Ambermead Business Loans helps Hot Springs, Arkansas grocery, convenience and liquor stores request funding for equipment, stock and purchases. Garland County, AR had 26 grocery stores and 22 beer, wine and liquor stores in 2023 (County Business Patterns).
At a glance
- Grocery stores (NAICS 4451), Garland County, AR
26, including 12 convenience stores (CBP 2023)
- Grocery store paid employees
819 (CBP 2023)
- Beer, wine and liquor stores
22 (CBP 2023)
- Gasoline stations with convenience stores
43 (CBP 2023)
Grocery Store Financing for Refrigerated Cases and Store Remodels
Refrigerated cases, freezers and walk-in coolers are a grocery store's most expensive equipment, and they fail on their own schedule. Replacing a bank of cases, or remodeling the store around new ones, fits equipment financing for the units and a term loan for the building work.
- Get a quote that lists cases, compressors and refrigeration lines separately from electrical and flooring.
- Ask about energy-efficiency rebates from the utility, which can lower the amount financed.
- Plan stock and payroll for any days the store runs with part of the floor closed.
Equipment financing explains loans and leases for refrigeration.
Business Loan for a Grocery Store Purchase or a Second Location
Buying an existing grocery store, or opening a second location, is a term-loan question. Partners read the seller's returns and sales by department, the lease, the equipment list with ages, and the inventory included in the price. For a second location, they read the first store's results and the plan for the new one.
Inventory is often counted at closing and paid for separately from the business price. Agree in writing how it will be counted and valued, since that number can change the amount the buyer needs.
A second location raises a different question: how the two stores will share stock, staff and buying power. Partners want to see the first store's sales by month, its margins by department where available, and a plan for the new site's lease, equipment and opening inventory. A second store that can draw on the first store's supplier terms and staff starts on firmer footing than one built from nothing.
Convenience Store Loans for Reach-In Coolers and Store Inventory
Convenience stores fund reach-in coolers, beverage doors, coffee and food-service equipment, and the stock that fills the shelves. Garland County, AR had 12 convenience stores in 2023 that were not attached to gas stations, all counted within the 26 grocery stores (NAICS 4451), and 43 gasoline stations with convenience stores (County Business Patterns).
Stock fits inventory financing or a credit line; coolers and equipment fit equipment financing. Fuel stations face a separate set of costs, such as pumps, tanks and canopies, that may need a specialist lender.
Liquor Store Loan Uses: Inventory, Shelving and a Store Buyout
A liquor store carries high-value stock that turns at different speeds: everyday beer and wine sell steadily, while premium spirits can sit. Funding uses include restocking ahead of busy periods the owner already knows from past sales, new shelving and coolers, and buying out a retiring owner.
Garland County, AR had 22 beer, wine and liquor stores with paid employees in 2023, with 117 paid employees (County Business Patterns). ZIP Code Business Patterns counted 5 of them in ZIP 71901.
Liquor Store Business Loan Requirements and the Arkansas ABC Permit
A partner funding a liquor store wants to see that the store can legally keep selling. Expect to be asked for the Arkansas ABC permit along with the usual returns and bank statements. In a purchase, the question becomes how the permit is handled in the sale.
Arkansas ABC lists what a business must have in place before a permit is issued, including Secretary of State registration, a clear miscellaneous tax account and proof of the right to occupy the space. The Arkansas ABC permit guide lists those items from ABC's own FAQ.
Grocery, Convenience and Liquor Store Counts in Garland County, AR
| Store type (NAICS) | Employer establishments | Paid employees |
|---|---|---|
| Grocery stores, including convenience stores (4451) | 26 | 819 |
| Convenience stores, within the 4451 count (445120) | 12 | 33 |
| Beer, wine and liquor stores (445310) | 22 | 117 |
| Gasoline stations with convenience stores (447110) | 43 | not shown |
The 12 convenience stores are part of the 26 grocery stores, not added to them. Grocery stores plus liquor stores make 48 (our sum of two NAICS codes). Of the 26 grocery stores, 42.3% had fewer than five employees, and ZIP 71901 had 12 of them. Nonemployer Statistics, a separate program, counted 27 grocery and convenience retailers with no paid employees in 2024, a NAICS 2022 group that also includes vending machine operators.
Grocers and liquor store owners can also see the other trade pages, county and ZIP store counts, working capital for stock gaps and cooler and case financing.
By Ambermead Business Loans ยท Updated