KBS price gouging

Nice- good on you for letting them know, and good on Founders for showing obvious and real concern.

 

Glad to hear of the outcome. You should go do a review of your experience at Vulcan as well.

 

As an employee of a store that unfortunately really didn't know if we were getting any or how much we were getting, i gotta say that they really might not have been lying to ya. All we knew was the allotment for the chain and that our district manager was supposed to be dropping some off (no clue how much) at some point over the weekend. We ended up getting 12 bottles. Did a first come first serve, 1 bottle limit. Had a list where people could leave their name/number and we'd call them (which we did) but if someone else came in first then they got their bottle. We were as prepared as possible at the store level. Upper management didn't have a clue how to handle it.

 

Good call on contacting Founders. Hopefully like you said, your area won't get shorted on their products, but Founders may pressure the distributor to not send to that specific retailer.

 

Sounds like your store had a plan, stuck to it, and I applaud you for it.

I understand stores don't know how much/ if they are for sure getting any. That's not what I was referring to when I mentioned being lied to. I was told over the phone this store had received some (after inquiring in person while making other purchases the week before and being told it should be in next week and to call.) Drove to the store only to be told by another employee it didn't show. Called again while driving home, talked to a third employee, and found out I never had a chance - it had been decided they would save it and only sell to their "best" customers. That's fine but like I said please just tell me that the first time I ask, not the fourth.

 

Ah, I misunderstood... Yeah, that sucks. I truly don't understand why some stores do that. Giving people the runaround is never a good way to get them to come back.

 

Yeah, that really sucks. I would never go back again. They should of told the truth and said "friends" instead of "good customers". I really like your tracking idea and doing specail releases that way. If any one opens a beer store in my area with a good selection and rewards program I would not shop anywhere else. Think of how many different things you could do with it with out even having to give cash discounts on beer.

 

But surely there is a flipside to the equation, right? I mean you could just say "no thanks" to the case and let it go to another store if you really don't like it that much. Obviously, you ask for it because it in some way shape or form benefits you, whether it's because you generate revenue, or good will or a more loyal customer base, etc...

 

I managed to snag 2 4 packs of KBS from a store I hadn't EVER bought from. I also managed to snag a half case of 75min DFH from them too on release day.

The guy was nice, took my number, held me ALL the KBS he got for his little ol' liquor store, and he made me a customer for a long time. I drop in and buy random things from him, buy some Hoptimum, or Aprihop, or some bomber of DFH, or something like that.. FBS, or porter...

My main 3 buying places, didn't have shit. One lied to me and said they did and sold it all even though she held one for me. I still buy from them, but they rarely have anything worth a damn. The other 2 are good stores, just 30 minutes from the house and I don't buy from alot. Everyone of them fields calls for KBS.

It's a circus, but I think the majority like the fact that people will come TO the store for KBS, and will buy other stuff too. I mean.. I've dropped over a hundred in the one store after I bought KBS, and I spent a shade of $30 for 2 4-packs of KBS together.

 

Ive heard alot of shops say its just a giant mess. Its hard to please everyone with their KBS allotment.

 

Huh, not to question this guy, but literally everything I've read about the dynamics of places that serve food and booze has said that the booze is where the money is.

 

I think I would hate it if I were a store. Especially some of their old accounts. Not only has demand increased, but their allocations have decreased because Founders distributes it so thin. So these loyal places in MI now have angry/sadden regulars. Plus if most places are getting only a case, at $6 a piece, and they only do a mark-up of about 30% at the MSRP of $5 (standard from what I have heard), that means they make only about $52... yeah that is not worth the hours worth of effort.

HOWEVER... you cannot turn it down, because you do not want to be the store that doesn't have any at all. I think Founders should do their clients (consumers, retailers, and distributors) a favor and stop spreading this so thin. With the large batch size for future years (I think I read 3x) hopefully they do not spread it to new markets.

 

This tackles the supply side, but another reason KBS is spread so thin is all the ebayers, hoarders, and yes the traders on the demand side, taking a local release and spreading it nationwide. Founders has zero control over that aspect. This is where strict bottle limits, rationing, and a more fair/equitable way of distributing kicks in—and it's where you see the most disagreement about what's right/wrong.

 

Right. When you arbitrarily chose to enforce your own rules, I don't even live with my girlfriend, and she was the one who introduced me to craft beer. Awesome, bro. It's not like you were checking the household/relationship statuses of all of the dudes that were coming into the shop. No chance any of those guys were roommates right?

She only wanted what everyone else was getting per your arbitrarily enforced policy. Your behavior was insulting, and your attitude was what got you in trouble, nothing else. Pretty insulting to call us "entitled" when you cant even abide by your own pre-established guidelines.

What's terrible is that you also treated my girlfriend like crap when we both came for the Curmudgeon's Better Half release. We thought you'd just had a bad day, and gave you a pass on that one...but twice in a few months? Ridiculous.

Notice how we haven't been back since? Such a shame, as it's the closest shop my apt. and used to be our "go to" place at least twice per week for the past 6 months. Now we shop up by her place instead. Bad business.

 

Just found 2 4-packs at my local Giant Eagle. $20.99. Funny, considering all the crap people went through for 3 4-packs at the "release" this year.

 

I received the equivalent of a 4-pack through various trades. Its a good beer but is actually so strong of a stout that I'm literally still recovering from drinking KBS. I'm on a massive and long pale ale, IPA, hefe, and lager/pilsner kick lol. So to sum up, too much of a good thing might not be such a good thing.

Cheers.

 

Man I'm like the exact opposite! For the past two weeks I've been drinking Gandhi-Bot, Double Trouble, Double Jack, and three single hop (Simcoe, Citra, and Columbus) double IPA's that I brewed. Now I'm sippin on an Imperial Storm Trooper for a nice change of pace.

 

That is where I was last year at this time. I'm actually kind of worried because I'll be visiting KRBC quite a bit this summer and I want just oustanding to taste, well, just outstanding. That isn't going to happen with all these hoppy beers around me lol. TurdFergison better trade me a few KBS just to make sure

 

i'm glad you called out vulcan. i really dislike a lot of things about that store. the western on highland avenue and the piggly wiggly on clairmont or in crestline always have good stuff. i'm pretty sure they sold out of kbs a while back though. if you want some kbs, maybe we can work out an in person trade some time. i love me some cigar city.