Bulk bins
Encyclopedia
Bulk bins are a way of selling consumables by weight
. The product is stored in bins in a section of the retail
floor. A customer
can measure out an amount of product into a plastic bag, to be later weighed at the point of sale
. The product is usually less expensive per unit compared to pre-packaged items. The customer is able to choose exactly how much product they want and will go home with less packaging.
Products compatible with bulk bin selling are:
Traditional bulk bins were typically wooden barrels, or burlap sacks the food products came in, and from which the customer would shop. These traditional methods of dispensing were cheap, and did not protect the food products from open air environments which allowed the accelerated spoilage of food, and created the potential for outside contaminants to affect the food.
Today, Bulk bins are made of polycarbonate
, or BPA-free resins which display the food product, and provide an airtight, hygenic system for dispensing foods.
Perishable or bulky items usually are not sold in this way.
Weight
In science and engineering, the weight of an object is the force on the object due to gravity. Its magnitude , often denoted by an italic letter W, is the product of the mass m of the object and the magnitude of the local gravitational acceleration g; thus:...
. The product is stored in bins in a section of the retail
Retail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
floor. A customer
Customer
A customer is usually used to refer to a current or potential buyer or user of the products of an individual or organization, called the supplier, seller, or vendor. This is typically through purchasing or renting goods or services...
can measure out an amount of product into a plastic bag, to be later weighed at the point of sale
Point of sale
Point of sale or checkout is the location where a transaction occurs...
. The product is usually less expensive per unit compared to pre-packaged items. The customer is able to choose exactly how much product they want and will go home with less packaging.
Products compatible with bulk bin selling are:
- Nails
- GrainsCerealCereals are grasses cultivated for the edible components of their grain , composed of the endosperm, germ, and bran...
- Spices
- CandyCandyCandy, specifically sugar candy, is a confection made from a concentrated solution of sugar in water, to which flavorings and colorants are added...
- CoffeeCoffeeCoffee is a brewed beverage with a dark,init brooo acidic flavor prepared from the roasted seeds of the coffee plant, colloquially called coffee beans. The beans are found in coffee cherries, which grow on trees cultivated in over 70 countries, primarily in equatorial Latin America, Southeast Asia,...
- Powdered or granulated items
Traditional bulk bins were typically wooden barrels, or burlap sacks the food products came in, and from which the customer would shop. These traditional methods of dispensing were cheap, and did not protect the food products from open air environments which allowed the accelerated spoilage of food, and created the potential for outside contaminants to affect the food.
Today, Bulk bins are made of polycarbonate
Polycarbonate
PolycarbonatePhysical PropertiesDensity 1.20–1.22 g/cm3Abbe number 34.0Refractive index 1.584–1.586FlammabilityV0-V2Limiting oxygen index25–27%Water absorption – Equilibrium0.16–0.35%Water absorption – over 24 hours0.1%...
, or BPA-free resins which display the food product, and provide an airtight, hygenic system for dispensing foods.
Perishable or bulky items usually are not sold in this way.