Community Purchasing

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As a community, we can increase our purchasing power by buying together. This means we can seek;
* Bulk discounts
* ((cio|Charitable)) discounts, potentially
* Gift aid
* VAT refunds

!Examples
!! New Gadget
For example, say you and three of your friends want the “Example EG9000” – the latest gadget that everyone is talking about.

If you were each to purchase the “Example EG9000” individually;
* you would all have to pay the whole cost alone
* you cannot all use every unit all the time, so they will sit unused while you
** work
** sleep
** Instagram your food
* you would need to fix it if it breaks
* you would need to create space for it in your already full house!

However, if you contribute toward Geek.Zone purchasing the “Example EG9000”;
* Costs are shared, so you personally pay less
* Community buying power often allows us to pay less overall
* Everyone can enjoy it any time
* Each unit spends more time in use
* Everyone can help to fix it
* Fewer units & resources are required, which makes it more environmentally friendly
* It gets set up at a ((Geek.Zone (Physical Space)|Geek.Zone)), so you don’t need to find space for it!

!! Sanitary Products
Hygiene is a basic necessity for everyone. It keeps the bugs at bay, helping us to stay happy and healthy.

Once we open Geek.Zone/01, Geek.Zone will have the space and, with support from everyone, the resources, to purchase items in bulk, meaning we can get better discounts. Our ((honesty shop)) will stock items like,
* Soap
* Tampons & Sanitary Towels
* Shampoo
…as well as many others. This will make it much cheaper than the supermarkets. Since it will be an ((honesty shop)), you will be able to just give what you can afford.

!! Food
Food is clearly a necessity for every living being. Unfortunately, Supermarkets, the source of food for most of us, are the end of a long chain of organisations that all need to add their own profits on every item. This can make food much more expensive than it could be. Good, healthy food, however, is critical for physical and mental wellbeing.

Together as a community, we can work with wholesalers and producers to purchase food at much lower rates. We will also hold regular community dinners at Geek.Zone/01, so that we can all have,
* a great meal at a low price

* a fun evening among friends

Alias
* (alias(purchasing))
* (alias(Purchasing))
* (alias(communitypurchasing))