Selling price 8oz jar of honey?

[Robert Clark]

Hi Guys

I’m beginning price research at the moment and was wondering what sort of price you get for 8oz of honey when sold to shops of consumers?

Thanks

 

[Murox]

It seems to depend very much on the area you are in. Up here I sell to a couple of shops and anyone who knocks on the door at £5 for 227g. It's the only size jar I do, seems to suit everyone here. (the shops sell it on at around £7.50)

 

[pargyle]

There is no one rule for pricing... its a question all new beekeepers ask. Do a search of the forum for honey prices or pricing ... so many threads ...all with different ideas and views. The only way you can price your honey is by what the local competitors are selling theirs for then add something on...its easier to drop your price if it does not sell than put it up when you start to sell out.

 

[Robert Clark]

There is no one rule for pricing... its a question all new beekeepers ask. Do a search of the forum for honey prices or pricing ... so many threads ...all with different ideas and views. The only way you can price your honey is by what the local competitors are selling theirs for then add something on...its easier to drop your price if it does not sell than put it up when you start to sell out.

I’ve emailed some local farm shops this morning to ask about demand from their customers and potential pricing (via them)

There’s also a beekeeper operating at a local garden centre who says he’s selling honey via them for £10, however the pic of the jars on their website don’t include the product weight.

Not sure if that’s totally legal is it?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Not sure if that’s totally legal is it?

A lot of us put the legal stuff on a separate label on the back

 

[Robert Clark]

A lot of us put the legal stuff on a separate label on the back

No problem
I thought it had to be visible from the front

Every day is a school day

 

[Erichalfbee]

I thought it had to be visible from the front

It is. You turn the jar round

 

[JamezF]

No problem
I thought it had to be visible from the front

Every day is a school day

There's a set of information that has to be visible "in the same field of view", but I don't believe there's an requirement on what that field of view should be. So you could have very little on the front as long as all the legally-required stuff was on the back.

James

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I thought it had to be visible from the front

no - but all the 'mandatory' information has all got to be in the one field of vision, the BBE./batch number may also be displayed separately on the base as long as BBE, see base is on with the rest of the data.
As much as I admire your enthusiasm and cofidence on having a saleable surplus (especially supplying to a commercial outlet) just be aware that it may be a few years before you get to that stage.

 

[Robert Clark]

no - but all the 'mandatory' information has all got to be in the one field of vision, the BBE./batch number may also be displayed separately on the base as long as BBE, see base is on with the rest of the data.
As much as I admire your enthusiasm and cofidence on having a saleable surplus (especially supplying to a commercial outlet) just be aware that it may be a few years before you get to that stage.

I’m an obsessive compulsive planner I’m afraid.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I’m an obsessive compulsive planner I’m afraid.

That’s great but make sure you have plans b,c, and d too

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

That’s great but make sure you have plans b,c, and d too

was there ever a plan A that survived to tell the tale?

 

[Erichalfbee]

was there ever a plan A that survived to tell the tale?

Exactly. The final plan is always a hybrid.

 

[ericbeaumont]

beekeeper operating at a local garden centre who says he’s selling honey via them for £10

Unclear what you mean, Robert: how big is the jar, and is £10 the retail price or the price charged by the beekeeper to the retailer?

£10 is likely to be the retail for a 340 or (if behind the times) 454; the beekeeper may get £6-7 or so. General retail discount is 30-40%, but rather than fuss & juggle over different retailer rates, decide what you want for your honey and let the retailer decide what price to set to the customer.

For example, I have a small local management contract that sells the honey to two local shops at £6.50/235. Retail price is their affair, currently around £8.90, a 38% mark-up. In some areas you will have the upper hand if no regular supply is available, so do not under-price (common among beekeepers).

Still, as JBM said, you're a long way from this part of the venture.

obsessive compulsive planner

You're in for a shock: beekeeping is a fluid, flexible, at times chaotic and certainly messy job and fixed plannng will take you only so far. Plan first to have far more kit than you believe possible, somewhere to store it, how to use it and simple strategies to recognise and manage swarming, without which you will have no surplus to sell.

Have you read this book several times?

 

[Robert Clark]

Exactly. The final plan is always a hybrid.

I think it’s important to have a single, well thought out plan

Contingencies are fine

But multiple plans encourage procrastination (in my humble opinion)

 

[Robert Clark]

Unclear what you mean, Robert: how big is the jar, and is £10 the retail price or the price charged by the beekeeper to the retailer?

£10 is likely to be the retail for a 340 or (if behind the times) 454; the beekeeper may get £6-7 or so. General retail discount is 30-40%, but rather than fuss & juggle over different retailer rates, decide what you want for your honey and let the retailer decide what price to set to the customer.

For example, I have a small local management contract that sells the honey to two local shops at £6.50/235. Retail price is their affair, currently around £8.90, a 38% mark-up. In some areas you will have the upper hand if no regular supply is available, so do not under-price (common among beekeepers).

Still, as JBM said, you're a long way from this part of the venture.


You're in for a shock: beekeeping is a fluid, flexible, at times chaotic and certainly messy job and fixed plannng will take you only so far. Plan first to have far more kit than you believe possible, somewhere to store it, how to use it and simple strategies to recognise and manage swarming, without which you will have no surplus to sell.

Have you read this book several times?

Certainly lots of food for thought - thank you.

Sadly I no longer read books as the words don’t stick, no matter how many times I read the same page.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I think it’s important to have a single, well thought out plan

That's fine, but just don't be surprised when it end up in the waste basket on day one.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I think it’s important to have a single, well thought out plan

Contingencies are fine

But multiple plans encourage procrastination (in my humble opinion)

You are talking about beekeeping. That doesn’t apply.
You go into a colony to put a Queen excluder on and then a super.
Inside the brood box you find ten queen cells.
Are you going to put that QX and super on?

 

[Erichalfbee]

Sadly I no longer read books as the words don’t stick, no matter how many times I read the same page.

I hope you have more luck with the replies to your posts?

 

[Robert Clark]

Sorry guys but I think we’re at cross purposes (maybe not)

I’m simply trying to explore the the potential price point of selling any excess honey I may have next year.

I will then formulate a plan for selling IF there is anything to sell.

I’m appreciative that a lot of factors will contribute to this happening, however for me it’s important to have a plan, in case I have an excess. It’s just how I work

Hope this makes things clearer