Packaging

Well actually, I'm giving some serious thought to discontinuing the creams. They take a long long time to make and take up a lot of space. But if I do continue with them then yes they will also be in the bags
 
If you are going to put the soap in one of your containers James and post it out for the buyer to grate the soap into I can see no advantage in offering a thin slab over a regular soap that is offered at the moment. It wont fit through the letter box and the red card isn't just a problem for you it's a problem for anyone who mails products, it's just a fact people aren't home all the time. Personally I love the containers but I think a smaller size like the size of the creams would be nice, smaller, quicker to get through and slim enough to fit through a letter box if sent in a thick plastic mailing bag. Refill pucks with a new label to put in the old container in full and half thickness size could be a good ldea too.
In this day though I'm pleased you are thinking about reducing packaging especially plastic which can only be a good thing for the planet.
 
Roy said:
The idea of small slabs in a gift box is excellen! A variety of ten. Enough for however full size puck lasts maybe. I don't know osp soaps yet, but are they pliable enough to be shaped into any container? An exciting and appealing idea .
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100% on this!
A gift box would be nice but not essential for me.
I'd very much like the option to buy half size amounts. I understand there's cost/hassle for you, James, but I would pay a premium.
Say one full bar is £10, I'd be quite happy to pay £12 for 2 half size bars. It's the variety I like. If you didn't do this, I think naturally the forum will. People don't share OSP now because it's awkward and the one who doesn't get the container gets the bum deal. With bars and no containers, people will naturally chop and swap/sell.


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I totally agree with Mbarn. Half sizes or even quarters! And if the soap is pliable enough to fit any bowl, I reckon you will be onto a winner!
 
We wet shavers (most of us) keep the empty plastic tubs, they always come in handy for samples, refills, whatever. Not much of it is thrown away and I think the environmental footprint of our tubs is nothing. And whoever finishes the tub anyway :D
Not to mention many of plastic tubs are made from recycled plastic. In my town, we have a bin for plastics for recycling, but we don't have anything for aluminum so that goes to general waste. On the other hand, aluminum foil production isn't really the best stuff in the world for the planet. That being said, aluminum pouches aren't really that much reusable so in my opinion, when viewing what is less of two evils it's the plastic tubs. Not to mention the practicality, usage, less effort, and no extra works once you get the soap, the storage space (tubs can be stacked), the SOTD photographing ...etc.

Don't have anything to say for the postage motives, it's a good thing, but for me not the most important thing when buying a soap. I would give people options - tubs & pouches - with different prices ofc.

Also, I'm all for smaller tubs, smaller size soaps, not sample size but 30g, 50g, 70g..... something that gives an option to try various things. Better 4 tubs of 50g than 2 x 125g for the same price.
 
Hi gents.

Let me give you my end goal. I'm trying to also work towards a space efficient solution. It's getting to the point where OSP is taking up a lot of time energy and space and returning very little for it (there isn't much money in soap making believe it or not).

I've met the woman I want to marry and as we start to think about marriage, kids, moving house, plus looking after my mother, I need OSP to be efficient if it is to continue to operate.

This is why I'm saying things like the shaving cream may be discontinued, and that multiple sizes of soaps will be hard for me to produce.

I tried offering 70g soaps and creams for a while and not many people bought them so it's very hard to try and please everyone.

As a midway point, do you think it'd be better to only offer 50g or 70g soaps instead of 140g? The price won't be half or whatever as there is a lot more to it than that but it will be somewhat cheaper.

Thoughts?
 
Silly thing is, I went and designed and built a semi automated production line for the current soap size at done cost and effort. It may all be for nothing! Typical haha
 
I would prefer all soaps to be sold in 70g sizes, it seems the perfect size to me. I have just about all the OSP soaps in the origanal large tubs with plenty of the soap left so I had no need to buy the 70g tubs you were selling but when I do need to restock the OSP I would like smaller quantities if that was viable.
 
This is obviously a labour of love for James, unfortunately love doesn't pay the mortgage or put food on the table. Four main things have to be considered: Storage (pre & post production), manufacture, packaging, despatch. To produce multiple sizes would increase costs that must be reflected in pricing which could possibly make the product financially unviable in an already very competative and saturated market. If machining allows, I would probably go for 70g flat slabs, easy to store taking up less space, postage & delivery easier, one size makes production more efficient and cost effective, in theory the smaller size means it will be used quicker so more soap bought thus better turnover. The consumer could keep the soap as it is, re-use a plastic tub or go to the local charity shop, supermarket etc and pick up a china, earthenwear or whatever bowl for pennies, use your imagination. This is a small business whose product probably has a small mark up so its all about efficiency. Efficiency equates to better production and consequently, better profit. If the chap doesn't make any money for his hard work then what's the point? The main downside I can think of would be marketing. Preaching to the converted like us is easy, selling it to Joe Public who wants pretty labels and convenient packing & dispensing may be more difficult.
So there you go, that's my tuppence worth!!

(And off topic for a sec, loving the Bay Rum soap! Had a shave with it this morning!!)
 
Bikerjohn said:
This is obviously a labour of love for James, unfortunately love doesn't pay the mortgage or put food on the table. Four main things have to be considered: Storage (pre & post production), manufacture, packaging, despatch. To produce multiple sizes would increase costs that must be reflected in pricing which could possibly make the product financially unviable in an already very competative and saturated market. If machining allows, I would probably go for 70g flat slabs, easy to store taking up less space, postage & delivery easier, one size makes production more efficient and cost effective, in theory the smaller size means it will be used quicker so more soap bought thus better turnover. The consumer could keep the soap as it is, re-use a plastic tub or go to the local charity shop, supermarket etc and pick up a china, earthenwear or whatever bowl for pennies, use your imagination. This is a small business whose product probably has a small mark up so its all about efficiency. Efficiency equates to better production and consequently, better profit. If the chap doesn't make any money for his hard work then what's the point? The main downside I can think of would be marketing. Preaching to the converted like us is easy, selling it to Joe Public who wants pretty labels and convenient packing & dispensing may be more difficult.
So there you go, that's my tuppence worth!!

(And off topic for a sec, loving the Bay Rum soap! Had a shave with it this morning!!)
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Off topic or not, the OSP Bay Rum soap is something special indeed and one of my favourites, along with the wonderful Lavender soap amongst others.
I'm sure James will come up with a solution that will work for us and still be viable for his business.
:) P.
 
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