Toilet roll multipacks

[sobrique]

OK, so we're all used to the idea, that buying a big pack of something, works out cheaper. You buy a crate of beer, then you'll pay a lower price than if you buy individual cans.

The theory being, I'd imagine, is that buying a case of beer, is less packing, and because you have it on hand, you're more likely to use it up faster. Therefore more 'stuff' sold to you.

But... why is this the case with toilet rolls? I mean, bogrolls are non-perishable, and I'm pretty sure their usage rate is independant of how many you have in stock. I mean, I might go get a beer, if there's one handy, but I don't tend to use a 'few extra sheets' simply because there's loads in stock.

I refuse to believe the packing, and associated costs of toilet rolls are so heavily skewed that the difference is found there. I mean, a sheet of polythene over your 24 pack, does have less surface area than 24 individual rolls, but... well, I have a hard time beliveing that that's actually a significant quantity.

Now, there's economies of scale in shifting larger volumes, but ... again, I can't see the 'usage rate' of toilet roll changing at all, whether we buy one at a time, or 500 at once.

A similar train of thought goes for other 'non perishable' goods. The only really limiting factor is on storage space, or 'upfront' costs, but ... well, I'd have thought that that kind of thing evens out over the kind of quantites that end up moving through supermarkets - enough people shop there, that you'll still move a lorryload over a sensible amount of time.

Comments

[queex.livejournal.com]

I think the sole reason is to encourage you spend more money at a time, and more money now.

Usage rate may not change, but if you buy 24 rolls now rather than 1 a week for 24 weeks, that bags them 276 roll-weeks of interest.

[mister-jack.livejournal.com]

And selling 1 pack of 24 toilet rolls has a lower transaction cost than selling 24 packs of 1.

[pink-mouse.livejournal.com]

Because I have no life: from the tescos website 3 rolls cost £1.79, whereas 6 rolls cost £3.58 on longer lasting toilet rolls. any andrex 4 rolls £1.86, 9 rolls £4.18.

So there was an assumption that the bigger packs would be cheaper, which they actually aren't.

I buy a lot of toilet rolls at any one time, purely because it reduces the frequency of running out. Which is surprisingly inconvenient.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

Because people want to buy 24 toilet rolls at once, and it saves restocking time and cashier time if you have to process one pack of 24 instead of 6 packs of 4.

[feanelwa.livejournal.com]

Also it saves on packaging costs, because the surface area of plastic for the same volume of product is less.

[purp1e-magic.livejournal.com]

If you buy a brand of toilet tissue you don't normally use and the most efficient way to purchase it is in a large pack, while it may be less per roll, it's still more actual revenue.

Also if you buy a different brand, if you've used it for a more extended period of time, you're much more likely to stick with it in future. If you're used to top quality softness, or whatever, and you try something else because it's a lot cheaer, you won't necesarily like it at first, but you'll get used to it by the end of a 12 roll pack, and may go for that for the saved money next time. Likewise, if you go for something more expensive because it's on offer, after 12 rolls you may not be so keen to go back to Blue Stripey Sandpaper.

You'll notice that it tends to be large packs that get put on offer. No one will try to convert you to their brand on a single roll.

Also, it's easier to spot patterns of usage over a larger amount. Yes, that brand was 30p more, but it was 3 weeks longer than normal before we had to replace it. Or, yes, we had to buy twice as much, but on the other hand, it was a quater of the price.

[xarrion.livejournal.com]

Because there are government subsidies involved in creating subtle problems for intelligent yet bored people, who would otherwise be thinking Uncontrolled Thoughts... ;)

[wiffly-shwoo.livejournal.com]

"I think the sole reason is to encourage you spend more money at a time, and more money now"

Not to mention more money now on their particular brand.

[http://users.livejournal.com/tomf_/]

Mesco's have just sold you 24 rolls of toilet paper. That means you won't be buying any loo-roll from their competitors, Torrison's, for several weeks at least.