Hi

I am currently writing a business plan for a new retail chocolate shop. This will be 180* from anything I've done but I am ready to make the leap. However, I am having difficulty projecting my costs for goods - I cannot apply for a wholesale account anywhere as I don't have a business yet. But I can't finish the business plan without at least some ballpark estimates of purchasing high quality chocolate bars and products, globally, wholesale to ship to California. These would be consumer-ready products.

Can anyone point me to a resource for data? Many thanks!

updated by @maia-schneider: 04/12/15 08:25:33

BBFDirect.com is great for buyers, you can see wholesale pricing and recommended retail from a HUGE number of chocolatiers and bean to bar products.

Check out Albert Uster. They have a large variety of items and you can compare prices.

thank you!

thanks Ruth!

I had the same problem a little while ago. I just decided to call and email a few places I was interested in. I told them that I was thinking of opening a shop and was still in the pricing stage. I told them I still was not sure what supplier I wanted to go with, and needed to compare wholesale prices. They then sent me a list of their wholesale prices! Most places will not let you order from that list until you have a businesslicense, but at least you have the data you need. It amazing what a "pretty please" can do. =D

Thanks so much - as grandma said you trap more flies with honey than vinegar! I appreciate your response.

What places did you contact?

Would love to know of more options.

Thank You!

Check el Rey chocolates too. They will sell wholesale to you, you don't need an account. I will personally vouch for their chocolate that it is delicious. I believe they are currently out of milk chocolate but you can still get pricing. I usually buy the mixed blocks, you can buy 22 pounds of mixed blocks (dark, milk, and white). They do not deodorize their cocoa butter so the white is worth eating. Most white chocolates are cloying to me, but theirs is really nice.

I'm in the same position , kind of. I have already started but my profit margin is minimal as I have not yet acquired a wholesale account . It would mean agreeing to a set quantity per month from a supplier and of course without a customer base it's almost impossible to estimate . I would take a price list from a few supplier and draw an average from their prices. Not sure if that's a good solution , but it's what I did.Great to hear you are stating your own business , congratulations.

I also just remembered this- if you are close to a Trader Joes, they carry the pound plus bars for $4.99. It is made by Caullebaut, the milk is a bit difficult to temper but the dark tempers well. You can't beat that price. When I run out of El Rey between shipments (I try to stock up during cold weather to avoid hot weather shipping prices) I will use the Pound Plus. I hope that helps!

Thanks guys!

Didn't know the pound plus was made by Callebaut, I have been snacking on that one for years, have some in my pantry right now, coincidentally I have been using Callebaut 811NV for my bars, even bought some more from Gygi in Utah yesterday.

It's convenient and you don't have to pay the crazy hot weather shipping. I'm saving my pennies to get more El Rey and some Grenada Chocolate Company come November. Until then pound plus works! I do add extra cocoa butter to the milk, otherwise it's just so thick.