Coal in bags. Anyone got contacts/Prices

[Badger1434]

Hi Guys,

 

A couple of garages I supply around here have asked me if I can cupply bags of coal as well...dont really know much about it. does anyone have experience of wholesaleing coal - is it worth bothering with?

 

What would the WS prices of Coal be in 10kg, 20kg bags?

 

Thanks:thumbup:

[Quickthorn]

You could try CPL. I don't know what sort of wholesale price you'd get, but their online retail prices seem a bit steep.

 

The local coal merchant is often worth checking out.

[County4x4]

CPL will be happy to send you a wholesale price list which will suggest resonable margins around 41%. However, if you look at their retail website you'll find that you, me or anyone can else can buy direct from them, and get free delivery, for about 3 pence a bag more than their wholesale price! They give you RRP's - on which the margins are calculated, but they don't sell at anything like the RRP - so in effect they act as wholesaler AND the main competition for their wholesale customers!

 

If anyone does have any contacts, I'd be interested too as I'm after coal and smokeless fuels for customers on the canal.

 

Cheers,

 

Andy

[detritus21]

Coal isn't cheap if you are expecting it to be. Wholesale cheap house coal is £120 ish a tonne. Your smokeless coals are getting on for £200+ per tonne. Bags from places like CPL are often 25kg bags which are perfect. For a 25kg bag of smokeless coal such as maxibrite or supertherm expect anything for retail at £7-£10 per bag. Wholesale will of course be cheaper.

[Badger1434]

I was originally just going to buy it in to keep the garages happy and make the odd quid. However, I have just had a chat with the person I purchased the business from and he tells me he did manage to get his hands on some coal, bagged it up in clear rubble bags and offered it to his customers when he was delivering their logs - he said he did a bomb (mind you they needed coal as the majority of his logs were wet!). Not sure if he was spinning me a bit but I think I will get some prices of the local merchants on Monday. If you sell a few packs of firelighters, a bag or two of kindling and some coal to every other customer then thats the fuel covered and some! Only down side is its my money tied up in stock, got to keep it somewhere and do I really want to be messign about with coal when the season kicks in...Anyone tried it?

[log man]

you can try phill kemberry at rudrum holdings based in avonmouth.tel 01179633302 /07771531681.

[detritus21]

I work quite closely with a coal merchant supplying him with sticks and logs. You need a proper set-up if you are going to look at selling coal loose and bagging yourself. Weights and Measures become involved as coal is sold by the kg having previously been sold by hundred weight. You don't want to get on the worng side of weights and measures that would be a bad move.

 

You could try contacting the likes of Maxibrite uk they do a range of coals which I know you can buy prepacked. Supertherm also do prepacked and you can get normal house coal prepacked but unsure where from

[County4x4]

Coal isn't cheap if you are expecting it to be. Wholesale cheap house coal is £120 ish a tonne. Your smokeless coals are getting on for £200+ per tonne. Bags from places like CPL are often 25kg bags which are perfect. For a 25kg bag of smokeless coal such as maxibrite or supertherm expect anything for retail at £7-£10 per bag. Wholesale will of course be cheaper.

 

That's the point I was getting at mate - wholesale price from CPL IS cheaper than their retail - but 3 pence profit per bag doesn't strike me as a workable proposition!

 

Andy

[firewoodman]

it is complicated as you have to be a member of the coal merchants assosiation and be sponsered by a big supplier....so i was told when i looked into it here.

 

buying in bulk, you have to buy a huge amount.

 

i stuck to what i knew.

 

my coal merchant gets logs off me and i get coal off him, he gives out my number and i give out his..........simples yes

[Badger1434]

Having spoken to the Coal Merchant today and read the advide from above I think I will give it a miss. I might buy a few bags of Coal and offer out when delivering to make a few quid but in terms of doing it on any sort of scale its a No..... will have to think of smething else

 

as Firewoodman says....going to Keep it simple.......

 

Thanks for all the advice chaps