This is a summary of some research into the pricing of our ingredients. Here are the prices that some distributors are offering on the internet:

--ALMONDS--

Kettleofnuts.com
Organic Raw Almonds – 6.79 per HALF pound (half price shipping over 50, free shipping over 100)

Andersonalmonds.com
Organic Raw Almonds – 10.00 per pound (shipping included)

stores.buyorganicnuts.com
Organic Raw Almonds – 9 per pound (5 pound purchase)

Bulkfoods.com
Raw almonds – 4.50 per pound (5 lb purchase) – not organic
Sliced almonds – 5.30 per pound (5 lb purchase) – not organic
Slivered almonds – 5.50 per lb (5 lb purchase) – not organic ($5 shipping with $75 purchase)

Justalmonds.com (NOT ORGANIC)
Raw almonds – 4.03 per lb (5 lb purchase)
Whole and broken almonds – 4.73 per lb (5 lb purchase)
Blanched whole and broken almonds –5.46 per lb (5 lb purchase)
Sliced almonds – 6.78 per lb (5 lb purchase)
Blanched sliced almonds – 7.08 per lb (5 lb purchase)
Diced almonds – 6.09 per lb (5 lb purchase)
Blanched diced almonds – 6.27 per lb (5 lb purchase)
Almond meal – 5.92 per lb (5 lb purchase)
Blanched almond meal – 6.15 per lb (5 lb purchase)

Ohnuts.com (not organic)
Raw almonds – 5.99 per lb
Blanched almonds – 6.99 per lb
Blanched slivered almonds – 5.99 per lb
Blanched sliced almonds – 5.99 per lb

Nutsforyou.net (not organic)
Raw almonds – 3.99 per lb
Sliced or Slivered – 5.19 per lb

Nutsite.com (not organic)
Blanched almonds, whole, sliced, or slivered – 5.00 per lb (5 lb purchase)
Raw almonds – 4.15 per lb (5 lb purchase)



--CASHEWS--

Kettleofnuts.com
Organic Raw Cashews – 4.99 per HALF pound (half price shipping over 50, free shipping over 100)

Bulkfoods.com
Cashews pieces – 4.75 per lb (5 lb purchase) – not organic ($5 shipping with $75 purchase)

Ohnuts.com (not organic)
Raw cashews – 6.99 per lb

Nutsforyou.net (not organic)
Raw cashews – 5.99 per lb

Nutsite.com (not organic)
Cashew pieces – 3.50 per lb (5 lb purchase)

Organickingdom.com
Organic cashew pieces – 7.50 per lb (5 lb purchase)



---DATES---


Fruitsstar.com
Medjool Dates – 6.29 per lb (5 lb purchase)
- 6.99 per lb (1 lb purchase)
Organic Medjool Dates – 7.00 per lb (5 lb purchase)

Dateland.com
Cooking medjool dates – 4.00 per lb (2 lb purchase)
Choice medjool dates – 6.85 per lb (2 lb purchase)
Traditinal medjools – 7.95 per lb (2 lb purchase)

Oasisdategardens.com
Organic medjool dates – 7.00 per lb (2 lb purchase)

Bulkfoods.com
Medjool dates – 6.00 per lb (5 lb purchase)

Shop.marthasgardensdatefarm.com
Medjool dates – 5.70 per lb (5 lb purchase)

Nutsite.com (not organic)
Medjool dates – 3.50 per lb (15 lb purchase)



---COCONUT FLAKES---

Fruitsstar.com
Sweet coconut flakes – 3.99 per lb
Organic sweet coconut flakes – 4.30 per lb

Alissacohen.com
Organic shredded coconut flakes – 7.50 per lb

Vitacost.com
Unsweetened coconut flakes – 2.69 for 12 ounces

Organicdirect.com
Organic unsweetened coconut flakes – 2.99 for 7 oz

Bulkfoods.com
Unsweetened coconut flakes – 4.83 per lb.



---EXTRA VIRGIN COCONUT OIL---

Vitacost.com
Organic – 6.64 for 15 fl oz
Organic – 6.99 for 16 fl oz



---AGAVE NECTAR---

Wildorganics.net
Raw, organic – 5.39 for 23 oz
- 9.96 for 46 oz

Vitacost.com
Raw, organic – 4.96 for 23 oz



---STEVIA---

Brooklynpremium.com
Stevia in the raw – 8.51 for 100 packets



---brown rice protein powder (Nutribiotic)---

Allhealthtrends.com
Vanilla – 10.99 for 21 oz (40 servings)
Chocolate – 10.99 for 22.9 oz (40 servings)

Vitacost.com
Vanilla – 12.58 for 21 oz (40 servings)





After additional research into the various shipping costs associated with each site and product, here is what I found:

(these totals exclude the prices lemons, which should be insignificant, as well as the price of the tea and the price of the chocolate, which also should not have a huge impact)

For 12 batches of each type of bar, or a total of 240 bars:

The cheapest I could make it with Organic ingredients is: $287
with Inorganic ingredients: $198

I set out with the intend of being able to sell the bars for 1.30 and attain a reasonable profit. I came to this number because Richard Frank, from Four Seasons, said that he generally marks up his product by 50%. Because I do not think the bars should have to sell for more than 2 dollars in a store (which is already more expensive then clif bars or larabars), I came up with 1.30 (1.30 * 150% = 1.95). 240 bars sold at this price would yield $312. With organic ingredients, the profit would only be $25, with inorganic ingredients, the profit would be $114. Of course, all of this is still before packaging considerations.

The prospect of using inorganic ingredients has only been mentioned up to this point, but it is definitely something we need to discuss. We need to decide whether we think people will buy an energy bar for 3 dollars, which is probably the price we would need to turn a profit with organic ingredients. Otherwise, we need to find a cheaper source for the organic ingredients. The main problem is buying the organic nuts, which tend to be AT LEAST twice as expensive as the inorganic nuts. Organic dates do not seem to be too much more expensive, nor do the organic coconut flakes. For coconut oil and agave nectar, organic seems to be the standard.