Peanut butter is as American as apple pie. Estimations indicate that the average American kid consumes a 125 foot high stack of peanut butter sandwiches by the time he reaches age 18. However, it isn't just Americans that like peanut butter. Peanut butter producers also report high sales in Canada, South America, Mexico, Central America, Australia, the United Kingdom, South Africa, Papua New Guinea, New Zealand, The Bahamas, North Africa, The Netherlands, the Philippines and Saudi Arabia.
Peanuts are a legume, not a nut. They are low on the carbohydrate glycemic scale, are high in protein, and contain heart-healthy mono-saturated fats. For health conscious customers, there is also natural peanut butter and organic peanut butter brands. In addition, for those customers with peanut allergies, there is a peanut butter substitute made with soy nuts.
Adding peanut butter sandwiches and other peanut butter products to your menu or store shelves is a great way to increase business. When purchasing peanut butter for your business, consider the following:
1. The health conscious level of your customers
2. How important brand recognition is with your customers
3. What other peanut butter products you can offer
Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done
Decide what peanut butter companies to use
Brand recognition is often important to consumers. Well known peanut butter brands spend millions of dollars on advertising. Let their advertising pay off for your business by stocking your shelves with their products. If you are serving peanut butter sandwiches, put the brand of the peanut butter in your menu to help the sandwich sell.
I recommend: Skippy is a well known brand of peanut butter sold by Unilever since 1933.
Jif, sold by The J.M. Smucker Company, is another well known peanut butter brand. They carry a full line including reduced fat and peanut butter with honey.
Stock natural, and other health conscious, peanut butter
The addition of natural peanut butter and organic peanut butter brands to your inventory increases sales. It is also a good idea to offer low fat varieties from organic peanut butter producers. Depending on how health conscious you feel your customers are, consider offering sugar free peanut butter as well as peanut butter with higher levels of omega 3.
I recommend: Smart Balance Inc sells a product called Omega Peanut Butter. Their product has high levels of omega 3 from added flax seed oil. The
J.M. Smucker Company sells Adams Natural Peanut Butter and Adams Organic Peanut Butter.
Consider other peanut butter products
In addition to selling jars of peanut butter, or putting peanut butter sandwiches on your menu, you can increase your businesses sales by selling other peanut butter products. Peanut butter sauce is great for use as a topping on ice cream, as well as making peanut butter shakes, smoothies and lattes. Bake your own peanut butter cookies, using the peanut butter sauce, or purchase peanut butter cookies for re-sale.
I recommend: Superior Nut Company Inc. sells peanut butter sauce in 45 pound pails.
Frito-Lay North America, Inc. sells Grandma's Peanut Butter cookies. These soft, large cookies are packaged two to a pack for ease of re-sale.
Locate peanut butter wholesalers
To get the best prices on peanut butter, check with wholesalers in your local area.
I recommend: Costco Wholesale Corporation and
BJ’s Wholesale Club, Inc. are both great cash-and-carry wholesale outlets if they exist in your area.
Tips & Tactics
Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide
- If you are adding peanut butter sandwiches to your menu, get creative in the choices. In addition to jelly, peanut butter is also paired well in sandwiches with any of the following: marshmallow fluff, raisins, honey, potato chips, bacon, and even mayonnaise.
The official source of Buying Peanut Butter for Your Store is
the Peanut Butter page at Business.com
Related Resources from Business.com
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