School supplies are costly, and whether you’re a teacher or a parent, these expenses come around each and every year. Sure, a few pencils don’t cost much, but between pencils, pens, notebooks, duotangs, pencil cases, backpacks, and art supplies, it all adds up. Purchasing bulk school supplies can save parents, teachers, and schools hundreds of dollars. And the best part? You don’t need to step foot in a store.
Learn how to bulk order school supplies, including the benefits of buying kits and the best places to buy bulk school supplies for teachers and parents.
The Benefits of Bulk School Supplies
Save Money
The most important—and obvious—benefit to buying school supplies in bulk is the money you save. Bulk school supplies can be purchased for a fraction of in-store prices. For example, you might pay $2-5 for one package of pencils (approx. 40 cents per pencil), but when you buy in bulk, you can purchase 250 pencils for $40 (approx. 16 cents per pencil.) The more expensive the item, the more money you will save. An individual backpack can cost anywhere from $15-40, but in bulk, they cost as little as $3 per backpack.
The key is ensuring you’re actually going to use the entirety of the bulk purchase. This usually isn’t an issue for schools and teaches, but it could be for parents.
Save Time
Shopping takes time, especially when you need to physically go to a store to make your purchases. Bulk buying gets you the supplies you need all at once, so you don’t need to go back and forth between stores multiple times a year.
Order Online
Bulk school supplies can all be ordered online. With a few clicks and a credit card number, you’ll have your supplies shipped directly to your home or school. No need to worry about opening hours, physical distancing lines, or waiting at the checkout.
What Are Bulk School Supply Kits?
Bulk school supply kits bundle school supplies into kits for individual students. Instead of buying 100 pencils or 40 glue sticks at once, school supply kits conveniently package everything a single student needs together.
Compared to the cost of purchasing each item individually from a retailer, bulk school supply kits are ridiculously cheap. They range in price from around $2 - $20 per kit, depending on what’s included and how many kits are purchased.
A minimal $2 school supply kit might include:
- 2 Pencils
- 2 Pens
- 1 Eraser
- 1 Pencil sharpener
- 4 Crayons
- 1 Pencil case
A $4 school supply kit might include:
- 3 Pencils
- 3 Pens
- 2 Erasers
- 5 Crayons
- 1 Pencil sharpener
- 1 Glue stick
- 1 Highlighter
- 1 Notebook
- 1 Folder
- 1 Ruler
- 1 Pencil case
A large $12 school supply kit might include:
- 5 Pencils
- 4 Pens
- 6 Erasers
- 2 Notebooks
- 4 Folders
- 1 Glue stick
- 1 Ruler
- 1 Pair of scissors
- 1 Box of crayons
- 1 Box of pencil crayons
- 1 Pencil sharpener
- 1 Pencil case
- 1 Backpack
School supply kits are ideal for schools, children's groups, groups of parents, or making school supply donations to those in need.
How to Buy Bulk School Supplies Cheaply
Don’t Buy More Than What You Need
The key to bulk school supply shopping is ensuring you only purchase what you need. It may be a good deal to buy 250 pencils for $40, but as a parent or an individual school teacher, you probably don’t need that many. Storing more than what you need for a year or two when you know you will use it is okay, but no one needs to buy 20 years’ worth of pencils all at once, even if it is a good deal.
Order As A Group
Ordering as a group can get you the low prices you want without getting way more than you need. Teachers may want to consider making group purchases with other teachers to get the best price available.
Parents can team up with other parents to make bulk purchases. Consider buying bulk school supplies or kits as a group with neighbors, clubs, sports teams, your church, or other communities you belong to.
Make it a charitable endeavor! For the low cost of school supply kits, you can turn your bulk order into a fundraiser. Bump up the price of each school kit by a few dollars per person in order to give back some of your savings to a meaningful cause. You can also set up a “one for me, one for someone in need” system, donating every second kit to someone who can’t afford new supplies.
Best Place to Buy Bulk School Supplies
Bulk School Supply Kits From Bags in Bulk
Bags in Bulk sells a range of bulk school supplies, including premade school supply kits. They must be bought in boxes of 24 kits with prices ranging from $1.25 - $8.00, depending on what’s included in the kits and how many boxes are purchased.
