LHBS Manager Here...What Do You Want From The LHBS?

[NSMikeD]

Good posts . I would add that carrying a selection of local ingredients is becoming popular and a good way of competing with the online stores that can carry everything and an inventory that is fresh.

I fully understand that my LHBS cannot carry everything and that it's nearly impossible for high rent brick and mortar shops to compete on price with online warehouse in a different part of the country. I like the personal service and advice. I guess it helps that it was founded by avid homebrewers 30 years ago.

When it comes to retail, it's hard to beat a warm salesperson who genuinely enjoys helping people

 

[Ashevillain]

punch/stamp cards for a 50$ purchase after 10-12 50$ purchases. mailing/texting list with deals/promos. use the promos to keep your stock as fresh as possible, also in the promos ask if anyone has ingredients requests.

i appreciate freshness over variety. i like to see packaging dates. i know it sucks to have something that never sold and gets old, but it will be worse in the long run if you end up selling something way past its prime and results in a poor final product for your customer (mainly leaf hops, yeast, and i guess liquid extract?). that's why i prefer sticking to a more standard selection while making sure everyone feels that its easy to do custom orders through you.

 

[Pappers_]

When I've had a LHBS, I've used them for everything except the base grain I get via our club's group buy. But, I won't drive across the city, in what can be an hour of bad traffic, to go to a LHBS. Brew&Grow closed their store in the West Loop that was near me, and getting to their northside store is a PITA. The other LHBS in the city is on the southside, an equal distance and time from me. So, I order most of my ingredients online now and get them delivered to my door.

 

[Ashevillain]

some lhbs do delivery/shipping too.

 

[mmiddleton]

My LHBS is awesome, and there's not really anything more I'd ask of them. They carry a good amount of specialty grains, hop selection is solid, and they sell nearly all the hardware I need. I only order online if there's a really significant price difference, if I only need a couple ounces of some hops they don't normally stock, or if I need something a lot faster than they can get it. Oh, and they track your purchases, and send you a gift certificate for 10% of your last 6 purchases.

The biggest thing for me though, is the staff. The guys who run my LHBS are knowledgeable, welcoming, and frankly willing to put up with my blathering on. I've only been brewing for a couple of years, and they've helped me resolve more than a couple of screw ups I've made.

 

[kramer2500]

I buy probably 80-90% of my brewing supplies from my LBHS. Here's why:

• The staff is incredibly friendly and has an encyclopedia knowledge of homebrewing.
• They have a massively large database of recipes. If you cant find a recipe you like, they will help you build one.
• Their prices are not that much more than online retailers. Even bulk grains is close to the same price after you figure in shipping and taxes (for those of us that live in a state that charges sales tax for online purchases). I would rather spend 10-15% more for instant gratification and the support of the staff in case something goes wrong.
• The selection is good. My LHBS has two locations. If one of the locations is out of an item and the other location has it, they will bring the item over (might be the next day).
• Last, they have an online store (which is awesome for such a small shop). I can order what I need and it will be ready for pick up from the location of my choice.

Another thing I like is it is within walking distance. There has been many times I have been walking the dog, stopped in for a beer, and just chatted with the owners & employees.

 

[DromJohn]

I don't have a LHBS and have lost my regional HBS.
You need to be stocked well enough to brew all styles.
If you list items online you need to clearly mark what's not in stock.

What Barley & Vine would do for me was, if I emailed what I wanted ahead of time, then they would acquire most of the items not in stock.
I'd like a listing of all items not in stock that the LHBS is capable of special ordering, including minimum order and time lag.

 

[nasty_rabbit]

There are 4 stores that I use but I would not say any is my favorite. Each have their pluses and minuses. The closest one doubles as a growler shop and is connected to a liquor store so I can get brewing supplies and a growler at the same time but their hardware selection is limited. The next closest has plenty of brewing knowledge and every grain imaginable but I question their storage practices as that on more than one occasion I walked in with the guy unlocking the door and there were multiple open bags of leaf hops on the counter from the night before. The next closest has very little to offer to anyone that has brewed for any period of time but the owner is a retired gentleman and has opened the shop as a hobby. He has some great stories and I will go there to "visit" with him and TRY to find something to buy to help maintain his hobby. The last one is by far the most difficult to get to. They always have what I need whether it is ingredients or hardware. The down side other than the drive is that they know more than me and NEVER let me forget that. If I have a question about equipment or technique, they make me feel like an idiot because I'm not 100% sure what I need or need to do.

So, if you are going to modify your business model, open in my back yard stock an equal amount of hardware and ingredients make it pleasant to "visit" and don't flaunt you knowledge but be willing to teach.

 

[jtratcliff]

Thanks jratcliff
Much of the feedback I get regards the indifferent or arrogant service received, so this really resonates. For what it's worth, I'm attempting to break the trend and be equally as helpful to the guy making an extract Gose and all grain Bud Light (both of which happened this week).

