Soap Prices WAS: Nice People!

[Guest guest]

I sell the soap for $3 a bar and room sprays for $5 for 2 ounces. Everyone

tells me to raise the prices but I don't want to feel like I'm ripping the

folks off.

 

 

 

[Dave:] O know how you feel…I used to sell my soaps for $3 as well, and

then when I got a handle on what I was spending on ingredients, I realized

some soaps cost me almost that much, and a few cost me as much as $5 per bar

or $20 a pound to make! What am I to do – charge $15 a bar? I’ve raised my

price to $5 per bar, with quantity discounts, and I still am selling it

faster than I can make it. No one has ever said I charge too much. I watch

the price of the premium bars in the supermarket (Dove, Olay etc.) and try

to keep my prices in that neighborhood. I figure that with making the stuff

by hand, and using the finest ingredients I can get, that I deserve every

bit of the word-of-mouth demand that has come my way – but I also realize I

could blow it by raising my prices too much.

 

I am also in southern California, a premium-price area if there ever was

one. What do others charge?

 

On that note, I read the labels on all the natural soaps I see, and have

come to realize that NONE of them being sold around here contain what I

would call a deluxe selection of oils. Many tout their special ingredients,

but the labels reveal that the soap part contains palm oil only, or palm

with a bit of coconut. At the natural foods grocery where I work, we have a

bit of a problem: all the women in the body-care department use my soaps,

and when customers ask for a recommendation they don’t know what to say.

The owner of the company has told me he’ll stock my soaps when I can get

into an “approved” kitchen, whatever that means – he won’t touch it as long

as I am making it at home. At the same time, he realizes that nothing he

carries is as good. One thing that’s been suggested to me is to organize a

letter-writing campaign by our employees requesting my soaps be put on the

shelf. I have not felt like being so pushy. Instead, I offered him his own

soap label. He’s considering that idea.

 

 

 

 

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Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.4.2/314 - Release 4/16/2006

 

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Hi Dave!

 

I sell my soap for $6 a bar...but my soaps are 6 oz bars. Funny, now that I

think about it no one has ever asked at the shows I do how big my bars are & I

don't list it on the little label I use. I do run a " show " special...4 bars for

$20. I am actually thinking about cutting my bar size down to 5 oz, sales have

been pretty slow so far this year...with gas prices going up I don't think

people have quite as much " extra " money to be spending...

 

Let's face it...we sell our " wares " to make money, or else we'd be giving it

away! I try to make the best possible product I can & charge what I feel is a

fair price. I can't lose money or else I will go in the hole & then have to

just make soap for my family & friends. I'm trying to build a business

here...hopefully to help with our retirement in a few years.

 

Just my 2 cents! Have a wonderful evening!!!

donna

 

Donna Buchholz

Something Different Soap & Things

www.somethingdifferentsoap.com

-

David Lambert

[Dave:] O know how you feel.I used to sell my soaps for $3 as well, and

then when I got a handle on what I was spending on ingredients, I realized

some soaps cost me almost that much, and a few cost me as much as $5 per bar

or $20 a pound to make! What am I to do - charge $15 a bar? I've raised my

price to $5 per bar, with quantity discounts, and I still am selling it

faster than I can make it. No one has ever said I charge too much. I watch

the price of the premium bars in the supermarket (Dove, Olay etc.) and try

to keep my prices in that neighborhood. I figure that with making the stuff

by hand, and using the finest ingredients I can get, that I deserve every

bit of the word-of-mouth demand that has come my way - but I also realize I

could blow it by raising my prices too much.

 

I am also in southern California, a premium-price area if there ever was

one. What do others charge?

 

On that note, I read the labels on all the natural soaps I see, and have

come to realize that NONE of them being sold around here contain what I

would call a deluxe selection of oils. Many tout their special ingredients,

but the labels reveal that the soap part contains palm oil only, or palm

with a bit of coconut. At the natural foods grocery where I work, we have a

bit of a problem: all the women in the body-care department use my soaps,

and when customers ask for a recommendation they don't know what to say.

The owner of the company has told me he'll stock my soaps when I can get

into an " approved " kitchen, whatever that means - he won't touch it as long

as I am making it at home. At the same time, he realizes that nothing he

carries is as good. One thing that's been suggested to me is to organize a

letter-writing campaign by our employees requesting my soaps be put on the

shelf. I have not felt like being so pushy. Instead, I offered him his own

soap label. He's considering that idea.

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Thanks Cindy...I wasn't sure since soap doesn't require a label...I hadn't

thought about it in a long time...Dave's post for some reason made me think

about it again. It's a simple thing to add...so no biggie.

 

Thanks for the head's up!!!

donna

 

Donna Buchholz

Something Different Soap & Things

www.somethingdifferentsoap.com

-

cynthia gooding

Donna,

 

If you are in the USA, size is one of the few things required by the FDA on

soap labels. You may want to re-do your labeling....jmo.

 

Cindy

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Got all that covered...just didn't have the size on there. Like I said, no

biggie to add 'cause I make my own labels!!! ))

 

thanks again!!!

donna

 

Donna Buchholz

Something Different Soap & Things

www.somethingdifferentsoap.com

 

-

cynthia gooding

Soap doesn't require ingredients to be listed on the label. It does, however,

require a label, which includes your company name, contact info, and size of the

soap.

: )

 

Cindy

 

 

 

[Guest guest]

Donna,

 

If you are in the USA, size is one of the few things required by the FDA on soap

labels. You may want to re-do your labeling....jmo.

 

Cindy

 

-

 

 

I sell my soap for $6 a bar...but my soaps are 6 oz bars. Funny, now that I

think about it no one has ever asked at the shows I do how big my bars are & I

don't list it on the little label I use. I do run a " show " special...4 bars for

$20. I am actually thinking about cutting my bar size down to 5 oz, sales have

been pretty slow so far this year...with gas prices going up I don't think

people have quite as much " extra " money to be spending...

 

Let's face it...we sell our " wares " to make money, or else we'd be giving it

away! I try to make the best possible product I can & charge what I feel is a

fair price. I can't lose money or else I will go in the hole & then have to

just make soap for my family & friends. I'm trying to build a business

here...hopefully to help with our retirement in a few years.

 

Just my 2 cents! Have a wonderful evening!!!

donna

 

 

[Guest guest]

Soap doesn't require ingredients to be listed on the label. It does, however,

require a label, which includes your company name, contact info, and size of the

soap.

: )

 

Cindy

 

-

 

 

Thanks Cindy...I wasn't sure since soap doesn't require a label...I hadn't

thought about it in a long time...Dave's post for some reason made me think

about it again. It's a simple thing to add...so no biggie.

 

Thanks for the head's up!!!

donna

 

 

[Guest guest]

You're welcome!

Cindy

 

-

 

 

Got all that covered...just didn't have the size on there. Like I said, no

biggie to add 'cause I make my own labels!!! ))

 

thanks again!!!

donna