Unit Price Calculator

Compare up to four offers on true cost per unit — including freight, fees and any stock you can’t use. Built for case-lot buying of packaging, gloves, chemicals and food.

Surplus lot is the lowest landed cost at $0.036 per unit — 25.0% less than the most expensive option.

Per unit
$0.048
Per 1,000
$48.00
Landed per case
$48.00
Usable units
1,000
Per unit
$0.036
Per 1,000
$36.00
Landed per case
$36.00
Usable units
10,000

Found a better price per unit? Browse surplus packaging and cleaning supplies from independent sellers.

How to compare case prices

Sticker prices rarely line up. One seller quotes $48 for a case of 1,000 cups delivered, another quotes $300 for ten cases with $60 freight, and a third has a pallet of mixed sizes. Converting everything to landed cost per usable unit puts them on the same scale:

  1. Add the price and every extra cost: freight, delivery, pickup fuel or labor, and fees.
  2. Multiply cases by units per case to get total units.
  3. Reduce total units by anything you can’t use: damaged cases, expired stock, unmatched lids.
  4. Divide the landed cost by the usable units.

In the default example, the surplus lot works out to $0.036 per cup against $0.048 from the current supplier: 25% less, even after paying freight.

Check the details the math can’t see

  • Same product? Compare material, size, thickness and certifications. A cheaper glove or liner at a lower gauge is a different product.
  • Matching parts: containers and lids, cups and lids, and dispensers and refills must come from compatible product lines. See the deli container size guide for lid-fit questions.
  • Shelf life and storage: check dates on food and chemicals, and make sure you have room for the whole lot.
  • Cash tied up: a year of supply at a discount still costs money to hold. Run big buys through the inventory carrying cost calculator.

Where surplus lots come from

Distributors, manufacturers and operators regularly end up with overstock, discontinued sizes and closeout cases they need to move. On Food Service Surplus you can browse those lots and contact independent sellers directly about quantity, condition and pickup. Start with surplus food packaging and disposables or cleaning and janitorial supplies. If you are the one with extra cases, you can list surplus restaurant supplies.

Frequently asked questions

How do you calculate unit price?

Divide the total price by the number of units. For case goods, the number of units is cases × units per case. To compare offers fairly, add freight, delivery and fees to the price first, and only count units you can actually use.

What is landed cost per unit?

Landed cost is everything you pay to get the product into your storeroom: the purchase price plus shipping, freight, pickup costs and fees. Landed cost per unit is that total divided by the usable units. It is the fairest way to compare a local surplus lot with a delivered order from your regular supplier.

Why adjust for usable share?

Surplus and closeout lots sometimes include crushed cases, short-dated product, or containers without matching lids. If only 90% of a lot is usable, the real cost per usable unit is higher than the sticker math suggests. Lowering the usable share makes the comparison honest.

Is a lower unit price always the better buy?

Not always. A large lot ties up cash and storage space until you use it, and slow-moving or perishable stock can lose value while it waits. Compare the unit savings with how long the lot will last, and use the inventory carrying cost calculator if the purchase is large.