Ordering per piece or per box: bulk pricing explained

Anyone ordering in a B2B portal for the first time will usually see more than one price on a product. There is a price per piece, sometimes a price per box, and sometimes a price break that applies from a certain quantity. This is not a trick to make you buy more; it simply reflects that order handling, packing and shipping cost more per piece than per box.

Price per piece, price per box and the break

The price per piece is the starting point: you order exactly the number you need, even if that is three. Useful for a new colour or for a product whose turnover rate you do not yet know. Where a box quantity is shown, that is the number the manufacturer packs the item in. Taking a whole box means nothing has to be unpacked and repacked in the warehouse.

A price break is the third form: a price that applies from a certain number of pieces. The difference per item looks small, but over a year it adds up. So do not only look at the price on the line, but at what you sell of that item in a quarter. If a product moves well, taking one box is usually wiser than taking a handful four times.

• unknown item or new colour: per piece, small quantity
• steady seller: a full box, so you have to order less often
• seasonal item: per piece, unless you will certainly carry it again next season

In stock or with a lead time

Availability is shown with every product. Items listed as in stock can be dispatched straight away. For items with a lead time you are waiting for supply from the manufacturer or, in the case of the furniture, for dispatch from the producer. That information is not decoration: it decides whether your order reaches the shop floor this week or next.

If you order items from both categories in one go, you have two options. You can wait until everything is in and have the order shipped in one delivery, or let the stocked part leave immediately and have the rest follow. The first saves shipping cost, the second gives you quicker turnover on the items you need now. State your preference when placing the order.

Invoicing after delivery

The invoice follows what has actually been delivered, not what was ordered. If an order ships in parts, you see that back in the administration: you do not pay in advance for items still on their way from the manufacturer. Ordering is against an invoice with a payment term, so there is no need to work with a credit card.

One practical habit: pick a fixed ordering day each week. You collect during the week what needs topping up, check availability in the portal on that day and place one order instead of five small ones. That saves shipping cost, administration and receiving moments in your own stockroom.

Current prices, box quantities and availability are visible after logging in to the catalogue. If you do not have an account yet, you can register with your company details.