Package size and the cost of dog food

[Dottie]

I ordered my last bag of food online and had it delivered.  It's a 15kg bag which I actually don't care for because I have small dogs who don't need much for their daily allowance.  I would prefer to buy food in a manageable packet and more frequently - 5kg seems the right size.  Trouble is, the 5kg bag works out at £5.18p per kilogram and the 15kg bag is  £3.66p per kilogram.  That is a very large difference. I've been checking around and many other companies do the same thing.  This seems to penalise those of us with small dogs and also people who need to spread the cost and cannot afford the outlay of  buying a big bag of food.  I find it rather annoying because the product inside the bag is the same and surely additional bags cannot equate to that huge difference in price.  I suspect that we are being 'had' so to speak and it is just a ploy to get us to spend more.  I don't like having large bags of food about the place - I don't have the space and it gets used up too slowly. I prefer to buy fresh as I need it.  What do others think?  Are we being ripped off?

[Tinyplanets]

I have much the same issue only having one small dog. Since I also favour the cold pressed food, there is the problem of shorter use by times than most dry food.

I do find it quite frustrating that I can't get a quantity that suits for the same price as bulk buys. Not only is price an issue but with 5kg, I would not use it all before its use by date. I tend to use it as treats and for frozen kongs. The makers of Gentle have been accommodating in sending me smaller quantities but it does work out quite expensive.

[Dottie]

It was Gentle that I bought and at nearly £60 delivered, it is a bit eye watering.      Because the product is heavy and my lot have such small amounts anyway, it will probably last until February 2015!   I asked for a long sell by date and fortunately they provided a bag that had only just come in.  Like you, a few months ago when I was feeding raw I too just needed a small amount and they provided it but it did work out expensive.  I have decided that when I am next due to buy dog food I am not buying in bulk again and will be going back to the pet store to buy something that is either 1.5kg or 2kg. I can then have two flavours and mix them.  I've got one or two products in mind.

[louisecragg]

 Aww, I rather buy in bulk to save money and a food lasting 6 weeks isnt going to go off or reduce its goodness if stored well?

Floss eats more than a  small dog so I dont have a worry but feel your pain!

  perhaps its because it costs the same to send 5kg as it does 15kg ?
I know when i ship ebay things ive sold with a courier its the same cost bracket for things 5-15kg

So your best buying it local in small amounts and cutting down the shipping  which may be making the smaller bags expensive
hope you find a local stockist that has smaller bags one less headache for you
Lou x

[Dottie]

Thank you for replying. The delivery charge seems to be the same across the board so I don't think that is an issue. It is just that the price is considerably cheaper per kg when bought in larger quantities. As you say, it might be better to buy from the local pet store so I am looking at that. Just a case of finding the right product.

[Eden Holistic Pet Foods]

There are many factors that go into the costs of production and supply of different sizes of food, some of those are fixed costs, so are the same for whichever size of bag you need, others are variable and go up or down with those bag sizes. Shipping, labour, heating, lighting, gas, electricity, water, even batch size can play a part  due to set-up and clean down costs. If 80% of bags are made at 15kg that will reduce their costs  on those bags as thay can buy in greater bulk quantities.

unfortunately it is all of those factors when brought together that make the smaller bag sizes more expensive, though I dont have any way of knowing what those individual cost breakdowns are. It is the same across many industries, look at most products in a supermarket and the bigger the pack the cheaper it becomes.

Many dry products can have a shelf life of 12-18 months from manufacture, but you have no way of knowing how long it has been sat in a warehouse or on the shelf at the retailers until you get to see the date printed on the bag.