Chapter 557: Chapter 187: The 80s’ Drama Queen Is Forced to Hustle and Becomes a Top Student (22)

Ever since Little Sheng Grocery Store opened, its sales had fluctuated. However, after a five-month adjustment period, business had started to stabilize.

Little Sheng Grocery Store was well-stocked and the staff was friendly. Old Mrs. Guo was also very enthusiastic and helpful. Coupled with her and Sheng Leyun’s standing in the community, everyone was quite fond of shopping there and supporting their business.

Grandma Guo was shrewd, too. Seeing how the three-day grand opening promotion had stimulated customers’ desire to buy, she often asked Sheng Leyun for business tips whenever she had a free moment.

They couldn’t openly go head-to-head with the supply and marketing cooperative in a price war, so they could only run promotions occasionally.

For example, they established a monthly "member day." On this day, for every certain amount of money spent, customers would receive a few free eggs.

Another example was that on normal days, the clerks would toss in a little something extra based on how much the customer spent—a tomato, a cucumber, an egg, or even a handful of sunflower seeds or a piece or two of candy.

These items weren’t expensive, but they made the customers feel good about their purchase. They felt like they were getting a great deal!

Moreover, the vegetable farmers Sheng Leyun worked with were all military veterans. They were upstanding, hardworking, and down-to-earth, and they gave her very reasonable prices.

While the profit margin on fruit was large, Sheng Leyun was really focusing on volume with the vegetables, using them as her secret weapon to attract foot traffic.

The produce market was some distance away, and it was in the opposite direction of where most of the neighbors worked.

After all, a produce market had to consider its service radius.

As for the nearby state-run grain and vegetable shop, the quality was average, the prices were a tad higher than the farmers’, and if you went too late, you’d often find nothing left.

For the thrifty residents, it was naturally preferable to walk the extra distance to the produce market.

But ever since Little Sheng Grocery Store opened, its prices for fruits and vegetables were sometimes even cheaper than the market’s.

Every day, there would always be one or two types of produce sold at nearly cost price.

People became more than happy to buy their produce right at their doorstep. And once customers were in the store, they wouldn’t just buy produce; they would also pick up other things their households needed.

The clerks would also take this opportunity to secretly slip them some extra produce, whispering, "Our boss bought a lot of cucumbers today. They were brought in from the countryside on a flatcart early this morning, so they definitely got bumped around on the shaky ride."

"Look, ma’am, these bruised ones are actually super fresh and crisp. The boss said we can’t do dishonest business and make people spend money only to feel unhappy about it. Don’t you agree?"

"So, we don’t charge for these blemished ones. We usually just toss one or two in with a purchase. I see you bought quite a bit, so I’ll give you a couple."

"But please don’t tell anyone, or our store will be swamped, and I won’t even have the two I set aside for myself..."

This kind of seemingly heartfelt talk was very effective with the customers.

They would all puff out their chests and promise to keep it a secret. But as soon as they left the store and ran into an acquaintance, they would furtively pull them aside for a whisper.

’We’re close, so how could I not let you in on such a good thing, right?’

As a result, the repurchase rate for the store’s produce was two hundred percent. Customers not only came back themselves but also genuinely wanted to share the news, bringing in new clients.

The amount of spending stimulated by the affordable vegetables was something no one, not even Old Mrs. Guo or the clerks, could have predicted.

The store’s daily profit had stabilized at forty to fifty yuan!

That came to thirteen or fourteen hundred a month, and a full seven thousand over five months...

This meant the group of friends was able to split twenty-one hundred yuan.

The ones who helped Sheng Leyun so wholeheartedly were Gong Xiaofei and his nine sworn brothers.

Each person received two hundred and ten yuan. Of course, they had eaten plenty of things from the store every day they came.

The group hadn’t expected to make so much money. It averaged out to over forty yuan a month per person, which was about what an ordinary office worker made.

They were beginning to feel the joy of earning money. ’So this is another way to do it...’

Sheng Leyun also gave Gong Zicheng a seven-hundred-yuan share.

He was well aware of the young woman’s insistence, so he didn’t refuse it, though he was already thinking about how he could pay her back later.

In reality, besides these accounts, Old Mrs. Guo had her own ledger. Things like the cotton candy, oden, ice pops, and steamed buns she sold were all recorded in a separate book.

Old Mrs. Guo knew what kind of person her granddaughter was. If she earned money and tried to give it to her, the young woman would definitely refuse it.

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