I posted this on the forum too. Please take the poll on the forum (since I disabled comments on the blog due to spam)
My new bottles finally arrived (for the toners and other products. I ordered bottles from a few different companies. Though I got my glass misters earlier in the week, the bottles/jars from the west cost–which included the plastic toner bottles and also blue glass jars for the dreams–arrived thursday night). The ones for the toners will be switched immediately, and the other ones will be switched over time. Most of my products will eventually be switched to blue glass (except for the mmu and the toners when shipped, and maybe a few jars) but I still have a lot of the other bottles and jars left (amber, green, clear). I may just save those other bottles for limited edition products, or keep using them until they are gone (though the xiao sized amber toner misters will never be used to package my products again; I’ll just use those for personal usage).
Though blue glass is more expensive than amber or clear glass, most of the prices will remain the same, I am absorbing the costs on most products. I also forgot to add several costs when figuring product costs (like paypal fees, basic bacterial/fungi tests–I test every batch of skin care I make–, labels, shrink wrap, didn’t add enough to cover boxes for first class shipping, etc), I am absorbing most of those costs too for the current products (since I think that it’ll eventually balance out when other costs I did incorporate, such as insurance and web fees, are eventually paid off for the year; though that won’t be for a while since those cost a lot).
However for some products, like the toners, I am very sorry but I am afraid that I won’t be able to absorb all the costs, and may have to raise the price a little. If it was only the above costs (the higher cost of the blue glass and the costs I forgot), then I would absorb them (since I really, really did not want to change prices after only being in business for such a short time. I just don’t think it is fair to my customers). But for the toners, I am going to package them in PET plastic bottles but would like to offer the blue glass misters for them too (so the higher cost of the blue glass mister plus the cost of the plastic bottle), and also there have been price increases in two ingredients* (see note below for more on ingredient costs). I do not think I can absorb the costs I forgot, the higher cost of the blue glass AND also the cost of the plastic bottle and the increase in ingredient costs.
I have thought a lot about the solution: whether to only offer them in plastic bottles (so I probably wouldn’t have to increase the cost at all since plastic cost less than glass, and the money I saved from offering plastic could cover the increase of costs of the ingredients) or to offer the blue glass misters with the plastic bottle (which would definitely result in a price increase of 50 cents to 70 cents for the two sizes). I could do one or the other, or offer both options; I am leaning toward one particular option 😉 but I would very much like to hear which option my customers would prefer.
Here are the poll questions. Please take the poll on the forum. Thank you!
1) Would you prefer the toners only be packaged in plastic and pay about the same price as now (so NO glass mister). Please state why.
2) Or would you prefer the toners be packaged in plastic and that they come with a blue glass mister? (note: this option would have a price increase of about 50-70 cents depending on the size ordered). Please state why.
3) Or would you like both options available? Please state why.
Thank you for your time and for answering! 🙂 Current pricing will remain in effect until I change it (March 10th) so anyone that orders now will get both the plastic bottle and blue glass misters at the current price.
(*notes on ingredients: my vendor for ylang ylang hydrosol stopped carrying it so now I am trying to source more, but the couple other places I’ve found are more expensive and are either retail companies, or have a high minimum to get the wholesale price and high shipping cost (so even if I buy enough to get the wholesale price, the shipping costs are very high so it may be better to get it from the retail company which has cheaper shipping). In addition, my vendor for lavender hydrosol stopped carrying it too; lavender is one of the most common hydrosols so very easy to source but they had a very good quality lavender at a great price, and once I run out of lavender hydrosol, it’s going to cost much more from other vendors.
I am still buying in very small amounts so though I buy from some wholesale companies (when I can meet the minimums), several of my vendors are retail vendors or retail companies that sell in bulk. For wholesale, GOOD wholesale prices don’t start until you buy larger amounts–like several gallons of hydrosols, over 40 lbs of oils or butters, and over a kg (so a couple pounds) of essential oils. I buy in small amounts–such as 4 oz to a gallon of oil (depends on which oil), either under 1 oz to up to 4 oz of essential oils, 1 to 5 lbs of butters, hydrosols: mostly just 32 oz to 1/2 gallon though I buy a couple hydrosols by the gallon–so I do not get the good deals as other larger businesses. Some ingredient and business costs: 1 ounce of superior quality organic Turkish damask rose essential oil and 1 oz of superior quality organic Indian jasmine sambac absolute cost me about $500 wholesale. Insurance and web fees cost about $800).
Cheers,
Li
