Maple Syrup - Some OOTiots help

[OrangeHeat]

Real Maple Syrup - not Aunt Jemima's

I'm curious as to what a gallon of Real Maple Syrup costs where you live? If you can respond with location and price I would be grateful.

My family makes syrup and I am exploring the profitability of marketing nation/worldwide. I am considering web based mail order and or some kind of direct marketing.

Thank You,

Orange

[M2d]

what grade?

[jakethebake]

Aunt Jemima's isn't real maple syrup? /images/graemlins/blush.gif

[OrangeHeat]

All Grade A. Light Amber would be the first target market.

I would also market medium and Dark Amber as they have a much fuller flavor.

tx,

Orange

[M2d]

I have to swing by trader Joe's during lunch. I'll check for you then.
fwiw, I don't think they have it in bulk sizes, so it'll probably be prices for 10 oz or whatever those bottles hold.

[Benal]

I don't know about a gallon, but a litre of quality maple syrup in Canada costs about 20 bucks retail.

[midas]

Couple of questions:

1. If your family is in the business - where do they sell it?

2. I like real maple syrup but I've never bought a gallon!! Only Costco or BJs would sell syrup by the gallon!

3. What does a gallon of syrup weigh - 10lbs? That's a lot of shipping cost.

4. I think this stuff has come way down in price as the market has demanded the real stuff and most people don't know the difference in brands. I think you're better off inventing a product made with maple syrup - like a candy bar than selling the bottled stuff. Good Luck

[OrangeHeat]

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1. If your family is in the business - where do they sell it?


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Right now in bulk - 30 gallon barrells

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2. I like real maple syrup but I've never bought a gallon!! Only Costco or BJs would sell syrup by the gallon!


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Gallons are pretty common where it is made. Average family goes through 1-2 gallons a year.

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3. What does a gallon of syrup weigh - 10lbs? That's a lot of shipping cost.


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I believe it is 13lbs or so. I think shipping cross country was $17 for a full gallon.

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4. I think this stuff has come way down in price as the market has demanded the real stuff and most people don't know the difference in brands.

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Actually price has gone up every year as it is a limited weather dependent crop. This year was one of the worst ion our region. Price here where it is made ranges from $30-$40 per gallon.

There really are no brands as it is a crop grown mostly by local producers. Usually the stuff at BJ's and COstco is end of the year grade B syrup - not good.

We do make maple cream out of it which is very tasty - but would have to be shipped refrigerated...

Orange

[midas]

OK - at 30 gallon drums I assume your family is selling to bottlers or food service companies like Sysco and you're thinking why can't I sell direct to consumers. You need to do some research and I don't think mail order is the answer-mass market is where its at for you. You need to figure out who (Walmart, Krogers, Albertsons, Whole Foods) is buying what (your competition) and at what price. Then figure out your costs - bottling, shipping, etc and figure out if you can beat the competition's price and make a decent profit. If you want to differentiate yourself hook-up with a celebrity chef or George Foreman to give your product some zing. Another option, is to do gift packs with pancake mix, syrup and all the fixings and hawk them on those home shopping channels.

Good Luck!!

[Blarg]

It's definitely a boutique-type product to most Americans. Most of us use maple-flavored corn syrup, even if we don't realize it.

It's also very expensive compared to our regular crappy Aunt Jemima's, so would be sold well through specialty stores as a treat or gift rather than a normal usage sort of thing. You're never gonna Walmart this stuff.

I'd buy it over the net if it were not too prohibitively expensive. Especially if I could buy it in smallish trial sizes to see if I liked the flavor first. I wouldn't want to buy $50 worth of syrup without a chance to taste it a little cheaper first.

I'm envisioning a syrup version of those little airline liquor bottles that only hold one serving. A small container just enough for one breakfast so you could try a bunch of different mixes or flavorings and see which one you like before making a big purchase.

I've seen lots of things done like that, and it's kind of fun -- coffees, teas, mustards, jams, meats and cheeses. That goes well with the gift basket idea. A sort of special exotic treat, with the ability to buy more in bigger sizes if you liked it.

