Buying in bulk can be a savvy way to save money on essentials with Asda among the retailers making it easier for shoppers to bulk buy as it extends its Deal Depot trial to more stores.
One of the simplest ways to save money in the long term on your shopping is to buy in bulk. The price you pay per item is often smaller if you buy more of the items in the first place.
For example, a single tin of soup might be 80p. But going for a four pack of soup might set you back £2.50, which works out as a 70p saving compared to buying those four tins individually.
That might not seem like a big difference but if you save across various essentials that you regularly buy, the savings can swiftly add up.
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Making bulk buying easier
A couple of years ago, Asda launched a trial that offers a cash and carry style experience to regular shoppers, which it called Deal Depot.
This included setting aside a large annex in its Bristol store, with a dedicated entrance, and its proven so successful that Asda is now expanding that trial to a further 10 stores in locations like York, Rugby and Milton Keynes.
According to reports in industry bible The Grocer, these stores will have dedicated bulk buy aisles, allowing shoppers to save money on items like Ariel washing pods, Walkers crisps and Nicky Elite toilet rolls.
Other bulk buy items will be tested in the trials too, while the store is going to make some products available online for those ordering home deliveries from the trial stores.
It’s following the lead from Tesco here, which has rolled out over 200 bulk buy areas across various stores according to The Grocer. This came after Tesco bought cash and carry brand Booker a few years ago.
Many supermarkets have recognised that more shoppers are aware of the potential to save a few quid by buying in bulk and have responded by trying to include such options in their regular stores.
This has come alongside increased awareness of stores like Costco, which effectively allow regular shoppers to buy direct from a wholesaler in much the same way shops do and enjoy savings as a result.
Of course, in order to shop at Costco there is an annual membership fee to cough up; many supermarkets are clearly hoping to tap into that market, but without their customers having to worry about paying a fee.
Buying in bulk online
You don’t need to even leave your home to benefit from buying in bulk, either. Group buying websites like Groupon can come in really handy if you want to stock up on specific items.
For example, my in-laws recently had 1,000 loo rolls delivered which they had ordered from one of these sites, as it works out far more budget-friendly in the long term than buying a new pack every couple of weeks.
And then of course there’s Amazon. Not only can you buy virtually anything from Amazon, but you can also pick it up in bulk qualities too.
For shoppers hoping to bulk buy, there is no shortage of options.
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The downsides to bulk buying
Saving money on your regular bills, whether that’s your mortgage, car insurance or groceries, is always a tempting idea. But there’s no escaping the fact that there are some potentially difficult barriers to overcome when it comes to buying your shopping in bulk.
First off, the initial outlay is going to be higher. Just because I know that I’ll save money by purchasing a year’s supply of loo roll in one go, it doesn’t mean that I actually have that cash at my disposal.
Buying in bulk is a great option if you happen to have the money to hand, but equally getting yourself into debt because of the prospect of saving a few quid on a few household essentials months down the line isn’t going to be a great tactic.
There’s also the question of storage. I may have the money to buy a year’s supply of loo roll in one go, but where on earth am I going to keep all of it?
It’s not a problem if you have plenty of storage space at your disposal, but if space is at a premium then you might not want to devote it to some bulk bought items that are ultimately only going to save you a couple of quid.