glass vs plastic, part II

[L Daxon]

The other thread is about whether honey keeps longer in glass vs plastic containers.

My question is whether honey sells better in glass vs plastic containers off the shelf.  What do the buyers prefer?  Of course, those little plastic honey bears seem to sell well.

I am thinking about opening a kiosk at a mall and sell local and infused honey (and other bee products) and I wondered about the packaging.

Linda

[danno]

I sell both glass and plastic and my biggest seller is the inverted plastic 1#.  People pick it 9 times out of 10

[hardwood]

I sell more in glass mason jars with a simple label than in plastic...honey bears included. I think the "home grown" look fits right in with the "local/raw honey" appeal.

Scott

[AllenF]

The glass pints always sells out first.   But I bottle a whole lot more of the plastic pounders, maybe 2 to 1.  Real honey eaters want glass quart and pints.

[David McLeod]

As in most things it all depends on your market. Here's an idea, ask your customers. One thing alot folks are scared to do do in sales is to ask for it. Always ask for feedback, ask for affirmation of your product, ask for referrals, and above all ASK FOR THE SALE.
JMO, and I have zero market research to back this up but older, rural and those intimately familiar with honey could care less about the packaging they want lots of honey for a good price, quart mason jars are fine for these folks as are the larger plastic jugs. The back up for those not wanting as much would be glass pints. For new customers and occasional honey users (read not brand loyal) packing is far more important and I would lean to the 1lb inverted as these folks are used to buying everything from mayo to shampoo in inverted fliptops. By extension consider the site of sale as well. Farmers markets, feed and grains and other such venues people expect to see mason jars and the like supermarkets, fairs and the like plastic is the norm.
It's sad but for everyone but us beeks the bears and glass queenlines do not seem to carry the nostalgia they once did.
Once you know your market you can fine tune your sales. It might be that you may find two seperate venues and may want to bottle to or more different ways. Until I find what works here I'm going to bottle most in quarts and pints but keep some back in buckets if I find I need to go another route. Basically, store and bottle as required since I will be learning as I go.

[L Daxon]

I am looking at a little more upscale marketing plan with in addition to local, selling artisan and infused honeys, doing a lot of gift baskets, beeswax candles (emphasizing the green, renewable aspect), bee and honey cosmetics and soaps, etc.  I would like to get as much of this locally made as possible but will probably use some national distributors.

Do any of you have anyone in you area who has this kind of a store/operation, besides what you sell out of your house or at fairs?  I am thinking country club/Jr. League types would pay big bucks for some of this stuff if it is marketed right.  I checked one of our big local malls yesterday and there wasn't a beeswax candle to be found.

Linda

[edward]

If you're aiming for the upscale market I would recommend smaller jars , decorative lids , even different jars , 6 sided.
Inform your customers what they are buying , where it comes from , location + what kind of bloom and you will bee able to ask for a higher price

works for me , good luck      edward  :-P

[hardwood]

I agree with Edward. For upscale markets you'll most definitely want to go with glass and less common shapes in smaller sizes. Muth jars come to mind but in the end are difficult to work with...both for you and your customers.

Peg and I were at a small festival today with our bee club. There was a couple there that were selling infused vinegars in some really attractive bottles. I asked about their source (even though they were a little large for honey) and he told me they were from local wine shops and liqueur stores and that they "scrounge" them for free.

Scott

[L Daxon]

I think you are probably right about the smaller glass jars, especially in gift baskets and the like.
I was planning on selling the honey by county, and date of harvest. (at least spring flow, summer wildflower, fall harvest, etc.)  I am in Oklahoma County, then I was going to try and locate suppliers in each county surrounding Oklahoma County (you know that 50 mile thing about getting honey/pollen from within a 50 mile range of where you live.)  And try and find local pollen suppliers as well.  That would be important for people who want local honey for health reasons.

One of our biggest local producers said he would sell me local honey for $1.78 a lb. in the 5 gallon pails.  But he has already blended his stuff up for this year (he has yards in several counties) but will keep it separate for me next year.  What he has blended I would just have to sell as Central Oklahoma Honey, which would be OK.

I bought a dozen of the cutest little antique honey jars from my neighbor at a garage sale.  They are textured on 3 sides and flat on the forth. Only 4 inches tall.  Wish they still made these.
URL=http://img99.imageshack.us/i/dsc05253e.jpg/][/URL]

I have noticed those infused vinegars at local craft fairs, as well.  They get pretty good money for it.  Why not infused honey.  I have seen everything from peach and sage to jalapeno and lavender in catalogs.  We don't have tupelo or orange trees around here so I would have to import some of those single crop artisan honeys.  Could whip up something like Glory Bee does with their 3 packs of various types, either artisan or infused.  I am getting excited.

[David McLeod]

If your going to the upscale market you ought to be able to develop a market for the purest product of the hive sold as the bees produced it. Comb Honey. What better sign purity than those pearly white cappings.

[AllenF]

Check this out and see how red bee bottles for the upscale market.   http://vitality.yahoo.com/video-second-act-marina-marchese-23058022

[L Daxon]

Yes, David, cut comb would definitely be a part of the product mix--purest form of honey there is--straight from the bees with no real processing.

Allen, thanks for that video link.  That is very close to my concept and I may even try and contact that gal for product research.

In the last month I read the Honey Handbook (twice) by Kim Flottum and A Short History of the Honey Bee by E. Readicker-Henderson and both these books help frame my thinking about artisan and an upscale presentation of honey.

[Wynoochee_newbee_guy]

What the heck is a kiosk? Is that just a fancy word for booth? glass or plastic  don't matter and I bottle my honey in what ever I can mason jars, 1# 2# plastic or glass. people dont care. my booth at the farmers market people don't care what it is in as long as they know the honey is local.

[greenbtree]

Here in Iowa the bears still sell like hotcakes.  Match your market - there is no one best product type.

JC

[L Daxon]

Yes, a kiosk is just a fancy name for booth or cart. Comes with a fancy price tag at the mall, $800 to $1,100 a month.  I would have to sell a lot of honey just to cover the overhead, but there are a lot of them at the mall year round so somebody must be able to make a profit selling from them.

[edward]

GOOD LUCK  :-D you will certainly bee the sweetest vendor there   :-D

[ronwhite3030]

I found your jars at walter T kelley's with white lids.



http://www.kelleybees.com/CMS/CMSPage.aspx?redirect=28f5d36c-7aea-43d0-aae8-9dd46dd8360c

[VolunteerK9]

I bought a dozen of the cutest little antique honey jars from my neighbor at a garage sale.  They are textured on 3 sides and flat on the forth. Only 4 inches tall.  Wish they still made these.
URL=http://img99.imageshack.us/i/dsc05253e.jpg/][/URL]

I think what you have are some old peanut butter jars. I collect the old JFG globe style peanut butter jar. I think (don't hold me to it) that one is a Jumbo Peanut Butter.

[L Daxon]

I don't think it would have been a Jumbo Peanut Butter Jar  unless Jumbo was the brand name??? These little jars are only 4 inches high.  Jar probably only holds 8 oz. of honey.  The lids were originally just a dull metal color--kind of rusty on the inside when I got them.  I soaked them down in CLR then cleaned with steel wool, spray painted gold, then covered the inside of the lid with a thin layer of bees' wax so it wouldn't give off a metallic taste.

[edward]

 The lids were originally just a dull metal color--kind of rusty on the inside when I got them.  I soaked them down in CLR then cleaned with steel wool, spray painted gold, then covered the inside of the lid with a thin layer of bees' wax so it wouldn't give off a metallic taste.

I would think it would bee better to use a plastic liner inside the lid  ;)