[jakethebake]

I can't see my self ever buying a gallon of syrup. It would be heavy as hell and would take forever to use up. I've never e3ven seen syrup sold that way. I think much smaller bottles are the only way to go. The post that points out it's a boutique-type item is entirely right. The moran that thinks you're going to get it into Wal Mart is...well, a moran. First this is too expensive to mass market. Second it's very difficult to get through the whole buying process for mass merchandisers. Third, this sounds like you have a decent family business, but not big enough to fill Wal Mart shelves with the stuff. I think some kind of boutique-gift product is the way to go. Maybe a fancy little 10 oz bottle in a nice basket with some straw and some fancy hotcake mix, or little wooden box with some straw. Look at what Harry & David do with pears. Or some of the fruitcake companies do. They market specialty gift items. You sell less product for more money.

FYI: I'd guess most people in the South have never had the kind of syrup you're talking about and it will be near impossible to convince them to pay up for it.

[OrangeHeat]

[ QUOTE ]
I'm envisioning a syrup version of those little airline liquor bottles that only hold one serving.

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yes we definitely have small sampler sizes, fancy glass, all the way up to the gallons jugs.

My wife makes up nice baskets with syrup, fancy pancake mix, etc... So those would be good too.

Costco, walmart etc.. are out of the question as that would be a little above the amount of syrup we can get a hold of. Plus they are cutthroat, price demanding, junkies.

I hope to start of smallish and then if it takes off I'll have to buy bulk syrup from other producers, bottle it and take a smaller profit, but on a higher volume.

These are just some of the glass containers we can use:

http://img102.echo.cx/img102/4613/small3yw.jpg http://img102.echo.cx/img102/9337/small29qn.jpg http://img102.echo.cx/img102/189/medium5lc.jpg http://img102.echo.cx/img102/7350/medium27ds.jpg http://img102.echo.cx/img102/2056/maple0tq.jpg

tx,

Orange

[OrangeHeat]

[ QUOTE ]
FYI: I'd guess most people in the South have never had the kind of syrup you're talking about and it will be near impossible to convince them to pay up for it.

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This is very true. We do get some mail order through people that have bought it while on vacation. The key is to get them to try it.

The other idea I am kicking around is marketing direct to gourmet chef type places or higher end eateries that could offer one fo the sampler bottles with breakfast instead of the fake stuff.

Your spot on about walmart - way way too much time and hassle.

Orange

[Blarg]

The gourmet chef store type thing was actually the first thing that came to my mind. You have a pre-qualified market that way of people who appreciate good food and new food experiences, and are probably willing and able to pay a hefty price premium for them. You're much more likely to make sales to that sort of customer than the average joe who eats white bread and twinkies.

[Blarg]

That second bottle looks like it would take forever to get the syrup out of the bottle, and then like you couldn't put it down without it tipping over when all the syrup is clogged up at the top after a pour.

The third bottle really looks great. The first bottle looks good for a sample size, if it's smallish. The last bottle looks pretty but again hard to pour and stand back up again after pouring. Also looks like it would get syrup in corners that wouldn't come out easily.

[Ray Zee]

about 16 bucks i think at cosco last time i got some. or about twice that at the health food store. all supermarkets carry some brand also. i like grade b over grade a as it has better taste. grade a is smooth but has little flavor. so its not cost but taste. to each his own. good luck as that kind of business is what the world needs rather than another high fructose corn syrup product which i rarely will put on my food..

[jakethebake]

I was thinking something like this...

http://www.redwingnet.com/RWCS/Rochester99/Saturday/Wyn_The_Potter/Large_Mini_Jug.jpg


http://www.catryan.com/img/zjugmlb1.JPG


http://www.heanosantiq.com/images/serdt.jpg


http://photos.icollector.com/photos/rspenn/3675/3675_0172_1_th.jpg

[OrangeHeat]

Yeah some of those bottles are more for decoration. They sell good in gift shops we cater to in the Adirondacks.

I also had the thought of selling to resort kitchens - i.e. Casino's, etc...

Anyone ever get real maple syrup with breakfast in vegas at a casino???

