Today’s Wholesaler Wisdom guest writer is Sarah Botchick of Pioneer Wholesale Co., Berea, OH.

The world of the Internet has made price comparison shopping much easier for us all. No more driving around from store to store.

You don’t even have to go to trade shows anymore. You can do all of your comparison shopping from the comfort of your desk chair.

But online shopping can be a very dangerous thing for a gift basket designer if you are not aware of the pitfalls.

Yesterday, I went on one of my competitor‘s websites and instantly panicked. It seemed that they were much less expensive than us on a basic basket, until I looked more closely.

The basket they were selling was 3″ smaller than mine. But it LOOKED like the same basket. A 7″ basket is a very different basket than a 10″ basket!

Below I am listing seven things to watch when price comparison shopping for baskets.

1. Size
Are they really the same size? Don’t just check length and width or diameter – remember to check depth too!

2. Material
Are they both the same kind of willow? There is a difference between split willow and full willow. Split willow is a half of piece of willow. It is not as attractive or as strong as full willow.

Full willow is more attractive, sturdy and desirable than split willow. There are other materials, such as coco midrib, that are even less strong than split willow.

3. Finish
A stained basket is naturally going to be more expensive than a natural (peeled) willow, a natural willow basket is going to be more expensive than a rustic (unpeeled) willow. Be sure you are comparing equal finishes.

4. Handles
If there are handles, are they sturdy? Some companies use rope handles instead of woven willow handles. The rope handles are less attractive and less sturdy than woven willow handles.

5. Shipping Costs
Pioneer Wholesale Co. has negotiated with UPS and FedEx to get tremendous shipping rates. One customer recently found that our shipping cost was 1/4 of her shipping cost because we have such great discounts.

Be sure to get exact shipping quotes from all companies and figure that into the cost of each basket.

6. Don’t Forget the Benefits of One-Stop Shopping
Can this wholesaler you are looking at provide you with everything that you need at once, such as shrink, shred, ribbon and bows as well as the basket?

Often times you will save greatly on shipping by being able to ship everything together, instead of getting separate shipments from different sources. Even if the product cost is a little higher on some of the items, it may still save you money to be able to get everything from the same source.

7. Is this Company truly Wholesale?
Many companies claim to be wholesalers, but in reality, they are “wholesale to the public.” That means you are paying retail!

Be careful, generally they are more expensive if they are selling retail. Your best bet is to work with a wholesaler who requires you to provide your tax resale number at the time of purchase. This protects both you and the wholesaler.

Remember readers, objects in mirror are not always as they appear! Make sure you are comparing apples to apples and not apples to oranges. In today’s economy, you have to watch every angle and every penny.

Pioneer Wholesale Co. is an experienced wholesaler and importer. They are a one-stop shopping source for gift basket retailers and related professionals. Visit www.pioneerwholesaleco.com or call 888-234-5400.

DESIGNERS: What do you think about Sarah’s informative tips? I encourage you to share feedback for her in the comments section.

Shirley George Frazier

No related posts.

Today’s Wholesaler Wisdom Guest Writer is Sarah Botchick of Pioneer Wholesale Co., Berea, OH.

Every gift basket designer needs to save money on baskets. There is one simple way to save money that many gift basket designers are not aware of – avoid buying single sized baskets with top handles!

Gift basket design magazines love to show gift baskets with top handles. And they certainly make beautiful designs. However, the top handles make baskets more expensive. Why? Because single size top handle baskets are more expensive to ship, both to the United States via the importer, then again to the gift basket designer.

Since these baskets cannot nest, only a small number can fit in each box. Basically, you are paying to ship air.

We ship our baskets all over the country and we have found that it is incredibly expensive to ship single size baskets with top handles since UPS and FEDEX have gone to charging by the cubic feet of the box instead of by the weight.

At times we have found that the freight on some single sized top handle baskets is as much as 50% of the cost of the basket!

So, what can designers do? There are three options that not only save you money, but also, as Shirley George Frazier pointed out in last week’s post, they save you on storage space in your shop.

1. Purchase baskets without a top handle.

Choose baskets without handles or with side ear handles. Don’t feel you need to sacrifice style when choosing this option – there are many baskets available without top handles in beautiful rich finishes and designs.

2. Look for a unique type of gift basket with “drop down” handles.

These handles fold down for shipping and allow the baskets to nest, but then can be pulled up when creating your designs to give you the look of the top handles, without the additional shipping cost.

3. If your designs absolutely require top handles, buy nested sets of baskets.

These save you money on shipping, as well as allow you to have a variety of sizes on hands for different design needs.

Pioneer Wholesale Co. is an experienced wholesaler and importer who can help you find the baskets you need. Visit www.pioneerwholesaleco.com or call 888-234-5400.

DESIGNERS: I encourage you to ask questions and share feedback for Sarah in the comments section. She’s happy to answer your questions!

Shirley George Frazier

No related posts.