So on a cold wet Sunday with the Beijing Winter Olympics on in the back ground, I've been having a slow day - a catch up with old Uni pals in Bristol last night with a number of alcoholic beverages consumed while we watched the rugby, I've not done much 'bee related' stuff today.
I ordered a back up stock of bulk jars and lids which arrived yesterday morning, prior to the suggested increase in jar prices....and having now done the sums the same order would cost me 26 % more if ordered today than last week.
I only checked this on 12oz jars and lids, but it's safe to assume the other jar sizes have also increased too. In effect adding almost 10p per jar (inc of vat).
Not only the jars but the lids increased too - in fact the lids increased by 44% and the jar by 18 % before vat. It's a massive price increase when you sit and take stock of the numbers.
I'd have thought the glass would have increased more due to the amount of gas used in the glass making industry but not so - clearly pressed metal is more expensive to produce than 12 months ago.
I was reading a piece on the oil price shocks of the 1970s last week and while one might be optimistic that prices would fall once energy prices return to normal (if ever), it would seem that the prices in the 1970s held and so one could expect the new prices we're seeing becoming the 'new normal'.
I don't know that 10p on a jar is something the majority of the beekeeping world will worry too much about, and neither the end consumer if just the jar price is added at the shelf edge. As long as the costs are passed on proportionately, then all is fair. I say this as I read reports of value spaghetti etc increasing by 40p+ per bag as an example which seems a lot !
I can see similar increases creeping in across the beekeeping supplies sector - wax, timber, anything manufactured will have to see increases too.
2022 will surely be remembered as the start of the end of 'budget' beekeeping.
KR
Somerford
I ordered a back up stock of bulk jars and lids which arrived yesterday morning, prior to the suggested increase in jar prices....and having now done the sums the same order would cost me 26 % more if ordered today than last week.
I only checked this on 12oz jars and lids, but it's safe to assume the other jar sizes have also increased too. In effect adding almost 10p per jar (inc of vat).
Not only the jars but the lids increased too - in fact the lids increased by 44% and the jar by 18 % before vat. It's a massive price increase when you sit and take stock of the numbers.
I'd have thought the glass would have increased more due to the amount of gas used in the glass making industry but not so - clearly pressed metal is more expensive to produce than 12 months ago.
I was reading a piece on the oil price shocks of the 1970s last week and while one might be optimistic that prices would fall once energy prices return to normal (if ever), it would seem that the prices in the 1970s held and so one could expect the new prices we're seeing becoming the 'new normal'.
I don't know that 10p on a jar is something the majority of the beekeeping world will worry too much about, and neither the end consumer if just the jar price is added at the shelf edge. As long as the costs are passed on proportionately, then all is fair. I say this as I read reports of value spaghetti etc increasing by 40p+ per bag as an example which seems a lot !
I can see similar increases creeping in across the beekeeping supplies sector - wax, timber, anything manufactured will have to see increases too.
2022 will surely be remembered as the start of the end of 'budget' beekeeping.
KR
Somerford