Crafty vs Costco

Bulk retailers may carry products from minority-owned founders, but you won’t find tools to search for them, prioritize them, or track your impact. It’s up to you to dig through listings, research supplier backgrounds, and choose what aligns with your company’s DEI goals. And once you order? There’s no visibility into how those decisions drive impact across your company.

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Good luck finding sustainable products buried in the metaphorically towering aisles of Costco's online marketplace. Even if they’re there, it’s on you to dig through product information, research, and check the product information, and figure out what aligns with your company’s values. And once you’ve bought it? There’s no tracking, no reporting, and no support to help you scale your impact.

Crafty takes a more hands-on, integrated approach. Sustainability is built into how we run your pantry every day. From cutting down on packaging to preventing overordering, our team and technology help you build a smarter, greener program that reflects your company’s goals.

How Crafty Builds Sustainability Into Every Program:

• Cut Down on Single-Use Packaging with Smart Equipment: We implement solutions like Bevi machines, cold brew and kombucha kegs, and bulk snack dispensers to reduce packaging waste at the source.
• Prevent Waste Before It Happens: Our platform uses real-time consumption data to automate orders and reduce excess inventory—so you only get what you need, when you need it.
• Filter and Report on Sustainable Products: Use our platform to find products that meet standards like B-Corp, Fair Trade, and vegan. We help you make values-aligned choices and track your impact.
• Support Circular Economy Practices: We can integrate TerraCycle programs to recycle coffee pods, snack wrappers, and other hard-to-recycle materials—diverting waste from landfills.

Sustainability with Crafty isn’t just about what you buy. It’s about how your entire program is designed to reduce waste and maximize impact.

When you’re ordering through Costco, the service ends long before the pantry is ready. You’re responsible for everything including sourcing the right products, managing pickup or delivery, unpacking, stocking, cleaning, and tracking what’s running low. That might be manageable for one office, but it quickly becomes unsustainable at scale.

Crafty takes a completely different approach. We provide dedicated onsite support that acts as an extension of your team. Our people don’t just drop off products and ghost you. They manage the day-to-day operations of your pantry to keep it clean, organized, and running smoothly across every location.

Here’s what our onsite teams handle that Costco never will:

• Stocking and organizing shelves so your space always looks full, polished, and inviting
• Rotating products using FEFO (First Expire, First Out) to minimize waste
• Restocking and reordering essentials before they run out
• Flagging slow-moving items and recommending better alternatives
• Performing light maintenance and cleaning on pantry equipment
• Documenting every shift with photos and updates through the Crafty Platform

It’s not just about dropping snacks off at your door, it’s about maintaining a consistent, reliable experience that your team can count on every single day.

Costco can work when you’re running a single office and buying in bulk for basic needs, but once your team grows or your program expands across locations, the cracks start to show. Here’s how you know it’s time to level up and how Crafty solves the challenges that bulk retailers weren’t built for:

You’re stuck sourcing what’s available, not what your team actually needs.

• Why it’s a problem: Product availability changes constantly, pack sizes are inflexible, and you’re forced to make compromises that lead to waste and frustration.
• The Crafty way: We build inventory strategies around your needs, ensure consistent category coverage, and recommend smart substitutions when items are unavailable.

You’re handling delivery, stocking, and setup on your own.

• Why it’s a problem: It eats up your team’s time and leads to inconsistent pantry experiences across offices.
• The Crafty way: Our onsite teams receive deliveries, stock and organize shelves, and keep your space looking polished and professional.

You have no central view of spend across locations.

• Why it’s a problem: You can’t track budgets, spot trends, or prevent overspending. Plus, reconciling receipts is a financial nightmare.
• The Crafty way: All your budgets and spend data live in one place, with real-time reporting, alerts, and tools to stay on track.

Inventory is a guessing game.

• Why it’s a problem: You’re buying in bulk without knowing what’s actually being used, leading to overstocked items, missed favorites, and wasted product.
• The Crafty way: Our platform tracks consumption, and our onsite teams report on inventory so you only reorder what your team actually wants.

You’re managing the program alone, without support.

