Buying items in bulk makes great economic sense. If purchases are made in large quantities, you do not have to shop whenever you run out of supplies. This saves time, effort and money. However, not all items can be purchased in bulk. For instance, if anything has an uncertain demand, then purchasing that item in massive amounts can be quite wasteful.
However, items like baby supplies, electronics etc., can be purchased in large quantities and buying them in large quantities makes a prudent marketing decision. You can find here great offers for bulk buys this holiday season.
List Of Things That Must Be Purchased In Large Volumes To Save Time And Money
Canned Food Products
The primary point of difference between canned food products and fresh food is that canned stuff can be saved and consumed for a long time. Canned food contains an adequate amount of preservatives that make the food edible for many months.
Hence, if you are consuming canned food, it makes sense to buy in bulk because, in all probability, the food will stay for many months in the departmental store before it makes it to your house. So it will take you fewer rounds of shopping if you and save you fuel costs if you buy many cans at once.
At times the manufacturers pack considerable quantities in a single pack for people who consume in bulk. So, in this case, buying a big pack is more sustainable as compared to buying several small packs of the same stuff.
For instance, if you are buying canned beans and you buy 10 bottles of 300 ml of contents(the usual quantity in one can), then you are utilizing the packaging material of 10 cans. On the contrary, if you buy 1 large can of 3000ml, you will require much less packaging material because ten small portions’ surface area is larger than one large portion of the same volume.
Thus, by buying in bulk, you are indirectly making a sustainable choice as you consume less packaging material and generate a lesser volume of disposable waste.
Household Cleaning Supplies
Cleaning items that are regularly used in a house, like detergents, soaps, mops etc., should be purchased in bulk. Bulk quantities are usually cheaper, and manufacturers often give deep discounts when you buy large packs.
Items like laundry detergents, soaps and toilet cleaning agents are made up of such ingredients that do not degrade very fast, so if you have laundry supplies for six months or a year, that is less likely to be a problem.
Moreover, you need not have to micromanage your household supplies when you have a large supply. In today’s busy lifestyle, where both spouses are busy, it is difficult to allocate time to weekly or even monthly shopping; hence purchasing in bulk is a strategic decision. However, when buying stuff like detergents, it is always better to buy bulk when you are very sure of the product quality.
Some detergents might lose their fragrance if they are used for six months or more. Again, you or your family may be allergic to a new soap, and purchasing large quantities of it will be wasteful. Hence, the rule of thumb is that when you buy in bulk, always buy your regular brand and experiment with lesser quantities.
Supplies For Your Little One
Supplies for your baby, like wipes and diapers, can be bought in bulk quantities. First of all, supplies for a baby are pretty expensive. Diapers or wipes for young kids are manufactured with great caution; hence, they cost more than your regular napkins. So purchasing in large quantities saves money.
Surveys from many countries show that the cost of diapers and wipes is a significant cost of raising a child, and if you can save money by bulk purchases, it is not a bad proposition at all.
Again, having a large stock of baby products is a good idea because you do not want to land up in a nightmarish situation where you have a crying baby, and you have to run to the nearest department store and stand in a huge queue to get hold of a pack of diapers.
However, purchasing in huge numbers makes sure your little one likes the feel of the cloth. Babies can be fussy, and if they are uncomfortable, you might have to throw out the entire pack at once. Again, keep in mind that babies grow fast, and a one-month-old kid will have a different diaper size compared to an eight or nine-month-old child. Hence if you buy large packs of the same size, that might be a problem.
All Sorts Of Paper Products
Paper pads, paper bags to toilet paper should be purchased in bulk quantities. The paper does not have an expiry date. These things do not run out of fashion, and it is unlikely that you will stop needing them in the near future. So it makes sense to stock them up for long-term usage.
When you buy in large quantities, they come with a discount, and you also save as you avoid inflation in price. For instance, if you buy paper pads at $5 a piece and the price increases to $7 per piece in the next year, you save $2 per paper pad.
However, the reverse can also be true if there is a depreciation in price, but inflations are more likely than deflations so purchasing in large quantities and in advance is a more prudent choice than purchasing things as and when you need them.
Conclusion
Purchasing bulk quantities of any product has its pros and cons. However, the pros outweigh the cons if the product is not perishable. The most significant advantage of purchasing in large quantities is that they save money and are more sustainable from an environmental point of view.
Today’s consumers are cautious and aware, and economic prudence and environmental consciousness make them buy many things in bulk.
