Buying in Bulk

[Guest guest]

Hi Jamie,

 

Thanks for asking this question over the list. Several members have asked me to sell bulk to them in private e-mails and this gives me a chance to answer up publicly and to settle the quesion once and for all from my own personal viewpoint.

 

The "buying in bulk" program we are implementing has to do with items that were made through expensive processes, by the larger companies such as NOW Foods, Richs Distributing, Standard Vitamins, etc. etc. IE. Vitamins, Enzymes, MSM, DMSO, etc. It does not include the buying of bulk herbs at this time though who knows what the future will bring. My company is simply not set up to handle it at this time, though as I said, who can tell down the road?

 

Most health food stores will sell bulk items, or will if you ask them. Sometimes you can find stuff on the net at better prices than your local health food store, but I'd check the stores first as you can get some smoking deals once in a while. To save real money by buying in bulk, you usually have to buy in ultra huge quantities with a dollar guarantee as to how much you'll buy during the year. It is not uncommon to have to sign a "quantity" contract in order to get the very best prices all year round.

 

I'll post a formula at the drop of a hat, or teach "how to grow herbs" for a song, but I never divulge sources on where I buy bulk herbs for several reasons, and I hope you can understand them.

 

#1. This is my livelihood and even though I'm sure that what one individual makes and / or even sells would not dramatically influence my business one way or the other, I had to cultivate these sources with painstaking care and in some cases, actually helped to set them up in business in the first place. This cost me time and money and includes credit referrences, bank lines of credit, State Sales tax applications, licensing, etc. etc. ad nauseum.

#2. Many of my wildcrafters and organic farmers deal in very large quantities and would be upset with me if they suddenly received a myriad of orders from list members who only wanted a pound or two.

#3. Organic Solutions (my company) has a three tiered pricing stucture that covers a wide gamut of consumer. There is a "Retail" price which most would not care to pay but which is the current market standard and in which some just blindly pay because they are obviously wealthy enough that they just don't care to look any further. This rate however, does not describe the normal person on this list who is usually an ardent "Do-it-yourselfer". The second price I have is 25% off of retail and is for my wholesale club members and is what the average person would love to pay for product if he was a member of "Sam's Club", "Price Club" or "Cosco" etc. Most people are happy with this price as it is definitely better than what you'd find in a healthfood store for the kind of quality your getting (actually you can't get this good of quality in a healthfood store). The third and last price I have is a bulk wholesale price (minimum order of $396) @ 40% off and is the price a healthfood store would have to pay for the same item. I have Chiropractors and other Naturopaths (who don't make their own) who buy this way. IE. Total Nutrition after labor, shipping (I give free shipping with the $396 Special), labelling and packaging cost me approx $17 a cannister. I charge only $22 with the "bulk wholesale" price, giving me a profit of $5. If an idividual were to get their Spirulina and Chlorella (the two most expensive ingredients in the Total Nutrition <more than twice what any other item costs>) at the same price that I did, they would be able to make it cheaper because they don't have my overhead, but they'd also have to order 100 lbs at a time which is very expensive and the single individual would have it laying around and spoiling for the next ten years. If you were to buy all the ingredients yourself at a healthfood store, you'd probably pay close to $24 to $27 a cannister (rough estimate) and then you'd have the labor of making it yourself plus the cost of either shipping or gas to go get it. Get the idea?

#4. The last thing I want to create here is any kind of envy, because some can get their stuff cheaper than others.

#5. This is probably my number one concern: Valorie and I grow some of our own stuff (or wildcraft it, the cheapest way to go) and the true purpose of this list is to encourage others to do the same while exchanging recipes and getting the word out on natural healing. Too often we become dependent upon "big business" to supply our needs and certain it is, that some items can only be gotten from the big guys, but my opinion is that we should be more self sufficient and strive for that goal.

 

If others are willing to publish their sources, that is their business and I have no problem with it at all. Furthermore, I have absolutely no problem with you asking, or the subject being discussed on the list. I simply wished to clarify my own personal position on the subject since I've been asked a number of times.

 

Much love,

 

Doc

 

Ian Shillington N.D.Dr.IanShillington

 

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SPARERIBAZ

herbal remedies

Monday, December 18, 2000 8:48 AM

[herbal remedies] Buying in Bulk

I know the buying in bulk as a group topic came up with the last polling...Is this something we are now doing?I am still interested and would for sure at least like to buy what is neededfor the Total Nutrition.Thanks Much,Jamie