About Bulk Food

Bulk food is a way for households or businesses to purchase foods in larger quantities, which in turn results in a cost savings to them, the consumer. Purchasing bulk food at a wholesale food club or bulk food store is an efficient way to buy food that would otherwise be bought individually at a grocery store at a higher cost. Bulk food also offers the convenience of less frequent shopping trips, which saves on gas and money.

Significance

Bulk food is food that is bought in larger quantities than what can typically be found at a local supermarket. Bulk food is sold at wholesale food clubs, bulk food stores, food warehouses and food sharing co-ops. Some bulk food items can be bought at supermarkets or even online. Bulk food is available in most brand names as well as off-brand names also. Many types of food can be purchased in bulk including fresh meats and dairy products, but these items have to be kept cool or frozen and stored accordingly to prevent spoiling and rotting.

Identification

One can identify bulk food by first visiting a wholesale bulk food store or food club such as Costco, BJ's and Sam's Club or attend a bulk food auction or community co-op. These locations carry bulk food and the items are sold in large quantities to conserve distribution and packaging costs, therefore allowing food companies to pass the savings on to consumers. Many times a membership card is used as identification to enter the location as most wholesale food clubs and co-ops charge an annual member fee which ranges anywhere from $50 to $150; this helps to keep the costs of the services they provide down. Bulk food has the appearance of being sold in large quantities and is packaged in large cans, bags or boxes compared to just being on the shelf individually. Large shopping carts with flatbeds are a common item that can be identified at a wholesale food store; these carts make it easier to transport the bulk food out of the store.

Size

The size of bulk food varies with each product. Food items that are typically sold with six items in a package such as pudding for example, will double or even quadruple in quantity when being sold in bulk. Dairy items such as cheese and eggs can also be sold in bulk, by selling up to two dozen eggs per package and with cheese by selling up to 24 oz. blocks of cheese at a time. Bulk items can be sold with multiple small packages within a large package or they can be combined into one single large package for distribution.

Types

Many dried food items are sold in bulk such as flour, sugar and cereals. Several pounds of flour and sugar are combined in large bags or plastic bins. Canned fruits, vegetables and soups are sold in both large quantities as well as in multiple small packages sold as one bulk item. Meats and cheeses are also sold in bulk, such as hamburger, steaks and hot dogs. Snack foods such as chips, pretzels and granola bars are sold in packages of 100 or more at bulk food stores. Drinks and beverages are also sold in bulk and store easily for later use or are great for entertaining large crowds.

Function

Bulk foods come in handy for families with many children, upcoming party events, schools and those who have the space to stock up on food. Being able to split up large quantities of bulk food items into smaller ones makes a great way to freeze or store away items that don't need to be bought during every weekly or monthly grocery store visit. Bulk foods offer a convenience to the buyer to be able to limit trips to the store to buy certain food items by only having to buy it once every so many weeks.

Effects

The effects of buying food in bulk result in not only offering a convenience to have more than enough food needed when planning for a large event, but it also saves money. The cost savings on buying bulk food is on average 10 percent to 30 percent per visit for name brand items and even up to 50 percent for the generic or warehouse brand items. For example, a can of corn at the local grocery market can average between 85 cents to $1.75; at a wholesale food club like Sam's Club, a pack of six cans of the same brand of corn will cost on average $3.60 which means the corn is averaging around 60 cents per can, allowing for a minimum of a 25 cent per can discount compared to other grocery stores and markets. When hosting a large event, having enough bulk food on hand ensures there will be more than enough food for the entire party. Bulk food saves on the environment by limiting packaging on items and emissions by trucks having to travel to fewer locations.

Resources

• Food co-op directory
• Sam's club
• Buying bulk food