Why are there so many four packs?

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by chuckstout, Apr 25, 2020.

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  1. jkrich

    jkrich Pooh-Bah (1,854) Nov 1, 2001 Florida
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Given the competition lately in the craft beer industry, many breweries are trying to squeeze every penny in profit. By resorting to the 16 oz. (or 12 oz.) four pack, the brewery has a better opportunity to stay in the black. I have seen some breweries switch to 4-packs only to return to 6-packs later. A couple of years ago, Cigar City brewery in Tampa admitted that they changed to 4-packs for the Tocobago red ale due to cost. While they returned to 6-packs of this fine ale later, I have to wonder if they may have "tweaked" the recipe. While I prefer the standard six-pack, if I am really interested in a beer, I will buy the four-pack.
     
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  2. Obsidian81

    Obsidian81 Devotee (326) Mar 3, 2016 Illinois

    [​IMG]
     
  3. chuckstout

    chuckstout Crusader (419) May 22, 2006 Ohio

    Agree. I like my pint can SIXER'S of Great Lakes Dortmunder Gold and Heavy Seas Pounder Pils. Both go for 10 bucks a pop!
     
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  4. Ronmarley1

    Ronmarley1 Savant (1,175) Jan 20, 2014 Ohio
    Trader

    Correct. Ruination was originally released in four packs. The point I was trying to make was that they then released it in six packs before they updated the recipe, as in the pic below.

    [​IMG]

    Then they released 2.0. Then they released it as 2.0 Sans Filtre, which is the current iteration.
     
    #105 Ronmarley1, Apr 26, 2020
    Last edited: Apr 26, 2020
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  5. Obsidian81

    Obsidian81 Devotee (326) Mar 3, 2016 Illinois

    Damn. I never saw those around me.
     
  6. Ronmarley1

    Ronmarley1 Savant (1,175) Jan 20, 2014 Ohio
    Trader

    That was my “hands-down” favorite beer. 2.0 was good, but not the original. We don’t even get the current one in Ohio.
     
  7. CB_Michigan

    CB_Michigan Maven (1,478) Sep 4, 2014 Illinois
    Trader

    The past couple of summers, the Whole Foods near me has had 10.99 six-pack bottles of Oberon sitting on the floor in a case stack near the salad/soup bar. They also have16oz four-packs in the cooler for 7.99. Technically those cans were marked down from 9.99, but that "sale" price lasted the entire season. Beer that's been kept cold, in a more convenient package, that's cheaper on both a per-ounce and overall basis? Yeah, that's pretty much a no-brainer.
     
  8. Dansac

    Dansac Pundit (878) Dec 6, 2014 California
    Trader

    Economics and a dumb market. Less quantity of beer, less cost in material, same or more price for the consumer. 24 dollar four packs for hazies is now very widely accepted. Even in supermarkets you see 18-21 dollar four packs routinely.

    The beer market chases blindly after novelty, even when it is different versions of the same being repackaged for sales. Think about Other Half or Monkish: amazing breweries at their best, but how many beers are almost indiscernible, and just variations in the label or so slight in the recipe. Now think, would they sell as much if they didn't keep putting out new beers? It's often aesthetics: pretty new cans with alluring names, and all too often with repeated contents.

    Beer habit is addictive, and people think they have to jump on the latest release because they don't want to risk missing a great one. But those are surprisingly rare even for great breweries: but rather than dissuading people to buy consistently, this makes people buy everything because they don't want to miss a good one when it comes. If the beer was consistently good and the same name, you would be fine not buying for some time and coming back after a bit, knowing you'll find he same quality always under the same brand. That's no longer the case, they make 3 new ipas every week or two.

    I've had so many mediocre Other Half IPAs in the last two years I have to question whether their insane number of releases is not just money grabbing at its worst. They are too good a brewery to not know what they're putting out.

    I personally don't think it is worth spending crazy money with IPAs, since reliability in quality is extremely fickle and even the big players like as I said Other Half often put out beer than does not match up well value wise with even a 10 dollar four pack of Port or Madewest (here in Cali). But with sours, the high players who charge premium for bottles are worth it imo.
     
    #109 Dansac, Apr 26, 2020
    Last edited: Apr 26, 2020
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  9. idiotwind

    idiotwind Initiate (0) Feb 14, 2014 California

    I don't like the 4/PK option. Unfortunately at the shop I go to, that's 75% of their "packaged" beer. Breweries make more money selling you less beer vs a 6/PK. Most 4/PK's are $15 and up. Could you imagine paying $15 for a 6/PK? Then add on tax and you're damn near $20 for 4 pints.

    Don't get me started on single cans and how they dominate shelf space at $7-9 per can...
     
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  10. SFACRKnight

    SFACRKnight Grand Pooh-Bah (3,274) Jan 20, 2012 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    I bought a six pack of copper legend pounders for 8.99 and that's fantastic math.

