Co-op supply buying

[Jorah]

Back in my youth I briefly lived in a rural community in New Hampshire. One of my fond memories was helping with the every-other-week co-op. Our place served as the receiving and coordination point for folks in the extended neighborhood. Families would put in orders for grocery staples like flour, rice, and cooking oil, and we would get the shipment and help parcel out the orders from the bulk allotments. We also did pizza night the same day as the co-op and many people stayed for an inexpensive community supper. This entire process helped build community in the neighborhood, too, as people scattered across the countryside otherwise rarely had reason to meet each other.

As I'm planning my retirement and soapy future business, we're hoping to move back to the countryside, and it made me wonder if it would make sense to start up something like that for soapers. Since there are so many people in the US making soap, it wouldn't surprise me to find other makers wherever we land (we are looking in places like Virginia, Maryland, Vermont, & Maine).

My question for you is... have you ever heard of, or participated in, a wholesale/bulk buying co-operative like this? If so, was it successful?

 

[Vicki C]

I like this idea - I am in rural NH so come move here and we can get it going.
I think a key is having a commercial address with a loading dock. Otherwise the shipping would kill any advantage of bulk buying. I think… but correct me if not.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

Interesting idea! Back in the good old days when the area I live in was decidedly the rural south, I belonged to a food coop. It was such a treat to unload all kinds of wonderful food off the truck every month.

I’ve been thinking about costs because I’m 18 months from retirement from my current job and I would like to have an income stream after that, or at least enough to cover my soap making which has turned into a bit more than a hobby.

The Soaper’s Choice website has three tips on how to save on shipping and two are relevant when buying in larger quantities:

“Shipping Tip #2: When shipping via UPS Ground, if possible, use a commercial address that has an entrance open to the public. A residential surcharge applies to each package delivered to a home or home-based business that lacks an entrance open to the public.

Shipping Tip #3: LTL pallet shipping will save you considerable money versus UPS. If your order's total net weight is over 500 pounds, we can arrange the LTL shipment directly to your home or business.”

Some makers seem to be able to save money by shopping at restaurant supply stores, but I haven’t been able to find one within an hour of where I live. I kinda sorta know a couple of the local restaurant owners and have been meaning to ask them. I also wondered if there’s a way to make #2 work, e.g. by asking if they would be willing to accept a package for me. I don’t know why they would, but maybe I can find one that likes handmade soap.

I started buying tallow in bulk last year, which worked out fine use wise and saved me some money, so I bought more this year. I also decided to go bulk on coconut oil, which may have been a mistake, or I may just have to make a LOT of salt bars. I’m not quite ready to order 500 lbs of fats at a time.

 

[MelissaG]

There are some groups on facebook that do that. It still ends up not that much cheaper due to shipping. There is something called Azure that's a coop and they do drop offs for products all through the south. That doesn't mean they are the cheapest though, and they do more than just soap stuff. The ONLY store near me in Louisiana is hours away and expensive. I'd love to get involved in something like that who only orders directly from the original sellers. It would eliminate the middle man.

 

[Jorah]

There are some groups on facebook that do that. It still ends up not that much cheaper due to shipping. There is something called Azure that's a coop and they do drop offs for products all through the south. That doesn't mean they are the cheapest though, and they do more than just soap stuff. The ONLY store near me in Louisiana is hours away and expensive. I'd love to get involved in something like that who only orders directly from the original sellers. It would eliminate the middle man.

Yes, what I'm picturing would only work if the soapers were all within a 20-minute drive, I suspect.

I like this idea - I am in rural NH so come move here and we can get it going.
I think a key is having a commercial address with a loading dock. Otherwise the shipping would kill any advantage of bulk buying. I think… but correct me if not.

The place I lived in back in 1983 was in a little town called Mason, near the Mass. border. I miss that area so much!

I started buying tallow in bulk last year, which worked out fine use wise and saved me some money, so I bought more this year. I also decided to go bulk on coconut oil, which may have been a mistake, or I may just have to make a LOT of salt bars. I’m not quite ready to order 500 lbs of fats at a time.

