Shopping and shipping woes

[MarnieSoapien]

I'm struggling to find the best option and I think I could use a fresh set of eyes and an outside opinion.

Here's my dilemma. I have been using a few different distributors to get my ingredients.

Company A has the best price on OO, CO and Shea butter, has a small selection of FOs and colorants
Company B has the best price on SAO, Castor Oil and has some FOs and colorants
Company C has some of the FOs I want and a good selection of colorants, most expensive for oil prices.

Company X has a huge selection of oils. FO and colorants, but doesn't have the lowest prices on any of the ingredients... at twice the shipping rate.

So, does it make more sense to buy most of my ingredients at one location, pay a slightly higher price on some oils and almost double the shipping (this company is an EU distributor of BB products, so lots of FOs, colorants and oils)...

Or... find the lowest price on all of my ingredients and pay shipping for each separate order?

 

[soapmaker]

I'm looking forward to what people say about this. My own experience is to go with the company that has most of what I want at the least cost. Then go to another supplier for the other things, keeping in mind that I wouldn't want to order small bits of things because shipping wouldn't be cost effective. I wouldn't order from company X who doesn't have the lowest prices on anything and twice the shipping rate.

 

[MarnieSoapien]

I'm looking forward to what people say about this. My own experience is to go with the company that has most of what I want at the least cost. Then go to another supplier for the other things, keeping in mind that I wouldn't want to order small bits of things because shipping wouldn't be cost effective. I wouldn't order from company X who doesn't have the lowest prices on anything and twice the shipping rate.

My hubby had the same advice as you. I think I might have to put everything I want in my cart and get a total including shipping for all of the suppliers I use and compare that to X.

 

[shunt2011]

I would do as soapmaker. I don't get everything from one supplier, nearly impossible. I shop and compare.

 

[Cellador]

Yes, I think to really know, you'd have to do a order by order comparison. Shipping can vary a lot and even the type of product can increase shipping amounts as well. Sometimes, it won't matter if the price is the least expensive because you can only buy the one item from the vendor & pay "full" shipping for just the one item. For example, I ordered some product base from a company recently & the shipping was the same cost as the item itself. I didn't intend on ordering more items immediately but, when I added a few other items, the shipping price remained the same. So, in that case, I felt like it was worth it to pick up a couple additional items from that vendor. Especially since the items in question didn't vary terribly in quality or price from other suppliers.

 

[Lin19687]

And you might like the ingredients from a certain supplier more then another.
Example : I get all my Mica from Mica & More. I could get them from another supplier that I get ALL my FO's from but I like M&M

 

[cthylla]

It's a little more complicated when you're starting out.... but 6 years later I know what I want from each company and buy as much as I can use up in 1-2 years. There is usually bulk discounts and one shipping fee.

If you are new to the business.... I don't think there is a lot of harm in trying things all from a one stop shop....like WSP.

As you go along, though, you may decide company A has the best oils at the fairest price.... company B has those 5 FOs you can't live without..... company C has the rest of the FOs that you like..... company D has the most reasonably priced colorants, etc.

 

[earlene]

Marnie, it depends on if there are other costs involved, too since some of this might be international shipping. Do you have any import fees to consider? If your only fees are going to be cost + shipping, then I'd do the order comparison totals already suggested.

Also, if you can, find out how often they have sales or discounts and see if your orders can co-incide with those. I do my best to order at a discount when possible. I'll order some more expensive products from a supplier if I already do have an order with several discounted items, making it worth while for me.

And shipping costs can vary with some suppliers based on box size. For example, one supply I use charges the same minimum shipping for a single 7 pound (3.17 kg) bottle of oil as a box of 4. So it pays to buy 4 bottles for the same shipping price.

That's why I go with the order comparison method.