Supplier A is cheaper on chicken, B on vegetables, C says they'll match anyone if you move the whole account. The only honest way to settle it is line by line. Paste your regular purchase list with each vendor's rate, and this tool shows the cheapest source per item, what each single-vendor basket costs, and how much a best-price mixed basket saves.
Compare vendors on the total cost of your actual basket, not headline rates: multiply each item's quantity by each vendor's rate, total per vendor, and compare against the mixed basket that takes the cheapest line every time.
| Item | Qty | Vendor A (₹) | Vendor B (₹) | Vendor C (₹) | Cheapest | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vendor B | ||||||
| Vendor C | ||||||
| Vendor B |
Cheapest single vendor: Vendor B. Splitting the order at best prices saves ₹200.00 (2.1%) versus that basket, before delivery minimums and credit terms.
Not automatically. Splitting adds deliveries to receive, invoices to reconcile and minimum-order thresholds to hit. If the mixed-basket saving is under 3-4%, a single reliable vendor with one delivery and one credit line usually wins. Over 8-10%, splitting or renegotiating is worth the friction.
Normalise before comparing: convert everything to the same unit, and only compare like grades, a cheaper rate for a lower grade of rice or a smaller prawn count is not a saving. When grades differ, add a separate line per grade rather than pretending they are one item.
Monthly for volatile fresh produce, quarterly for groceries and packaging. The bigger habit is keeping this sheet from your last comparison, vendors who know you re-check rates drift upward far more slowly than vendors who know you don't.
Compare food cost %, labor %, prime cost and operating margin across outlets side by side, and see which location is quietly underperforming.
Create a clean, itemised purchase order with quantities, rates, totals and receiving terms, ready to send to any vendor on WhatsApp or email.