Selling and marketing
Sourdough Crackers Wholesale: Cost per Box and Margin
The numbers to check before you quote a shop a wholesale price for sourdough crackers.
On this page
- What a shop expects from a wholesale order
- Work out your cost per box
- A worked example for one box
- How order size changes your cost per box
- Delivery and payment terms in your price
- What to track each week
- What to check before you commit
- Mistakes that cost you money
- How to quote a shop and hold your price
- Where Brevl fits
Selling sourdough crackers wholesale is a different sale from a market table. A shop wants a set number of boxes, on a set day, at a price that lets it make money too. Your job is to know your cost per box before you name a number.
What to remember
- Wholesale price is not your market price cut in half. It is your cost plus a margin.
- Cost per box includes ingredients, packaging, your time, and your monthly overhead.
- Ask for the order size, the delivery day, and the payment terms before you quote.
- A flat monthly fee does not take a cut of each sale.
What a shop expects from a wholesale order
A shop buying sourdough crackers wholesale may want a case of boxes, not one box. Give the shop the same crackers every time, in packaging that stacks and travels. The shop also needs a price that leaves room for its own markup. Ask what the shop sells a box for, so you can see if your price fits.
A sample helps. Bring one box, not a bag, so the shop can see how it travels. If the sample works, the next question is how many you can make each week. Answer that honestly before you talk price.
Work out your cost per box
Start with one box. Add the ingredients that go into that box, the packaging, and the power you used. Then add your time and your share of monthly overhead, like your platform fee. That total is your cost per box.
List what goes into one box
Use your own receipts, not a guess.
Add the packaging
The box, the liner, the label, the tape. Packaging is often the part bakers forget.
Add your time
Time every step, from mixing to packing. Multiply by what you pay yourself an hour.
Add your overhead share
A flat monthly fee is $20 with no commission. If you sell 40 boxes a month, that is 50 cents a box.
Add it up
Ingredients plus packaging plus labor plus overhead equals your cost per box.
Set your wholesale price
Add your margin on top of cost. Then check the shop’s shelf price still works.
A worked example for one box
Pick one box and write down four numbers from your own receipts. Ingredients for that box, packaging for that box, your time at your hourly rate, and your share of monthly overhead. Add them to get your cost per box. If your monthly platform fee is $20 and you sell 40 boxes, that share is 50 cents a box.
Now choose your margin as a decimal, M. Your wholesale price is cost divided by one minus M. That price covers ingredients, labor, and overhead before it leaves any margin. Check that the shop can still sell the box at a price its customers will pay, or shrink the box and walk away.
How order size changes your cost per box
A weekly order of 20 boxes is a different job from a one time order of 200. A larger order can spread your overhead over more boxes. That lowers your overhead share per box. But a larger order also takes more oven space, more fridge space, and more of your week.
Ask the shop for a standing weekly order if you can fill it. A standing order lets you buy ingredients in larger amounts and plan your baking days. It also makes your monthly fee easier to cover. If you cannot fill it, say so before you quote.
Delivery and payment terms in your price
Ask for the delivery day and when you get paid. A long drive and a short payment window change your price. Check that your oven, your fridge, and your week can carry the order.
If the shop is close and the order is large, delivery may be part of the deal. If the drive is long, put a number on it. Add your time and your gas to the cost per box before you quote. Do not let delivery eat your margin.
Payment terms matter too. A shop that pays on delivery is different from one that pays in 30 days. If you wait 30 days for money, your cash is tied up. Put that in your price or ask for a deposit.
What to track each week
Write down your hours for one week. Track how many boxes you made and how many you sold. Track what you paid for ingredients and packaging. Track what you got paid and when.
If a wholesale order takes six hours and pays you very little after costs, your hourly rate is low. That is a signal to raise the price or shrink the box. A smaller standing order you always fill beats a big order you miss.
What to check before you commit
Ask for the order size, the delivery day, and when you get paid. A weekly order of 20 boxes is a different job from a one time order of 200. Check that your oven, your fridge, and your week can carry it.
Ask about labels and dates too. A shop may want a best by date, an ingredient list, and your business name on the box. Get that in writing before you bake. If you are not sure what your state allows, check your state rules first.
Mistakes that cost you money
The biggest mistake is pricing from ingredients alone. Flour is cheap. Your time and your packaging are not. Another mistake is saying yes to a low price to win the account. That price is hard to raise later.
A third mistake is forgetting your monthly costs. A flat monthly fee is $20 with no commission. That is easy to see. But your power, your water, and your car are real too. Put a number on them.
A fourth mistake is not tracking your hours. If a wholesale order takes six hours and pays you very little after costs, your hourly rate is low. Write the hours down for one week and look at them.
How to quote a shop and hold your price
Send a short quote. Name the box, the count, the price per box, the delivery day, and how long the price holds. Keep it to one page. If the shop asks for a lower price, take something out of the box before you take money out of your own pocket.
Put your wholesale price in writing and date it. Say that the price holds for 30 days. That gives you room to recheck your flour and butter costs before the next order. For more on the numbers behind a single box, see how much to sell sourdough crackers for.
Keep your wholesale and market prices separate. Your shop price is not your market price. For the market side, read farmers market sourdough loaf price.
Where Brevl fits
Brevl is $20 a month, flat, with no commission. You take card payments through your own Stripe or Square account, plus Venmo, Cash App, Zelle, and cash. Your shop is yours to customize, with your photos and your own web address.
The same platform also does recipe costing and ingredient inventory. That helps when a shop asks for a standing weekly order. You can see what each box costs before you say yes. For the wider picture on selling, the selling guides hub has the next steps.
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Common questions
How do I set a wholesale price for sourdough crackers?
Cost one box all the way through. Add ingredients, packaging, your time, and your share of monthly overhead. That is your cost. Add your margin on top. Then check that the shop can still sell the box at a price its customers will pay.
What is a normal wholesale discount off my market price?
There is no single number that fits every shop. Work from your cost, not from a discount off your market price. If your wholesale price leaves too little after ingredients, labor, and overhead, the order is not worth taking. Raise the price or shrink the box.
Do I need a license to sell sourdough crackers wholesale?
That depends on your state and your kitchen. Rules for selling from home vary, and some states treat a shop sale differently from a market sale. Check your state rules before you take a shop order. This guide is general information, not legal advice.
How many boxes should I commit to each week?
Only what you can make without wrecking your week. Time one batch and count the boxes it fills. Then look at your oven space and your fridge space. A smaller standing order you always fill beats a big order you miss.
Should I charge for delivery?
If the shop is close and the order is large, delivery may be part of the deal. If the drive is long, put a number on it. Add your time and your gas to the cost per box before you quote. Do not let delivery eat your margin.
What if the shop wants a lower price?
Take something out of the box before you take money out of your pocket. Use a smaller box, a simpler label, or a shorter ingredient list. If the shop still wants a lower price, walk away. A wholesale account that loses money is worse than no account.
General information, not legal or tax advice.