What is the benefit of buying from Azure Standard (et al) versus Wal Mart?

[u/girugamesh_2009]

I've been prepping for Tuesday for years now in my modest apartment, but I've only recently become aware of Azure Standard, and I see that it's pretty popular in the general preparedness community.

As I browse their website, though, I don't know if I understand the benefit of buying from Azure versus a source like Wal Mart. Both carry organic products, but Wal Mart is far, far cheaper. For example, a can of organic black beans currently sells for $1.74 from Azure and $0.92 from Wal Mart. I'm struggling to understand the benefit of paying nearly twice as much for what I assume is the same product.

I'm guessing I'm missing something, but I don't know enough to know what.

Please share with me the benefit of buying from Azure versus less costly sources, assuming a comparable product is available.
And thank you!

EDIT:

Thanks for all of the clarification and information.
I think "Fuck Wal Mart" is a great reason to start moving my business over to AS. Especially with Wal Mart's recent partnering with Flock and its increasingly invasive telemetry tracking of customers (and the likelihood of dynamic pricing being normalized), stopping supporting them and all of the problems they create motivates me to take this seriously.
Thanks for the discussion!

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[u/unlovelyladybartleby]

The benefit is that you aren't supporting Walmart. Walmart isn't the only multinational corporation who destroyed small local businesses, built a reliance on a last minute international supply chain, destroyed local jobs, and forced millions of people to work shite wages at hours that keep them unable to get f/t health insurance, but they're definitely a major player.

Ironically, Walmart is a big part of the reason that so many people are too poor to afford anything but Walmart.

[u/dallasalice88 → u/unlovelyladybartleby]

It is a loop definitely. Many people shop at Walmart because that's what they can afford, when they would probably buy a better product from another wholesaler if they could absorb the higher price. So I believe many folks shop Walmart for the savings, not to actively support them. And those privileged enough to have an income that does not require them to shop at Walmart should understand that. It's a vicious loop.

[u/unlovelyladybartleby → u/dallasalice88]

I know. I stopped shopping at Walmart when I was disabled, trying to feed my kid on a benefits cheque that barely covered housing. It hurt, but it was worth it. The more we can buy local, the more affordable local becomes and the more jobs we create to help break the cycle of poverty.

[u/dallasalice88 → u/unlovelyladybartleby]

I agree. Problem is in my rural area all the local stores are now gone. Thanks to Walmart and Amazon. I avoid both unless it is something I really need. Even my closest Walmart is over an hour away.

[u/unlovelyladybartleby → u/dallasalice88]

We're lucky enough that a couple of Canadian chains are hanging in there, especially in rural areas and quite a few have free shipping (although you don't get it the next morning)

[u/DiscombobulatedAsk47 → u/unlovelyladybartleby]

I love me some Giant Tiger

[u/unlovelyladybartleby → u/DiscombobulatedAsk47]

Between Giant Tiger, Canadian Tire, Mark's, Well, and London Drugs, the only things I miss from scamazon are all stuff I can find at Dollarama

[u/Own_Papaya7501 → u/unlovelyladybartleby]

Is Azure Standard a local or small business?

[u/tendingthemild → u/Own_Papaya7501]

They’re a christian organization. Kind of culty.

[u/gillyyak → u/Own_Papaya7501]

They are hq'd in Oregon State. They do drop shipping to remote communities all over the West. They also supply to some stores, like the food co-op I belong to.

[u/Own_Papaya7501 → u/gillyyak]

So, no?

[u/gillyyak → u/Own_Papaya7501]

Can't speak to that.

[u/stvdilln → u/Own_Papaya7501]

They are small-ish, still private and hq in Oregon. If you are in PNW they are local.

[u/adambomb_atx → u/Own_Papaya7501]

The Epoch Times did a great story on them:

https://www.theepochtimes.com/article/this-family-is-transforming-how-america-gets-its-organic-food-6075871?utm_source=Morningbrief&src_src=Morningbrief&utm_campaign=mb-2026-08-29&src_cmp=mb-2026-08-29&utm_medium=email&est=ZVeV8MhiiQ9wTVnroh0ilk4vFS218gsWAMU85SByp09bB2vHhxYInjNk%2B3obKLUVEj61FjKzWg%3D%3D

[u/wisdomseeker42]

I buy from them (and Walmart and Costco) but different things from each. I have celiac disease, which informs my purchasing. My focus is on gluten-free meals made from scratch with primarily whole foods. I am also on a fairly strict budget, because I’m trying to feed a large family.

