For the last 15 years, our family has been ordering many bulk foods through Azure Standard coop each month. Each month, I get many comments and emails asking about ordering with Azure and what my review of Azure Standard is.
So, I thought I’d condense everything you need to know into one post in case you, too, were wondering about ordering from Azure Standard. This guide will help you get started!
Table of Contents
What Is Azure Standard?
Azure Standard is a bulk buying coop. They sell organic foods, organic produce, and other organic products. They do have some conventional products, but they seem to be moving away from those in the past few years. Organic or conventional, it’s a good source of non-GMO groceries.
Azure ships its products from its Moro, Oregon facility mostly by semi-truck. Once you join, you get on a “route” to pick up your order when it comes to town.
The awesome thing about them is that you don’t necessarily have to buy the products they sell in bulk, making it easy for anyone to order.
Does Azure Standard Deliver to Home?
Azure does have a parcel delivery service through UPS, but it’s only for select dry goods, and shipping is high. Most goods need to be shipped via truck delivery to a local truck location.
How Do Azure Drops Work?
You can order from Azure through UPS delivery (but only dry goods) or by the standard method of semi-truck deliveries. (Monthly or, in some areas, bi-monthly)
Thanks to all of our moving around, I’ve ordered with Azure in different states and in many different drop locations, even being a drop coordinator myself. I can tell you that with some minor differences depending on the drop, most drop locations will run in a very similar way to how I’m describing here.
I have ordered from Azure for several years now. In fact I was ordering from them before they had a route through here via UPS shipped. I love getting the organic produce such as apples, oranges, celery, carrots, and potatoes. Many times I can purchase organic from as cheap or cheaper than regular in the grocery stores. I get laundry supplies, cleaning supplies, rice, beans, and some snack foods. It would be very difficult for me to use as much organic as I do without Azure.
Sandy, Little House Living reader
How Do I Get Connected and Set Up an Account with Azure?
To first find out if Azure is in your area you will need to call or check the schedule of deliveries on their website. You will need to look for the closest drop locations, or if there aren’t any, you will have to be at one of their drop shipping locations. They do some parcel shipment but only with dry goods and shipping is high.
It’s easiest to call them after you sign up with them (it’s free to sign up!) and find out the phone number of your drop site manager. They’ve also made it very easy to sign up online if you know which drop site you want to join and if the drop shows that it’s “open” to new members.
Each truck drop site has a manager who will contact you each month and let you know the delivery time. Azure will also email you each month with the drop pickup information.
If there is not a delivery drop in your area and if you are already on a route, you can also talk to Azure about starting your own drop site in your town as long as you and some friends can meet the minimum drop amount.
We did this in a town that we lived in and even though we had a small group (only 4 or 5 of us ordering) we still met the minimum each month so that we could continue to get orders to our town.
Does Azure Standard Offer Free Shipping?
They do not offer free shipping on truck deliveries or UPS deliveries, and rightfully so. It’s very expensive to ship heavy bulk items. Our shipping rate for our area on truck deliveries is 8.5% of our total order cost. It’s different for different areas.
Can You Use Food Stamps on Azure Standard?
At this time, you cannot use food stamps to order from Azure.
I get my organic chicken food (Scratch and Peck brand) from them. It is wonderful. Also bulk rice, split peas, sugar, etc. for food storage.
Sharon, Little House Living reader
Great company and very helpful over the phone if you need to call.
What does Azure Standard Make?
Azure manufactures a few items itself, like their Azure Clean line and the Uncommon Carob; however, they are mostly a repackaging facility.
How Do I Order from Azure?
The easiest way to order is to simply order on the Azure Standard website. You can add items to your cart and see prices, descriptions, and quantities on hand.
Once you order, Azure will send you an email confirmation so you know your order was placed. You will need a drop site number (that you get from your drop manager) before you can order to ensure it goes to the right drop unless you signed up online under a specific drop location.
When you order, remember that you may have to pay a shipping fee (ours is 8.5% of the total). When you order, check out the available sales and bargain bin to see online (you can also order a free sales flyer with your order; sales change once every month).
What Do I Order from Azure?
Azure sells everything from fresh produce to baby diapers, honey to eggs, wheat berries to boxed cereals, and everything in between! We order the majority of our monthly groceries from them.
The best way to decide what to order is to work on making your grocery list through the month so you don’t forget anything, and make sure to create a meal plan for the upcoming month so you know what you will need.
