I made my first bulk purchase at the grocery store that just introduced bulk dispensers, Homeland. The new bulk products didn’t appear to be heavily used, but it is located in a high traffic area near the produce area, so it at least has the potential to get some interest as people are walking by. I’m excited that I have a store in the area that finally offers this service and can’t wait for them to add additional items to their inventory.
I thought about the consumers reluctance to purchase items in bulk and that the following might hinder them from purchasing in bulk to begin with:
- Packaging isn’t appealing (it’s a plastic bag or container)
- Inability to see the value of purchasing in bulk
Purchasing in bulk allows the consumer to make smarter, and many times healthier choices over their manufactured counterparts. If you think back to the General Store times (think Little House on the Prairie here), providing items in bulk was the mode of dispensing products to the consumer.
The couscous I purchased wound up being $.13 per ounce by purchasing in bulk. I also have minimal trash to dispose of since I used a plastic bag. We usually purchase Near East couscous in a box which costs approximately $.24 an ounce for plain, and $.41 an ounce for flavored. We almost always purchase the flavored couscous so the savings by purchasing in bulk for our couscous allows me to make other specialty purchases that we would otherwise wait to purchase. We grow an assortment of herbs that can be used to flavor the couscous so our cost is still at a minimum even though we will need to add some flavor to the couscous.
Don’t let the bulk concept scare you. Before I made my purchase I walked over to the aisle with couscous to determine if the bulk price was lower, it was, and I walked back over to the dispenser to get the couscous. The only thing different about purchasing in bulk is that your purchases will need to be transferred to a container once you return home.