Specialty coffee roasters are facing more challenges than ever, with the C price reaching a record high and cash flows tightening. Therefore, it’s more essential than ever for roasters to streamline their payment strategy and audit their current suppliers.
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Particularly when it comes to paying for wholesale coffee bags and other packaging, roasters have a lot to consider. Factors like high minimum order quantities (MOQs), for example, can reduce a roaster’s margins if they have to order more than desired. Equally, it ties into packaging waste, which raises valid concerns about sustainability.
To learn more, I spoke to Tom Boyd, the owner and head roaster at Window Seat Coffee, based in Dallas, United States. Read on for his insight into how roasters pay for wholesale coffee bags and other packaging – and how they can optimise this process to save money and time.
To order and pay for wholesale coffee bags and other packaging, roasters usually start by reaching out to a manufacturer. Here, they detail their requirements and quantities before committing to an order.
One major consideration for roasters is to request sample wholesale coffee bags first. Roasters can then test the durability, quality, and design features prior to purchasing a large order. “We usually order test bags to make sure they look as good in person as on the computer screen,” Tom says.
At this point, it’s incredibly important for roasters to communicate with their packaging suppliers. The feedback from sample packaging can then be taken into account for any reworks and the final product. “We have someone at the company we work directly with who helps make sure our designs will print correctly – and if necessary, we make any adjustments ourselves,” Tom says.
When roasters are happy with the packaging, they can commit to a large order. “Currently, the payment process for our purchase of coffee bags is pretty easy,” Tom adds. For Window Seat, they then pay upfront via credit card for the amounts ordered.
Any discrepancies in production, such as too many or too few bags being printed, can factor into future payments. “We can make a second payment or get a credit for the amount of bags actually printed,“ he explains.
However, for new roasters building their customer base or those with seasonal sales patterns, upfront payments or short payment terms can create cash flow problems. This is especially pertinent if buying from manufacturers with high MOQs. Small coffee roasters may struggle if their sales don’t cover the associated costs of buying packaging and other necessities.
There’s another crucial set of considerations when buying wholesale coffee bags that can’t be overlooked. “Our top priorities when sourcing coffee bags are quantity/MOQs, customisation, lead times, and price,” Tom outlines.
High MOQs are especially important for roasters. While it allows manufacturers to guarantee more sales and offer a competitive unit price, the associated costs for roasters can be high. “We have five main designs and two sizes of coffee bags,” Tom explains, “so it’s just not reasonable for us to purchase that many.”
Many companies he approached had large minimums for wholesale coffee bags – “10,000 for each design.” Instead, Window Seat went for a manufacturer with an MOQ of 1,000, “[which] can be split between designs.”
Equally, roasters need to decide between ordering wholesale coffee bags or using custom designs. The per-unit is generally lower for stock options because custom packaging requires additional design and printing. If the manufacturer uses custom-made rollers for each design, this will increase the cost further.
However, customisation is important for roasters to stand out in the coffee industry and create a reputation among consumers. Therefore, collaborating with packaging manufacturers who offer low MOQs and custom designs can help you leverage these opportunities.
After changing Window Seat’s bag designs a few years ago, Tom shares the value of low MOQs. “Having the lower MOQs greatly helped us manage and implement that change without much waste,” he says. Therefore, roasters with smaller operations or storage spaces can harness lower MOQs to accommodate this.
Roasters also need to consider the lead times when ordering large quantities of wholesale coffee bags. Initially, manufacturers will outline the time it takes to source, design, print, and ship coffee packaging. However, this can cause cash flow issues if roasters have paid but don’t have the packaging to recoup those costs. “The lead times with our vendor have been significantly reduced over the years, which has been great,” says Tom.
While MOQs, lead times, and customisation are all important for roasters buying wholesale coffee bags, sustainability is a growing concern. Incoming EU regulations, for example, will ban single-use packaging for food and beverage products by . Therefore, roasters should adapt their packaging strategy beforehand to avoid non-compliance.
The first step is choosing the right packaging partner from which to source wholesale coffee bags. Major sustainable certifications include FSC for paper products, EN for compostable packaging, and ISO for environmental management.
Consumers are more sustainably minded than ever, which incentivises coffee businesses to adopt eco-friendly packaging. Communicate with your supplier to determine how you can create wholesale coffee bags that are made from sustainable materials. This means you can appeal to eco-friendly Gen Z and millennial consumers – and charge a premium price.
For this reason, roasters looking to pay for wholesale coffee bags should source packaging from eco-friendly suppliers like MTPak Coffee. We offer an MOQ of 500 units to support smaller coffee roasters. Our UV printing technology also ensures low customisation costs and fast turnaround times.
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We also offer custom-printed and wholesale coffee bags that are fully recyclable. We use eco-friendly materials such as low-density polyethylene (LDPE) and kraft paper to provide custom packaging that is recyclable and biodegradable based on your preference. This ensures that you have environmentally friendly packaging that stays ahead of incoming regulations and appeals to modern consumers.
For more information on our low MOQ coffee packaging, design services, or sustainable coffee packaging, contact the MTPak Coffee team.
As partners in this project it is important moving forward that you appreciate, understand, and agree to our Production terms and sign off on our turnaround times along with our quote so that you are well-aware of all the work that goes into your print project.
Please note that our stated turnaround time on our site begins once final artwork has been approved by you, and not once the order is placed.
Generally, digital printing takes a bit faster to complete than gravure printing. Typical times to complete orders are:
DIGITAL PRINTING: 20-22 days (17-19 days print production, QC, packaging + 3-4 days shipping)
GRAVURE PRINTING: 1 month (1 week to prepare cylinders + 27-29 print production, QC, packaging + 3-4 days shipping)
Our (aluminum) foil gusseted coffee bags provide the best care and protection against coffee beans staleness, sealing in freshness while keeping out moisture, oxygen, and UV rays that lead to degradation of your product.
Our stand up coffee pouches are versatile and are highly recommended for shelf display. Make these economical and professional coffee pouches 100% custom by specifying pouch material and laminate, for a strong and robust appeal.
One-way Degassing Valve: Preserve your coffee’s quality by installing this on your custom coffee bags. As freshly roasted coffee continually releases CO2 gas for up to 7 days after packing, this option gives you peace of mind that your freshly packed bags won’t burst due to trapped air.
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Make stale coffee a thing of the past for the benefit of your coffee fans and aficionados. This one-way valve will encourage the release of gas while preventing air in—freshness guaranteed! Made of sturdy plastic, these valves virtually do not age, preserving fresh bags of coffee for years.
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Tin ties: Both consistent coffee quality and a consistent brand image will secure you more customers. Create your standard coffee packaging with tin ties that allow you to roll down and secure your custom coffee bags for a uniform size and shape. We guarantee that the location is standardized on each coffee bag.
* Please be advised that as with all machines, a slight shift can be expected.
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This extremely useful and convenient added feature will allow your customers to reseal bags after they have been opened, keeping your products fresher for longer.
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Hole Punching: Round or butterfly hang hole punching is an extra feature to help you save space in retail settings. This addition allows you to expand your stock inventory in limited shelf spaces, expanding your shelf presence in-store.
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Make room for more products with “hang-sell” hang holes. This option is great for other sales programs, such as end-cap and point-of-sale, for smaller sample packs, new food product promotions, and seasonal specials.
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