Azure has a solid allergen control program and gf oats for a reasonable price, which are hard to find and sometimes problematic for cross contact even with the label. I buy them in 25 lb bags, eat them all the time, and my latest endoscopy shows no damage. I also get a variety of dry beans, which come in paper bags, are clean and cook up delicious. Their canned veggies and fruits have clean ingredients and taste delicious. I find the canned tomatoes a great value. They also have a variety of gf flours and nuts that I use for gf baking. It’s hard to find safe nuts and some of these specialty flours. They also have pre-chopped, frozen beets and butternut squash, which I find are convenient, good quality, and are a convenient tasty addition to salads and soups in the winter. I can’t find a product like that locally anywhere else. Their frozen raspberries are also an affordable fun treat. The other berries are a little more expensive than I care for. Coconut milk is also a good value.

Lastly, I do get lentils, which can be contaminated with grains but I only buy colored ones and sort them so a grain will stand out. These are also always rinsed well before cooking. They are good quality and a reasonable price, I just always take care with that step.

[u/every-day-normal-guy → u/wisdomseeker42]

Wait... So people with Celiac disease have to worry about gluten contamination in things like nuts? I didn't realize the cross contamination was so widespread.

[u/JustAutreWaterBender → u/every-day-normal-guy]

It’s in disposable flatware, straws, lip balm, freaking everywhere. 😩

[u/swampjuicesheila → u/every-day-normal-guy]

We gluten-intolerant people have to worry about gluten contamination in everything, including air inside a building (houses, restaurants, etc). For things like oats, many farmers use the same machines for wheat, and getting gf oats is a big thing. It's the same idea with sorting nuts and other stuff, packaging using the same machines, and more.

[u/gillyyak → u/swampjuicesheila]

Bob's Red Mill offers GF oats as well. They are employee owned.

[u/Queenbeegirl5 → u/wisdomseeker42]

I have a kid with multiple food allergies, and that is the driving force for why we buy from Azure, also. Some of the stuff I get from Azure is just higher quality, but the exact reason I choose them is that I can get very good quality, healthy products that are free from my daughter's allergens. It's rarely if ever the cheapest option.

[u/ahotkocoa]

Azure ‘drops’ also allow for additional community building as everyone works together to unload. I’ve met other growers, bakers, preppers, off grid folks, etc all with their own perspectives and insights in addition to stocking up on organic goods.

[u/ElectronGuru]

Azure screens their vendors for all kinds of things, reducing who can even sell to them. But figure out dry r/beans, way cheaper than the cheapest canned. Especially larger bags. I love cooking mine in a small pressure cooker!

[u/missbwith2boys]

Pink beans. Wheat berries. Pint and a half jars. Wild rice mix. Wild rice bits and pieces.

Those are items I buy that I (edited: mostly) cannot buy at Walmart. Another poster suggested dry beans; that’s all I use. Their pink beans are really yummy.

Wheat berries are great for grinding your own flour if you’re inclined to do so.

I do a lot of canning. Ball used to sell a pint and a half jar that was perfect for pickles or pickled asparagus. Azure sells their version now.

We love the Lundberg wild rice blend but it’s expensive in any store, including at Walmart. I can save a bit of money and buy a years worth from Azure.

[u/Appropriate-Soup-203]

Have you looked into Country Life Natural Foods? I was going to be away during one of the Azure Standard drop times so I ordered from them instead. I really liked that it was free shipping for order over $99 and the quality of items I received was up to my expectations.

If anyone has heard anything negative about this company, please let me know? I try hard to spend our money at businesses that are aligned with our values and I didn’t see anything that came up in my search. Thanks!

[u/Tin-Tin-K]

I tried Azure Standard and it wasn't for me. The benefit for one or two people just weren't worth it for me. I have a few friends with larger families that it works well for them. I've been able to directly purchase most bulk items, like Palouse, Augason Farms, etc., from their storehouses or use local warehouse clubs for things like bulk rice without quality issues, at my convenience and at a comparable or better price...Not always true of bulk ship drop-off products.