• Why it’s a problem: When something breaks or runs out, it’s on you. And at scale, that’s not sustainable.
• The Crafty way: We manage the day-to-day, from equipment upkeep to restock prioritization, so your pantry just works.

Bottom line: If your pantry program feels like a second full-time job, it’s time for a partner that’s built for the workplace. Crafty helps you scale with consistency, visibility, and support—so you can stop managing and start optimizing.

This is an apples-to-oranges comparison.

Costco was built for consumers buying in bulk—not for companies running multi-location pantry programs. You're limited to what’s on the shelf that day, stuck with one-size-fits-all pack sizes, and left to handle everything from ordering and pickup to unpacking and stocking. There’s no coordination, no visibility, and no support if something goes wrong. What looks simple at checkout often turns into hours of manual work and disjointed execution across locations.

Crafty was purpose-built for the workplace. Our fulfillment approach is designed for consistency, efficiency, and total visibility. We build inventory strategies based on your team's needs, ensure steady coverage across key categories, and use our platform to recommend smart substitutions when items are out of stock—so your shelves stay stocked with the right products, not just what’s available.

Here’s how it works:

• We source from national distributors and local brands to bring you a curated mix of trusted and trending products.
• We partner with vetted local operators to deliver those products on time to each of your locations.
• Our onsite teams stock, organize, and merchandise every item to create a polished, retail-ready pantry.

Every step flows through the Crafty Platform. Orders are tracked, verified, and documented with delivery photos and shift updates, giving you real-time insight into what was delivered, when, and how it was executed.

Crafty is pantry fulfillment built for the workplace.

Costco might seem cheaper at first glance, but product pricing is only one part of the equation. When evaluating the cost of your pantry program, there are two major factors to consider: leaky spend from disorganization and the hidden cost of operations.

Bulk retailers are built for volume, not workplace coordination. They don’t provide inventory tracking, budget controls, or centralized reporting. Plus, they definitely don’t help with stocking shelves, rotating product, or providing and troubleshooting equipment. As a result, small inefficiencies pile up quickly, costing your team far more than you might realize. You’re likely losing money every day through:

• Overstocked items that expire before they’re used
• Untracked purchases across teams and credit cards
• Last-minute, off-cycle orders that increase costs
• Internal hours spent placing orders and managing receipts
• Merchandising without a strategy that drives up unnecessary consumption
• Outsourcing equipment and maintenance to another provider

Crafty helps you take control of spending at every level. We combine real-time data with onsite support to reduce waste, eliminate busy work, and drive smarter decisions. With Crafty, you get:

• Automated ordering based on consumption
• Centralized budget tracking across locations
• Onsite experts to restock, merchandise, and maintain your space
• Clear reporting that ties every dollar to impact
• An expert in office kitchen and pantry equipment, with managed support

Costco may look cheaper on the surface, but Crafty delivers the structure, visibility, and support you need to run a more efficient, cost-effective program in the long run.

Costco might seem like an easier option at first glance, but that changes quickly when you're managing multiple offices or trying to run a consistent, efficient program. Bulk retailers come with limited visibility, inconsistent inventory, lack of equipment, and zero support after delivery. Crafty is built to solve all of that.

We’re not just a vendor; we’re your partner. With Crafty, you get centralized control, data-driven decisions, and hands-on service that helps your pantry program run smoother, scale smarter, and make the most of every dollar.

Here’s what Crafty offers that Costco doesn’t:

• Onsite support to unpack, restock, and maintain your space
• Equipment to purchase or lease
• Preventative care for coffee machines and water equipment
• Strategic product guidance and optimization recommendations
• Automated, consumption-based ordering
• Real-time spend tracking with budget alerts and custom reporting
• Consolidated invoicing tailored for easier reconciliation
• Consistent category coverage with smart substitutions when needed

As your footprint grows, so do the operational and financial risks of relying on bulk retailers. Crafty helps you scale with confidence. Our innovative platform brings standardization, consistency, and visibility across every location, while our team provides expert pantry support to keep your program running at its best. Whether you're managing five offices or fifty, we help you build a national pantry program that works smarter at every level.

Learn more about our national programs >a