bulkitem

A bulkitem is a quantity of goods that is sold or handled as a single unit rather than as many individually labeled items. It is commonly used in wholesale, manufacturing, and logistics to represent items that are processed, stored, or purchased in large lots by weight, volume, or count.

In practice, bulkitems appear across several sectors, including agriculture, mining, chemicals, and food service. They are often contrasted with consumer packaged goods, which are sold in smaller, consumer-ready units. In inventory systems, a bulkitem is tracked by quantity and unit of measure and may have associated lot or batch data, expiration dates for perishables, and specific storage or handling requirements. Pricing frequently uses bulk rates, price breaks, or minimum order quantities, and bulkitems may be aggregated from multiple sub-items within the system.

Handling bulkitems typically requires specialized packaging, pallets or bulk containers, labeling, and compliance with safety and regulatory standards. Recall and disposal procedures may differ from those for individual packaged items due to volume, hazard classification, or packaging integrity. Accurate counting, weight measurement, and end-to-end traceability are important for inventory control and quality assurance when dealing with bulkitems.

Examples of bulkitems include bulk grains sold by weight, sugar or salt bags, cement or other construction materials, and liquids stored in drums or large containers. Related concepts include bulk packaging, lot tracking, and minimum order quantity arrangements.