Price gouging rant...

A buddy once went into the ABC Liquor store in Long Beach several years ago and was going to buy a bottle of Pliny. Guy behind the counter said he could have as many bottles as he wanted. When he rang up the total it came out to $13 per bottle. My bud walked out empty handed. I dont think they sell pliny or any RRBC beers there anymore.

 

Every time I want to complain about how much I occasionally pay for RR beers, I remember how much it would cost me in time and gas to drive up to Santa Rosa to get them for a more reasonable price. That being said, $10 for Pliny is a little absurd. The most I've ever paid was $9 for a bottle at a bar.

 

I think that it's bad business for a store to charge that much. They are making more profit than the brewery itself. Don't you think that if more stores charge such a high price for beer, and RRBC see's none of those profits for all the hard work that they do, then they will eventually charge more on their end? Which means then the all around price of the beer will be inflated as well. So instead of the norm $4.99 to $6, we'll be seeing Pliny at $6.50 to $9. I'm assuming retailers get the beer from Stone Distro. for (guess)$3.25 a bottle or so. Meaning that RR sold Pliny to Stone Distro. for let's say less then $3.00. Making stores that sell it for over $9 a profit of $6, double of what RR makes. And they do none of the work! They don't even have to advertise it.

I wouldn't shop at that store, especially when you can find it fifteen minutes out of your way. And I would email RR and let them know of he stores name and how they are overpricing and rude to customers wanting Pliny the Elder

But at that instance you might have wanted to pay that price, only cause your buddies wanted to try it from other states. Who normally wouldn't have been able to try it. And he was willing to allow you to buy more then 2 at a time. And you were planning to got to the ball park for a game and spend the same amount for worse beer.

 

No one is stopping Russian River from charging more. People will pay it. Maybe they would make more money that way.

I read an article about them a few months ago saying they didn't want to expand too much because of the monetary risk. I think it said they didn't want to take out a loan to expand. Maybe if they made an extra $1 or $2 per bottle they could pay cash. Then we would have more Pliny!

 

They must be hippies because I'd raise the prices if I were them!

 

I actually live around the block from the store in question. I haven't had a chance to try Pliny until I learned he carried it. When I went on a Thursday, it was an off week for delivery, but I saw that a bottle was $9. I am not that desperate to try it, so I have decided to not try it until I find it for a more fair price. You should name the store 15 minutes away that sells it for a more honest price. I would be willing to drive that long to finally try Pliny without over paying so much. I'm not sure if I should name the store that OP is talking about, considering it should be handled by emailing RR.

 

I get the sense that they're content with maintaining what they currently have (the popularity of their product and the standard of living afforded to them by said popularity) and there's nothing wrong with that. It might seem short-sighted to those of you who are firm believers in the concepts of economics, but not everyone has the same values.

By the following logic is hilarious:

If a person is a hippy, then he or she will sell their products at prices lower than the market will bear. RRBC sells prices below market value. Therefore, they are hippies. ​

 

Exactly.
I live in LA, for me to ever find a bottle of pliny, you know where I have to go?
Santa Rosa.

 

I'm glad my sense of humor is not lost on everyone.

 

im pretty glad they are awesome people who want to charge a fair price for their beer, instead of charging more just because they can. i

 

While you are technically right in most aspects...it seems in this situation it is not the end of story, from Reading what people are saying RR will pull their account if the owner charges more than RR wants....so really the owner doesn't have the right to charge what they want, if they WANT RR products it seems.

 

Agreed. Not inconsistent with my point. There are ramifications! Everyone has the freedom to make choices.

 

It's all production Pliny in bottles now. I'd pay good money for a bottle of the real thing. Damn that used to be a good beer! I heard the brewery serves the real deal.

 

i see you posted telling someone to bring natty ice cans to the river. quailty posts

 

So have you named this place yet?

 

This guy seems like a really smart fella. Let's get the name of this shop out there and quit effing around.

 

I am almost certain the shop he is talking about is Raja's Liqour in Livermore, CA. I had just found out he stocks Pliny, and went in to buy some because I haven't tried it yet. He didn't have any, but I saw the price was $9 so I never went back, because my friend had gotten it there in the past for $6. Seems I'll need to plan a Thursday mission to get some, because I would rather drive and get it than support blatant overcharging.

 

On a side note you could look at it from a cost analysis standpoint. It costs the average person roughly $0.40/mile** to drive their car. So figure out how much more you are paying for Pliny and then figure out how much that round trip 15min away shop is costing you.



***cost of the car, oil changes, gas, repairs, new tires, brakes, etc..
The price per mile will vary with the type of vehicle you own

 

Its good to call the store out here to let us consumers know. Some will go there to pay $9, and more will avoid the place. Too bad you couldn't let them know that you aren't going back because of their pricing. Up to RR to pull their account, but up to us on where to shop.

 

I live in Ventura Co. and there are only two stores who carry Pliny. Wed. Is delivery day and I went into one store 3 times only to be told the delivery truck hadn't shown up yet. I called back a few hours later and 1, there was no Pliny delivered that week and 2, the Blind Pig they had gotten was already sold out. And this is at a wharehouse-type store. I called the other store and they were already sold out too! So I would gladly drive 15 min. or even 1 hr. out of my way to get some. I have haven't tried either one and just want to see what all the fuss is about! Cheers!