Potential Vendor Info

Hey Neighbors,

Welcome!  We are always excited to meet new local foodmakers, farmers and vendors who are interested in selling food or home products in our store.  At Chicory Market, we strive to uphold a three-part mission to:

  • Support the local food economy, farmers, and foodmakers. 
  • Improve accessibility to healthy, local food for people of all income levels.
  • Build community around food for people of all socio-economic means, races, and life backgrounds.

We currently work with over 75 local farmers, foodmakers, and other vendors, and we look forward to learning about new things being created in our area.  However, we serve upwards of 400 customers each day, and we aren’t always able to stop to chat.  We hope this serves as a useful guide to our FAQs for those of you looking to work with us!  

Best,

The Chicory Staff

 

FARMERS:

  • If you are a farmer looking to sell fruit or veggies or plants, please reach out to our Produce Manager, Malarie, at produce@chicorymarket.com.  
  • We have standard pricing we follow for widely available fruits and veggies in season.

 

FOODMAKERS:

  • All of our foodmakers must cook in a commercially-inspected kitchen under a manufacturer’s license approved by the Mississippi Health Department.  Per health code, we are currently unable to sell food made in a home kitchen under cottage industry laws.
  • Food must be labeled with your brand name, any allergens, and a sell-by or packaged date.  Please also check any state requirements.
  • Food must be packaged in a way that is aesthetically appealing that minimizes excess and plastic packaging.
  • Please email Kate at kate@chicorymarket.com with:
    • The story of your brand
    • Acknowledgement that you use a commercial kitchen and its location
    • Any local or sustainable ingredients you use, if applicable
    • A wholesale price and your suggested retail price.
    • If you are a baker, please tell us whether your treats are meant to be individually wrapped or served from a cake plate or cookie jar.  (We have very limited space for anything individually wrapped and refrigerated.)
  • If we are interested, we will ask you to bring a sample for our staff to try!
  • When you drop your sample, we might or might not have the pleasure of chatting with you depending on the time of day.   But any of our front of house staff can receive your sample!  To make sure we don’t miss out, please make sure your sample is clearly labeled with with:
    • Your contact information and address 
    • Your wholesale price (plus a suggested retail price if you have already been selling)
    • Any allergens in your recipes
    • Please make sure your sample is wrapped as you plan to sell it, unless you have indicated you would like to sell baked goods from a cookie jar or cake plate.
  • We will be in touch within two weeks of receiving your sample to let you know if we are able to place an order at this time.

 

HOME GOODS or PERSONAL PRODUCTS:

  • We focus on home goods and personal care items that are made with sustainable ingredients.
  • We require items to be packaged and labeled in a way that is aesthetically appealing.  In addition to any state requirements that might apply, we ask that your label includes your brand name, any allergens, and a sell-by or packaged date.
  • If you meet the above requirements, and are interested in selling your product at a wholesale rate, please contact kate@chicorymarket.com.  In your email,  let us know:
    • A little bit about yourself, your ingredients, and the story behind your product.
    • A wholesale price and your suggested retail price.
  • If we are interested, we will ask you to bring in a sample that is wrapped and packaged as you intend to sell it.  When you drop your sample, please include a note with: 
    • Your contact information
    • A wholesale price and a suggested retail price if you have already been selling
    • Any allergens

 

Some general notes on wholesale & retail pricing: 

  • Our vendors set a wholesale price that will allow you profitability to grow your business.  We do not haggle over wholesale rates.  
  • However, we have dozens of staff to pay for their work to keep products on our shelves!  While we strive to honor your suggested retail price, we reserve the right to set a retail price that allows us to pay our staff a fair wage.  As a guideline, we generally set retail prices at a minimum of a 20% margin.