Total Wine

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by whiskey, Nov 4, 2012.

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  1. MagillaGriller

    MagillaGriller Initiate (0) Aug 20, 2012

    Gee...that' be bullshit. Their website is completely misleading. They charged my account 2 times for beer es the did not have in stock... 3-4 days to credit back. They still have Zhukov on their site in Plantation from months ago and it never hit the shelf. One mans helpful is another's scam...and Total disservice
     
  2. brewbetter

    brewbetter Initiate (0) Jun 2, 2012 Nauru

    I agree that their website is often inaccurate and it has nothing to do with the system updating. For example, I order x, y, and z. They call me and tell me they don't have them even though the website says they do. Weeks later, the items are still listed in-stock on the site. This is somewhat of a minor complaint because it's nice they have a website that you can order off of to begn with.

    The $4 hoptimum is the FL clearance price because beer doesn't sell very quickly in FL. Fruet is $32.99 with cases of it in each TW.
     
  3. yemenmocha

    yemenmocha Grand Pooh-Bah (4,092) Jun 18, 2002 Arizona
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Total Wine has great prices here and they finally brought AZ up to the 21st century when it comes to normal sized liquor stores. Most of their product moves really fast, and always the highly coveted stuff goes fast so it's never expired in my experience.

    Their Ayinger Celebrator is half the price of a local spot near me. We shouldn't necessarily be blown away by Total Wine - we should be angry at the bending over that the competition has been doing to us before Total Wine.
     
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  4. jakesingleton

    jakesingleton Initiate (0) Nov 2, 2011 Arizona

    Moving back to AZ next week, and will be less than 10 minutes from the Camelback location. How are they with limited releases? Do you find you still have to seek out smaller bottle-shops to find certain stuff?

    When visiting a few months back, I thought I remember the stocker saying they only carry items if minimum distribution requirements can be met. Seems like that would strike a lot of the smaller scale offerings? What have you found?
     
  5. brewbetter

    brewbetter Initiate (0) Jun 2, 2012 Nauru

    I can't speak to AZ, but the ones in FL and NJ get some limited releases.
     
  6. RochefortChris

    RochefortChris Grand Pooh-Bah (3,017) Oct 2, 2012 North Carolina
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    They have a great selection of singles which is what I usually get a bunch of when I go beer shopping. I do prefer local bottle shops though. I work for their largest competitor where I'm at and still say Total Wine has a better selection. My work's selection is still pretty good though.
     
  7. Hanzo

    Hanzo Initiate (0) Feb 27, 2012 Virginia

    I don't have any hate for TW. Some have a fantastic selection and they always usually have great prices. That being said, I primarily shop at my local mom and pop bottle shops because I like supporting local business, even if it costs a few extra bucks.
     
  8. dgs

    dgs Initiate (0) Jul 18, 2005 Pennsylvania

    I'd guess that $14/4 pack is PA. I believe it was much less in the regular Mid Atlantic.
     
  9. MagillaGriller

    MagillaGriller Initiate (0) Aug 20, 2012

    No hate for total wine... The store. Big selection. Good prices... Ill go in and shop. The website is bullshit.
     
  10. hefehead12

    hefehead12 Initiate (0) Apr 20, 2010 North Carolina

    Just paid $3 more for a 4 of Backwoods Bastard than my local bottle shop.
     
  11. OneBeertoRTA

    OneBeertoRTA Initiate (0) Jan 2, 2010 California

    I don't know about beer, but in spirits distributors have to charge the same frontline to all customers. They can offer quantity discounts to get retailers to certian bottle costs and suggested retails but in no way can they dictate prices. Many sub channels like grocery like a fat 50% margin while drug (rite aid, CVS) will run at mid 30s. On special i.e., scan, coupons, (which most crafts don't do) the supplier picks up additional cost in turn for the retailer to run on a leaner margin.

    My point is, Total Wine is in a league of their own, a game changer. They often run on negative margins on hot skus (loss leaders), something the alcohol world is seldom accustomed to. There used to be only one account that could have so much impact to a single brand or portfolio (take a guess who I am referring to). With Total Wine's footprint expanding it is really changing the paradigm. The day's of 50%+ plus retailer margins will be challenged.

    With the second Total Wine opening by me, as a consumer I couldn't be happier for my beer hobby. A fantastic selection, great breweriana, fresh beer and great prices.

    Total Wine is everything Wal Mart isn't. They carry the little guys, care about the customers and don't try to whore everything out to private label. I'm sure a lot of what they have smells to good to be true, but it is. Go there for yourself, just not my local stores. ha.
     
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  12. ThickNStout

    ThickNStout Pooh-Bah (2,142) Mar 8, 2011 Georgia

    Total Wine has fantastic selection but buyer beware. They certainly do NOT have the best prices across the board, at least not in Georgia. I've been stuck with some super high prices from them, particularly with limited release stuff. 2 examples that come to mind: they were charging 19.99/ 6 pack for Bells Hopslam this past spring (while several smaller shops were selling for 15.99-16.99) and are currently selling Bruery Autumn Maple for 14.99 (instead of the 10.99 I got from a mom n pop store).
    Don't get me wrong, I still frequent Total Wine. I'm just wary of what they charge for some things.
     
