Chapter 402: Making a Big Scene

Chapter 402: Chapter 402: Making a Big Scene

Ji Huan stepped out from behind the counter.

"Manager Hong, you just mentioned selling loose goods, and that reminded me of something."

Manager Hong asked curiously, "What is it?"

"Actually, all of our products are available not just for retail, but for wholesale as well. The wholesale price is a little cheaper, and you can also buy them loose."

Manager Hong considered this. ’Since the restaurant uses such large quantities, buying loose would certainly be more convenient than purchasing individual packets.’

"What’s the wholesale price?"

"Take this bag of Spicy Sensation, for example. The retail price is thirty-eight cents. If you buy a certain quantity wholesale, the price can be as low as thirty-six cents."

’It didn’t seem like a big discount at first glance, but two cents off per bag... for ten bags, or a hundred bags...’

The gears in Manager Hong’s mind started turning again.

Ji Huan continued, "If Manager Hong trusts our shop and is willing to sign a long-term contract with us, stipulating that all of Hongfu Restaurant’s seasonings will be exclusively supplied by our Ji’s Flavor Industry, then whenever Baiwei Square or the Sauce and Vinegar Workshop launch new products, Hongfu Restaurant will have the priority rights to try and order them. If our partnership goes well, we can negotiate the price even further."

Priority rights to try and order... The moment he heard that, Manager Hong was sold.

’This was the only shop in town selling this kind of seasoning, and their sauces and vinegars were the best too. If their Thirteen Spices and Five-Spice Powder proved to be as miraculous as the Spicy Sensation, then it went without saying that he would have no choice but to buy from them in the future. So, signing a long-term contract wasn’t a difficult decision, especially with all the discounts he’d receive.’

"I just wonder... how many slots are there for these priority rights?"

Manager Hong didn’t finish his sentence, but Ji Huan knew what he was getting at.

’Everyone wants to keep a good thing for themselves. If he could have it exclusively, the money would surely come rolling in.’

Manager Hong wanted an exclusive deal. He couldn’t control her sales to the common folk, but he hoped Ji Huan wouldn’t sell to other restaurants.

Of course, he knew that would be difficult. But... at the very least, she could refrain from giving those priority use and ordering rights to his competitors.

Ji Huan smiled apologetically. "Manager Hong, we’re both in business. I’m sure I don’t need to explain the principle of opening our doors to all customers. I can’t promise you exclusivity, but I can guarantee that you’ll be able to use our new products at least half a month before they’re available to the general public. As for how many priority slots there will be, I can’t give you an exact number right now. But I imagine there aren’t many people in all of Yeyang like you—decisive, straightforward, willing to buy in bulk, and interested in a long-term partnership. And no matter how many there are in the end, as our first partner, we will do our best to give you preferential treatment. Our shop might even expand into other ventures in the future, and we could cooperate further then."

Manager Hong knew she wasn’t just trying to placate him.

’To be fair,’ he thought, ’if a customer promised to eat at my restaurant every day on the condition that I only sell a certain dish to them and no one else, I couldn’t agree to that either.’

’But if all my competitors sign this long-term contract, won’t I be back to having no advantage?’

’But if I don’t sign and my rivals do, then not only will I lose my advantage, I’ll be at a distinct disadvantage.’

’Besides, none of the other businesses had realized the magic of these seasonings yet. He had the first-mover advantage. One step ahead here meant he could take the initiative everywhere else...’

Seeing the shifting expressions on his face, Ji Huan didn’t press him.

"Why don’t you go back and try them out first, Manager Hong. Once you’ve made a decision, we can discuss the details."

Manager Hong saw how calm and unhurried she was. He realized that she wasn’t the one who needed him. It was the other way around. If he wanted to grow Hongfu Restaurant, he would have to rely on her in the future.

He had already made up his mind, but out of caution, he decided to take Ji Huan’s advice and try the products first before committing.

Manager Hong hurried back to Hongfu Restaurant.

"He’ll agree, nine times out of ten," Xu Laifu said confidently.

His eyes lit up as another idea struck him.

"Since retail is slow, why don’t we focus on wholesale? I’ll go around to all the major restaurants, eateries, and food stalls in the city. As long as they’re willing to partner with us and buy from us long-term... The amount one restaurant uses in a month is already staggering. If we can get a few more..."

Xu Laifu grew more and more excited as he spoke.

’If they could really pull it off, they would only need to focus on production and no longer worry about the store’s retail sales.’

"That’s a step we’ll definitely have to take, but not right now."

Ji Huan’s words confused Xu Laifu. "Why not?"

"Wholesale is certainly less trouble, and the money comes in faster, but how many restaurants are there in Yeyang? Fewer than twenty, I’d say. Even if you add up all the food stalls and eateries on every street and alley, the total number is still limited. With retail, we’re selling one bag at a time. The profit on each might not be eye-catching, but our market is the entire population of Yeyang. Just think about how massive the entire city’s population is. That’s why we absolutely cannot abandon our retail business."

"But our retail sales aren’t going well right now. Why not focus on wholesale first?"

Ji Huan shook her head. "If we approach them, they might not even give us the time of day. And even if they do, for a small, unknown shop like ours to talk about a long-term partnership, who knows how much profit we’d have to give up. It would be much better to establish ourselves and build our reputation first. When they come knocking on our door, we’ll have the bargaining chips and confidence we need."

Xu Laifu thought about it carefully and realized that Ji Huan did have a point.

However, boosting retail sales was easier said than done.

He gazed at the steamed bun shop across the street, from which white steam was billowing, and sighed wistfully.

"If only we could be like them, so passersby would know at a glance that we’re selling... Wait a minute! Why don’t we cook a few dishes and set them out at the entrance for people to sample? Once they taste the difference for themselves, we won’t have to say a word. Anyone who’s interested will naturally buy some. What do you think?"

"That’s not a bad idea," Ji Huan nodded.

But then her tone shifted. "It’s freezing cold out, though. A dish would be stone-cold in the time it takes to drink half a cup of tea. How many customers can we attract in that short amount of time? Not only would cold food fail to boost our reputation, it would actually damage our image. And if people took it home to reheat it, the texture would be ruined, which would also defeat the purpose."

"What about inviting people into the shop to eat?"

"Do you remember what happened when we invited people in a few days ago? Eight out of ten of them thought we were scammers with bad intentions. If you offer them a free dish, they’ll probably worry that it’s been drugged."

"Well..." Xu Laifu was stumped.

"However..." Ji Huan blinked and smiled. "A good idea shouldn’t go to waste. We can just find a way to improve it before we put it into action."

Xu Laifu’s spirits immediately lifted. "How do we improve it?"

"The problem with free samples is that not many people can try the food before it gets cold. If we want more people to try it, we have to prolong the event—for a week, or half a month... but then the cost becomes an issue. So, let’s just hold an event instead."

"What kind of event?"

"A cooking competition. We’ll have two people cook live in front of our shop... What do you think?"

Xu Laifu clapped his hands together in delight.

"That’s a great idea! A great idea! The bigger the spectacle, the more people it will attract. Who wouldn’t want to watch a show and get to taste delicious food for free? Even people who don’t care for crowds might be lured over by the aroma!"

He paused, then asked, "Who will be competing against whom? Are we going to do it ourselves?"

’Of course, they could do it themselves, but...’

Ji Huan motioned for Xu Laifu to lean closer and whispered her plan to him.

After listening, Xu Laifu nodded repeatedly. "I’ll go find Manager Hong right now!"