Bulk School Supply Kits:
- 12 Piece School Supply Kit, as low as $1.25
- 18 Piece School Supply Kit, as low as $2.10
- 20 Piece School Supply Kit, as low as $3.25
- 12 Piece School Supply Kit With Backpack, as low as $3.75
- 20 Piece School Supply Kit With Backpack, as low as $6.00
- 30 Piece School Supply Kit With Backpack, as low as $8.00
Bulk School Supplies:
- 12 Inch Rulers, as low as 14 cents each
- Blunt Tip Scissors, as low as 31 cents each
- Pencil Pouches, as low as 40 cents each
- Single Glue Stick, as low as 15 cents each
- Crayon Packs, as low as 27 cents each
- 15 Inch Basic Backpacks, as low as $2.25 each
- 17 Inch Solid Backpacks, as low as $2.50 each
- 17 Inch Printed Backpacks, as low as $3.10 each
Bulk School Supply Kits From Backpacks USA
Backpacks USA carries a selection of bulk backpacks and school supply kits. They must be ordered in boxes of 24 kits and range in price from $2 - $20, depending on what’s included in the kit, how many are ordered, and the quality of the backpack.
Bulk School Supply Kits:
- 17 Piece School Supply Kit, as low as $2.00
- 20 Piece School Supply Kit, as low as $4.15
- 44 Piece School Supply Kit, as low as $6.00
- 52 Piece Deluxe School Supply Kit, as low as $8.45
- 17 Piece School Supply Kit With Backpack, as low as $5.15
- 20 Piece School Supply Kit With Backpack, as low as $7.00
- 52 Piece School Supply Kit With Backpack, as low as $11.50
Bulk Backpacks:
- 15" Basic Black Backpacks, as low as $2.25 each
- 15" Star Wars Backpacks, as low as $5.50 each
- 17" Basic Bulk Backpacks, as low as $2.50 each
- 19" Black Sport Backpacks, as low as $4.55 each
Backpacks USA also sells a variety of other bulk supplies, including school hygiene kits and care packages for the homeless.
Individual School Supply Kits
While you won’t save nearly as much money, there are some savings and convenience to be found when purchasing individual school supply kits. Amazon sells a few different bundles that will keep you out of stores and get you everything you need for the start of school with one simple purchase.
Individual School Supply Kits:
- Sargent Art Elementary School Kit, includes 13 products
- Crayola School Supplies Bundle, includes 6 products
- Elementary School Supplies Bundle- Grades 1-4, includes 11 products
Bulk Art Supplies for Teachers
Quill.com has a selection of bulk art supplies available online. They carry everything from watercolor paint to Crayola markers to crafting supplies. The bulk pricing is perfect for classrooms that eat through art supplies or parents purchasing art supplies for groups, clubs, or churches.
Bulk Art Supplies:
- Crayola Classpack Crayons (800 pieces)
- Crayola Markers, Assorted Colors (256 pieces)
- Elmer's All Purpose School Glue Sticks (60 pieces)
- Dixon® Ticonderoga® Prang™ Watercolor Paint, (24 sets and 12 refills)
- Crayola Paint Set (12 x 16oz bottles)
Bulk School Supplies From Blue Summit Supplies
Currently, we don’t sell bundled school supply kits, but we do sell an assortment of bulk school supplies for classrooms and at-home learning. Here are some of our favorite Blue Summit Supplies products for students.
Bulk Supplies From Blue Summit Supplies:
- Dry Erase Lapboards with Accessory Kits (30 pieces)
- Whiteboard Clipboards (30 pieces)
- Two Pocket Folders with Prongs, Assorted Colors (50 pieces)
- Plastic Two Pocket Folders, Assorted Colors (30 pieces)
- Colorful Pencil Sharpener & Eraser Bundle (100 pieces)
- Pink Erasers (100 pieces)
- Neon Poster Board, 9 x 12 Inches (50 pieces)
- 1/2" 3-Ring Binders, White (10 pieces)
- 1/2" 3-Ring Binders, Black (10 pieces)
- Sheet Protectors, 11 Hole (400 pieces)
- Dry Erase Pockets (30 pieces)
More From Blue Summit Supplies
💡 Clipboard Storage Guide for the Classroom, Home, and Office
💡 Dry Erase Lapboard Storage Guide For the Classroom, Home, and Office
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