Don't get me wrong, It's not every employee, just a few. But those few have ruined the experience enough times that I hardly ever go anymore. They act like they don't want me there, so I take the hint and don't come back.

It's otherwise a pretty good LHBS... nice selection of malts and hops, decent turnover of fresh ingredients, clean, well lit, pleasant atmosphere (when not being pissed on my aforementioned bad apples), decent amount of equipment, etc. only about 20 minutes or so away... The good employees are friendly and helpful... So I *want* to like it...

Only other negative I can think of is no bulk pricing for sacks of malt. I can get 50lbs delivered to my door from Morebeer cheaper than picking up a whole sack there. So that's what I do. Their per lb price of grains and per oz price for hops are comparable to online price + shipping.. slightly higher but not outrageous... I'd do more last minute supply runs if I knew I wouldn't get any of the a-hole employees.

 

[ballapcb]

Everyone, thanks for the input and great thread. It's good to hear more people are having positive experiences at the LHBS than negative, and I can report - in my case at least - your priorities, namely freshness and friendly, knowledgeable staff, are also massively important to me and what I'm working to do for my customers.
I'd also like to thank everyone for throwing some great ideas my way. I'd love to continue hearing what you have to say.

 

[dr0ker]

My LHBS is always super friendly and helpful. Main reason I go back! They also do 5# co2 exchanges for $15. The airgas down the road is $27 for an exchange. They have a loyalty program where it's very easy to rack up an extra $5 off. Also give a discount to AHA members.

I just found out the Vine and Hop existed in Brunswick last weekend when I needed co2 and ingredients. I am in the Berea area, but the rewards program, aha discount, and great price/convenience on co2 will make that my regular go to from now on.

 

[ballapcb]

My LHBS is an awesome place and I love it. It's a small store so I don't expect them to have everything, and I don't expect them to be as cheap as Amazon. The people are willing to share their knowledge without being arrogant.

But for me, the best part is that they also listen. I tell them I'm a cider maker and they pick my brain about yeasts and techniques. I feel like I've contributed something to the craft when I leave. I like that.

For your question, OP, be aware that there's more than beer and wine being fermented. I would love it if the LHBS had a deal with a local cider mill and could have a cider day in the fall, even if just one weekend a year. I'd also like to see bulk honey from local beekeepers for mead. I realize space and inventory costs may not allow that, but I can wish.

You have a tough nut to crack. Good luck with your business.

p.s. You should also put your location in your profile.

Maylar-
First, thanks for the well wishes.
Mead, cider, and cyser are on the up. I'm working on sourcing some local honey for mead, and have set up a deal with an Eastern Washington cider apple producer to take custom orders of fresh, orchard pressed varietal raw cider. That part is still in start-up phase, but PM for details if you want.

 

[treacheroustexan]

I just found out the Vine and Hop existed in Brunswick last weekend when I needed co2 and ingredients. I am in the Berea area, but the rewards program, aha discount, and great price/convenience on co2 will make that my regular go to from now on.

It's a great store, and Steve and Kristen have been nothing but amazing to me! I work in Medina so it's pretty much on my way since it's right off of 71. I used to go to the Cleveland brew shop but had too many bad experiences there.

 

[Calaeb]

one thing I havent seen listed unless I missed it, but the ability to buy grain by the oz! That is the biggest issue for me at my lhbs, I hate having packages with odd amounts of specialty grains etc. Thats one of my biggest erks.

 

[DromJohn]

Ditto on by the ounce. Barley & Vine would even go down to the ml or in my case, 1/10 of a pound. IOW, you could bring in a metric recipe, or you could scale a recipe down, or I'd reduce base grains corresponding to LME usage, and you got what you needed with no leftovers.

 

[NervousDad]

My LHBS shop is label peelers, which is about 5 minutes from LD Carlson. I couldn't ask for a better store

 

[normonster]

Lower prices.

 

[pricelessbrewing]

Don't sell bad merchandise that sells for the sake of profit.

#1 example, 5.2 "stabilizer". Terrible product that simply doesn't work for anyone other than the intended brewer that had an insane water profile.

Keep track of your hops and yeast inventory. If I'm buying yeast, I expect it to be at least relatively fresh, definitely not expired or almost expired.

Don't lock up anything with an date on it. If I go to a lhbs with a yeast or hop fridge behind closed doors, or behind the counter that I can't browse, I'm really disinclined to purchase said items from them. Half of the fun is perusing ingredients and going, "hey I haven't used that in awhile!"

Other than that, just a clean place with good range of inventory and enough of the essential spare things. If you can't compete with other retailers for equipment, I really don't think it's worth the shelf space to stock it.

