups at markets is not a stable enough plan for the long term since we are never in a fixed location. We would like to be able to purchase a wider variety of new cleaning supplies/scents for our existing items to appeal to a large group of customers. We would like to be able to purchase larger quantities of the items as well to help lower costs to our customers. We are an eco-friendly store, that has natural products to start a healthier lifestyle. We are helping keep more and more plastic waste out of our landfills and ocean. We have an opportunity with this concept to teach the community a new way of living, by being kind to our planet and environment, reusing and reducing waste as much as possible is the way of the future. These types of store are already in the cities, we want to be the first to bring this wonderful concept to our own community. People at the markets we've attended are so excited when they see us, as the next closest zero-waste store is over an hour and a half away from our location.
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Self Identified Competition
The closest store like ours is 'The Refillery' in Pittsburgh PA. It is over an hour and a half away from us. Other stores would be Wal-Mart or Giant Eagle, who of course sell cleaning products but they are all in 'one time use' plastic containers. Even though big name brands have a recyclable symbol or are advertised that they are eco-friendly, only 9% of plastic is actually recycled by the US. Unlike Wal-Mart and Giant Eagle, our products are all natural and bought in a closed loop system. This system allows us to return the large bulk plastic containers back to our supplier to be reused again, further reducing plastic waste. Since we buy in bulk, a customer can come to our store with any empty clean container and refill it again and again, which big name stores do not provide.
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Contact Applicant
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