Case Pack
A case pack is the standard quantity of individual units bundled together for wholesale distribution, essentially the minimum order size a manufacturer or distributor will sell to retailers or resellers. For example, a case pack of 12 means you order 12 units per case, not individual items. This is different from how many units fit physically in a shipping box (though they're often the same).
Why it matters
Understanding case packs directly affects your ordering costs and inventory planning. If you're buying wholesale or manufacturing products, you'll need to know what case packs are available because you usually can't order fewer units, and ordering in case packs impacts your per-unit cost and storage needs.
What Case Pack is not
A case pack is not the same as a carton or the physical packaging your product ships in, it's a business ordering unit. You can't negotiate a case pack down to 5 units if the standard is 12; you either accept the case pack size or work with a different supplier.
Where this shows up
- Wholesale pricing sheets and distributor catalogs
- Manufacturing quotes and production orders
- Retail buyer negotiations and purchase agreements
- Inventory management and cost calculations
Related terms
- Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ) case pack is a type of MOQ, but MOQ can refer to total units while case pack specifies the bundled unit size
- Wholesale case packs are the standard ordering method in wholesale transactions
- SKU each SKU may have its own case pack size, affecting how you stock multiple product variations
- Per-Unit Cost ordering in case packs directly determines your landed cost per unit