Anybody use Bookers for buying stock?

[GingerBeerMan]

Costco requires you to be a member, which costs, I think, about $50 a year. I'm not a member and so I cannot just "walk in and buy" - I have to ask someone who has a membership to get it if there is something I wish to purchase from there.

Ah ok I didn't know that. Cheers

 

[tinx]

It depends, but I imagine you're wife will be fine. Certainly at Costco self employed business/trades can get an account.

Cheers, might give it a go

 

[StillHateBellotti]

Do most of our monthly shop there! Its great a bit like doomsday prepping? Don't think im ever going to run out of toothpaste or bin bags!

 

[Worthingite]

Have to admit, if you have access to a Bookers card, or even the card number, it's as handy as hell for bulky stuff. I cannot genuinely remember the last time I bought loo roll from a shop, or washing powder - getting it from Bookers you can buy in bulk, and never have to worry about that sort of stuff. Although that said, they are stunningly lax about their membership - my bookers card is from 5 years ago when I had my own pub!!! They never bat an eyelid!!!

 

[Official Old Man]

Thanks for the detailed explanation. If I may I have a few questions:
1. You say "in most cases with food Tesco is cheaper than Bookers". So why would a corner shop owner not just buy stuff from Tesco and sell it on if it's cheaper than their current supplier (unless that's illegal).
2. Would opening Bookers to the public put corner shops out of business? The idea of a corner shop is the convenience and so they'd still be required... costco in America sounds a lot like Bookers and is open to the general public but they still have smaller shops in America.

I'm not grilling you I just can't understand why most (or all?) wholesalers in the UK aren't just "walk in and buy" like in America.

1. You'll be surprised how many do. How often do you see 'limited to 1 case' on offers? Bookers is convenient when buying lots of different lines.
2. Bookers are bulk. I've just been to Asda and bought, at a guess, 60 items. Had I gone to Bookers it would have been 60 x 12 (average 12 per case) = 720 items.
Plus time is money for shopkeepers. Bookers is hard enough to get out of when quiet so to have lots of people queuing with only a few cases would be very annoying.
That said Bookers do have a butchers department which sells cuts to order aimed at their customers to take home.
The cash carry I couldn't remember is Makro (Catering Equipment, Cash and Carry, Wholesale Suppliers - Makro) on the M27. They declare to sell only to trade but inside it is geared up for small sales. They sell more flat screen TV's than anyone else (32" LED + DVD £169 (£204 with vat)). Strange because I've never seen a plasma for sale in my local store.