Buying in bulk is where I'm aiming, but it's so confusing! I've seen single 1-lb packages of lard in a big box store for less than the per-pound cost of a 50-lb box of lard. How can I make sense of that? I can't, so I'll just buy where ever it's cheapest and ignore what I can't fathom.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

@Jorah Lard is the one thing that I don’t bother to buy in bulk and for the exact same reason, but the prices of rendered tallow and coconut oil are crazy in my local grocery stores and haven’t had the time (or, to be honest, enough inclination) to render my own tallow. I made two unsuccessful attempts to source CO from a Big Lots about 30 minutes away, but they were out except for small jars. Once when I asked, they said “some guy buys all the big containers for his dogs.” I think soap makers who live in the country would drive a little further than city folk to pick up bulk items. They might even make a day of it because there’s not much to do in the country

 

[MelissaG]

@Jorah Lard is the one thing that I don’t bother to buy in bulk and for the exact same reason, but the prices of rendered tallow and coconut oil are crazy in my local grocery stores and haven’t had the time (or, to be honest, enough inclination) to render my own tallow. I made two unsuccessful attempts to source CO from a Big Lots about 30 minutes away, but they were out except for small jars. Once when I asked, they said “some guy buys all the big containers for his dogs.” I think soap makers who live in the country would drive a little further than city folk to pick up bulk items. They might even make a day of it because there’s not much to do in the country

That would depend.I supposedly live in the country but it's a suburb just outside the city it's supposed to be attached to. And given that I live across the lake from New Orleans, the whole NOLA metro is missing alot of stuff the rest of the country has. It's quite aggravating.

 

[sweethavenarts]

There are some groups on facebook that do that. It still ends up not that much cheaper due to shipping. There is something called Azure that's a coop and they do drop offs for products all through the south. That doesn't mean they are the cheapest though, and they do more than just soap stuff. The ONLY store near me in Louisiana is hours away and expensive. I'd love to get involved in something like that who only orders directly from the original sellers. It would eliminate the middle man.

Azure standard has drops all over the US now. I was a HUGE fan of Azure for the longest time but they really suffered growing pains during the pandemic and never recovered. I've ordered from Azure in three different states for close to 15 years. I haven't had a complete order in over two years, something is always missing and often it's the same thing missing over and over. It's a shame because they used to be a great place to order Gluten free and dairy free and had competitive pricing, and now it's just not worth my time anymore, and I don't recomend them anymore either.

 

[AliOop]

@sweethavenarts I also used to buy from Azure Standard, and they were great! Not so much anymore, I agree. But it might be worth @Jorah contacting Azure to see if they would do (or maybe already do) bulk buys of palm, lard, and coconut oil. If so, he can either join his local group, or start one. Bountiful Baskets is another one but they aren't as big as Azure.

 

[Shelley D]

I like this idea - I am in rural NH so come move here and we can get it going.
I think a key is having a commercial address with a loading dock. Otherwise the shipping would kill any advantage of bulk buying. I think… but correct me if not.

Ah ~ New Hampshire
The best 3 years of my life (as a child, 6-9 yrs old)! We lived just outside of Winchester on Burt Hill Rd, on the side of a mountain. So many great memories!
So, back to the co-op topic . . . I personally would not need bulk supplies but if I did, I would totally use a co-op!

 

[Jorah]

. But it might be worth @Jorah contacting Azure to see if they would do (or maybe already do) bulk buys of palm, lard, and coconut oil.

This reminds me; when I start making soap in bulk, I should talk to my local Asian markets about a similar concept. We have some very large international/Asian grocers who have access to stuff you never see in the western groceries.

We're also getting a Costco about 1/3 of a mile south of my house; it will be interesting to see if they have any good deals on bulk fats. The BJ's Wholesale I shop at now isn't dependable. Some months I can get good looking olive-pomace at a decent price, the next month they won't have it at all or it will be more expensive than the virgin OO.

Ah ~ New Hampshire
The best 3 years of my life (as a child, 6-9 yrs old)! We lived just outside of Winchester on Burt Hill Rd, on the side of a mountain. So many great memories!
So, back to the co-op topic . . . I personally would not need bulk supplies but if I did, I would totally use a co-op!

omg, I lived for seven years in Royalston Mass, only 15 miles from there! Isn't that a lovely area? October there is one of the most gorgeous places I've ever seen...

I made two unsuccessful attempts to source CO from a Big Lots about 30 minutes away, but they were out except for small jars. Once when I asked, they said “some guy buys all the big containers for his dogs.”

Wait... his dogs eat coconut oil? When I first read your post I got it mixed up and thought the dogs were eating tallow, which would probably do un-great things to their digestion, but at least I could comprehend it... but coconut oil? Doesn't seem like something for carnivore/omnivore animals, but what do I know?

 

[Shelley D]

omg, I lived for seven years in Royalston Mass, only 15 miles from there! Isn't that a lovely area? October there is one of the most gorgeous places I've ever seen...

Yes! So beautiful! Sadly, I googled our old address (almost 50 years later), and the beautiful mountain we lived on has been clear cutted and houses dot the naked mountain
My memories are of giant pine trees that were easy to climb because the limbs were like ladders ~ my mom hated the pine sap all over my clothes though
There were giant moss covered boulders that were easy to climb because of all the nooks and crannies And we had 2 babbling brooks running through our 20 acres so no drinking from a hose there!
My mom bred Siberian huskies so we used the puppies for bartering. I could go on all day! I was a true wild child living there ~ my mom made me change clothes every time we had to go somewhere because she said I looked like I had been rolling in the dirt Truth be told, I had been!

