Notes from A Hungry Writer - Bulk and Group Buying

Hello 🙂 

My name is Dali and I am the market gardener at CAUS. I am a graduate of the Restaurant Management: research and development program. 

Although my charisma at the markets is well-known, I was not hired only for my beautiful smile. I am a researcher in grocery literacy by hobby and I have a passion for story-telling. 

But what is grocery literacy?? In French, I call it"alphabétisation en épicerie". C’est un terme que j’utilise pour décrire la capacité de comprendre la subsection de la littératie financière (financial literacy) qui discute du rapport en argent qui est investi dans l’épicerie. Par exemple, j’ai pris plusieurs mois pour faire des recherches et déterminer les aliments qui ont le gramme de protéine le moins cher. C’était une recherche ardue… Mais gagnante!

All things considered, my love for numbers and a good discount are the best ways I can think of to describe why buying in bulk with CAUS makes sense.

A Fascinating Project

The idea that a group of people can come together, in an economy that encourages individualism, and then decide to do their grocery shopping together is incredible. When a community makes the choice to share goods and responsibilities, I am always impressed. This is exactly the kind of project that needs to happen to make fundamental changes.

This is an idea I have always wanted to implement with my friends to stretch our dollar further. After graduating, I realized that my skills and resources are key to one day leading this type of project. In the case of a small group buying project, it is important to have 2 things: a space to keep all the products before they are redistributed and the ability to drive. With a smaller distribution, resources are often too expensive to have delivered and they have to be picked up to reduce costs. You also have to plan the time when each party comes to pick up their goods at your home. Organizing this project alone becomes a big job. 

So why should I make my group purchase with CAUS?

Choose to participate in group purchases eliminates the responsibilities associated with organization, storage of goods and possibly the use of a car.

Another big benefit of buying with CAUS is a greater possibility of having the products you want. Imagine organizing a bulk purchase with your friends: there are 5 of you, and you are the only person who wants rice flour. If you buy all your products in 10kg containers, it will be a long time before you can finish the bin all by yourself. But no problem with CAUS! Thirty-nine people were present at the last distribution, and besides, I want rice flour too!

Now, I have a little insider secret to let you in on… if you’re not a sales company that can spend several hundred dollars per order at a minimum, you’re missing out on the best prices. 

As a concept, it's not so easy to visualize. No worries, I have tables!

At Purchase	62.67%
$25 for $30	68.89%
$100 for $125	70.13%
$500 for $650	71.28%

I'm not lying to you when I tell you that you save 70% on the purchase of cashew nuts if you invested $100 in the fundraising campaign. 

Overall, this is a project that is close to my heart. Your contribution will not only help this project, but also the continuation of CAUS as a business. That’s why you can also buy a credit for the stations in bulk or a Quebec discovery basket. And for those who just love CAUS, there is also a variable donation option.

My goal with the business, after the campaign and market season, will be community food security. Finding prices that work for your budget, learning about food waste reduction practices, educating your youth in entrepreneurship practices, or even giving you basic cooking classes, I will be there. 

I look forward to continuing this adventure with you.

With love,
Dali Huber