by The human touch.
It’s what makes customers flock to your farm in search of food that has been cultivated, carved, and packaged by hand.
But this special handling process means that each of your products is unique. They might taste the same, but no two steaks, pork chops, or chicken wings will be the exact same size or shape.
That’s why these are called variable weight products. In this blog, we’ll explore what variable weight products are and share our top tips and tricks for managing and selling them.
Understanding Variable Weight Products
Variable weight products are as simple as they sound. They’re items that can fluctuate significantly in weight from one unit to the next.
These items have natural variations, meaning they don’t have a neat, predetermined size and weight — unlike shelf-stable items in the grocery store. Let’s look at a few types of products that fall under the variable weight category:
- Meat: Your livestock are all different shapes and sizes, so your meat yields will be, too.
- Produce: Organically and regeneratively farmed fruits and vegetables will vary significantly in size.
- Dairy products: Items like wheels and wedges of cheese are often tracked and sold by weight.
Now that you know what what variable weight products look like, let’s dive into best practices for managing them.
Managing Variable Weight Products
An excellent inventory management approach is always essential for retail success — but it’s even more important when you’re dealing with products that vary by weight.
To make the most of your farm-fresh inventory, you need to know exactly what you have on hand at any given time. Let’s take a look at three tools that can help you accomplish this goal.
Specialized Inventory Management Software
The right inventory management software is your most valuable asset when it comes to variable weight products. This tool tracks your stock levels and automatically adjusts them to account for new harvests and sales.
Since variable weight products can be tricky, you need inventory management software specifically designed for the farm industry.
Related Read: What Is the Best Meat Catch Weight Software? 3 Best Providers
Reliable Scale
In the world of variable weight products, accuracy is key. When a customer places an order for five pounds of ground beef, they expect to get exactly what they paid for — down to the last ounce.
To guarantee accuracy and save time when preparing customers’ orders, we recommend investing in a reliable scale designed for butcher shops or farms.
Barcode Label Printer
Once you’ve weighed and packaged your variable weight products, the next step is to give them a barcode label. This label should list the package’s exact weight, price per pound, and calculated price — plus food safety information like the best by and expiration dates.
To generate barcodes and create accurate labels, you need a barcode label printer. Our top tip is to invest in one that integrates seamlessly with your scale and inventory management software.
Selling Variable Weight Products
Now that you know how to track variable weight products, let’s cover how to turn them into a profit.
Selling variable weight products is more complicated than selling items by unit. Instead of purchasing one jar of honey for one consistent price, your customers will place an order for a custom quantity — which means you need a way to calculate the weight-based price and prepare their order accurately.
Here are a few of our top tips for simplifying this process.
Choose the Right Farm E-Commerce Platform
If you’re planning to sell variable weight products online, a farm e-commerce platform is a must-have. Your e-commerce tool should have a suite of features that can help you navigate the challenges of tracking and selling weight-based products.
To make sure your farm e-commerce platform is up to the task, check that you can list weight-based products for sale, accept orders for custom weights, and update your inventory levels in real time after a customer makes a purchase.
Build a User-Friendly Website
When your customers shop online, they’re used to selecting an item, clicking “add to cart,” and checking out — which means that ordering variable weight items can seem intimidating.
That’s why your farm e-commerce website should make it as simple as possible.
Clearly explain to customers that they can order a custom quantity of any product, and make it easy for them to add these variable weight items to their cart as they browse your offerings.
Related Read: What Is the Best Farm Website Builder? 5 Top Solutions
Be Transparent With Your Customers About Pricing
“How much does it cost?” That’s your customers’ number one question when deciding whether or not to order from your farm.
To make their decision easier, be upfront about your pricing and do the math for them.
One way to do this is to display an estimated pricing range based on the quantity they’re looking at. For example, if they’ve landed on your poultry page and are considering a purchase of five pounds of chicken, they should be able to see an estimate of how much it will cost in total.
Don’t forget to include shipping and handling costs in this estimate! Outlining your delivery fees will help your customers decide whether to pick up their order at your farm or opt for shipping.
Tackle Variable Weight Product Management With GrazeCart
That’s everything you need to know about managing variable weight products! The most critical takeaway is that you need a powerful farm software solution to help you track and sell your products by weight.
Your software should provide real-time overviews of your stock by weight and unit, let you build a user-friendly website for your customers, accept weight-based online orders, and give you insights into your sales trends.
If you’re looking for a solution that checks these boxes and more, GrazeCart might be the perfect fit for your farm. Take our software for a spin by launching your free, two-week trial today.