Carton

The standard wholesale unit — a full case of a product (e.g. 1,000 cups). Per-unit pricing drops as you buy by the carton, at trade pricing 15% below list price.

In wholesale packaging, a carton is the full case a product ships in — for example 1,000 cups, 500 bags or 2,000 lids. It's the unit trade pricing is built around, so quantities and prices on a product page refer to the carton, not a single piece.

Buying by the carton is where the economics work in your favour: the per-unit cost falls compared with retail or split packs, and consolidating your order helps you clear free-delivery thresholds. The trade-off is storage space and up-front outlay, so match carton sizes to your usage and reorder rhythm.

When comparing suppliers, always check the carton quantity, not just the headline price — a cheaper-looking carton may simply contain fewer units. Read the per-unit price alongside the case count so you're comparing like for like.