to market your honey what size would you use? 1 lb, 8 oz, bigger or smaller, plastic or glass, metal cap or plastic?
after market testing on my family :-), i think i'd use the 8 oz squeeze bears. kids love them. they don't take up to much cupboard space. they are nice for tea. they go in a small pan to warm if they become solid. they are easy to pack in small boxes for shipping to the grandkids.....
Quote from: kathyp on August 05, 2008, 11:49:28 AM
after market testing on my family :-), i think i'd use the 8 oz squeeze bears.
A marketing test on my family produced similar results. :)
The 8 oz bears are well-sized for gifts, stocking-stuffers, $3 sales to friends and co-workers, etc. Although I prefer the flip-tops, my "market research" shows that spouts are more popular. And I love seeing the army of bears lined up on the counter after I finish filling them!
I have had my best sales over time in the 1.5 pound bears with the flip tops.
Sell 1lb jars -glass with plastic lids -there is no profit in selling small bears they take as long or longer to fill-a 1 pound jar is small enough where it is still precious in the eye of the customer-dont be associated with cheap honey -and nothing says cheap like plastic-RDY-B
Pint canning jar.
(http://www.utahsphotographer.com/localutahhoney/images/thinline08pound.jpg)I am partial to this 1 pound plastic "Thin Line" jar from Honey Tree . . . .it displays honey beautifully and to my eye anyway, looks anything but cheap.
I dont think you can buy a one pound jar cheaper than the thin line -can you-nice label-here are some Queen line-the two on the right are plastic the one on the left is glass-glass is class -it just feels better and perceived value is important -if you want to have some fun put out equal amounts of glass containers and of plastic - with the same honey see which one sells faster -some may even say they can taste the difference -little do they know that it comes from the same 5 gallon plastic bucket- :lol: 8-) RDY-B http://img504.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1000092tt0.jpg
utahbeekeeper, those are nice bottles. Where to you get them?
2- Wheeler HONEY TREE (http://www.honeytreehoney.com/index.html) out of Michigan actually owns the molds and produces those cool bottles. Several of our usual supply houses also carry them. The item is not listed on their web site, but if you call them, they sell those bottles by the case to beekeeper for much less than say Dadant for instance . . . Dadant wants eleven bucks for 24 1 pound jars, and Honey Tree sells same for $7.45. Closures are extra, and the only kind Honey Tree offers are foil heat applied so I get my closures from SKS Bottle 144 lined caps for $10.00. That adds just $1.68 to the case price, or just $.38 for a very nice bottle, plus Brown. Shipping is still shipping, but my local beek supply stocks less than stellar containers so if I have to import, I wanted a good one. Honey Tree has a super shipper box that holds 5 cases of these 1 pound jars that ships for about $37 (sigh) Grand total for a 16oz thinline honey bee jar delivered is $.62 Took me hours to track down the actual manufacturer of those bottles.
Since I have put most of our line in these plastic bottles, I have had only good compliments and no breakage. Shipping is less expensive. Only glass I offer is pint mason widemouth with cut comb in it. Our labeling, tamper proof sealing and overall appearance seem to be sufficient for brisk sales.
Glass containers look the best. Also, the one pound queenline jars are the universal jar for honey contests.
Even so, I love the 6oz bear from betterbee, and their one pound upside down jars. Both plastic and less expensive to ship. The 6oz bear is awesome as I can sell it for $3, or 4 for $10, or 10 for $20. I sell boat loads of them.