Two of my cousins own a vending machine business and for certain products they do the same thing (buying out Sam's Clubs). Why? Sam's Club volume is so much higher than theirs that even after Sam's Club tacks on their markup, it's cheaper for them to buy through them than to go to the manufacturer. It's always funny to go on these shopping trips with them, the look on a cashier's face when you have thousands of dollars of candy is priceless.