Inbev's new distro incentives

Doesn't make all the folks I know at the brewery any less worthy either.

 

I believe clare rose (an Am bev distributor) is the only beer distributor on long island. For the record, there are almost 3 million people living here.

Wondering if they also have a monopoly in the boroughs.... in that case, you can increase that number by up to another 8 million.
We are at budweiser's mercy. There is a definite opportunity to launch a craft beer distro center over here.

 

The issue is, that one AB distributor has the most access in your territory, guaranteed. So if the distributor with the most access sells no craft, all the shelf space and tap handles from that distributor will be AB products only. They're not going to give up the space they have now, which probably includes craft beers. The bars aren't just going to add a couple more handles, and the stores aren't going to add more shelf space. So the larger craft brands will be fine as other distributors will pick them up and their sales teams and key account managers will continue to make sure they are available. But with less space available, more of the smaller craft brands will get pushed aside, lose placements, not be able to sell beer, and then...?

That's the issue.

 

Note well, The incentive is for all ABI beers, not just AB, or bud and bud lite. We can argue that GI or Shocktop or whoever they have just acquired really is craft, but to them it's ABI vs not ABI.

If you want to support distributors of non ABI beer, you have to buy non ABI beer.

 

thank you

 

They are fighting, as any billion dollar business would do - but it won't save them. They can either continue to suffer, continue just buying craft breweries flat out or start producing good products.

 

No one distributes Miller or Coors on Long Island?

 

How come every time I read something about InBev I feel like I need to go wash?

 

This ought to be illegal, especially in combination with the 3-tier system, and especially in combination with a 3 tier system in which large brewers have ownership and partial ownership of distributors.

 

I dont think that is true, Union distributes to Long Island too.

 

Drop

Ballast Point was purchased by Constellation, not ABI, IIUC. Ballast Point would not count as ABI for this incentive program.

 

The competition of capitalism: If you can't beat em, buy em.

 

Don't know much about the wholesale tier in NYC, LI and vicinity but I do know Manhattan Beer Co., the MillerCoors, Boston Beer, Diageo, Heineken, Constellation, etc. distributor - covering that region as well as a few counties north of the city. The Feds license nearly 1,500 companies to wholesale alcoholic beverages in NYS - I'm guessing a few of them might also distribute beer to NYC/LI region.

 

I didn't read another word you wrote after this. Nothing like AB InBev conspiracy theorists...

 

I deal with one of the two CA distributors they are talking about. The rep informed that AB/InBev's plan is to only carry AB/InBev products with the distributor. I'm not sure that's entirely true for two reasons. One, I think it may be illegal. Two, the distributor recently picked up two extremely valuable brands (Stone and Deschutes). This adds volume to their bottom line and makes them at least appear to be 'diversified'. The distributor recently gave up the Constellation Brands (Corona/Modelo, which recently purchased Ballast Point) for reasons that are unknown to me at this point, possibly in preparation for the purchase of SABMiller. All in all, it's been an interesting few months in the beer industry in the Bay Area, ignoring what has happened with AB/InBev and SABMiller.

 

Someone made an excellent point in a previous thread about those boycotting InBev.....if you eat a burger and fries with Heinz ketchup, go to Burger King or Tim Hortons, or put Philadelphia cream cheese on your bagel, you're basically an extreme hypocrite and your "boycotting" is pointless because your dollars are going to the same people.

 

While I don't agree with your connection, anyone curious about what he's taking about: I found this link helpful - http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/eed72990-5c6e-11e5-a28b-50226830d644.html#axzz3tPEXzl3d

 

Those companies, whether you like to admit it or not, have made it to where they are by employing the same business practices on a far larger and far more impacting scale.