Aisle 24 master franchisees Jessika Venne and Daniel Lambert share how they manage their cashier-less grocery store location
By Jordan Whitehouse
Most of us have been there: it’s late at night and we’re hungry, but our shelves are empty. We could head to the convenience store down the street, but we don’t really want to see anyone and we don’t really want chips or candy or overpriced Kraft Dinner.
In cities across the country, there’s now a solution to this problem, thanks in part to Aisle 24, a cashier-less grocery market open 24/7. Aisle 24 now has more than 20 locations in Ontario and Quebec, and plans are in the works to open dozens more across Canada.
Jessika Venne and her life and business partner Daniel Lambert are the Aisle 24 master franchisees in Quebec. They also run their own franchise location. Like many Aisle 24 locations that are found inside multi-residential buildings, theirs is on the ground floor of an apartment complex in Old Montreal. And like every Aisle 24, customers use the company’s app to unlock the door. Once inside, they use self-checkout to pay for everything from dry and frozen goods to produce and bakery items to confectionary and snacks.
When Venne and Lambert approached co-founders John Douang and Marie Yong in 2020 to learn more about the brand, they were instantly attracted to the simplicity and flexibility of the concept. Venne and Lambert are fulltime pilots, and although they weren’t impacted like many in the aviation industry during the pandemic, they wanted a plan B in case things went sideways in the future.
“We wanted something that was easy to learn, simple to open, and that we could run while keeping our full-time jobs,” says Venne. “And the great thing about Aisle 24 is that your day doesn’t have to be routine. You can kind of adapt the schedule to … your life.”
A typical day
Lambert’s day usually starts at around 5 a.m. That’s when he visits the store before work to make sure it’s ready for the day. Venne typically visits in the evenings after work to make sure it’s ready for peak traffic, usually between 6 p.m. and 1 a.m. During both visits, they’ll do a thorough cleaning, enter delivered items into the system, organize and stock shelves, and refill the coffee machine.
Stores are also equipped with multiple live-feed cameras, which give Venne and Lambert some flexibility in deciding when to visit. “You can have access on your phone to all of those cameras, so you can check on the store all day long without actually being there,” says Venne. “That means there are days when we just go once a day—or sometimes we’ll go once every two days, depending on what we see on those cameras.”
Those cameras also allow the two to see when deliveries arrive, something that’s been particularly helpful over the past couple of years, as supply chain issues disrupt scheduled delivery times. Instead of waiting around the store all day, Venne and Lambert simply monitor the camera at the back of the store and drive down when the delivery arrives. On Monday evenings, they spend an extra hour in the store to identify and place orders for the next week or so. They also use that time to do a quick inventory and a thorough re-stock of the shelves.
As for accounting, it’s straightforward too, says Venne. “We use QuickBooks, which is pretty self-explanatory, and because all of the systems are automated, everything kind of talks to each other, you can easily do your accounting as you go. Once a week, though, we’ll sit down, look at our books, and make sure everything works out. Then at the end of the month, we send in our reports.”
About 90 per cent of Aisle 24’s training for accounting and day-to-day operations happens online via a platform called Trainual. It includes modules on all hardware and software, such as inventory systems and digital labels, as well as operational manuals and guides packed with management tips. “It’s really well made,” says Venne. “We’re pilots, so our trainings are based on standard operating procedures that are usually done online. We know good online training, and we were really pleased with what Aisle 24 came up with.
A flexible franchise
Venne and Lambert were also pleased with how simple it is to train others on those daily tasks and the operational technology. Venne trained her cousin, a student living in Montreal, to run things and even fix technical issues when the pair was away.
“Some people might think that, because you own a franchise, your life is over because you have to be there all the time,” says Venne. “That’s just not true with Aisle 24. Nothing stops you from hiring an employee if you want.” In fact, it was that ease of training others that convinced Venne and Lambert to become master franchisees in Quebec.
Another big benefit of being part of Aisle 24 is the daily interaction with passionate customers, says Venne. While cashier-less grocery stores may be more common in other parts of the world, they’re still a novelty in Canada. That excites customers, says Venne, and she enjoys seeing them happily explain how it all works to their friends. Many customers almost become “little ambassadors,” she says.
Of course, there are challenges. The most significant right now are supply chain issues. Venne and Lambert try to be consistent with the products they offer because they know that consistency is part of what keeps customers coming back. With supply chain disruptions, however, that’s not always possible. As master franchisees, the two are also trying to build other Aisle 24 locations in the province. But again, because materials aren’t available or there are delays in getting them, it’s been somewhat of a struggle to keep those builds on schedule.
The biggest lessons they’ve learned to help them through daily business life are patience and consistency, the couple says. “I’m a little OCD on cleaning, which is a good thing, because what Aisle 24 tries to do is differentiate itself from your typical convenience store,” says Venne. “We’re not dusty or smelly … one of the big things is to keep the image of Aisle 24 as a modern, clean market with everything you need.”
Flexibility is also huge for Aisle 24 franchisees—and franchisees in general—says Venne. Important skills like organization and accounting can be taught, but franchisees need to come with an enthusiasm for the business concept, a dedication to learning, and an openness to rolling with whatever obstacles come their way.
Financial flexibility is particularly key right now for any franchisee, Venne adds. “You have to do your research and understand the true costs of opening a business. What we’re noticing now is that with COVID, there’s always extra costs. You need to have the flexibility in your finances to not get caught. Take the time to talk to your financial advisors, talk to your bank, look at your financing options. It will be worth it.”