Popcorns are a movie theater staple, and currently, they are slowly finding their way into pubs, hotels, fun parks, and many other places. In the US alone, 235.51 million people consumed popcorn in 2020. Without forgetting that many people still love them at home, you can imagine the numbers. For this reason, the popcorn business is an excellent niche to venture into.
A popcorn wholesaler acts as a middleman between you and the manufacturer. The wholesaler buys inventory from the manufacturer at a lower price and sells it to the retailer. The retailer then sells the merchandise at a higher price to earn a profit. That said, whether you are operating a small grocery store down the street or yours is an e-commerce business, a wholesaler plays a significant role in the success of your business.
But the elephant in the room is: do you have a good popcorn wholesaler? If not, how do you identify one? Below are some factors to consider when you want the best wholesale supplier for bulk popcorn.
Effective Communication
You seriously don’t want a wholesaler who will only respond 24 hours after you contacted them. What if you sold off all your popcorn, and you need new stock immediately? Will you have to wait for them to respond so that you can get back to business?
Make sure that your wholesaler is available for you whenever you need them. You can ask your fellow popcorn sellers if a particular wholesaler is prompt in responding to retailers before deciding to stop your search.
Conduct detailed research of the wholesaler in question to know if they are always available to communicate with their customers effectively or not. Avoid wholesalers who cannot effectively communicate with their customers.
A Wide Range of Products
Ideally, many popcorn wholesalers will have a wide range of popcorn that they sell. For instance, if you are starting the popcorn business with the original type of popcorn, you might need a wholesaler that also sells other kinds of popcorn-like the gourmet popcorn. With such a wholesaler, you will be in an excellent position to order multiple products from the same source. If you need to add a specific product at one point in your business, you can easily get it from the wholesaler.
Also, get to know how regularly they stock the merchandise. You don’t want to keep your customers waiting or stop selling your popcorn because there is nothing for you to sell.
Prompt Delivery Services
Seek to know how long a wholesaler can take to deliver goods to you. If they have to ship popcorn, consider the shipping strategies they use. If you are the one to ship the popcorn, ask yourself how long it will take for you to have the popcorn in your shop. Also, ask yourself if the distributor has expedited shipping if you need the popcorn urgently.
If they are not shipping the products, how long do they take to have the products with them? What strategies they have put in place in case of a delivery mishap that may cause a delay.
Affordable Prices
Discussing the prices is very important since you will need to know if you can afford the distributor’s products and services before narrowing it down to a specific wholesaler. Have a serious talk with your supplier about the prices they offer according to the quantity of popcorn you need.
Talk to different potential wholesalers, and do not be afraid to let them know that you are conducting research and that you also have other wholesalers in mind. This will help you get better prices because they will be competing to have you on their retailers’ list.
Supplier Expertise
When selecting a wholesaler for your popcorn business, you must choose a wholesaler who has deep knowledge of popcorn. It is more likely that you get quality popcorn if you are dealing with an expert. If your wholesaler has the expertise, they will only sell what they know is of good quality.
Expert wholesalers like Shumway Farms can be trusted to handle any product challenges that may arise. They can also advise you on how you can handle the inventory better in your small business’s premises.
Online Reputation
An online search can also help you connect with the best wholesalers. For your popcorn business, consider a search within your geographical region. Try to be more specific on your region since you don’t want to have issues accessing your popcorn.
Consider buying from the producer
Sourcing from the first line of supply, the producer or manufacturer can cut a huge chunk from your expenditure. In this case, if you can eliminate more middlemen, you can be in a better position to source cheaply. The one challenge you may have is when the manufacturer only sells the bulk popcorn according to their minimum order requirements. However, this should not trouble you; you can ask them for their list of trusted distributors, so you can contact them.
Some manufacturers may only sell to established distribution channels. Once you have the list of trusted distributors, you can contact any of them and channel them down to the best for your business. While at it, request a sample of the manufacturer’s popcorn samples and see if it’s the type of popcorn that you would want to sell.
Attend Food Trade Shows
If you can access good trade shows where you know that you can find popcorn wholesalers, consider attending them. In trade shows, you will meet many wholesalers and distributors. Talking with them face to face will minimize misinformation or the communication challenges you may have when communicating online.
Find a Wholesaler that can Regularly Meet Your DemandThe popcorn industry is set to rise to greater heights in the coming years, so be ready to be in the business for a longer time. The increment makes it difficult for a retailer to find a reliable wholesaler who will suit your needs for your popcorn business. If you find that you are in a dilemma on which wholesaler is good for you, you can embrace the tips above to get the best wholesaler. Ideally, a good wholesaler will be willing to negotiate with you on a long-term basis and establish a long-term relationship with you. Ensure that they are flexible and interested in knowing your popcorn business’s needs when negotiating with the wholesaler. If you are lucky to get a wholesaler with such characters, then you can both reach a mutual agreement on how you will be sourcing popcorn from them.