 

[Vicki C]

@Jorah Lard is the one thing that I don’t bother to buy in bulk and for the exact same reason, but the prices of rendered tallow and coconut oil are crazy in my local grocery stores and haven’t had the time (or, to be honest, enough inclination) to render my own tallow. I made two unsuccessful attempts to source CO from a Big Lots about 30 minutes away, but they were out except for small jars. Once when I asked, they said “some guy buys all the big containers for his dogs.” I think soap makers who live in the country would drive a little further than city folk to pick up bulk items. They might even make a day of it because there’s not much to do in the country

Keep trying on Big Lots, it’s sporadic but at least you can tell from the website when it’s in stock and buy ahead of time. If it’s convenient. They used to have free delivery which was amazing and probably not lucrative for them. I did a stupid little tour of three stores in NH a few months ago to pickup orders, but I decided after it wasn’t worth my time and I’d rather just buy 50 pounds from Webstaurant and pay a little more.
But WAAAAAAIT a second there… we have PLENTY to do in the country… such as:
a) make soap
b) stack firewood
c) make soap
d) look at wildlife (deer eating everything I try to grow)
e) make soap…

 

[Shelley D]

Wait... his dogs eat coconut oil? When I first read your post I got it mixed up and thought the dogs were eating tallow, which would probably do un-great things to their digestion, but at least I could comprehend it... but coconut oil? Doesn't seem like something for carnivore/omnivore animals, but what do I know?

He probably uses it on their bodies either in the bath or after. Certain types of dogs are prone to skin bumps so it may help with their skin issues. My daughter used coconut oil after a bath for her lab/pit mix (rescue dog). She would rub in after toweling him off then towel off the excess. But if he's buying that much in bulk I can't imagine him bathing a bunch of dogs that way, it's very time consuming

 

[Jorah]

But WAAAAAAIT a second there… we have PLENTY to do in the country… such as:
a) make soap
b) stack firewood
c) make soap
d) look at wildlife (deer eating everything I try to grow)
e) make soap…

• Cut more firewood
• Split the firewood
• Try to get the pickup out of the mud
• Try to keep the no-see-ums out of your ears & eyes
• Order more firewood
• Start the fire
• Tend the fire
• Order propane
• Wonder if it's going to snow (it's only May, after all; there might be one more storm on the way)
• Is that a bear in the yard?

(notes from my life in rural Massachusetts... )

 

[Shelley D]

• Cut more firewood
• Split the firewood
• Try to get the pickup out of the mud
• Try to keep the no-see-ums out of your ears & eyes
• Order more firewood
• Start the fire
• Tend the fire
• Order propane
• Wonder if it's going to snow (it's only May, after all; there might be one more storm on the way)
• Is that a bear in the yard?

(notes from my life in rural Massachusetts... )

I don't remember seeing bears in NH, but I did see a bunch of black bears in Arkansas!

 

[Mobjack Bay]

For southern rural life, I must add:

• can tomatoes
• clean out the barn
• pull the truck out of the ditch
• keep the foxes and snakes out of the chicken coop
• shoot the deer (what is that hunter doing in the yard?)

@Vicki C - didn’t know I could order ahead! Will keep that in mind.

 

[Jorah]

He probably uses it on their bodies either in the bath or after. Certain types of dogs are prone to skin bumps so it may help with their skin issues. My daughter used coconut oil after a bath for her lab/pit mix (rescue dog). She would rub in after toweling him off then towel off the excess. But if he's buying that much in bulk I can't imagine him bathing a bunch of dogs that way, it's very time consuming

I'm laughing at myself because this makes so much more sense, but not being a dog owner, it would never have occurred to me.

 

[Mobjack Bay]

I'm laughing at myself because this makes so much more sense, but not being a dog owner, it would never have occurred to me.

I am a dog owner and thought it was a bit odd. I’m talking about the 102 oz. size!

 

[Shelley D]

I'm laughing at myself because this makes so much more sense, but not being a dog owner, it would never have occurred to me.

After thinking about it, he may mix some into their food too, since CO is good for the digestive track (I'm just not sure about use in canines). I used to mix a little bacon grease and some pickle juice into my dog's food when I lived in AR as the grease helped enhance the natural oils of their skin/fur and the pickle juice helped reduce tick bites. So now I'm curious if coconut oil is beneficial for dog's if they eat it Google, here I come!