How often do you leave a store without buying anything?

Discussion in 'Beer Talk' started by donno005, Dec 21, 2012.

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  1. Skull40

    Skull40 Initiate (0) Apr 1, 2010 Indiana

    I've walked out empty handed plenty of times. However, if a store has hooked me up with special beers in the past, I make sure to buy something every time I go in there.
     
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  2. wrycon

    wrycon Zealot (613) Apr 22, 2009 Minnesota

    I pretend I can't speak and bring in a dry-erase board. When the clerk asks if I didn't find what I was looking for I furiously scribble "Heady Topper!" on my board. When he explains I'm in Minnesota and Heady isn't distributed here I furrow my brow and scribble "Heady Topper!" overtop my other scribbles.

    No, in seriousness I usually either enter the store with a) the intention of buying beer or b) looking for a specific beer or beers. If it's b) and they don't have what I'm looking for, I leave. If the clerk asks if I was looking for something in particular, I tell him what beer(s) I wanted, and then he tells me they don't have them.
     
  3. whendeathsleeps

    whendeathsleeps Initiate (0) Nov 5, 2011 Indiana

    Quite often, sometimes I just stop in to see if they have anything new.
     
  4. Derranged

    Derranged Initiate (0) Mar 7, 2010 New York

    Frequently..
     
  5. galvetraz

    galvetraz Initiate (0) Sep 7, 2009 Texas

    Like a number of other posters, I sometimes just stop in while I am out and about to check for something new or see what they have. Sometimes I buy and sometimes I don't. I have never been hassled about it and simply tell them I am just browsing if they ask.
     
  6. Johnnyramirez

    Johnnyramirez Initiate (0) Nov 17, 2012 California

    I go in and ask for Cantillon. When they tell me they don't have it I walk out. On the off chance they do have it, which to date hasn't happened, I'd probably say "Imma come back and get it later" then when it finally sells blame myself
     
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  7. yemenmocha

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

    OP,

    Whenever it's a small local place and I notice what you did - the seriously overpriced stuff and/or lack of what I want - then 100% of the time I buy nothing.

    But on all other normal situations I can't seem to leave without 1 or 2 bottles.
     
  8. CA_Infidel2o9

    CA_Infidel2o9 Initiate (0) Dec 1, 2012

    Even though my area is a distribution dead zone. I still usually come out with atleast 1 bomber.
     
  9. GeckoPunk

    GeckoPunk Initiate (0) Jul 29, 2012 Connecticut

    I tend not to buy anything 25% of the time I go to the packy... 1/4 of the time I go, I'll find something new I want to try, and the other half, I notice myself buying my "fall-back beers" (Sierra Nevada's Pale Ale, Dan and Rich's Rye IPA, Harpoon's IPA, Sam Adams Seasonals, etc...
     
  10. donno005

    donno005 Initiate (0) Dec 2, 2012 Minnesota

    Its good to hear other takes on this. With anything else, I am absolutely not reluctant to browse a store and not buy anything, but when I go to the Lick (liquor store) it felt weird. Today it really paid off though. I spared the urge to spend my beer budget on the "fall-backs" and on my second stop, low and behold, a bottle of Darkness! Its going to be tough to not stop at all 6 or so stores on my way home next week.
     
  11. mychalg9

    mychalg9 Pooh-Bah (2,061) Apr 8, 2010 Illinois
    Pooh-Bah Society

    I leave without buying anything quite often, but there are other times when I plan ahead and say "if I dont find anything else, I'll buy beer x just so I dont feel stupid leaving empty handed." And sometimes I want to go to a particular store for one specific beer but I end up not going because I am worried they wont have it and I will have wasted a trip and/or feel stupid for not buying anything. I probably should call ahead but I find that unreliable at certain stores.
     
  12. rocdoc1

    rocdoc1 Savant (1,191) Jan 13, 2006 New Mexico

    Since the closest thing we have to a liquor store is our grocery store I check the beer shelves everyday, but rarely buy anything unless there's something new and unusual, or I need to replenish one of my staples. Today I did buy a sixer of Left Hand Nitro Milk Stout, something I've never seen here before. When I visit my parents there's a real liquor store a block away and I never leave there without more than I can possible carry.
     
  13. jwheeler87

    jwheeler87 Initiate (0) Oct 27, 2011 Massachusetts

    Maybe like 30 percent of the time. Sometimes nothing catches your eye you know.
     
  14. LeRose

    LeRose Grand Pooh-Bah (3,509) Nov 24, 2011 Massachusetts
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Probably over fifty percent of the time I leave empty handed, but it is like a scouting mission. Selection isn't always stable, so how do you know when something new is going to show up or if there is something nice on special, whatever....always stop in and look to see whats happening. I try to be pleasant to staff who are just trying to help, but will say at the big stores it is hard because you rarely see the same folks twice in a row. It is tough to be a regular these days in the bigger stores. I don't see any reason to get uppity if somebody asks me why my cart is empty, usually I get asked if I need help finding anything, but most times I can just walk out the door. As was said, there are enough times when I leave with an armful.
     
  15. MRsojourner

    MRsojourner Pundit (839) Dec 28, 2011 Massachusetts

    That's so awesome! it made me lmao. I didn't realize that "packy" was not a universal term
     
  16. jrnyc

    jrnyc Pooh-Bah (2,988) Mar 21, 2010 New York
    Pooh-Bah Society Trader

    Usually never. I kind of feel obligated to buy something, especially since the stores I frequent have hooked me up in the past.
     
  17. Blanco

    Blanco Savant (1,243) Oct 11, 2008 Pennsylvania

    I moved from CT to PA and people down here never know what a packy is.
     
  18. imbrue001

    imbrue001 Initiate (0) Aug 6, 2010 Pennsylvania

    Depends..
    My usual store I buy 100% of the time.

    This other place thats in a grocery store in PA, I leave empty handed probably 95% of the time. It's great though because I will make disgusted faces and shake my head at the shelves while I'm browsing..that way they know my disdain. I've even been stopped in the parking lot once by some security dood with a walkie talkie. Guess he thought I stole something. But I just turned around and gave him a look that said, "yes? can I help you? yes I did just walk out 'cause your store sucks." Then he just pretended he was looking for someone else, ha!
     
  19. CelticAleMan

    CelticAleMan Initiate (0) Dec 11, 2010 California

    I walk out empty handed all the time. I have had almost all of the decent beers in most of the stores around here. I go out looking for very specific things and if I don't find them, I don't buy anything.
     
  20. Blueribbon666

    Blueribbon666 Pooh-Bah (1,645) Jul 4, 2008 Ohio
    Pooh-Bah Society

    Plenty! I'm usually comparison shopping or looking for that diamond in the rough. It also helps to know of decent stores in and around the city so I'm never too far from a place worthy of a stop n grab either on the way home or on the way to a party/gathering. The beauty of being a service contractor and working all over, is stopping and discovering new places along the way.
     
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