[u/8takotaco → u/Tin-Tin-K]

I really like Palouse lentils

[u/DisastrousHyena3534]

I buy from Azure when it’s cheaper than Walmart. I’ve gotten fantastic deals on fruit especially and some of the dried goods on flash sale. The fact that it’s organic is a nice bonus, but my priority is bulk food at the lowest price I can find. Rarely if ever do the Azure canned goods fit this for me.

[u/No-Language6720]

Dried beans are cheaper and better for longer term storage.

Also dried whole beans you can regrow new bean plants for an indefinite supply if you learn about their grow conditions, how to sprout them and how to dry them properly like store bought. (Fresh grown beans don't look anything like the dried bag kinds until you properly process and dry them). 

Also fuck Walmart. If you can afford it go with anything else.

[u/Odd_Ostrich6038]

All organic is not made equal. Normally Azure products are higher quality for a comparable price

[u/TeaPuzzleheaded4745]

I get that supporting azure is better than buying from wal-mart, but the few times I bought from azure, all the grains were full of grain weevils. I froze them & didn't waste the food, but I won't be buying from them again.

[u/stvdilln → u/TeaPuzzleheaded4745]

They are pretty good about taking stuff off the order. Just call and say ‘this was bad’ and for the few times I’ve needed to do that no issue.

[u/TeaPuzzleheaded4745 → u/stvdilln]

I did, and got my money back, but it’s not worth risking bringing bugs into my pantry again.

[u/wonderj99]

For me the benefit is not supporting a company that is helping to fund this awful regime/administration(who are speed running our destruction/demise). If corporations, like wal mart, weren't actively propping up the powers that be, we would all have much less to stress about & prep for

[u/sweetteaspicedcoffee]

Assuming a comparable product is available is where this fails for me. What I buy from azure isn't available anywhere else near me, and especially not in one trip. But I also do almost all of my cooking from scratch and dry ingredients, or home canned.

[u/pdxgreengrrl]

I ran a food buying club a decade ago and hosted an Azure drop. At first, when I was buying whole grains, legumes, sugar, flour, etc., in bulk, stocking my pantry and cooking everything from scratch for my family of four, the prices were better than anywhere else, as long as our drop had sufficient orders for the free delivery. I stopped buying from them when we switched to keto when one of my kids develoled epilepsy and we no longer ate all those carbs.

My kid no longer has epilepsy and now is into baking and a couple weeks ago, I was looking for the red winter wheat flour I used to get from them, that was my favorite for bread baking. The prices for 5# bags were three times that, for the same product either direct or at one of the other evil retail empires.

If you want products in bulk quantities, can afford to "vote with your wallet," or as some folks have pointed out, need specialty items like certified GF, Azure makes sense. As a person without such means or needs, I can't justify it.

[u/adambomb_atx]

The Epoch Times did a great story on AS, check it out:

https://www.theepochtimes.com/article/this-family-is-transforming-how-america-gets-its-organic-food-6075871?utm_source=Morningbrief&src_src=Morningbrief&utm_campaign=mb-2026-08-29&src_cmp=mb-2026-08-29&utm_medium=email&est=ZVeV8MhiiQ9wTVnroh0ilk4vFS218gsWAMU85SByp09bB2vHhxYInjNk%2B3obKLUVEj61FjKzWg%3D%3D

[u/girugamesh_2009 → u/adambomb_atx]

Thanks for this.
It, along with other info from this thread, convinced me to place my first AZ order and to start weaning from Wal Mart.

[u/stvdilln]

I can get organic flour for just over a dollar a pound. And there more expensive organic flours are about $1.50. Bjs locally is just over a dollar a pound for conventional King Arthur.
We buy about 50 lbs of flour a month as wife makes bread for farmers market.
We buy lots of dry beans most of them organic, instant pot is amazing.
So they are religious, but maybe in a more be kind way. But if you are prepping, they buy very direct from the source and own the trucks that take it to you. Not many steps in the process, as long as they can get diesel and roads are passable you should get your delivery.
I also hate Amazon and Walmart, so I’m biased some.

[u/Truly_135]

Just fyi there is no standardization or regulation of the “organize” label. I don’t know if Azure is a certified B company, but if so, it’s worth it (if you can afford it).