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Author Topic: Buying honey distributors  (Read 10364 times)

Offline omnimirage

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Re: Buying honey distributors
« Reply #20 on: January 26, 2018, 05:58:14 pm »
I have people who walk away and don't buy products off me because I'm selling it at $11 a kilo, 1 more than the standard cheap price of $10 a kilo.

Offline 220

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Re: Buying honey distributors
« Reply #21 on: January 26, 2018, 06:17:41 pm »
Im selling  at $8.20/500g and $15.20/1kg in plastic bottles and tubs locally.
I decided on a base price of $10/kg for my honey and then triple my packaging costs to cover jars labels etc and my time and effort to package it for retail sale.  Customers get a bit of a discount buying the bigger tubs but I still get the same price/kg.
Locally what is in the jars seems to be more important to customers than the packaging so long as the packaging looks professional.  Many seem to like the fact the plastic jars and tubs have anti tamper lids.
 
I am looking at selling at farmers markets in Sydney down the track, my brother does 4 per week and currently employs half a dozen people to help him out on stalls. We will reassess pricing and packaging when I start selling through him.
With the market he sells in it seems to be very much a case of price being irrelevant, customers either want the product and are prepared to pay the price if it meets their expectations. Their expectations arent just about the quality of the product but knowing the farm it came from who produced it, how it was produced etc.
Rain today but I will spend half a day tomorrow picking blackberries out of the paddock to send to Sydney. Last year I was picking 50-100 125g tubs for half a days work. He was retailing them for $9 a tub and would sell out the first market, customers loved the fact they were wild grown and not farmed.

I guess the point Im making is you need to find a selling point for your honey other than price. If your trying to compete with supermarket prices then you might as well take the $4-5kg wholesale price. When you cost in the packing and labour expenses for retail sale, $9-10/kg wont give you any additional profit.

Offline Sydney guy

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Re: Buying honey distributors
« Reply #22 on: January 26, 2018, 06:33:08 pm »
Im selling  at $8.20/500g and $15.20/1kg in plastic bottles and tubs locally.
I decided on a base price of $10/kg for my honey and then triple my packaging costs to cover jars labels etc and my time and effort to package it for retail sale.  Customers get a bit of a discount buying the bigger tubs but I still get the same price/kg.
Locally what is in the jars seems to be more important to customers than the packaging so long as the packaging looks professional.  Many seem to like the fact the plastic jars and tubs have anti tamper lids.
 
I am looking at selling at farmers markets in Sydney down the track, my brother does 4 per week and currently employs half a dozen people to help him out on stalls. We will reassess pricing and packaging when I start selling through him.
With the market he sells in it seems to be very much a case of price being irrelevant, customers either want the product and are prepared to pay the price if it meets their expectations. Their expectations arent just about the quality of the product but knowing the farm it came from who produced it, how it was produced etc.
Rain today but I will spend half a day tomorrow picking blackberries out of the paddock to send to Sydney. Last year I was picking 50-100 125g tubs for half a days work. He was retailing them for $9 a tub and would sell out the first market, customers loved the fact they were wild grown and not farmed.

I guess the point Im making is you need to find a selling point for your honey other than price. If your trying to compete with supermarket prices then you might as well take the $4-5kg wholesale price. When you cost in the packing and labour expenses for retail sale, $9-10/kg wont give you any additional profit.
Spot on mate, I wouldn't even bother for $10 a kg and my bees are just for a hobby.

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Offline omnimirage

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Re: Buying honey distributors
« Reply #23 on: January 26, 2018, 07:26:03 pm »
The local market that I've been selling at already has people selling raw honey at decent prices, I figure I'm competing against them and a few are beekeepers who sell at $10 a kilo. I feel the only real advantage that I have over them is my products are packaged in better looking containers. It does come out to be a lot of input for only a little made at the end of it. Maybe I'm selling at the wrong market but I'm struggling to find a good place to sell. Maybe I can learn to present myself better and then be able to sell my stuff for a little more.

Offline max2

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Re: Buying honey distributors
« Reply #24 on: January 27, 2018, 12:22:29 am »
I can remember selling honey for 50c/lb!

Offline 220

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Re: Buying honey distributors
« Reply #25 on: January 27, 2018, 05:20:30 pm »
Im guessing early 70's in which case it equates to better than $10/kg today.

Offline Beehivelygroup

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Re: Buying honey distributors
« Reply #26 on: September 05, 2020, 12:18:40 pm »
The best way to reach consumers is by selling to those who are buying honey in bulk. There are examples of companies like https://www.beehivelygroup.com that have made a mark globally by providing quality honey to distributors who have a huge network. Their customers are loyal to them and trust them. Selling huge volumes of honey is only possible when you have certifications that meet global standards, have a flawless process, and most importantly provide great quality.

Offline Ralphee

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Re: Buying honey distributors
« Reply #27 on: September 10, 2020, 03:10:43 am »
Just thinking outside the box here -  Has anyone gotten onto mead makers forums and advertised there?
They would be looking for good local sourced honey and generally in a reasonably size (a few kilo at least)

I know i plan to try and make mead with some of my honey - when i get that far, this is only the start of my second year, so i am still a 'new-bee'

Not sure if that would get much results but i would guess you could get some sales that way??

Offline Beelab

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Re: Buying honey distributors
« Reply #28 on: January 10, 2021, 08:23:14 am »
Been looking back on old posts and would like to say, I run all of my Plasdene glass jars through the dishwasher before filling with honey.
I sell 400g glass jars for $10, in some locations for $12. I?m happy with that, considering The time for filling and labeling raw honey. People love local honey.

Offline JimW

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Re: Buying honey distributors
« Reply #29 on: February 05, 2021, 07:54:39 pm »
I buy jars from Plasdene as well (luckily I live a couple of suburbs away) and sell 250gm jars for $5 each.

Because it is a hobby for us, we donate all income to charity. Long story but when my son was born he was very sick (fine now), so we give it all to the newborn ambulance service.

Pre Covid, I?d take the jars in to my work and leave them in the kitchen on an honesty system, with a sign making it very clear that all money received went to charity. I?d still get around 10% stolen each time. It?s been harder to shift this year, but have a few regulars and a local naturopath puts in the occasional bulk order.

While it?s a bit of work for us extracting and bottling, the tax deduction for the donation each year certainly helps. The fact it is for charity and we make no money from it tends to stop people whinging about the price.

Online Ben Framed

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Re: Buying honey distributors
« Reply #30 on: October 19, 2021, 12:58:30 pm »
Bump:
2 Chronicles 7:14
14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.