Of course, with all of their products, I couldn’t simply tell you everything that would be great to order, but I can share some of the things we ordered. Azure also now has reviews on their products, so you can tell if a product might be high quality or poor quality based on the reviews.
For more details on exactly what I like to order in bulk, I created a big blog post on What to Order from a Bulk Coop.
My Favorite Items to Order from Azure
I have so many items that I love to order each month from Azure Standard. Here are a few to give you some ideas of what to order!
- Bulk Cream Cheese
- Dried Onion
- Bulk Garlic Granules
- Turbinado Sugar
- Frozen Fruits and Vegetables (we like the Stahlbrush brand but have recently liked the larger boxes (5 or 10lbs of Azure brand))
- Country Save Detergent
- Brown Rice Pasta
- Whole Milk Yogurt
- Bulk Oats and other bulk grains
- Glass Jars
I no longer order fresh produce from Azure. I do have another source for that, and since we are so far from the Azure warehouse, the quality isn’t what I would expect.
I LOVE ordering from Azure! We buy 50# bags of whole grains, oats, beans; 30# boxes of organic raisins, 50# bags of organic powdered milk, bulk baking supplies ( spices, sucanat, cocoa, unsweetened coconut, parchment paper), frozen bulk organic vegetables (we are still eating down a 30 # bag of frozen broccoli flowerettes!), gallon jugs of apple cider vinegar and molasses. Our drop-point manager asks for a $5 fee. I allot $100/mo now for our Azure order since my pantry is at at a ‘working’ level. Living in coastal California, we have a good choice of health-concious grocery stores and farmers’ markets, but we have always
Conni, Little House Living reader
tried to belong to a coop for bulk buying. The convenience is great.
How are Azure Standard’s Prices?
For bulk dry goods, I find that Azure almost always has the best price. Sometimes, I find better prices for small packaged goods (like crackers, chips, etc), but I have to wait for a sale from Vitacost.
Overall, Azure could be a one-stop shop for you if you want to simplify your shopping since most of the prices are fair.
More Tips and Tricks for Ordering from Azure
- Make sure to plan plenty of time to pick up your order. The truck may not be right on time, and it takes longer to put away a large load of bulk foods than you think!
- Not everything from your order may come in, depending on the stock on hand. The best way to find out if something is available before you order is to call and make sure. There is still no guarantee that it will be available when the truck is loaded, though. This is why I try to keep a little extra of everything on hand when I can.
- If you are interested in buying produce, make sure to check right before your order is due. Produce can be added or removed from the website daily.
- There is one sale flyer every month. Stock up on your favorites during that time!
- There is no minimum order for a semi-truck delivery (besides the total drop order minimum), but if you purchase under $50, you will be charged a fee.
- Be sure to check the discount section before you order; you might find a bargain!
The Downside to Ordering from Azure
Over the years, I’ve found a few issues with ordering from Azure. Although none of these would be deal-breakers, they are things to be aware of before you order. No company is perfect!
Even though a product shows that it is in stock on their website, you still may not get it. Plan to have a backup.
Because of how their truck shipping is organized, there are many potential delays. At the moment, we never know when our order will come in until a few days before. I have someone who picks up for me, so this hasn’t been too much of an issue. But if you live a long way from your drop site or if you have a busy schedule, this is something to be aware of.
Prices change frequently. I know from personal experience that the wholesale industry changes quickly, so this is normal. However, it’s hard to have “regular” items that you buy if you are on a tight budget.
I used to purchase animal feed from Azure but do not anymore because of the price increase, and I can get it cheaper elsewhere. Like any store, watch the prices before you buy.
I love Azure Standard! I buy also buy my natural olives from them. In addition, any of the organic spices I’ve ordered have been excellent. AS is my go to for nearly everything. If I can’t get it there, then I will look elsewhere.
Lady Locust, Little House Living reader
Check out Azure here.
Keep going: Learn Everything About Buying in Bulk.
Have you ever ordered from Azure? What are your favorite things to buy?
Merissa Alink
Merissa has been blogging about andliving the simple and frugal life on Little House Living since 2009 and has internationally published 2 books on the topic. You can read about Merissa’s journey from penniless to freedom on the About Page. You can send her a message any time from theContact Page.
This blog post on a Beginner’s Guide to Azure was originally posted on Little House Living in July 2014. It has been updated as of January 2024.
