BUYING GROUP FAQs & TIPS

What is a food buying group?

A food buying group is set up by its members and is usually run not for profit.
Various forms of food co-ops exist, ranging from a 'family and friends co-op' often run from someone's home,
to large community-run groups with hundreds of members.

What are the benefits of joining or starting a buying group?

The benefits of forming a food buying group include:

Affordable access to high-quality organic and natural food and health products.
Building a sense of community that comes from working together whilst sharing the joy of
‘real food that loves you back’ within your community.
Buying in bulk reduces the amount of packaging required in the manufacturing process.
Combining orders significantly reduces freight costs, therefore saving you money.
Purchasing your food and supplies from a business that has similar values to you.

How does the group place an order?

For live product availability and the most up to date pricing, we suggest orders are placed online by logging into our online store.
Another simple and easy way to co-ordinate group orders is through our free Buying Group Portal - please send through a request to find out more about this tool.

Who can start a food buying group?

Anyone! A group of friends, a large family, school group, members of gyms and sporting clubs, local community groups,
work colleagues, church groups, neighbours… anyone who wishes to access wholesome food and healthy products at wholesale prices.
You just need to sign up as a wholesale customer and all orders must be a minimum of $500 (excluding GST and shipping).

What roles should the group allocate?

Usually one person will act as the ‘group coordinator/organiser’ primarily to collate the order, make payment, accept the delivery and act as the main contact with Honest to Goodness.
Additionally, many groups use a volunteer roster among their members to assist collating the order or sorting the goods on delivery.

How can the group communicate?

It’s good to have clear and simple communication procedures which are easy to follow.
Consider the best ways to communicate with the group about key things including when the order opens, closes, when payment is due and when the order has arrived.
It may be simple to use either email, text message or a private Facebook group to coordinate the group.
Most groups will split the freight cost equally, or as a percentage. Others will allocate on a sliding scale of how much the order weighs.

What products can the group order?

Buying groups have access to our entire wholesale range and all sizes of products. This includes large items that can be split - see below for more about what product splits are.
We also stock household items, including cleaning products.
View the entire range on our online store. We have shop categories that help indicate what are best sellers, new products & on promotion. There are also filters that can be applied to view products by dietary requirements, size and more.
To view pricing you simply need to login (when registered) or review our pricelist. When logged into the site, our pricelist can be found in your Wholesale account, under "Wholesale Pricelist."

What are the financial commitments for the coordinator and the group?

All orders must be pre-paid before they are processed - so the group coordinator needs to collate the
payments prior to ordering.
It may be useful to consider a fee-free bank account or even a member to be treasurer of the group to manage payments.
We accept credit cards (Visa/Mastercard), Paypal or Bank Transfers (don’t forget to use your order
number as a reference on bank transfers and email a receipt to us. Only then we can get your order started).

What are product ‘splits’?

One of the main advantages of buying in bulk is a lower price per kilo or litre or splitting cans or bags at a multiple unit rate!
A product ‘spilt’ is referred to when the group purchases a bulk item and members commit to splitting this up.
Example: The group orders a 10kg box of almonds and 5 members each take 2kg. Or, the group orders
12 cans of coconut cream and 3 members take 4 each.
Products must be purchased in the current full sizes as published on our website at time of ordering.

How should the group collate the order?

Many groups make use of collaborative tools including excel or Google documents to collate their order.
The coordinator can also login to our wholesale website and some share this information with the group in order for them to view products and prices.

What does it mean if something is out of stock?

Due to the nature of organic farmer and supplies we may be out of things from time to time. We don’t hold stock for back orders so it might be worth checking the item is in again when you next order – the website is the best option to see what has live availability

How much will shipping the group order cost?

We use a variety of shipping carriers who deliver across Australia.
Delivery costs will depend on the weight of your order.
The best way to estimate is add your order to the cart, view the checkout and add your postcode – shipping rates will then be available to view.
You can also collect your order from our Warehouse in Alexandria, Sydney or arrange your own courier - both options available at checkout.

How does the delivery of our group order work?

We do our best to pack everything you have ordered and occasionally may run out just before your order is packed.
We will try our best to advise the coordinator of these issues (via phone or email) and you will
not be charged for items you don’t receive.
Orders are generally packed in cartons.
When placing an order please advise us of Special Delivery Instructions especially if your order is being sent to a
residential address. (‘Narrow road’ ‘Steep driveway’ ‘Leave on veranda if not home).
Orders must also select yes or no to an 'Authority to Leave', which indicates whether or not the delivery driver can
leave an order should you not be home.
All shipping companies are different and we cannot guarantee their levels of service or whether they will call prior to delivery.

What equipment/space does the group need for sorting the order?

It may be worth having access to the following to help sort your order:

A cool, dry storage space in which to store goods upon delivery and until your members can pick up their order. You may need to keep some items in the fridge (ex. chocolate, LSA mix, apricots, dates).
Access to a printer to print a ‘sorting sheet’ – detailing what products each member has ordered.
Electronic scales, a scoop and containers – to weight product splits.
Containers for reducing packaging and storing your goods (large containers are available from Big W,
Bunnings and online catering supply websites; sometimes they are listed as Pet Food containers!).

What happens if there is a problem with the group order?

Make sure all members are aware of our *30 Day Returns and Credits policy*.
The group coordinator should make a note of the issue and immediately submit via the form on our website.
Please be aware there may be a requirement for photos.
If you have any questions please contact us upon receipt of your order on 02 8310 1800 (8am – 5pm EST) .

My group is getting larger! How can I collate the orders easier?

It’s a good idea to consider, particularly if your group gets bigger, whether to make your purpose, structure and rules more formal.
You may wish to use our Buying Group Portal, a website which helps bigger groups collate their orders.

Group coordinators can add and email members, download a master group order, allocate freight according to weight,
give you the option of adding an administration fee, print sorting sheets and invoices.
Each member has an individual login, can request product splits, view current pricing and add their items to the group cart.
If you would like access - Send us an email request and we will be in contact if this is a suitable option for your group.

Help! How do I ensure my group continues to order?

Running a group isn't easy and does take time and energy!
You might consider how members can take on different areas of responsibility to help place and sort orders.
Having some written documentation about how the group operates and decision making can help groups continue running
in the longer term.
Contact us for help - we may have some extra suggestions.
Consider joining another group in your area.

Is there a group already operating in my area?

There may be a group operating in your area.
Check your local community notices/schools and groups or if there is no group listed near you - contact us.
Due to privacy reasons we will pass on your details to groups in your area and they will be in contact if they are open to new members.

More Questions?
Speak to our friendly team - email info@goodness.com.au, call us on 02 8310 1800 (Office Hours: Monday to Friday, 8am - 5pm, AEST - Sydney)