Soap Pricing

[Miz Jenny]

Last year was my first year selling. Used one basic recipe: coconut, palm, olive, castor oils, water, lye. Soaps were 2-3oz. I charged $2/soap. This year I'm using coconut milk and a host of other ingredients to enhance visual, olfactory, touch appeal. My regular recipe soaps are 4.5-5.5 oz. Coconut milk & specialty soaps 5.5-6.5 oz. Initial thought was regular $3.00 & special $4.00. Now I'm thinking $4 & $5. The other local soaper sells 7-9 oz bars for $8. Plus, she has goats & bees. This area is still somewhat backward, but I don't want to undersell myself nor do I want to price myself out of the market.

 

[nanashousesoap]

I sell my soaps (4.5 - 5 oz bars) for $4/bar or 6 for $20

 

[Ancel]

It seems, on Etsy at least, that soap is about $1 an ounce, or slightly more for speciality soaps. Miz Jenny, I was just looking at your website and wondering how you were able to sell for only $3. If your other local soaper has 7-9 oz bars for $8, it works out about $1/ounce on average, by selling your bars for $4 to $5 you'd be doing as she does - that must be fair?

 

[Miz Jenny]

At first, I was against raising my prices. It's a fear thing, methinks. Today, while making soap, which is where I do my best thinking, I realized I was short-selling my products. So, tomorrow I update my website & reprice my soaps.

 

[misskat22]

Remember, it's easier to lower the price than raise it. I always tell my husband that, if people are snapping it up at a lower price, and would be willing to pay more, they may go elsewhere if you raise your prices. If it's higher priced and not going well, you can always try lowering a bit

 

[Genny]

Wow, that seems pretty low. Have you figured out your actual costs (supplies, labels, insurance, electricity, etc.) and are going by those? Or are you just going by what you see others sell them at?
My 4-5 oz bars of soap I sell for $5 or 5 for $20 & get told that I'm selling too low LOL

 

[Miz Jenny]

Genny, not for this area & not considering what the other soaper charges.

 

[judymoody]

I say $5 per bar or 5 for $20.

I have a soaper friend who lives in far northern rural Idaho, hardly a wealthy area. This is her pricing structure and she does very well.

Don't sell yourself short!

 

[mel z]

I don't sell, but I look at what the others locally charge.

In the health food store I noticed some locally made M&P selling for $1.74 per ounce, and up. The upward were what appeared combo M&P, CP. I didn't notice any CP only.

Sounds like you are underpricing!

 

[Miz Jenny]

Genny, $5 per bar, across the board would definitely work. I do like the option of 5 for $20 and will do that.

 

[Genny]

The 5 for $20 is a great selling point at shows & markets. I can't tell you how many times I've had someone pick out 2 soaps and were only going to buy those 2, then they see the 5 for $20 sign and they end up getting the 5 instead.

 

[soap_bubbles]

I sell mine for 6 dollars a bar--which works out to just about a dollar an ounce--and I have wholesale customers that I sell at 1/2 that and a tad lower, if they buy 20 bars, I drop it to 2.50 a bar and I am doing pretty well with orders!

 

[green soap]

I visited local markets similar to the one where I sell when I first started. Our sales tax is included in the price, which seems to be $6 a bar averaging 4 oz. So $6 a bar is standard for my area. This is $1.5/oz but it includes the sales tax.

I bought from two different vendors and one of them was really crappy soap, the other was nice but it disintegrated a bit too fast in the shower. I decided that since mine is good soap, and it lasts a while, well, $6 per bar it is.

I also sell (many) smaller, lower priced salt bars, and some specialty soaps that are more expensive.