Homebrew stores..

[samc]

My LHBS (1 of 6 or so within a 30 min drive or less) is great. Grain selection & prices are amazing, they have almost everything. If you ask about an item they don't stock, the next time you show up they seem to have a shelf full of them. I usually show up every 6 weeks or so and all three family members call me by name as I search the old brain for their names.

A couple of items are on the high end of the price scale, but that is usually not a common thing. Hops, grain and yeast are all well priced and better than online pricing. $28.70 for a bag of GW Pale Ale Malt or 2 row.

Also noticed yesterday that they have started to carry some of those Fermentis Dry yeasts that are not sold in retail packs, like S-189. They buy the bulk and repack them. Dry yeast like S-05 is $2.40, not the $4 you see elsewhere.

Sounds like a commercial - brewbros.biz

 

[Trouble_Brewing]

First of all, I didn't say that any of the reasons I posted were THE reason, only some possibilities. I only wanted to point out that it's easy to sit back an criticize without having all the facts. As I said before, unless you've walked in their shoes you really have no idea.

As for the examples such as B&H, Campmor, etc., those are big operations and a LARGE portion of their business is mail order. So again, volume pricing applies and they operate on a whole different scale of economics than a small, privately owned store. You can't really compare the two.

The theft % applies here too. If a small store owner, which typically has less than 10 employees, is experiencing 80% of it's theft from said employees, they are either very good at stopping shop lifting or have hired the wrong people. Also keep in mind that these stores don't have high-tech security, surveillance, and "loss prevention departments" staff, so loss from shop lifting may well be higher.

Also, it's not just books that Amazon makes cheaper online. They sell nearly everything now. There's whole websites dedicated to finding deals online. There's phone apps for finding deals online. Even apps to where you scan barcodes of something you see in store to find the cheapest deal online. So if you think that people don't expect online prices to be lower, you're fooling yourself.

The Walmart example is a good one. Where I live there's a Sam's club right next to Walmart. Sometimes a certain item in Sams Club are priced higher than next door, which is the opposite of what you expect. Frequently you can find items at their website for even less. Best Buy is another example, they offer quite a few deals online that are not available in stores.

 

[Trouble_Brewing]

Overall the point I wanted to make, back on the original topic, is this. I don't think many successful small business owners are out to rip off their customers. There undoubtedly are a few, but they likely won't stay in business long. They have to look at all of their costs of doing business and price their products accordingly. Every store has it's own set of challenges.

 

[Russonomics]

My guess as to why it is cheaper online- So they can still have a store front. To compete online Im sure they have to be on the low end but it helps them keep inventory higher and fresher so that you the instore shopper still get the junk you want

 

[Guidry]

Sure, the local stores here are higher than online but it sure is nice to be able to drop by on a Friday afternoon on the way home from work and pick up the supplies for an impromptu Sat morning brew!

 

[jfr1111]

My LHBS charges less for grain if you call in advance and place an order. Her answer as to why it is so is pretty simple: she mans the ship pretty much by herself so the time she spends milling grain or talking to a customer during opening hours is time where she cannot watch the store or greet in other customers. It's also an incencitive to free up/structure her workload, since she will mill the grain before opening hours. My guess is that a lot of her customers, especially the guys who bulk buy, use this service and it is a sensible practice, unless you don't know what you're going to get or brew when you enter the store.

The formula suits my needs: I email her 3 days in advance, the order is ready with my name on it when I arrive, I pay and I'm out in 5 minutes, wich is nice, since there's no free parking in front.

 

[chemist308]

Mine doesn't seem too bad on grain prices. What do you think is cheaper? Buying 55# of Marris Otter from LHBS or having buying it online and then paying to have a 55# item shipped to you?

 

[SteveM]

If we're going to get all worried about answering the original question, here it is - it was NOT about why a LHBS might be more expensive than an on-line retailer:

"Are all homebrew stores insanely crazy about their prices?"

That's NOT a question about pricing structures, or why they can be more expensive.

I may have answered differently if that was what was actually asked.

 

[DoubleFisted]

the craziest thing I saw was teflon tape for 7 bucks, I can get it for $.79 I did have a good experience with him though and I really didn't check out the grain prices I am sure he has great prices on that

 

[Conehead]

You wouldn't complain if you lived in Canada. Malt is cheap, but everything else is double to what it is in the US. Still, homebrewing is way cheaper than buying Budweiser at $38.00 a case.


Conehead

 

[Bashiba]

The theft % applies here too. If a small store owner, which typically has less than 10 employees, is experiencing 80% of it's theft from said employees, they are either very good at stopping shop lifting or have hired the wrong people. Also keep in mind that these stores don't have high-tech security, surveillance, and "loss prevention departments" staff, so loss from shop lifting may well be higher.

High tech surveillance systems are incredibly cheap now, there is no good reason every small store doesn't have something. You can get complete 4 camera systems for less than $400 bucks.

 

[Crinkle]

I went to the "other" store in Des Moines with my fridend before I started brewing, and when we left I asked him why he would continue to give that jerk his money. Now there is a much better option around.

I actually frequent the Bluff Street Brew Haus in Dubuque, and am very happy. He's got great prices, and knowledge to share. If he's not busy, he's happy to have a beer and shoot the ****. Of course when he is busy I just get my supplies and let him make some moeny for himself. I buy 90% of my stuff from him, and will buy from online stores very infrequently. I've never had a problem with online stores, but prices are really about the same, and I like supporting a local guy.

And I do think a big reason we go to LHBS is for service. So saying they don't have to know or talk to you about grains or recipes, or basics is BS. I never would've really gotten into brewing without having someone there to answer the stupid questions. Bottom line, support the good LHBS, and if you don't like one (like the other one in Des Moines,) don't