Orange

[OrangeHeat]

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good luck as that kind of business is what the world needs rather than another high fructose corn syrup product which i rarely will put on my food..

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Thanks. It really is much better for you. Minerals and vitamins - I'll have to dig up the list of naturally occuring ones in it.

Here grade B is off-flavor "buddy" syrup - they typically use it to flavor chewing tobacco and cigs. I am assuming the grade B your getting there is Dark Amber. Dark Amber is as you say the best tasting and the cheapest - typically people who have tried light and dark prefer dark.

Those who don't have a clue buy the light because it is more expensive and fallaciously must be the best tasting.

Orange

[purnell]

About $75 / US gallon. Canadian $ ?

[OrangeHeat]

Wow. Do you mind me asking where you live?

tx,

Orange

[midas]

I definitely agree - dealing with WalMart, Krogers, etc who would buy thousands of cases of your product is way too much of a hassle. What would you and your wife do with all that extra cash???

Do you think Bill Gates and Paul Allen said to each other when pitching the first O/S to IBM "Why bother - dealing with IBM will be such a hassle"

I know this small town guy who about 10 years ago thought flavored (non-carbonated) water would be a big hit. Everyone laughed at him and said nobody will drink this stuff and if they liked it you couldn't get it stocked at the stores. He came up with some sample recipes and then has about 1,000 cases bottled and drove around the midwest giving samples and talking orders. He now sells about $300 million of this crappy water to the big supermarkets - people love this stuff.

Go big or go home!! You'll never make any money selling small quantities of syrup from home.

[purnell]

Kentucky. "Don't look at me, I'm irrelevant".

[ripdog]

[ QUOTE ]
There really are no brands as it is a crop grown mostly by local producers. Usually the stuff at BJ's and COstco is end of the year grade B syrup - not good.

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I recently bought a 64oz bottle of Grade A Medium Amber syrup at Costco for $13. My wife brought some back from Canada a few years back that kicked ass on the Costco stuff, though (at about 4 times the cost).

[jakethebake]

[ QUOTE ]
Do you think Bill Gates and Paul Allen said to each other when pitching the first O/S to IBM "Why bother - dealing with IBM will be such a hassle"

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Not really up on your computer history are you?

[midas]

SSSHHH!! Just trying to motivate syrup guy - who cares about accuracy!!

Was it over when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor? Hell no! - Bluto

[OrangeHeat]

[ QUOTE ]
I definitely agree - dealing with WalMart, Krogers, etc who would buy thousands of cases of your product is way too much of a hassle. What would you and your wife do with all that extra cash???

Do you think Bill Gates and Paul Allen said to each other when pitching the first O/S to IBM "Why bother - dealing with IBM will be such a hassle"


[/ QUOTE ]


You are comparing apples to oranges. Bill Gates and the like invented things - I will be distributing someone elses product for the most part. To make any money off this I need to set a high margin.

The profit per unit is going have to be higher than walmart or Costco is willing to pay. When you deal with Walmart they basically tell you how much they want to pay and thats that. This is why you see grade B syrup in most wholesale places - its dirt cheap.

I like money as much as the next guy - but wholesaling something you make good margin on is suicide.

Thanks
Orange

Edit for grumpiness

[astroglide]

[ QUOTE ]
You are comparing apples to oranges. Bill Gates and the like invented things - I will be distributing someone elses product for the most part.

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microsoft didn't write ms-dos. they pitched ibm that they had an operating system developed that would work on their new pc platform, then they bought one from somebody else and gave it to ibm. they used that as a platform to go on to be the biggest software company in the world.

[OrangeHeat]

[ QUOTE ]
microsoft didn't write ms-dos. they pitched ibm that they had an operating system developed that would work on their new pc platform, then they bought one from somebody else and gave it to ibm. they used that as a platform to go on to be the biggest software company in the world.

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Didn't know that - good stuff. Still software replication/distribution is higher margin than fixed crop distribution.

I was going to work on this last nite but ended up watching the Blue and the Gray DVD's. I need to join the procrastinators club.

Orange

[astroglide]

yeah i wasn't busting balls on the commercial thing, i just thought i would point out the 'ironical' part