If you have beers on tap, consider doing split batches and maybe even collecting information ala brulosophy style surveys. Would be awesome to see retailers / breweries doing stuff like that with public access to information!

 

[Horseflesh]

Don't sell bad merchandise that sells for the sake of profit.

QFT! If a store avoids this I'll sing their praises.

 

[bkboiler]

agreed on all these counts! my lhbs does free classes which is cool.
i go there for fresher grains since they have a crusher (A MUST)!!
hops i can get elsewhere for cheaper, but i do buy yeast at my lhbs since shipping is tricky with hot weather.
small knick-knacks (like keg couplers, fermenter o-rings, etc...) it's nice to drive down the street and have it when i need it...
those kinda things you dont always plan ahead for.

 

[passedpawn]

I've bought a few of those recently. I always found that they needed a small (200mL) starter to wake up, and it could take 1-2 days, but then they were ready to roll.

I was intending on making a starter with them (I was inoculating pilseners, at cold temps, and I like to hit that with a lot of cells). But the pouches didn't swell at all. Not worth the risk.

 

[dryboroughbrewing]

Host a club if you are able, once the beer starts flowing good things will happen.

 

[mmiddleton]

+1 to the specialty grains by-the-oz. My LHBS has a bunch of those larger plastic jugs, and they keep them in those, so they can easily dispense small amounts as needed.

 

[Pappers_]

Since this has become a full-blown discussion thread, not just an introduction, I moved it from Introductions to General Beer.

 

[Pangaia]

I am a LHBS employee, and I'm happy to say our shop meets a lot of the needs you guys have posted. I will say I have been to other shops in the area that are pretty terrible. I've seen hops stored in the fridge or even at room temp. Having to buy at least an oz of a hop variety seems annoying too, one of the shops vaccuum seals ounces (then stores them in the fridge). Its never a good sign when a shop doesn't have a mill and thus has to order pre crushed grain, it just won't stay very fresh. We pre crush 50# of 2-row at a time because it saves a lot of time when pulling recipes and we go through it enough that it only sits around for 2 days tops.

I will say don't be afraid to offer suggestions to your LHBS! Don't be rude, there is nothing more annoying than a customer demanding better prices or bragging about how cheap they can get x and y on Northern Brewer, especially when we are struggling as is. We will however be receptive to kindly presented suggestions that would make your experience better.

 

[schatzke]

I don't know how common this is but my LHBS has a 100# CO2 tank in the back and he fills tanks. It's nice to get the tank refilled while shopping for supplies.

 

[Mainer]

I really love my LHBS (now that I know them) but I have to admit that when I was starting out and didn't know what I was doing, it was SUPER intimidating. I felt like the employees expected me to have a base knowledge of what I was doing, one I totally didn't have. If I hadn't had a buddy who was an experienced brewer who was willing to come with me and answer all my questions with no judgement, I probably would have quit.

I wonder whether a once-a-month Newbie Night might be a good idea. Like no special classes, but where you put out some really basic checklists and some beginner FAQ sheets around, and where customers are encouraged to ask any question, no matter how dumb it sounds. I would definitely have found that valuable.

edit: For the record, my LHBS is Maine Brewing Supply in Portland. I have friends who swear by The Hop Shop in Gray, but the one time I went there I felt like the guy was really annoyed that I did.

 

[dallasdb]

My old LHBS would sell 50lb sacks of base malt (2-row, marris otter) at the bulk ~1/2 the per lb price, and keep it there for you on an account as part of their rotating stock.

The customer got the benefit of buying in bulk without having to store it or own their own mill, and the shop was guaranteed a repeat customer.

This is pretty ingenious!!!

How many guys show up to get some grain they've already paid for and don't walk out without buying something else.

Seriously a great idea. :rockin:

 

[Murphys_Law]

Here is what I like about my LHBS:

1) Great staff. When I walk into the store I am usually addressed by name. They are also very knowledgeable and helpful. I stopped going into my first home brew store because of snobby staff.

2) They have lots of ingredients and selections (i.e. several types of MO, several types of crystal/caramel, several yeast brands, etc).

3) Price competitive with on-line

4) They stock a lot of hardware from a small grommets to large conical fermenters.

5) They are quick to special order if they don't have it in stock.

 

[catdaddy66]

I also have a great LHBS and get over there about twice a month. I can get most anything needed and they will order any rarer items I may inquire about. For instance, I asked about some hops he didn't have on hand and less than a week later he texted me that he had gotten one of those types and it was waiting on me for my next visit.

They will also crush my grains, let me use their keezer for fermenting lagers (I can't do that currently). He allows me to bottle there and brew if he can swing it. The owner is also the president of the city's brew club so he is a wealth of knowledge. He has tasting sessions on the last Saturday of each month so the "regulars" share their recent brews.

Those are all things that bring me back.

Good luck on your business!