Jelly Pearl Pack Sizes: 1kg vs 2kg for AU Bubble Tea Shops
Same product, two pack sizes. Our Original Agar Ball (Jelly Pearl) range comes in a 2kg sealed pack (the standard format) and a 1kg sealed pack (the smaller-format option). Same composition, same shelf life, same handling rules. The decision between them is purely about your shop's topping turnover and waste tolerance.
This is the B2B sizing decision guide for AU operators.
The two pack sizes
| 1kg Pack | 2kg Pack | |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 1kg | 2kg |
| Format | Smaller sealed bag | Standard sealed bag |
| Sealed shelf life | 12 months | 12 months |
| Opened refrigerated | A few weeks | A few weeks (same window) |
| Servings per pack (at 100g portion) | ~10 servings | ~20 servings |
| Best fit | Trial / low-volume / multi-flavour stocking | Established daily-topping volume |
Same crystal boba product, same composition (multi-gum gel system built around konjac plus carrageenan, pectin, guar gum, and xanthan gum — see our Crystal Boba Australia Wholesale Guide for the category context). The pack size is the only variable.
When the 1kg pack wins
Three cases where the smaller format is the right choice.
Trial / new menu addition. If jelly pearls are new on your menu or you're trialling a flavour variant alongside your existing toppings, the 1kg pack lets you test without committing to a 2kg bag that might sit on the shelf past its open-bag window. Two weeks of trial at uncertain volume = 1kg pack. Once turnover is clear, scale up to 2kg for the established SKUs.
Multi-variant stocking. If you're carrying multiple jelly pearl variants (Original, Brown Sugar, Mango, Strawberry, Matcha), each variant individually moves less than your headline topping (tapioca, popping boba). 1kg packs across multiple variants is often better inventory management than 2kg packs that turn over slowly.
Low-volume single-shop operation. A cafe or kiosk doing 5-10 jelly pearl drinks per day moves through about 50-100g of topping per day. A 2kg bag at that volume takes 20-40 days to finish — past the optimal open-bag window for most operations. A 1kg bag finishes in 10-20 days — well within the prime quality window.
Limited bench / fridge space. Smaller fridge footprint per SKU when carrying multiple flavour variants. A 1kg bag takes up less refrigerator real estate than a 2kg bag — important for small shops or kiosks where fridge space is constrained.
When the 2kg pack wins
Three cases where the larger format is the right pack.
Established headline topping volume. Once a specific jelly pearl variant has settled into your menu as a regular topping option, you know the per-week turnover. At 25+ drinks per day where jelly pearls are an active topping (about 750g per day), a 2kg pack turns over in 2-3 days — fast enough that the larger pack format never compromises quality.
Cost per kg. The 2kg pack is typically more economical per kg than the 1kg pack (standard volume-discount pricing). For shops doing predictable volume on a specific variant, the cost saving is meaningful. For shops with uncertain turnover, the saving evaporates when you waste the back half of an unfinished 2kg bag.
Multi-location operations. A multi-shop chain with central inventory benefits from larger pack sizes — fewer SKUs to manage, easier bulk delivery, simpler stock control. 2kg is the right format for centralised operations.
Standardised single-variant menu. A shop running Original Agar Ball as their primary jelly pearl topping (and no flavour variants) does enough volume on that single SKU to justify the larger pack.
The decant rule (for opened bags)
Whichever pack size you choose, once opened, jelly pearls should be transferred from the original bag to a sealed refrigerated container for service. The original bag's seal is for shipping, not for daily counter use. A 1L food-grade plastic container with a tight-fitting lid is the standard service vessel.
Two reasons:
- The original bag is harder to scoop from cleanly during service — narrow opening, awkward angle, slow per-scoop time.
- Repeated open-close-open on the bag exposes the pearls to ambient air, slowly drying the surface and degrading texture.
The decant rule applies equally to both pack sizes. The 1kg vs 2kg decision affects how often you refill the service container, not whether you use a service container.
Cost vs waste: the actual trade-off
The per-kg pricing favours 2kg packs (typical small-volume discount). The waste-risk profile favours 1kg packs for slower-moving SKUs. The break-even point is where your topping turnover finishes the 2kg pack within its open-bag window.
Worked example: a shop using 100g of strawberry agar pearl per day takes 20 days to finish a 2kg pack. At the typical open-bag refrigerated window (2-3 weeks for best texture), you're operating right at the edge. If you have a quieter week and only use 70g per day, you push past 25 days and lose some quality on the last bit of the bag.
The same shop using 1kg packs at the same daily rate finishes each bag in 10 days — comfortable within the quality window with no waste risk. Higher per-kg cost on the 1kg, but lower total cost when waste is factored in.
The crossover point: 2kg packs make sense once your specific variant turnover is roughly 200g per day or more. Below that, 1kg packs are the right inventory choice.
The mixed approach: 2kg headline + 1kg variants
For most AU shops carrying multiple jelly pearl variants, the cleanest inventory architecture is:
- 2kg pack for your most-ordered variant (often Original Agar Ball, or whichever single flavour does the volume in your shop)
- 1kg packs for the additional flavour variants (Brown Sugar, Mango, Strawberry, Matcha)
This split optimises cost on the high-volume SKU while keeping inventory risk low on the lower-volume variants. As variant volume grows, individual variants can graduate to 2kg packs.
The simple decision
Use 1kg pack if any of these apply:
- Jelly pearls are new to your menu or under trial
- You stock multiple flavour variants, each individually low-volume
- Daily volume per variant is under 200g
- Bench/fridge space is tight
Use 2kg pack if any of these apply:
- A single variant is the headline jelly pearl on your menu
- Daily volume per variant is 200g or more
- You have multi-location or centralised inventory
- You can finish each opened bag within 2-3 weeks
Use a mix if:
- You carry 3+ jelly pearl variants — 2kg for the volume mover, 1kg for the others
For broader context on the jelly pearl category and how the variants fit on a menu, see our Crystal Boba Australia Wholesale Guide and the Coconut Jelly Flavours guide for the adjacent coconut jelly category.
Pack size is one of the easier ongoing decisions in bubble tea inventory — you can switch between 1kg and 2kg month to month as your topping mix evolves. Start with whichever matches your current trading and adjust as your menu and customer mix stabilise.
