In many cases we are able to drive down the cost by grouping buyers with similar needs and place orders in bulk. Do not underestimate the power of bulk purchases. The differences between the cost of 10 pallets and the cost of 50, or even 100 pallets, can be significant, let alone the difference between 10 pallets and one 20-feet container.
We work with many leading New Zealand product suppliers who provide a wide range of products to customers. There are many instances where it is more cost efficient to source the products from these large suppliers than to go to the producer.
Case study: We were instructed by our overseas client to source a specific type of health product. We were turned down by the producer simply because they did not have the capacity to meet our client's needs. If we were to place a smaller order, the prices that the producer offered were far from ideal. We then turned to a large supplier that we work with on a regular basis. As we are their valued customer, the supplier managed to work out a way to satisfy our client's order despite the shortage due to popular overseas demands for these products. Ultimately, the client managed to save 12% on their budgeted cost on this particular order.