LHBS issues.

order on line. Ive gotten everything from grains to yeast. bew eq and most everything on. better prices and better service

 

I've had a similar experience with the LHBS in my new city. They are missing things I consider required stock. I brought it up to them and they told me they are happy to order whatever I need given notice. Might do that next time, though it'd be nice if they just already had stuff.
Maybe good practice before completely writing yours off would be to call ahead and see if they can order/reorder the stuff you need.

 

Agree with both sam and gorm.

Call ahead, or better yet since they’re only 10 minutes away, swing by with a list of stuff you want and talk with them face to face. If there are things on your list that they don’t have and were typically in stock in the past, ask why it’s not now and how long it would take for them to get it. Be polite and pay attention to body language. A business that deals in what you want will want you as a customer; doesn't matter if it's for beer, calf-roping or spelunking. If they’re dodgy or give excuses rather than explanations, go with your gut feeling.

Ordering online is not painful and prices are good. It can take a little extra planning due to shipping lag time. Just like brick and mortar stores, you’ll find online stores that suit you better than others.

I’m not familiar with the term “virtual sack” but it sounds like it’s a pre-paid tab of sorts. If that’s what it is, and if the response by your LHBS doesn’t give you the warm and fuzzies, you might wanna think about moving toward a zero balance in your sack.

 

I’m a big supporter of shopping and keeping local with my supplies and equipment at my LHBS.

But fortunately the internet does give you anything you want at and usually cheaper prices than the LHBS can offer. Morebeer and YVH are two good ones I use often. I’ve never had any issues with hops through the mail. Yeast I will not mess with unless it’s dry yeast.

So, it sounds like convenience is more of an importance than substance. The internet dude. Find a happy medium between the two. That’s what I do.

 

Persistent stock-outs are flaming red flags a business is on its way out.

Suggest you don't re-up your 'virtual sack' b/c chances are it'll be gone like a fart in the wind when the shop all of a sudden closes its doors.

 

virtual sack = scam. They get your money and it sounds like you get your product when it is convenient for them. Morebeer has worked well for me. if they don't have a product they list it
out of stock. dry yeast is no problem seeing that is all I use, liquid yeast another pal of mine uses from them and he has not had a problem yet. I received some broken bags of grain , let them know and they replaced them, no questions just a Im sorry and we will send you more. that is a good business for me.

and I am not affiliated with them, just a customer

 

If the shop does not serve your purposes, order online. This is the reality I've faced for 15 years, during which I have live in towns of 10, 8 and 1 thousand people. The larger two towns did have shops that sold brewing supplies, but could not be counted on to have what I wanted. Yes, you could place orders. One of the shops literally ordered from Northern Brewer and then upcharged me. I stopped using him and started using Northern Brewer and Midwest (pre-merger, pre AB takeover). The other place could probably have served my purposes if I were an extract brewer, but I wasn't. Currently, the nearest brick and mortar shop that I would use is 4 hours round trip driving. I use it only when business takes me to that area, which is about 2x per year. Otherwise, I am ordering online.

 

Same stuff happens to me. Fortunately morebeer.com always has everything I need, cheap shipping, and packs everything up for me and saves me a trip to the store to do it myself. For me it's a no brainer. If I am short one or two ingredients, I'll run to the LHBS. Otherwise I shop online for my bigger purchases, then I'm sure to get all the ingredients that I specify.

 

I'm a little iffy on this virtual sack thing.

It should not cost the retailer anymore to pull 5 pounds or 1 pound or 47 and half pounds from a sack that is in stock. That is different then selling you a pre-packaged grain volume, like a 10 pound bag vs. a 1 pound bag. In all the places I have been to there is one price for the bulk grain regardless of quantity and another price, discounted, if you buy the entire sack.

I think you are virtually financing the business. More importantly if they do not have what you want then why bother? It's your money.

Cheers.

 

Last time I went to my LHBS, they were out of... bottlecaps.

 

Wow. This thread makes me thankful for my situation. My closest LHBS is a two minute drive, always well-stocked, and the knowledgeable and kind owners live two houses down from me.

And to rub more salt in it, there's a second LHBS on the other side of town that has a top-notch brewery attached to it ... about 20 minutes away.

 

It's a sad situation. People start ordering online because it's cheaper and more convenient. The LHBS suffers, keeping less in inventory. The remaining customers can't find what they need, so they have to go online.

 

Small scale homebrew shops may need to rely on customer service and community building to retain loyalty. Give good advice to newbs, help build the local home brew community by contributing to clubs in various ways, etc. if you are just a retail establishment and not contributing in other ways, you better have the best inventory or prices.

 

Don't shed a tear for the LHBS.

When was the last time the shop discounted your bill by 10% because you were loyally supporting the local business? If it is a one-way business, if they do not support the local homebrew club, if they do not have the required stock, if the staff is not knowledgeable, if the prices are not in line with the competition then good riddance.

My LHBS is mediocre at best and has zero presence in the brewing community. If you pay them an annual fee you are entitled to certain discounts!
Cheers

 

The hobby has had a decline over the last several years Add pressure from the big online stores, and one can see that stores are hurting, and some going out of business.

 

This just in and timely too...
I met a bartender friend of mine last night at his new gig in Ithaca and he mentioned the homebrew supply at the tavern he used to work at (and how I know him, as it was my LHBS) is closed as of yesterday.

They could never really get it together and I am not surprised. I have spent hundreds if not thousands of dollars buying yeast, hops and grain at that joint. They just never cared. Good riddance.

 

It does seem like some of the older LHBS owners or management aren't interested in homebrewing, don't read the forums or magazines or pay attention to new trends, etc. There just seems to be a lack of passion. And it shows as soon as you walk in the door. If you think the styles of beer are light, amber, dark or IPA, then you probably shouldn't be in business anymore.

 

Bummer. On the surface, combining these interests seems like a way homebrew retailing might survive a market downswing. On the other hand, trying to run two businesses is probably more difficult than running one.