buy local or online ?

[mh-brews]

We have a homebrew store locally; My buddy and i have bought most of our fermenting, yeast and odds and ends from the store. It is a real mom and pop type shop they have been open for over 20 years and the owner has helped us quite a bit getting started on brewing before we found the forum. The pricing all of her instock items are right on par with online stores.

Several months ago we built a kezzer from a used freezer we bought from the owner. We didnt buy the liquid or air stuff from them because i didn't relaize they could order in those items. We ordered the keg stuff from keg connection and we are very happy with it.

I want to run nitrogen for the stouts. However the facuets she can get are 15 bucks higher than keg connection and the air diverter is about 20 higher. I like to order the stuff from the local place but i dont think shipping on those items are gonna equal out (i am gonna order the lines, tank and guage from keg connection anyway).

I try to shop local, but at want point do you say "screw that". I want the shop to stay open because of the conveince but dont want to pay to much.
What would you all do ??

 

[homebeerbrewer]

I do both. I buy my ingredients, and little odds and ends from my LHBS, but I've found that a lot of equipment that I buy is online. It's not completely about price. Some of the stuff he just doesn't keep in stock, and he would have to order. Why have him order what I can order too? Plus, the store is about 30-45 minutes away, depending on traffic, and it's only open on Thursday and Friday - 6-8 pm, and Saturday -12-5 pm. The hours aren't convenient, the travel time and distance isn't convenient, so why not order online?

 

[rockytoptim]

I buy form both as well. I usually by equipment online as its cheaper even with shipping. I buy 90% of my grain from the LHBS as they have good deal on 55 lbs sacks of 2 row. I usually by my specialty grains from LHBS as well as I just don't brew enough keep much on hand.

 

[Soulrebel]

As a rule, I buy locally. Give the owner of your LHBS a chance to match the price (including shipping). If they can come close, which they will usually will, support your local shop. This money usually stays in your community. Which means the restaurant down the street stay open etc.

 

[Dunerunner]

Generally online, as the nearest HBS is 50 miles away.

 

[ScubaSteve]

I do both. Usually fittings, etc. are only stocked by specialty plumbing shops.......for ingredients I usually go to the LHBS because I have a recipe in mind on Wednesday, buy on Friday, brew on Saturday.

 

[Edcculus]

My situation is a little unique now. I've moved back to the general are where I went to college. There is a local brewery (Thomas Creek) which also runs a homebrew shop. They sell hops and grains from their stock. They mark up a little, but I'm still saving if I factor in shipping (unless I get it straight from Midcountry Malt). They will also order just about anything for me, so I save on shipping there too. Added to that, I work 2nd shift (3-11), so I can get all of my shopping in during business hours.

I lived in Cleveland OH for the past year, so that situation was a little different. The closest store was a 30 min + drive across town (far East Side to far West side). I also worked 8-5, so getting to the store which closed at 6 posed quite a problem. For that reason, I ordered just about everything from BrewMasters Warehouse. They had a 2 day ship straight up from GA (the flat rate shipping doesn't hurt either!). It was much more convenient, and sometimes faster considering my schedule to just order online.

On bigger items (like kegging equipment), you can definitely stand to save a lot of money online.

 

[samc]

Local as much as possible. Only reason for me not to buy local is if they don't carry it or can't get it within a time frame that I need it (rare).

If you don't buy local eventually it won't be an option. You are sending money out of your own community and if everyone did that you would not have anything left locally. Imagine some day having to mail order all your groceries because the community found they could get it online for 2% cheaper. America has essentially mail ordered cheap crap from overseas for years (think Walmart/China) and look what has happened to our manufacturing jobs. At some point mail order companies are going to decide that packaging and shipping from cheaper producer countries will add more to the bottom line and then all your beer stuff is going to be coming from ??? Don't think this will happen, look at the printing business - a lot of commercial printing is being done in China or other cheap to produce countries and then sent to the US.

No pressure, do what you think is best! I've finished my rant for the day.

 

[Edcculus]

Don't think this will happen, look at the printing business - a lot of commercial printing is being done in China or other cheap to produce countries and then sent to the US.

No pressure, do what you think is best! I've finished my rant for the day.

Do you work in the printing industry? Unfortunately (or fortunately...haven't figured that out yet) I do. Just a lowly prepress technician now. I specialize in flexo, which hasn't seen too much going to China. The commercial segment has been hit hard...which is why I didn't go commercial in the first place.

 

[Photomask]

I buy mostly from Austinhomebrew, they are my LHBS. It's a 30 minute drive to get to them but they are always helpful with whatever I'm doing at the time. I can get my hands on merchandise to make informed decisions about that I really want and can expect from it. As previously stated, if you don't buy from your LHBS, you may lose that option. And for Pete's Sakes, if you go the the LBHS to look at merchandise and make decisions, buy from them. Ordering on-line can save a buck or two and may be more convenient but it has a hidden price and that is the eventual loss of local support. I do order some things on-line and that is about convenience or the inability to procure locally. In general, if the local store has to order it, I was just as soon order it on-line. If a local store has it at the price that is comparable or even a bit higher, I buy locally.

 

[Zen_Brew]

I do a mix of local and on line. I buy most of my common ingredients, adjuncts, brewing salts and yeast local, but a lot of my equipment on line. Reality is what it is and if I am looking at larger equipment purchases in the $100 and up range, that 30-40% price difference really starts to add up, especially if I can buy parts and DIY it.

 

[david_42]

I don't have LHBS, but there are two places I shop at IF I'm in the area for another reason. $10+ for fuel and 3 hours is a deal breaker. No way my town or all the towns in a 10 mile radius could support a store.

 

[brrman]

I do both, but my LHBS is 30 mins away, so a lot of the time I just order online from BMW and get it in 2-3 days anyway. But I get all my grain locally.

 

[TheCHICompany]

We'd appreciate the online sales....hehehehehehe

 

[jeffmeh]

I'll patronize any vendor that best earns my business through price, value, service, and convenience. Whether they are local or online matters not, except in regard to how it affects the above criteria.

Buying local is great if the vendor warrants it, but buying local to one's own disadvantage is silly. Good businesses figure out how to operate to best serve customers, and if a business cannot do that it deserves to be crowded out by competition, local or not.