Sableleaf Lending, a business funding company in Grants Pass, OR, explains grocery store loans for Josephine County, OR grocers: financing stock and refrigeration, how to buy an existing grocery store, what grocery store loan requirements look like, and which financial statements a funding partner reads. County grocery counts and payroll come from the Census Bureau, with convenience stores separated out.
At a glance
- Grocery employers, NAICS 4451
50, including 30 convenience stores (CBP 2023)
- Supermarkets and other grocers
20 (our arithmetic, CBP 2023)
- Grocery employees, NAICS 4451
876 (CBP 2023)
How to Get a Loan for a Grocery Store, With Josephine County, OR Numbers
Grocery store loans start from the county count, read carefully. Josephine County, OR had 50 employer establishments under NAICS 4451 in 2023 with 876 paid employees (Census Bureau, County Business Patterns 2023). That code includes convenience stores, which numbered 30 with 161 employees, so supermarkets and other grocers came to 20 establishments and 715 employees (our arithmetic).
| Measure | NAICS 4451 total | Convenience stores (445120) | Grocers excluding convenience (our arithmetic) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employer establishments | 50 | 30 | 20 |
| Paid employees | 876 | 161 | 715 |
| Payroll | $27.6 million | $4.6 million | $23 million |
Payroll for grocers excluding convenience stores worked out to about $32,100 per employee (our arithmetic). 15 NAICS 4451 establishments had a ZIP 97526 address (Census Bureau, ZIP Code Business Patterns 2023).
Grocery Store Financing: Questions Josephine County, OR Owners Ask
Grocery store financing covers three kinds of cost. Stock turns fast and is bought on supplier terms, so it fits inventory financing or a revolving line. Refrigeration, shelving and checkout systems last for years and fit equipment financing. A remodel or a purchase of the store fits a term loan.
Perishable stock cannot be held and resold for long, so a partner values a grocer's inventory cautiously; ask each partner how it treats it.
How to Buy a Grocery Store: Steps for Josephine County, OR Owners
- Get three years of the store's tax returns, sales by department and supplier invoices.
- Count the inventory at the time of sale; price it separately from the business.
- Inspect coolers, freezers and compressors, and note their age.
- Review the lease and any license to sell beer, wine or lottery tickets.
- Plan the supplier accounts that must be reopened in the buyer's name.
Licenses for alcohol and lottery sales sit with state agencies; confirm transfer rules with each office before closing.
Business Loan for Grocery Store: What Grants Pass, OR Owners Compare
Illustration only, invented figures: a buyer agrees to a $350,000 price for an established grocery: $90,000 for inventory, $110,000 for equipment and $150,000 for goodwill. In this invented example, with $35,000 down, $315,000 financed at 10% a year over 120 months costs about $4,163 a month.
Set that payment against the store's monthly cash flow after the owner's pay, not against sales. A business loan for a grocery store is read on margins, and grocery margins are reported in your own statements, not quoted here.
Grocery Store Business Loan Requirements: What Grants Pass, OR Owners Compare
- Time in business and stable sales history
- Bank statements and card processing statements
- Business and personal tax returns
- A current inventory valuation
- The lease, with its remaining term
Each funding partner sets its own requirements; the list above is where a grocer's file begins.
Weighing Grocery Store Financial Statements in Josephine County, OR
Grocery store financial statements tell a partner three things: gross margin by department, how fast inventory turns, and how much cash is left after payroll and rent. Prepare a profit and loss statement and a balance sheet for the last two years and the year to date. Inventory on the balance sheet should match a physical count.
Grocery Store Business Loan: Questions Josephine County, OR Owners Ask
A grocery store business loan can fund a cooler bank, a point-of-sale upgrade, a deli counter or stock for a new department. The question is always the same: does the purchase earn its payment back before the term ends? The Grants Pass, OR business page has the county retail figures for context.
Nonemployer Statistics, a separate program, counted 19 grocery and convenience retailers without paid employees in Josephine County, OR in 2024 (grocery and convenience retailers (NAICS 2022 4451); Census Bureau, Nonemployer Statistics 2024).
Working Capital Between Supplier Bills and Sales
A grocer may pay suppliers on short terms and staff every two weeks; at about $32,100 per employee a year (our arithmetic), ten grocery employees cost about $12,400 per payroll. A revolving line drawn for a large delivery and paid down as the stock sells fits that pattern; the line of credit page explains how draws work.
Coolers, Freezers and Checkout Systems
Walk-in coolers and freezers, reach-in merchandisers, compressors and racks, scales and checkout lanes are the equipment a grocer finances. Ask the vendor for model numbers and installation costs separately; a partner may finance the equipment but not the installation.
Gas station grocers have their own page: gas station loans.
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