Product that doesn't move

In my distro experience...

Tommy Knocker, Shed, Shipyard, Star Hill, Lakefront, etc. Basically anything that is decidedly average and still considered "craft" by the brewery, will be overlooked by a lot of people.

Now, this isnt ALL of the beers by these breweries, just most in my experiences.

Also, some very high end stuff will be overlooked b/c no one wants to spend a premium to try a beer once, that they may not like. Examples include Widmer RIS/BRRRRRRRbon, >$10 ommegang stuff, >$10 Allagash, etc.
This is probably because the beers are not seasonal or limited release, so they get overlooked by consumers looking for something special if they are going to spend over $10. That, and cheesy Rogue beers sit for months.

Cheers!

 

Eh, it depends on a lot of factors.

 

Stone, Troegs and Anchor in Long Island.

I'd kill for a fresh six pack of Stone Pale Ale.

 

It usually depends on the season, and the size of the store. Since I'm now in a pretty small bottle shop, I have to think about pricing issues above everything else. If a buzzworthy beer isn't moving due to its high price, I may consider including it in beer tastings, to raise awareness. If that doesn't work, I call it quits after that last case sells through. May try to bring it back in a different season, or if I receive requests. The best thing for me is mix and match singles sales. Helps me move product consistently.

There is no simple answer to that question, in my opinion. A lot of factors can contribute to beer not selling quickly. Fortunately for small businesses, we don't order insane quantities at one time. Easy to pull the plug on slow movers. Larger wholesalers have minimum presentation numbers on core products that will always sell well. Products that don't sell well are typically eliminated from the weekly budget, and discounted as the company deems neccessary.

 

Biggest for me is >$8 bombers of (I)PAs that have dates on them but are too expensive for everyday people, even though they're great/highly rated:
Sculpin, Green Flash, Maine Beer Co (not Lunch, but the others), Double Jack... also things like deviant dales.

For this precise reason, these types of beers are top priority for having on draft+growler fills.

 

I order for a medium/large sized store in North NJ. We're not the biggest beer store in the world, but move through a decent amount of craft. It largely is a crapshoot on what sells and what doesn't. Firestone Walker sits on shelves for months while Innis and Gunn flies. Companies we've eliminated from our selection in the last six months: Saranac, Stegmaier, Mendocino, Leinenkugel (aside from Summer shandy), and Pyramid. One of the worst culprits is Weyerbacher...no matter what that stuff sits forever.

There's a large portion of BA's that just go into stores for the limited releases, get their bottle and go home.

 

Nebraska's $30 or so bottles sit for ages around here.

 

Work for an NJ store - Tommyknocker, Shed, Fish Tale, 16 Mile, Stoudts, Scuttlebutt, Elysian all collect dust.

 

I don't know if it is just my area or what, but nothing moves around me aside from limited/special releases. I went today on lunch and couldn't find anything less that almost two months old. Bottles and packs with dust on them, even out of date stuff ( Their Sculpin was best by 07/02/2013 and some other bigger brand IPA crafts were bottled 60+ days ago). Aside from BMC, most things sit a while on my side of the Phoenix area. This was at a big reputable shop too.

 

Parabola 2011 $50.00 a bottle at my local wine shop.

 

saw 5-6 4packs of ten fidy there were 9 months old. would buy one to try but 16$ :O

 

buy them and age them ,this brew ages beautifully and 3- 4 years from now you will be glad you did

 

Around my area, Oskar Blues, Tommyknocker, Mendocino, Lost Coast, Stoudts, Coronado, Erie, Full Sail, Highland, non-Yeti Great Divide and Red Brick have pretty abysmal turnover rates. It's a shame, because I really like some (or all in OB's case) of the brews from most of those breweries, but it's a crap shoot finding fresh product.

 

Heh, Elysian Space Dust went in about a week and a half here. Dragonstooth sells well enough too.

 

They don't particularly fly for around $20 either. NBC irks me..

 

I don't think a sub 8$ bomber price for a great RIS is asking too much

 

In my area (Downriver Michigan) most high-end beer sat around for a while. Belgian imports, expensive bombers, etc. Craft beer still is yet to really catch on in the area, and a lot of people can't afford/don't want/don't understand why they should pay so much for beer. The common attitude from a lot of my friends is that most beer is good, and they enjoy a lot of the 'premium' stuff, but they are looking to pay under $10 for a six pack, not nearly twice as much for a bomber or four pack.

 

Samuel Smith India Ale isn't getting a ton of love in my cold box.

 

North Coast Red Seal, Nantuckett IPA,and Westbrook Marzen has been on the shelf for nearly a year where I work to name a few.