Farmhouse needs your feedback.

[Morrey]

We appreciate the feedback and that is why we asked the question. Just trying to do the best we can here at Farmhouse

I commend you for soliciting input as this shows your dedication to serving the homebrew communities needs. At the end of the day you need to have a suitable margin that keeps you in business. Without that, you don't stay in business and we all lose. I can't see anyone here faulting you for that.

 

[Toga]

A free loyalty rewards program is what is offered at a couple homebrew shops I spend the most with. One is extremely local (i live on the same road) the other is 45 -60 minutes away and I buy online from them most of the time. Shipping if in the great lakes area is cheap and costs me less than gas and time more often than not (homebrewing.org). The rewards program gets you 5% in the form of store credit once you spend $200. This is ongoing. Every time you reach the $200 mark no matter how long it takes, you can use your credit.

 

[Steelers77]

I don't buy anywhere near enough ingredients to justify paying $100 or even $50 a year for a discount. Like others have said shipping is big. But everyone needs to realize that someone has to pay it. I've been wanting to place a small order with you, a couple pounds of grain and some hops, but every time I get to the shipping page the rate shock scares me away. I don't know how they do it, but my last order from morebeer was over 50 lbs, and they had it to me in two days and didn't have a separate line item for shipping (free shipping). I think a loyalty card type of system would work much better, essentially giving the customer the same discount, but not asking them to pay up front.

Can you give me more specifics. We have a tiered shipping program and a few pounds of gains and hops should not have been more than $8.99.

 

[Ki-ri-n]

I know most are concerned about shipping but what about "local" walk-ins? I've been to your store once-because I was in the area. I liked what I saw but it's hard to justify going the "extra" distance. You'll never be able to please everyone but it would be nice to appeal to both on-line and brick & motor shoppers.

 

[bob1852]

From a hop buying perspective, I likely wouldn't join a membership program.

It seems that throughout the year, I end up buying hops from multiple vendors, based on availability first.

A discount/membership program doesn't do me any good if you're out of stock on a certain crop...

 

[stonebrewer]

@Steelers77: First off, I buy most of my hops and a few other items from you. I am already a pretty loyal customer. I can't see paying to get into a club, because I never know what my year is going to be like brewing wise. I may brew one year every couple of weeks, and other years I am lucky to brew every 2nd or 3rd month.

Second, check out this link: http://www.homebrewninja.com/ as this is where the price plus shipping is better analyzed. The site is slow and a bit cumbersome to use, but it tells you instantly where to go for the lowest price on any order, shipping taken into account. So if I wanted a pound of Citra, a pound of Mosaic, and two pounds of Columbus you come in second place between RiteBrew and MoreBeer. Morebeer has free shipping but higher priced hops, RiteBrew is cheaper on hops than you, but shipping is a bit higher and overall I can order from them for $12 and change cheaper on my mythical order.

Now I want more stuff, 10# of C60, 2# of corn sugar, 10# of Special B, 1# of Galaxy hops, and 2 vials of WLP002. For whatever reason, you come in third when I was expecting you to come in first because of your current price on Galaxy. Probably because you do not carry WLP002? So discounting the WLP002, you are FAR cheaper than MoreBeer and AIH, by over $20 bucks. MoreBeer has free shipping, and you would charge me $12.99.

What does this all mean? Not sure, but I think Free Shipping is a gimmick as stores just increase the price of all goods to account for it. I think you charge a fair price for your products, I have been happy with what I bought from you, so I will keep buying from you most of the time. I will say I think you might have the loyalty thing backwards as you will find it hard to get folks to pay you for their loyalty. You are very competitive as the above examples show, that is the real way to win people's loyalty. I think the above suggestion of a points system may be the right avenue for you to drum up more business, as the shopping list website does not take that into account and if you came in second to RiteBrew, I would likely go with you if I was earning points to free/discounted stuff in the future. Otherwise, keep doing what you do!!

 

[PADave]

Can you give me more specifics. We have a tiered shipping program and a few pounds of gains and hops should not have been more than $8.99.

I suppose it more psychological than anything. I've been wanting to order some of the Thomas Fawcett Amber malt from you. 5lbs of grain is $8.45, then $8.99 for shipping. Seeing it like that makes it harder to swallow. Like I said above, there is no such thing as free shipping. The consumer is paying for it, whether it's a line item, or it's absorbed into the prices of the product.

 

[tjmac5071]

The only reason I mention shipping is sometimes I need a $5 keg connector or something and it seems so many places have a bottom rate of like 8.99 when in reality a padded envelope and 70 cents gets it to me

 

[Calaeb]

Just wanted to say i think you guys are doing a great job, keep it up!

 

[Steelers77]

The only reason I mention shipping is sometimes I need a $5 keg connector or something and it seems so many places have a bottom rate of like 8.99 when in reality a padded envelope and 70 cents gets it to me

We actually have a shipping rate for 4 and 8oz packages, that being said they have to go in a 9x6 envelope and first class rates apply. Still it is less than $3.50

 

[LarMoeCur]

Second, check out this link: http://www.homebrewninja.com/ as this is where the price plus shipping is better analyzed. The site is slow and a bit cumbersome to use, but it tells you instantly where to go for the lowest price on any order, shipping taken into account. So if I wanted a pound of Citra, a pound of Mosaic, and two pounds of Columbus you come in second place between RiteBrew and MoreBeer. Morebeer has free shipping but higher priced hops, RiteBrew is cheaper on hops than you, but shipping is a bit higher and overall I can order from them for $12 and change cheaper on my mythical order.

Now I want more stuff, 10# of C60, 2# of corn sugar, 10# of Special B, 1# of Galaxy hops, and 2 vials of WLP002. For whatever reason, you come in third when I was expecting you to come in first because of your current price on Galaxy. Probably because you do not carry WLP002? So discounting the WLP002, you are FAR cheaper than MoreBeer and AIH, by over $20 bucks. MoreBeer has free shipping, and you would charge me $12.99.

What does this all mean? Not sure, but I think Free Shipping is a gimmick as stores just increase the price of all goods to account for it. I think you charge a fair price for your products, I have been happy with what I bought from you, so I will keep buying from you most of the time. I will say I think you might have the loyalty thing backwards as you will find it hard to get folks to pay you for their loyalty. You are very competitive as the above examples show, that is the real way to win people's loyalty. I think the above suggestion of a points system may be the right avenue for you to drum up more business, as the shopping list website does not take that into account and if you came in second to RiteBrew, I would likely go with you if I was earning points to free/discounted stuff in the future. Otherwise, keep doing what you do!!

I have to be the cheapest SOB to browse HBT. I use the ninja but found way better deals with out it. So what I mostly do is create identical orders on multiple websites and purchase the cheapest shipped.

Yesterday, I just ordered 43 pounds of grain, 10 whirlfloc tabs, and some yeast nutrient for $59.96 free shipping. The Ninja's best was $89.91 plus $17.99 shipping. Farm House same order $52.81 plus $22.99 shipping.

$59.96 order delivered or $75.80 same order delivered. Where's the gimmick? Most of the HB sites I frequent are with in a few pennies per pound of each other on grains. I order bulk hops when really good deals show up. What separates me from my dollars is the cost of shipping. I really miss the good old days when I had my choice 4 or 5 great home brew shops. Sadly, there are none in Corpus.

 

[stonebrewer]

Yesterday, I just ordered 43 pounds of grain, 10 whirlfloc tabs, and some yeast nutrient for $59.96 free shipping.

From where?