Buying smarter4 min read
20 oz bottles, 2 liter soda, and cans: a wholesale buying comparison
Compare 20 oz bottles, 2 liter soda, and 12 oz or 16 oz cans by selling format, case quantity, display space, and complete wholesale cost.
Read the guideRETAILER GUIDES
Buying guides for Chicagoland store owners
Written by the Gokul sales desk.
3 min read
Compare wholesale prices by usable unit
The case total only tells part of the story. Compare pack sizes, delivered cost, and what your store will actually use.
Read the price guideAll retailer guides
Pick a guide for the job in front of you.
25 useful guides for your store
Store operations4 min read
How to build a wholesale beverage order for your store
Plan Coca-Cola, Minute Maid, Monster, and Aquafina wholesale orders using exact formats, flavor quantities, volume quotes, and a practical receiving checklist.
Read the guidePackaging4 min read
Custom vs stock plastic bags: what should your store order?
Compare custom-printed and stock plastic bags by checkout fit, artwork, order quantity, storage, and total cost before requesting a wholesale quote.
Read the guideBuying smarter4 min read
7 oz vs 16 oz cups and 2 oz shot glasses: compare the formats
Compare cup capacities, pack quantities, intended uses, and ordering costs. Find the right questions for 7 oz cups, 16 oz cups, and 2 oz shot glasses.
Read the guidePackaging4 min read
Custom vs stock plastic cups: compare cost, design, and service
Compare printed and stock plastic cups using a clear project brief, complete quote costs, artwork approval steps, and confirmed delivery requirements.
Read the guideBuying smarter3 min read
How to compare wholesale prices beyond the case total
Compare case quantities, usable units, delivery charges, and order terms with a practical wholesale quote worksheet for your store.
Read the guideBuying smarter3 min read
Choosing a wholesale supplier for Chicago retailers: a practical comparison
Compare Gokul, local distributors, and packaging specialists by assortment, account access, product fit, and confirmed delivery terms.
Read the guidePackaging4 min read
Paper vs. plastic retail bags: choosing for your checkout
Compare retail bags by fit, handling, storage space, and pack quantity. Build a sample checklist before ordering bags in bulk.
Read the guidePackaging3 min read
Six-pack rings vs. rigid can carriers: what to check before ordering
Compare ring and rigid carrier formats, can compatibility, application steps, and pack quantities before buying beverage packaging.
Read the guideBuying smarter3 min read
How to compare wholesale service, delivery speed, and support
Use an order scorecard to compare supplier communication, confirmed delivery windows, item accuracy, and issue resolution from real experience.
Read the guideBuying smarter3 min read
Your first wholesale order: from shopping list to shelf
Prepare a first wholesale order with a product list, pack checks, account information, storage plan, and a clear receiving checklist.
Read the guideStore operations3 min read
A weekly restock routine your whole team can follow
Turn shelf gaps, backroom counts, and open orders into one practical weekly buying list for your store.
Read the guideShelf planning4 min read
Build a small-store assortment that fits the shelf
Give each product a clear role, measure the room it needs, and test new choices without crowding your core assortment.
Read the guideShelf planning3 min read
Match beverage case packs to your cooler space
Connect case quantities, selling units, cooler facings, and backstock before placing your next beverage order.
Read the guideStore operations3 min read
A useful checkout counter, without the clutter
Plan a clear payment area, a small relevant product selection, and a repeatable counter reset for every shift.
Read the guideStore operations3 min read
A receiving checklist for your next wholesale delivery
Prepare the order record, check quantities and condition, document differences, and put the delivery away with a clear stock trail.
Read the guideBuying smarter4 min read
Plan seasonal inventory around your Chicagoland store
Build a local demand calendar, stage seasonal orders, and decide how temporary stock will leave the shelf before buying it.
Read the guideCompliance11 min read
Illinois tobacco retailer license: what a store needs before it sells
What an Illinois tobacco retailer license costs, which of the two license types your store needs, and the extra Chicago and Cook County rules on top of it.
Read the guideCompliance12 min read
Illinois tobacco taxes explained: cigarettes, OTP, vapes and pouches
The Illinois cigarette tax per pack, the 45 percent tobacco products tax, plus Cook County and Chicago add-ons, and how tax-inclusive wholesale pricing works.
Read the guideCompliance10 min read
Illinois resale certificates and retail sales tax for small stores
How to get an Illinois resale certificate with Form CRT-61, which items are taxed at the high or grocery rate, and the Chicago bag and bottled water taxes.
Read the guideCompliance11 min read
SNAP and EBT for convenience stores: authorization and stocking
How the SNAP retailer application works for a convenience store, the staple food stocking rules changing November 4, 2026, and what EBT can and cannot buy.
Read the guideCompliance11 min read
Nicotine pouch and vape rules for Illinois and Chicago retailers
Current Illinois and Chicago rules for selling nicotine pouches and vapes: licensing, the 45 percent tax, flavor bans, display rules and PACT Act shipping.
Read the guideCompliance10 min read
Age-restricted sales checklist for Illinois convenience stores
One checklist for age verification in Illinois across tobacco, vapes, alcohol and lottery: which ID counts, which age triggers a check, and what inspectors do.
Read the guidePricing & margins9 min read
Convenience store margin math: markup, case cost and shelf price
Convenience store margin math in plain steps: markup versus margin, case cost to unit cost, landed cost, and when a deal case loses money on shelf space.
Read the guideBuying smarter10 min read
DSD vs wholesale supply: running both without double-stocking
DSD vs wholesale supply for a small store: what comes direct from bottlers and bakers, what comes from a wholesaler, and how to run both on one calendar.
Read the guideNo guides found for that search.
Try a product, like bags, or a task, like restocking.
Open the catalog
Then build your next order.
Bags, cups, and custom print
Custom plastic bags
Send your logo, size, and quantity for a printed-bag quote.
Ask for a bag quote
Custom plastic cups
Share cup size, artwork, and quantity for a printed-cup quote.
Ask for a cup quoteCups & drinkware
7 oz cups, 16 oz cups, and 2 oz shot glasses.
See 7 oz cups
Coca-Cola, Minute Maid, Monster, and Aquafina
Case counts are on the listing. Sign in for account pricing, or ask sales about volume.