So, you’ve heard about Yume Food, but you aren’t quite sure how they match up with your current local food supplier? We’re here to help answer a few questions you may have so you can make better-informed decisions when choosing your next local food supplier.
Let’s jump in.
Is Yume Food a Normal Food Supplier?
Yume Food is anything but your typical local food supplier. And we’re proud of that! We only sell surplus food - food that, for whatever reason, can no longer be sold through the original suppliers’ normal sales channels. And we sell it from hundreds of local food suppliers around Australia!
This doesn’t mean that the food is “off” or disfigured - in fact, we wrote a whole blog post about surplus food myths that we recommend reading. Rather, Yume sells perfectly edible meat, dairy, vegetables, and staples that were many times overgrown, over-forecasted, missed a delivery, or so on.
Due to the circumstantial nature of which we obtain our food, Yume Food is a spot buy platform, meaning you won’t find the exact same food available to buy month after month.
Con: Spot buy platforms are not always the best place to look for your normal staples year-round, due to the revolving nature of surplus food.
However, for multifaceted food buyers, Yume’s rotating variations work well. And coupled with lower food prices, a platform such as Yume can be a dream for food buyers who are looking to cut down on costs.
Which brings us to difference #2.
Is it Cheaper to Buy From Yume or a Local Food Supplier?
Pro: One of the biggest considerations for buying from a food supplier through Yume is the cost savings to big business. (That, and the monumental impact you have on the environment!)
Yume’s food is always discounted by at least 20% to reflect the nature of surplus stock. Many times, we have seen products discounted by up to 80%! It’s no wonder large food buyers such as Sodexo and Accor shop with Yume year-round.
That said, the food on Yume’s (online!) shelves go quickly. Therefore, a key to successfully ordering from Yume Food is to check the food specials that come via email every week. You’ll need to strike while the iron’s hot to get in quickly before anyone else.
Is it Easier to Buy from Yume or a Local Food Supplier?
It’s a bit of a misnomer that buying from a spot buy platform is more complicated. In fact, we’ve made it easier.
At Yume, it’s free, easy, and convenient to sign up. There are no big forms to complete or documents to review. You simply sign up online, verify your email, and you can start shopping the sales.
In contrast, your local food supplier might take longer to allow you to register, requiring you to complete a credit application, which has to be approved before you can start purchasing.
Once you see something you like, you click to purchase. Our back-office team works quickly to arrange delivery services and billing to meet your deadlines for food delivery. It’s really that easy.
What About Pricing? Are Prices Negotiable?
Due to the nature of the surplus stock at Yume Food, many times the food suppliers on our platform are happy to receive offers for their stock.
This is quite a change from your local food supplier, where offers are not usually allowed and you pay a fixed price for the stock.
We worked hard to make the bidding process as easy as possible on the Yume platform, so you’ll always get the best price available. Simply enter the price you are willing to pay for the food, and Yume will send that offer to the food supplier straight away, who can then accept, decline, or counter the offer.
If any complicated bidding processes arise, Yume’s employees are the first to jump on the phone and mediate the negotiations until a sale price is reached.
Is Delivery Included in the Pricing?
When purchasing from your local food supplier, chances are that delivery charges are included in the pricing they provide.
On Yume Food, this can vary.
Yume Food prices may include delivery costs or the charges may be added to the top - this is set by the surplus food supplier.
However, food items sold through Yume carry such large discounts that even when adding delivery costs on top, the company will still save a lot of money. (Remember 80%?)
So there you have it. We hope this explained the differences in ordering from Yume Food vs. ordering from your local food supplier.
If you haven’t browsed Yume Food yet, jump online and see for yourself. It only takes a few seconds to sign up and start shopping. You’ll be in good company - joining Sodexo, Accor, and hundreds of Australian food buyers - in saving food costs and impacting social change.
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us at any time.
Until next time!