Buying food packaging at wholesale is mostly a scheduling problem rather than a price problem. Menus change, seasons change, and a pallet of the wrong box is worse than a slightly higher unit price. This page covers how a repeat food run is set up so that the price improves without leaving you holding stock you cannot use.
What a wholesale order actually is here
There is no separate wholesale tier to qualify for. The minimum is 100 boxes on any item, and the unit price improves as the quantity climbs, starting from about $0.48 per unit at bulk volumes. Your number is confirmed on the written quote, because size, board, coating and print coverage move it more than quantity alone does.
Categories in one order
| Category | Common format | The thing to decide first |
|---|---|---|
| Takeaway and delivery | Pails, clamshells, tuck cartons | Whether the box stacks in a delivery bag |
| Bakery | Auto bottom boxes, window boxes | Count per box, which sets the footprint |
| Snacks and confectionery | Tuck end cartons, sleeves | Barcode panel and shelf orientation |
| Coffee and tea | Cartons around a bag or tin | Whether the carton or the inner pack carries the barrier |
| Meal prep and catering | Trays with lids, larger cartons | Depth and stacking load when full |
Quoting several categories in one conversation is usually cheaper than quoting them separately, because print setups can be planned together. The category index is at custom food boxes.
Plan the reorder before the first run
- Decide the sizes you will still be using in a year, and make those the ones you buy deepest.
- Keep seasonal artwork on the same die, so only the plates and print change.
- Set a reorder trigger by weeks of cover, not by shelf appearance.
- Ask for the three lanes priced at the quote stage so you know what a late reorder costs.
- Store flat stock somewhere dry, since board that absorbs moisture loses stiffness.
Food contact, stated honestly
Coatings, liners and grease resistance vary by material and by job, so we do not publish a blanket claim. Put your requirement on the quote: what the box holds, whether it is hot, wet or oily, whether it needs a liner, and any specification your buyer or auditor requires. The available options for your board and size are then confirmed in writing before you approve anything.
Included, and why it matters at volume
- Die and plates, so a size change or a new flavour is not a tooling bill.
- Design support, which usually pays for itself on the first dieline.
- Free US shipping on the order.
- A digital proof before anything prints, which is your last chance to catch a wrong weight or a wrong barcode across a whole run.
Lead time and lanes
Turnaround is stated per product across three lanes. Rush pairs expedited production with air freight and carries a premium of about 7 to 25% depending on the job. Standard moves by air. Cost saver moves by sea for the lowest freight cost and the longest wait, which is the lane most wholesale buyers should be using for their planned stock. The floor is from about 7 business days plus 2 to 5 for delivery, and specialty imported items can run up to about 12 weeks. Production is at our West Chicago plant in the United States and our Guangzhou plant in China.
The practical pattern is simple: plan the bulk of your volume on cost saver, and keep rush for the surprise. If your range is bakery-led, start at wholesale bakery boxes, and if it is delivery-led, start at wholesale takeout boxes. Send your SKU list and annual estimate to /quote/ for a schedule and pricing across all three lanes.
