Brats and Buns

[homebeerbrewer]

I’ve had this question for years, but never got a good answer. Why do the big companies that make brats (Johnsonville, looking at you) package them with five brats, when most companies that make buns package six buns?

I actually called the toll free number on Johnsonville’s brat package to ask that question. The girl that I spoke to didn’t have the answer. lol

 

[indaswamp]

My guess is price point...

 

[JLinza]

My guess is price point...

Bingo.... they go off of weight vs. Individual count. If they added a 6th link they would push the price point up higher than most consumers want to pay.

 

[homebeerbrewer]

That makes sense. I was wondering if the brat makers were in cahoots with the bun makers. To get an equal amount of brats to buns, you’d have to buy 6 packages of brats, and 5 packages of buns. In my opinion, not the best way to upsell. But they didn’t ask me.

 

[Timber II]

Yep all about the dollar

 

[KonaRich]

I’ve had this question for years, but never got a good answer. Why do the big companies that make brats (Johnsonville, looking at you) package them with five brats, when most companies that make buns package six buns?

I actually called the toll free number on Johnsonville’s brat package to ask that question. The girl that I spoke to didn’t have the answer. lol.

This is the age-old mismatch of hot dog packages and bun packages. A decades-old dilemma for the consumer. I wondered about that back in the 1950's.

 

[Elf@shore]

I’ve had this question for years, but never got a good answer. Why do the big companies that make brats (Johnsonville, looking at you) package them with five brats, when most companies that make buns package six buns?

I actually called the toll free number on Johnsonville’s brat package to ask that question. The girl that I spoke to didn’t have the answer. lol

Combination of 4 things:
1 Manufacturing costs per unit. Their bottom line. ( Do they make a decent profit ?)
2 Unit size: What will sell VS what not ? , be very surprised what sells better !? Smaller Vs Larger ?
3 Price point can vary : Depending on what the consumer wants? ( Cheap or High end ?)
4 Corp. decisions which are mandated into the Market, weather they make sense or not !?
I experienced all of the above during the 30 Yrs selling to retail grocery.
Even a huge influx among the 40 mile Shore tourist base, demographics played a huge part.
I had both low end and high end markets in 2 areas, Ironically they had both !

IMO: I would reduced the unit size minimal, make the PKG a 2 PK.
Result: Have a choice to have too much or not enough!? LOL .
Seriously, they price would be lower, also possibly having 2 units sealed separately, as Kielbasa is ?
Could sell the 2 pks in a string of 2,3,6,12 pks? Mom &Pops VS Sams Club ?

Sorry for the rant, But you hit a thorn in my thigh!?
Seen what works and what does not !
It got to the point I had to tell mgt to do? , Remember getting a calls multi times from higher mgt @ 11th hour.
But like most Corps, Its the blame game !?
I could tell you stories that would make yur head spin !


LATER! ELF
ELF

 

[Gonna Smoke]

Solution for me is I am able to make my own brats and vac seal in packages of 6. Reminds me that I need to make some more...

 

[chopsaw]

Why do the big companies that make brats (Johnsonville, looking at you) package them with five brats

Because sausages are standard sizes . Like 4:1 , 5:1 , 6:1 or 8:1 .
That way you know what size link you're buying . That number refers to how many links it takes to make a pound .
So being priced and pre packaged at 1 pound , it takes 5 number 5 (5:1 ) links to make a 1 pound package of Johnsonville bratwurst .

 

[chopsaw]

make my own brats and vac seal in packages of 6.

My batch size is based on 2 1/2 pounds of grind . If my links are closer to a number 4 , they get vac'd up in 3 link packs if doing a single batch .

Larger batches get vac'd at 1 pound . So 4 number 4 links per pack .
Keeps everything pretty close in size .