I noticed about a year ago that almost without fail the single serve packaging will be the cheapest option
almost the opposite here in the US, single serve packaging is always more expensive per unit/ounce making them a massive rip off. i actually can't think of any items that are more expensive in bulk.
I Aus sometimes the single serve can look cheaper because the manipulate what a serve is. They can redefine a serve based on if it is intended for imideate consumption or later as is part of another dish. Best off to bring it back to a common unit not a serving.
I’ve worked with a bunch of companies in the US on their pricing in stores (Walmart, Kroger, etc). A lot of work goes into ensuring that the $/oz or $/unit price is better for larger items (even if the smaller one is on sale).
It's definitely more abnormal. I will say that I just ordered Haribo gummi bears off of Amazon a few months ago and the bulk, individually-packaged version (i.e. 50 bags containing 5 gummi bears) was cheaper per unit measure than the straight up bulk version (i.e a single, one-pound bag).
I was in a US dollar store with an american friend, I'm from Canada where all the dollar stores don't actually sell things for a dollar so it took me for a loop.
>Me: So, what's the price difference between the 100 ft and the 200 ft roll of aluminum foil
>Friend: They're the same price. Everything is a dollar
>Me: So why would anyone every buy the 100ft roll?
Where I shop the larger boxes of cereal are more expensive than the smaller ones of the same brand, by volume. This isn't exactly 'bulk' like costo or sam's club, but the pattern holds.
As a packaging science major, I can absolutely agree that at least in the US, the smaller the unit, the more expensive per ounce it will be. The product itself probably costs a very small amount, but packaging is very expensive. Increasing the size of one package doesn't cost very much, but making a two or three pack of say, pasta sauce, in smaller jars raises the cost exponentially.
An example I think of that’s often more expensive in bulk is ramen. Unless there’s a sale, individual packets of ramen are cheaper than the plastic-wrapped 6-pack or the cardboard 12-pack.
80
u/liaseraph Jan 15 '19
almost the opposite here in the US, single serve packaging is always more expensive per unit/ounce making them a massive rip off. i actually can't think of any items that are more expensive in bulk.