A group of independent makers all need packaging, but each buys too little to obtain a useful bulk price. A buying club lets them combine orders without merging their businesses. Members remain responsible for their own work while cooperating on one recurring need.
Farmers can organize purchases through buying clubs while continuing to run their own farms. The club can be much narrower than a full cooperative business.
The hidden job is distribution
Imagine the makers placing one large order for boxes. Someone must collect quantities, receive payments, store the shipment, and divide it correctly. If that person quietly contributes several unpaid evenings each month, the apparent saving partly comes from their labor.
Minimum order sizes can also leave members purchasing more than they need. A cheap unit price is less attractive when excess stock fills a small workspace. Different members may prefer different suppliers or have incompatible cash-flow schedules.
A workable buying club makes those practical commitments visible. It can remain lightweight because its common purpose is bounded: buy these things together, under an agreed arrangement. That small piece of coordination can give independent participants access to purchasing conditions otherwise available mainly to larger organizations.