Popcorn tubs

[Jill Mobley]

It seems every place I look, paper popcorn tubs are either out of stock or the cost is prohibitively high. Shipping is very high, too.
Am I missing a supplier for these?

[Frank Cox]

I get mine from Harlan Fairbanks, who appear to also have an office in Kent, Washington so I guess they sell in the USA too. Maybe that would be an option?

[Marcel Birgelen]

We have a pickup agreement with DHL. Oftentimes, if I need something shipped in bulk or something very heavy, it's cheaper to let them pick it up, instead of them sending it to me with their preferred courier service. Obviously, not all suppliers are so flexible to allow to arrange for your own pick-up, but this has been quite a cost-saver for us over the years.

[Darin Steffl]

I've also seen tubs either gone completely or pricing is high. Has anyone ever ordered in bulk from manufacturers on Alibaba Express? They usually have 10k minimum quantities but I imagine the pricing is much better than anywhere else we can find them. Shipping could be crazy though and the wait time may take months.

[Jill Mobley]

Right now, I am chatting with several suppliers on Alibaba. Because I do not need customization (some are for fried chicken), several will sell 5000. Shipping is 30-45 days. I have bags I could use until they arrive.

Of course, 10,000 brings the price down. I am concerned about where I will store them! Maybe a spare bedroom...

[Darin Steffl]

What kind of pricing are you seeing per unit? Can you share pricing with the size (oz) of tub?

Just for reference.

Thank you

[Jill Mobley]

130 ounce, delivered, less than 50 cents. Very exciting for my little theater. 30-45 day shipping.
I need a neighbor to split some with me!

[Darin Steffl]

That seems more expensive than buying smaller batches in the US. Webstaurantstore offers 130 oz buckets for $58 per 150 units which is $0.387/unit with free shipping on their Plus membership.

I wouldn't look at ordering in bulk from China unless cost was at least 30-50% less than buying domestically.

https://www.webstaurantstore.com/car.../760VP130.html

[Jill Mobley]

Thank you for that link. The last time I checked Webstaurant, they were out of stock. With $48 shipping, it is 51 cents. Plus is $99/month - I don't order enough to justify that.
It will be interesting to see what landed price quotes I get later today when China wakes up. In the mean time, I am ordering these from Webstaurant.
Thanks again!

[Darin Steffl]

Their plus has a 30 day free membership for you to try. Just cancel before the renewal date. If you sign up for their free credit card, it's only $49 per month for that membership. You can also just sign up only when you need it so we only sign up for it every 3-4 months when we want to order a bunch of stuff. It saves lots on shipping.

[Jill Mobley]

Thank you for that info! I saw $99 and did not look further.

[Jill Mobley]

I have ordered some from Webstaurant.

I had already submitted a request for pricing on Alibaba. I have several more quotes this morning. Delivered - .30 each. 130 oz buckets. I have a quote for a folded red/white box; they are looking up shipping. I expect shipping will be less than the tubs since they pack flat.

This is an interesting project for me.

[John Eickhof]

have you considered gags? newer coated bags are less expensive, quiter than older bags, less shipping due to more bags per case, and take up way less trash can space. i quit using cups in the 1970s and would never go back!

[Mike Blakesley]

This has been debated before... each has its advantages but tubs are way easier to use, faster to fill, they don't leak butter and people seem to like them better. We used to use bags for a small "unbuttered" size and the crew hated them.

[Jill Mobley]

We have bags. The customers want the tubs. The staff hates filling the bag. I charge $1 more for a popcorn/soda combo - popcorn in a tub. It is the only way to get free refills on sodas.

We are talking about using different colored bags so we could tell what is a combo. The staff really do not like to fill them.

I often stand at the trash can - take the tubs from people and stack them to take up less room in the trash. That has gotten me reported to the health dept more than once for recycling the tubs. hahahaha