    I also love all you fuckers arguing out of one side of your mouth "our beer industry is collapsing, support your local brewer" while the other side is begrudging brewers a 3 cent an ounce increase in profits. Seriously, fuck all of you hypocrites.
     
  11. unlikelyspiderperson

    unlikelyspiderperson Grand Pooh-Bah (3,862) Mar 12, 2013 California
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Soooo just for the record, from folks who have reported pricing on the same brand in multiple packaging styles it seems like in that case there is no $/oz difference and sometimes the 4 packs are actually a little cheaper.

    So it doesn't seem to be a "money grab" by the breweries, rather they have a $/oz figure they are going to sell their beer at regardless of format and decide on the 4x format for other reasons. Possibly including the reason that they don't think anyone will buy $24 6 packs
     
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  12. jesskidden

    jesskidden Grand Pooh-Bah (3,071) Aug 10, 2005 New Jersey
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Simple math - there are 50% more 4 packs than 6 packs.

    EX: 1 case of beer (24 units) = FOUR six-pack or SIX four-packs.

    :grin:
     
  13. cmiller4642

    cmiller4642 Initiate (0) Aug 17, 2013 West Virginia

    Honestly I like 4 packs just because it's easy to get burnt out on 6 of them and have the last can or 2 end up in the back of the fridge.

    If you get a 4 pack for the weekend you can do 1 beer Friday night, 2 beers on Saturday, and 1 beer Sunday.
     
  14. zid

    zid Grand Pooh-Bah (3,058) Feb 15, 2010 New York
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    I feel like that second part wasn't aimed at me, but just in case it was meant to include me, I never took either stance you're mentioning.
     
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  15. joerooster

    joerooster Initiate (0) May 15, 2018 Virginia


    that extra 8oz you get with a six pack of 12oz is burning you out?

    with a six pack, you can do 2 Friday, 3 Saturday and 1 Sunday....basically the same thing as your
    scenario.
     
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  16. ShaneP

    ShaneP Crusader (492) Jan 26, 2013 Indiana
    Trader

    I'll provide some brewery perspective. Most breweries use a 4-pk instead of 6-pk because of economics. Each case costs a certain amount to make. It's generally easier to sell a less expensive 4-pk than a more expensive 6-pk. Many buyers expect the 4-pk and 6-pk to be priced the same as people just think of it as a single purchase and less about the 64 vs 72 ozs. For example, for many buyers they are looking to spend $10 or $13 or $15 or $20. Some care if it's a 4-pk or 6-pk or 12-pk but a lot of people just are spending a certain amount of money for that specific buying occasion and they are looking for a specific beer or beer style or brewery.

    There are 6 x 4-pks to a case of 24 and only 4 x 6-pks in a case of 24. It's easier to hit a higher case price point selling the 6 x 4-pks. Breweries are businesses in the end and they have to cover the cost of canning, packaging, beer and the cost to make the beer.

    In our case we have always done 4-pk x 16 oz cans. Then for our two most popular beers we added a 12-pk x 12oz option in the last couple years. The 12-pk package works for us because we have strong distribution for these beers in grocery and liquor stores in addition to our brewery locations.

    You generally don't see a brewery with 12-pks or that do both 12 & 16 oz cans unless they get to larger volume. For example, there are only 3 Indiana based breweries that do both 12 oz & 16 oz options on their best selling beers and I'd expect it's only the largest local breweries in any given state with multiple package options. Again, something like ~95% of breweries are making less than a few thousand barrels a year, and ~80% are making less than 1000 bbls per year. The economics at smaller size make the 4-pk x 16 oz a better choice for the brewery or 4-pk x 12 oz which you also see more these days for both high ABV beer.

    Many large national/regional breweries that have very different economics so many of those offer multiple package options for beers they know they can do volume. (If it's top 200-ish brewery in volume) They spread their packaging costs because they buy way more volume at better prices, so they also can make the 6-pk x 12 oz price points work at scale where a smaller brewery can't.
     
  17. SFACRKnight

    SFACRKnight Grand Pooh-Bah (3,274) Jan 20, 2012 Colorado
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    i am sorry if you felt it was aimed at you. It was not. Nothing but respect for ya Zid. It was aimed more at the people i see on the covid threads championing support for their local breweries and bitching about high beer prices here.
     
  18. Bitterbill

    Bitterbill Grand High Pooh-Bah (6,772) Sep 14, 2002 Wyoming
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I pay $9-12 for 32 ounce Crowlers from a local (Skull Tree) and top it off with a tip.
    I hear ya aboot the bitching and send a fart in their general direction.
     
  19. MNAle

    MNAle Initiate (0) Sep 6, 2011 Minnesota

    I don't see championing local breweries and pointing out that beer generally follows a reverse volume pricing scheme (and complaining about it) as hypocritical at all. They are two different issues.
     
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