Should Bottle Shops Allow Holds?

I gotten to know managers/owners at several stores and they hold beers for me, often putting me on the list when they create it, knowing what I like and what I've asked about. With BCBS variants, I had a full set reserved at three places, though passed on some to leave some for others. I also went to a few more stores that don't hold any so I could get more Vanilla and Orange. I might qualify as a truck chaser depending on definition, but I regularly buy beer at all of the stores.

At one store, the manager is pretty fed up with the cult beer hassles (calls, etc), and twice when I've walked in on a release day he's offered to sell me all he has left just to be done with the BS from others. I bought more than planned, but not all of it.

 

Our policy was always you have one week from the minute you asked us to hold something, if you haven't made time to come get it by then you probably didn't want it that much to begin with.

 

I could care less. I don’t buy “rare” beer. I buy drinking beer. I have seen many “rare” beers on shelves behind the register. I pass as I won’t pay the price or even ask the price.

I have requested the beer distributor order me a case of beer and or hold a case of special release.

Enjoy

 

I dont have a problem either way. For me, it should be at the discretion of the shop. Ive been fortunate to have a couple of shops hold beer for me in the past. I understand why some shops wouldnt want to have a policy doing so, though.

 

Fair enough.

 

It depends. For extremely limited beers, maybe not. But there's nothing wrong with holding something aside for dedicated customers in most cases, I think. I used to work at a beer store and we did this all the time for our regular customers.

 

It is a simple thing and it is personal politics. If you shop at a place and develop a good relationship with the staff, and frankly just don't become an ass, and you buy stuff, become truly friendly, are a steady good customer, you just might deserve really good treatment. This is business 101 pure and simple. As an ex-bartender, beer business owner and close observer of all facets of the business,this stuff ain't too tough!

 

This thread reminds me I gotta buy more beer at my normal shop soon, to maintain that relationship. I always start whoring around during imp stout release time...

 

It's their business, they need to know their market, so do what best serves. I'm ok either way, I get rewarding loyalty vs the whale bros guys who only show up a few times a year. It's a pain in the ass, but I'd reward my every week buyer.

 

For truly limited beers the retailer isn't getting rich off his 10 cases of KBS. I'd opt to regular customers too, makes sense to me.

 

Funny how this was a hotly debated topic that used to show up again and again and again a few years back but I haven't seen it discussed as much of late. I suspect it is due to a wider and larger distro of things that were so much more limited in past (KBS used to be a shit storm a 2-3 years back), more options of similar previously less available styles, and so much really good stuff in general that makes most of this just necessary.

in this day and age I cannot imagine wasting one iota of mental/physical energy on hunting with what is available everyday. OK--maybe one iota.

 

That would depend on what has been posted!

 

But it makes sense to him, he's not going to buy a Yacht off that release. So he serves his every week customer, I would too. It's strategic, a loyal customer after a truck chaser , it's peanuts on that release, but the loyal customer every week is valued. That's success and long term growth, the chaser will just look for another place.

 

As has been mentioned, the topic has been covered before, though usually in relation to the latest high-demand release.
Basically, there is no one rule that could be or should be applied or applicable to all situations. There will always (well, for the forseeable future) be more demand for the limited beer than there is beer. There is no way to keep everyone happy.
Most shops will happily help out their regular customers - if this is what was going on in the example on your original post, well, so be it, but if it was just random people asking to hold, well, this might be a different story.
I have a few places I go, each with different methods. One will hold releases until a set time, usually 5PM. Now, this does exclude often people who work until 5:30, or live / work a distance away, but it's still better than having the truck chasers come in 5 minutes after delivery and buy it all. (side: I was in one place and a release of something happened to come in. I guy walked in a couple minutes later and got whatever limit they were holding to. As he walked out, the beer guy called out, "see you next year.")
Another place I shop may have gotten the best of both worlds, inasmuch as it's possible. They issue hold cards. You can earn then a few ways, but mostly by purchases. Spend X amount, get a tick on the card. Fill that up, and you get a card you fill out with whatever you want them to hold for you. Once that release comes in, you have a set time, usually a week, to pick it up. If you can't make it, as long as you let them know, they'll extend it (they are pretty lenient about it.)
Anyways, this lets the actual regulars get their shot at limited beers, but also allows amounts on the floor for walk-ins and such.

 

I stop by my local shop nearly everyday.

They hold a few bottles in the back for loyal customers of new and special stuff.

 

If it were my small bottle shop I would discreetly hook up my regulars. It's no different than a bar owner giving a free drink to his regulars every now and then. The key here is "discreetly".

 

I suspect most stores hold some back to do fun things with. One store I frequent has surprised me a couple of times, offering me one of my favorites months after release. That store and another also put out "Easter Eggs", placing a cult beer among other beers for someone to find months after it sold out. I'm all for fun stuff like this instead of or in addition to hold lists.

 

This is personal politics and how good relationships are developed. Everywhere and in everything.

 

Yeah, I'd have thought that quietly putting sought-after bottles straight on the shelf without making a big noise on social media could actually be good business sense - if punters know that you might have that sort of thing just on the shelf then they'll be tempted to pop in on the off chance.