How to Buy in Bulk
Take your reusable container to a cashier and have them give you the tare weight of the container. Use a permanent marker or masking tape to write it on the container.
Fill your containers with the bulk goods you want and write the PLU# for that product on your container.
Take your containers with the rest of your groceries to the checkout and the cashier will take care of the rest!
Nancy Flynn-Hert, Bloomingfoods East Store Manager, has more to share about buying in bulk:
“The bulk section has always been my favorite part of shopping at Bloomingfoods. Years ago when Bloomingfoods first began I loved to go to the little store in the ally off of Kirkwood and browse through all of the options that the bulk section provided. Sometimes I would shop with a list but most of the time I would just browse the shelves for the less familiar.
I would go to the library to search for recipes that were very different than the foods I grew up eating. Of course, this was in the late 70’s and early 80’s, pre-internet and before any other grocery store in Bloomington carried the things that were available at Bloomingfoods. This was a time of learning for me; new recipes, new ingredients. I’m sure a great many of our members and customers can also remember this time period.
Buying in bulk is a great option for everyone. It is both a time saver and a money saver. It fits any lifestyle. Do you like to keep a stock of staples on hand so they are always available or do you prefer to only buy what you need for a certain dish you are making today? You can buy as much or as little as needed. If you have a large family or you don’t make a lot of trips to the Co-op you may choose to stock up on the staples. Fill your cabinets with all of the ingredients you use on a regular basis. Maybe you don’t cook often because of a hectic schedule or perhaps you are like me and you went from cooking for a family of 7 (including 5 boys) to only 2. That certainly changes your buying habits! Then you can simply come in and grab a cup of this or a teaspoon of that and you’re set.
I have a wonderful Rustic Italian Bread that I make often, it calls for a combination of up to 12 mixed grains and seeds and I like to use them all. Since I make it often I buy large quantities and mix it ahead and store it in the freezer, however, if you are trying it for the first time you would only want to buy enough for one batch. You wouldn’t be out all of the money it would take to buy prepackaged items and you would not need to store the leftover quantities.
Herbs and Spices are another great use of the bulk section. Buy the things you use in larger quantities and let Bloomingfoods maintain the rest.
All of us, including myself, have had jars of spices we use only once or twice and take up valuable space in the cabinet. I learned a long time ago that other than once a year I don’t need pumpkin pie spice in my pantry. The bulk section allows you to be creative, you can create a rub for barbeque or your own spice blend for stews and soups. You could make a special tea blend or test homemade herbal remedies.
I make my own Elderberry Syrup to ward off colds and the flu during the winter months and a tea to relieve congestion for those in my family who didn’t take the syrup. I get all of the ingredients for both from the bulk section.
Another wonderful aspect of bulk buying is taking advantage of the ability to reduce prepackaged products and plastic waste in your home. Think reuse. Any container that you have may be something that you could repurpose into a bulk container. Can you wash the container? Then you can reuse it for bulk.
Oil and vinegar bottles, jam and jelly jars, spice jars, coffee containers, canisters, cloth bags, canning jars the list goes on and on. Have you ever (and we all have) gotten to the store and realized you need something from the bulk section but forgot your container? We also carry a large number of canning jars that we sell at cost to purchase if needed.
Is there something that you use in very large quantities? If so, ask our staff about placing a special order. We will place the order, give you a call when it arrives and you can pick it up at your convenience.”
In addition to all of the foods and spices mentioned above, we also have local and fair trade coffee in bulk.
And don’t forget that we also carry local, all-natural, and fair trade soaps and cleaners in bulk!
If you want to buy only the amount you want and save money…BUY BULK!