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  13. CasanovaCummins

    CasanovaCummins Initiate (0) Jan 10, 2012 Nevada

    Here in Las Vegas they have broken the stranglehold held by local "alcohol dynasty", Lee's liquors. It took a big box store to wrest control from the locals to actually provide some competition on price and selection. The Whole Foods have helped quite a bit as well ( and so has a little place called Khoury'sl, but they can't carry any depth of stock and the place gets cleaned out by the beer geeks weekly, making a trip there Hit or Miss ).

    There are a few problems with their methods though. They don't really assign anyone to the beer section alone and spread them out to watch over wine as well ( to push the winery direct stuff with the biggest profit margin ). And they, too, are held hostage by the Three Tier Distibutorship that gets a "piece of the action" ( sounds mobbish. Well, it atually kind of IS ). And they don't seem to realize how much attention to detail could reap them a bigger following ( they aren't much on social media ).

    All in all, they have made more available here than ever before and they do have two or three people who are true beer geeks. My takeaway is mostly positive, with room for improvement.
     
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  14. GameFreac

    GameFreac Initiate (0) Apr 8, 2011 Georgia

    I love Total Wine but a lot of their stuff is old and I know more than the manager that works there. He's clueless.
     
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  15. johnnybgood1999

    johnnybgood1999 Initiate (0) Oct 31, 2008 Virginia

    I'd love a Total Wine in my town. I miss going to them in Richmond. Here, we have 2 small stores that are small operations and have to charge more to make it. I love those stores, but it would be nice to have a bigger selection and lower prices. Right now I pick up a lot of my beer at an amazing Kroger an hour away in Roanoke.
     
  16. texasdrugaddict

    texasdrugaddict Initiate (0) Oct 11, 2012 New Mexico

    Total Wine has great prices on Scotch. I grab a bottle Taskers for 55$ a few months ago.
     
  17. raczkowski

    raczkowski Initiate (0) May 16, 2011 Florida
    Trader

    total wine has its purpose...when i am looking for new or limited release beer, i check the local shops first, because i would rather give to the small businesses than the big corporations such as TW...many beers florida gets that are limited distro are only sold at total wine, so i have no choice. there are not many intelligent beer employees there, which takes away from the buying experience there. i enjoy going to a store and having the employee tell me what is new that i may like, or suggest something with a particular meal i am eating. total wine does not have the personalized experience that a small town liquor store has....all in all, given their selection, they tend to get the majority of my coin. i can get all the beer i am looking for at one TW that i may have to travel to 3 different stores for.
     
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  18. DonDirkA

    DonDirkA Initiate (0) Dec 14, 2011 Arizona

    The best thing is that since theyre corporate they fuck up a lot. I got a 4 pack of Narwhal (which shares a seasonal SKU with Hoptimum) for $4 because they still had the Hoptimum blow out in their system. WHAT!


    They always get special releases. I don't know about that location but the one I go to here in Tucson does. Sometimes its 1 bottle limit and a lot of them you have to go to customer service and ask for (like DFH 120 min, Dissident, Bitches Brew, etc).

    I love and hate Total Wine. I am an avid supporter of local businesses but when my local bottle shops can't keep up with all the releases I've gotta do what I've gotta do. I am the kind of beer drinker that has to constantly be trying something new. I'll buy a special release more than once if I can and I'll occasionally get an old stand by if its for a party or something, but 9/10 times I have to spend my money one something new (its easier for me to justify $8-15 a bottle if its new ;-)) and Total Wine ALWAYS has something new.
     
  19. whiskey

    whiskey Initiate (0) Feb 25, 2012 California

    It's funny you mention that, the gal double scanned my Narwhal and one showed up as Narwhal and the other as Hoptimum.

    I'm still going to hit my local grocery store for special releases and stuff like that. The manager there knows beer and puts things aside for me so I appreciate that. But I'll go to Total Wine for things he just doesn't have the room to stock. I see no need to ever buy another bomber of Ruination for $6.59 when I can get a 4 pack for $8.99...or a $7.99 bomber of Double Jack when I can get a $10.99 4 pack.
     
  20. antilite

    antilite Initiate (0) Jan 1, 2012 Florida

    TW is not perfect. They cannot be all things to all people, especially BA's. But, they serve a purpose of giving a choice of supply, and that is good. And, I have found their people to be sincere and helpful. Sometimes they are out of stock of what I want, and sometimes the dates are not fresh. But, I always seem to find a brew I have never seen nor tried, so home it comes. I would rather have one around than not. I like stouts and porters. The grocery stores in my town have none but Guinness and YL Black and Tan. And, I agree, their website compares to the excrement of large male farm animals.
     
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