Guide · 2026-09-14
Wholesale grocery for small stores: how buying by the case actually works
"Wholesale grocery" is the most searched phrase in this whole category, and most of the results are either a warehouse club or a distributor that wants a $1,500 drop minimum and an application packet. Here is how buying grocery by the case works when you run one location, a few, or an online store — and where the traps are.
Everything is sold by the case
Wholesale grocery is priced per case, and the case pack is the unit that matters: a 12-count case of 16 oz sparkling water, a 6-count case of 12 oz coffee, an 8-count case of 7 oz chocolate. Your shelf math starts from the case price divided by the pack, not from a unit price a supplier quotes to look cheap.
Mixed cases are rare in grocery. If you want three flavors of one brand, expect three cases. Suppliers who split cases are usually charging a break fee in the price.
What a resale certificate does and does not do
A California seller's permit (or your state's resale certificate) lets you buy items you will resell without paying sales tax at wholesale. It does not cover items your business consumes — the paper towels in the restroom and the hand soap by the sink are taxable purchases even when they arrive on the same invoice. A clean supplier splits the two on the invoice so your bookkeeping does not have to.
Minimums, and why they exist
A distributor's minimum pays for the truck stop. A $1,500 minimum with a $150 fee below it is a route-economics rule, not a judgement about your store. The alternative most small stores use — driving to a cash-and-carry — moves that cost from the invoice onto your own time and vehicle.
A wholesaler built for smaller accounts sets the minimum where a single stop pays for itself and includes delivery in the price. For our local routes that is $500 per delivery; for shipped purchase orders it is $10,000 in product, with freight added at cost.
The margin conversation
Specialty grocery typically retails at 1.6× to 2× the case cost per unit; natural snacks and bars at the higher end, beverages at the lower. The suggested retail price (SRP) on a wholesale list is a starting point, not a rule — your neighbourhood sets the ceiling.
The margin killers are not the case price. They are shorts (the item you built a promotion around did not arrive), slow-moving cases that expire on the shelf, and the hours spent ordering from four suppliers. Fix those and a fair case price is fine.
How to open an account with us
Register with your business name, resale certificate and what you buy today. A person reviews it — usually within a business day — and your sign-in link opens the full list with case prices. Local Orange County accounts can start at $500 per weekly delivery; resellers build purchase orders from $10,000 and ship anywhere from California.
On our list — examples
- Bonne Maman Preserve Strwbry · 13 OZ · 6/case
- Justins Nut Butter Almond Cinnmn · 16 OZ · 6/case
- Siete Chip Tortilla Lime · 5 OZ · 12/case
- Annies Homegrown Mac & Chs Clssc Organic · 6 OZ · 12/case
- Bobs Red Mill Cereal Muesli Fruit Seed · 14 OZ · 4/case
- Local Hive Honey Wildflower Raw · 16 OZ · 6/case
- Wholesome Sugar Coconut Palm · 16 OZ · 6/case
- Kedem Juice Blush Sparkling · 25.4 FO · 12/case
- Terra Chips Chip Plantain Sea Salt · 5 OZ · 12/case
- Larabar Bar Lemon · 1.6 OZ · 64/case
- Bonne Maman Preserve Cherry · 13 OZ · 6/case
- Justins Dark Chocolate Cups Almond Btr · 1.4 OZ · 72/case
Sold by the full case. Case prices are shown to approved members; shipping is quoted separately. Brands and assortment change with the weekly list refresh.