Parabola in MA

Or they made an incredibly poor decision. Just because its priced at 34 and sells, doesnt mean it isnt overpriced. All it means is enough people who dont know about FW pricing structure happened to go into blanchards that day.

 

I think it's unlikely someone bought a $34 beer while having no idea what it normally costs. That's not an impulse buy.

Parabola has been hard to find so I think some people just figured an extra $17 spent was worth it to them so they didn't spend time chasing trucks, following twitter feeds, reading this forum etc with no guarantee they'll actually find a bottle. That's reasonable when you consider the value of time.

 

Eh, I bet just about everyone who bought Parabola at 34 knew what he was doing. Probably wasn't even on the shelf, so if someone knew enough about it to ask for it, he likely wasn't completely ignorant on standard pricing.

My biggest beef with stores jacking up prices on limited stuff is that it causes me to question just what type of business they hope to run. That is, one that seeks to foster relationships and build a loyal client base based on competitive prices and good service, or one that tries to milk out every last penny it can. If people buy it, then it's not "overpriced", but they should think long and hard about the transient customer base they're likely building.

Having said all that, Blanchard's problem is even worse. They're overpriced (relative to competition, not in S/D sense) on EVERYTHING. Moved all my buying away from there 2 years ago despite being the most convenient location.

 

eh I buy almost everything from the store most convenient to me. they happen to jack prices on limited bottles like KBS and BCBS variants so I don't buy that stuff from them. but I don't resent them and it doesn't stop me from buying everyday stuff there.

if Blanchards had priced it at $15 and only sold it to regulars they know, I also would have no problem with that. that's probably the ideal solution - the reward for being a loyal customer is access to the really limited stuff at a fair price. but it's not like most liquor stores are sophisticated retailers with loyalty cards, etc so this isn't super easy to implement.

 

I just wish I even found the opportunity to buy it. I don't know what I'd do at $34, most likely pass but there would be enough frustration with even finding it that I'd give it some serious thought, ugh.

 

"Mistake".....sure. I can see it being a mistake if it were a few dollars more - even if it was $25. But I have a tough time believing you can accidentally charge double the retail price and not realize it.

That said, I would buy Parabola for $34. Wouldn't like it, but 1 Parabola at $34 is better than no Parabolas at $17

 

Saw it today at Wines and More in Mansfield for 19.99 a bottle, came in around 3 so they may have one or two left. Skipped over it because they let me buy 4 bottles of lunch instead.

 

Charging double is mathematically more likely for a mistake than a few dollars more. FW also changed the case size from 12 to 6 this year. Guessing in their POS they changed the case quantity but forgot to update the case cost, which would lead to doubling the retail price. Cashiers at a big store like that likely wouldn't notice or know any better. If anything, you'd think a customer savvy enough to find/buy Parabola would say something, but they probably had the "just happy to have one" attitude you expressed, too. It's also harder to catch mistakes for limited releases like this if you don't have staff that are plugged in; Checks that would catch mistakes (processing the invoice, putting shelf price sticker up, etc.) often are skipped or done after the item sells out instantly.

All that said, somebody should have caught that.

 

Definitely no resentment here either. I'm a strong believer in the market's disciplinary power on pricing choices. If Blanchard's is successful despite some premium pricing, then good for them, and others may even want to take note. In the end, I decided it was worth the increased time and effort to drive to a great shop about 20 minutes away for my purchases.

 

LOL.

Reg's,
Blanchard's Allston and Marty's Newton Joint Committee on Pricing

 

Thanks for the heads up. I'll have to see if I can get a local store to set one aside for me, assuming what supply Western Mass. will be getting has not arrived yet.

 

Local store near me had it for 21.99. Gone now though

 

Rail Trail Flatbread in Hudson has it on tap (as of yesterday).

 

Urban Hops just got some in, finally got one!

 

Nice hustle!

 

Nice! Love Urban Hops and was hoping someone on here who was still looking for it saw Ben's tweet about it. Glad you snagged one!

 

I feel incredibly lucky, haha. Ben is a really nice guy by the way! There was another sitting on the shelf if anyone hasn't found one yet.

 

Ben is awesome. We are lucky enough to live on the same block as UGSE, awesome store. Enjoy!

 

Still on tap at rail trail. Drinking one now. $10. Also, gordons in Waltham got more today.

 

Just pulled 1 at T&V around 3 PM today. They had a "rogue" case arrive and its in the back. Ask for it.