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Wholesale extends selling beyond service hours but adds production, packaging, labeling, delivery, consistency, and account support.
Wholesale supplies another business to sell or use your product. It can extend sales beyond your service window, but production is only part of the work. The account needs consistent quality, usable packaging, dependable deliveries, and help with problems. Price that complete commitment before pursuing volume.
A large order can create cash pressure before it creates a useful return. Production, packaging, and delivery may be paid for well before the buyer pays you.
Taking a retail price, applying a discount, and calling it a wholesale price without costing production, delivery, support, and payment timing.
In this illustrative example, a business considers supplying packaged coffee to a local retailer. The product margin looks promising, but the requested small, frequent deliveries add substantial handling and travel. The owner costs that schedule, discusses a workable order size and delivery day, and tests one account before approaching others.
Choose the product and buyer. Map production, packaging, required verification, storage, ordering, delivery, support, and payment. Assign costs and responsibilities, then decide whether a limited pilot works at the proposed price.
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Open the full LessonStep 54 · Wholesale
Approach shops whose menu and customers fit your coffee, and ask what they need from a supplier. A sample can start the conversation, but switching may depend on dependable delivery, consistency, training, or an existing agreement. Explain what you can actually provide and price that support into the offer. Start with an account you can serve reliably. A lower bean price alone may not outweigh the relationship and services they already have.
Calculate the cost of the roasted quantity you can actually sell, including roast loss, packaging, labor, delivery, and account support. Add the contribution needed to cover overhead and make the work worthwhile. Compare like-for-like offers by quality, volume, payment terms, and service. A retail discount or another roaster’s markup is not a reliable formula by itself. Review the price when input costs or the customer’s order pattern changes.
Only if the arrangement supports the customer’s service and makes sense after all costs. Confirm drink demand, installation needs, training, maintenance, repairs, and what happens during seasonal closure. Inspect used equipment before committing. Put ownership, payments, care, damage, service responsibilities, and return conditions in a written agreement reviewed by appropriate local advisers. Selling more beans does not automatically cover an equipment investment or its ongoing support.
Start with buyers whose menu and customers could suit it, and make the offer clear: roasted coffee or green coffee, available quantities, price, delivery, and support. Invite a small tasting and ask what would prevent a trial order. An origin story helps explain the product, but buyers also need dependable quality and supply. If importing is involved, verify the current requirements and realistic delivery process before promising dates or taking orders.
Educational guidance. Check your own circumstances with the appropriate local professional.