We were conditioned to believe this, but is rarely the case.

I learned old school math when I was in school and doing simple math in head is natural to me.

So At the grocery store it is easy to do some quick figuring and seldom is the bigger package a better deal I have noticed.

Price per __ is my shopping method, grocery store, gun store, etc.

I don’t follow, it usually IS the better deal.

Does your supermarket not list price per unit on the shelf? It’s easy to compare that way.

Example: small bottle of olive oil for 49 cents per ounce vs larger bottle at 39 cents per ounce.

^ Usually, yes. Seems random when the smaller pkg is the better deal
See it more with off the shelf ammo. Cost/rd cheaper from the 20rd pkg than the 150rd bulk pack.

Your experience is the exact opposite of mine.

Rarely is the smaller package a better deal, figured on a cost per unit basis.

Usually you see the smaller packages being a better deal when the small package is on sale but the large one isn't, though there are occasional random other examples of smaller being cheaper.

So either your local grocery stores have a very different business model than all the others, your "quick figuring" mental math is wrong, or you're basing your broad generalization off a few anecdotes of the smaller package being cheaper (the exception, not the norm).

Besides, at most grocery stores, there's no figuring necessary... All of the ones I've ever seen post the cost per unit right on the shelf label, so you can easily compare the unit price of the small and large packages, with the larger packages having the lower unit price 99% of the time.




But not 100% of the time...

Generally the bigger package will be the better deal, but there are exceptions. One being when they have crapload of the smaller package in stock that they want to move out.

I usually expect the larger size packages to be a better deal, but I have found a surprising number of exceptions.

Utz sourdough pretzels. The local supermarket (Publix) carries them in 16 oz. bags and large 28 oz. jars.



The smaller package (16 oz. bag) costs less per ounce.

Many times, at Walmart grocery, I have found canned vegetables, where the same brand and product is available in both medium and large size cans. Frequently, two medium cans will contain a little more than one large can, and the two medium cans sell for less than one large can.

We often pay more per unit to get the smaller size, since the kids grew up. For example, frozen lasagna. A 4 serving pack costs more than a 12 serving pack. Better for us.

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
Utz sourdough pretzels. The local supermarket (Publix) carries them in 16 oz. bags and large 28 oz. jars.

The smaller package (16 oz. bag) costs less per ounce.

Because a bag means less packaging cost than an extruded plastic jar with screw-on lid. That's not an apples to apples comparison.

If it was a 16 oz bag and a 28 oz bag, the 28 oz bag would almost certainly cost less per ounce.

If you are someone who cares about this (like me) you have to check/compare everything and not assume.

Orange juice is rarely cheaper in the larger container.

Costco uses our perception of larger packages well with uniquely shaped boxes of things like cereal and crackers. Sometimes they are cheaper than the typical box elsewhere, sometimes not.

Sometimes it is. But you've got to be discerning. For items sold by weight, most every supermarket shows "per ounce." For items sold by quantity (dozen or 18 eggs for example), I have been known to take out my phone's calculator and check the price per egg. Usually, but not always, the 18 eggs are a penny or two cheaper per egg.

There is something to not buying larger quantities of some foods than you need, lest they spoil before you can eat them, too.

Wal Mart is the worst in this aspect of shopping.

I did some comparison shopping between my usual Safeway, Fry’s and Walmart. I crafted a list of the 35 most frequently purchased items at Safeway and then looked for the same item at the urge store.

My biggest takeaway was that I could save 30% or more by purchasing frozen goods at WM over Safeway. Hands down a no-brainer. WM is only a few more miles away so the gas cost is trivial.

On some items there was no difference in cost. Bread and bagels for example.

But after looking at fresh fruits and meats I will always purchase those at Safeway. No comparison in the quality.

Fry’s seemed like an interesting spot - it’s half way between Safeway and WM but the savings just weren’t there. The selection seemed to be limited.

Tested the theory today, Hunts tomato sauce, large 29 oz can was $3.09, small were 15 oz at $1.71 each, so normally, the big can is better, but, it was on Bogo so 2 for a buck seventy one was the deal...

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:

quote:

Originally posted by V-Tail:
Utz sourdough pretzels. The local supermarket (Publix) carries them in 16 oz. bags and large 28 oz. jars.

The smaller package (16 oz. bag) costs less per ounce.

Because a bag means less packaging cost than an extruded plastic jar with screw-on lid. That's not an apples to apples comparison.

If it was a 16 oz bag and a 28 oz bag, the 28 oz bag would almost certainly cost less per ounce.

The cost of the packaging will of course affect the production cost and sale price of the overall product, but we’re talking about the net cost of the product on a per unit basis - in this case, by ounce. The weight of the container is tared out of the product weight, so in the example shown, the smaller bag is still the lower price - per pretzel, if you will. That’s all that matters to the price-comparing consumer’s bottom line.

-Rob

quote:

Originally posted by BurtonRW:
The cost of the packaging will of course affect the production cost and sale price of the overall product, but we’re talking about the net cost of the product on a per unit basis - in this case, by ounce.

Unit price doesn't exclude packaging cost, because stuff like the production, shipping, and packaging cost to the manufacturer is factored into the overall price, and thus affects the unit price. (Which is simply total sale price divided by number of units within - ounces of product/individual items within/etc.)

Say a manufacturer's cost on eggs is 5 cents apiece, so 60 cents for a dozen. Packing, shipping, and logistics on a dozen eggs costs them 50 cents. A foam container that holds a dozen costs them 50 cents. A fancy plastic container that holds a dozen eggs costs them $1.

The manufacturer wants to make $1 in profit per dozen eggs.

The dozen eggs in a foam container costs the manufacturer $1.60, so they sell it for $2.60. That's ~21.6 cents per egg in the consumer's unit price.

The dozen eggs in a fancy plastic container costs the manufacturer $2.10, so they sell it for $3.10. That's ~25.8 cents per egg in the consumer's unit price.

Same eggs, but a higher unit price, because of the higher cost of the fancier packaging.

quote:

Originally posted by RogueJSK:
Same eggs, but a higher unit price, because of the higher cost of the fancier packaging.

Perhaps we’re talking at cross-purposes. OP’s point was, essentially, that buying in bulk is not always the better bargain, although we have been conditioned to think that it is.

The only factor that matters is what you’re paying per egg at the register. If that ends up being $0.25/egg, it doesn’t matter if that cost can be attributed to $0.15/egg and $0.10/packaging, handling, etc. The consumer is paying $0.25/egg, which is still a better price than, say $0.50/egg, even if that egg itself only costs $0.05/egg and $0.45/fancy packaging, etc.

OP’s observation is valid and V-Tail’s example is a perfectly valid example of OP’s point, since the costs associated with the fancier packaging are irrelevant when it comes to the per unit cost of the product as compared to the per unit cost of a smaller quantity of the same item, which can, sometimes be the better bargain.

-Rob

quote:

Originally posted by BurtonRW:
Perhaps we’re talking at cross-purposes.

Right.

My reply you quoted wasn't arguing that V-Tail was wrong in his example. Instead, I was offering an explanation why the large package of those pretzels wasn't the better deal (like it normally would be). And then pointing out that if the packaging was comparable, the unit price would instead almost certainly be lower on the larger package (as expected).

The fact is, in apples-to-apples comparisons (same brand/product/packaging/etc.), the larger package is usually the better deal. Whereas the OP's stated assertion was that it rarely is.

But in apples-to-oranges comparisons, there are any number of other factors why that might not be the case. Such as higher packaging costs from a fancier container.