Compare prices across the suppliers you already use
A fair comparison framework for recurring restaurant products and current suppliers.
Most kitchens compare supplier prices the way sales reps encourage: glance at two invoices, spot the cheaper case price, and feel either vindicated or robbed. That habit produces wrong conclusions constantly, because case prices are not comparable unless everything around them is identical. A serious comparison of your existing suppliers answers one narrow question — for the same specified product, in the same pack, bought at the same time, what does each supplier actually charge per unit?
What makes a comparison fair
- Same specification. “Mozzarella” is not a product. Brand, fat content, grate style, and protection level must match, or you are comparing different things.
- Same pack basis. A 12×1 kg case and a 6×2 kg case both contain 12 kg. At the same case price, their price per kilo is equal; check specifications and any extra fees separately.
- Per-unit reduction. Convert every quote to the unit you cook with: price per kilo, per litre, per piece. All further math lives at this level.
- Same time window. Compare purchases from the same week or month; last quarter's price sheet is not evidence about today's market.
- Context notes attached. Record delivery reliability, substitution behaviour, and quality complaints next to each price so numbers never get read alone.
A worked example
You buy olive oil in 5L tins every week. Last month's invoices from your three current suppliers give you these totals. Reducing to price per tin makes the spread visible immediately.
| Supplier A | €42.50 / tin | delivered Tuesday, reliable |
|---|---|---|
| Supplier B | €39.90 / tin | cheapest, but one substitution incident |
| Supplier C | €46.20 / tin | premium line, no substitutions ever |
The spread between B and C is €6.30 per tin. That number — not a feeling about any rep — is what a negotiation or consolidation decision should be built on.
Interactive example · price spread
Spread between your highest and lowest quoted unit price: €6.30 (€39.90 → €46.20). Compare the quoted prices with each supplier. This is a price difference, not a savings projection.
How to act on a spread
- 1Verify equivalence. Confirm the specs genuinely match before treating the gap as real. Ask each supplier to restate brand, format, and grade in writing.
- 2Show the data to the expensive supplier. Present the per-unit difference plainly and ask what volume or commitment would close it. Most spreads shrink when made explicit.
- 3Test consolidation deliberately. Moving more volume to your best-value supplier changes your negotiating position. Pilot it on one category before shifting anything critical.
- 4Re-check monthly. Prices drift. Put this comparison on a monthly rhythm using actual invoice lines, not quoted sheets.
FAQ
- How many invoices do I need per supplier?
- Four to six weeks of recurring-purchase lines is enough to smooth out one-off promotions. A single invoice can mislead because of temporary discounts or an unusual order.
- Should I just switch to whoever is cheapest?
- Not automatically. Price is one column alongside delivery reliability, substitution honesty, credit terms, and minimum orders. The comparison tells you where to negotiate, not necessarily whom to leave.
- Do I need special software for this?
- No — a spreadsheet with four columns (date, product, pack, per-unit price) works. Software earns its keep when volume grows past what you will maintain by hand.
- What if my suppliers refuse to match prices?
- Then you have learned the real constraint. Decide with eyes open: either the service difference justifies the premium, or volume moves to the supplier who earned it.
Keep reading
- Negotiate supplier prices with data instead of complaints
A practical negotiation script for restaurant suppliers: prepare numbers, present them, close terms.
- Consolidate suppliers without losing leverage
When merging volume with fewer restaurant suppliers helps — and when it quietly costs you money.
- Score your suppliers on more than price
A simple scorecard for restaurant suppliers: fill rate, substitutions, accuracy and price stability alongside cost.
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