Should Bottle Shops Allow Holds?

Pardon me for being blunt, but I don't know if you're really thinking this through as opposed to just being easily offended. You can just as easily complain for "those of us who don't have time to go to a beer store at any hour of the week." Your ideal scenario isn't much different than the one you're complaining about.

 

Well, yes, you should, and it is NOT like a "little club house"... it is like being a regular, getting to know people, etc.

If they are posting their new arrivals on social media, them not accepting holds via social media really doesn't ensure you get a realistic shot. Those who are able to dash right to the store will still get their's first.

 

I would have been if it didn't require social media stalking to get something worth while. I get the majority of my beer through trading because the local bottle shops operate this way and I personally don't agree with it. I honestly get better beer through trading anyway but its nice to be able to walk into a bottle shop every now and then and find something good and not the regular old grocery store beer. I have asked the manager why he allows the holds and was given an answer of "because I can."

 

No matter what a shop does or does not do, somebody is going to find fault with it.

 

One local store would allow call-ins to hold a bottle. It got to the point that they were known throughout the city for doing so, and people a suburb or two over would call in to make a hold. Then if they found it closer to them, they'd just never come pick up their hold (which the store would honor for a week). It got so bad that the store actually stopped doing holds.

I've had good relationships with bottle shops and they'd hold stuff for me. After moving, I don't have any bottle shop relationships right now, but I do miss not having to rush to the store to land a bottle. Then again, I've stopped going after a lot of those bottles anyway. I really just miss chatting with the employees of one store. We're all pretty similar in age, and they had a handful of taps, so we'd pour a few pints and just sit there and chat, telling stories, and occasionally I got a cool bottle out of it.

TL;DR: I don't think it's wrong, especially since not every shop does it. Variability in the market place means you could still land that rare bottle at another shop in a first come, first served scenario.

 

The bottle shop I go to will NOT sell certain beers to first-time customers, or known truck-chasers. He enjoys being this way. I sort of laugh.

I don't care either way. I buy shelf beer in six-packs

 

The horror! How do you live with yourself?

 

In my shop I will gladly hold rare releases for certain valued customers who frequent my store. Simple as that, if your at least a semi-regular, and you ask politely then it's really no problem. But honestly if some random Joe-Schmo asks on social media, or call's us to ask, sorry but it's probably not gonna happen.

My reasoning is simple, I would rather help out those that keep my doors open. Rather then the truck chasers, bottle hoarders, and basically people I would only see for said rare releases.

 

Holding bottles is common practice here. I frequent around 4 different stores and 3 will hold bottles for me and I don't spend nearly as much money as some other people although I am friendly with all the store owners. One store near me has taken the practice even further and won't even put the ultra-limited stuff on the shelves and it is only available to people who join the "Beer Club" at the cost of $100 a year.

While the $100 beer club tax really rubs me the wrong way and I am not a member I don't really have an opinion either way on if a store chooses to hold bottles and doesn't charge you to do so. Let the owners make their own business decisions and shop with who you like. If you don't like someones business practices shop elsewhere, that's what I do anyway.

 

This topic has been highly debated many times over the years on this site.

 

One of my favorite local stores has a quirky beer manager. He'll bring a rare bottle out from the back if he sees someone browsing beer (I've spent a lot of time in their import aisle) and offer it up, and put it back immediately if they say no. Occasionally, he'll hide rare bottles in among 'shelf turd' beers. So a bottle of Cantillon may be between a few bottles of Saison Dupont and Fantome, and only keen eyes browsing the entire store would capture it.

 

OP, usually bottle shops know their premium customers and will hold special items for them as a thank you for their loyalty. If you have folks dropping serious money regularly verse fly by customers isn't that sort of a nice thing to do for their best people? Most shops I go to set aside for their loyal customers but also set aside some for anyone so there is some to go around for all because they want "new" loyal customers too. I also would not trust online posts, just because someone asks for a hold and gets a sure back does not mean jack. I would not go off that because it probably is just chatter and not going to happen. I view online stuff all the time and its loaded with save me some, hold me one, etc. don't worry about that go in and talk to the owner etc. and see what you can land. I go to two stores a lot and they know me by site and always let me know what is in, what may be coming in, when events will be going on or changes to them. The reason for this is that I am loyal, I spent a lot, and I have worked on a relationship with them to let them know they are my go to place. It's all about communication skills with these guys, the better you get to know them the better your experience.
Cheers and happy hunting.... Don't give up on local shops.

 

I get that you're frustrated, but this doesn't really add up. Your statement that they will lose customers because of this is an assumption at best. It's customers that are placing this hold to begin with. Customers that could move on to another store otherwise. You are thinking that these prized beers will stay on the shelves for you if they aren't put on hold... which means that desirable product isn't really moving that fast in your ideal scenario and "well-run" business that supposedly doesn't have old bottles anyway. You're getting the majority of your beer through trading, but you can only find "regular old grocery store beer?" Then what are you using for trading? Are you upset because you can't find enough beer at the store to trade with for out-of-market beer you'd rather drink... while also complaining that people aren't buying the beer on the shelves in your own market?

Maybe it's time to relax and reassess the beer that you're dismissing.

 

It takes beer, my friend

 

One of my normal shops does this. They'll hide super limited stuff (which they sometimes save for me and other regulars) One time they put out limited prarie beers and someone bought almost all of them at once. The worker who knew beer was pissed, that ended super limited stuff on the shelf.

 

Yep. If a proprietor just put out, say, 12 bottles of some vaunted "jewel", how many folks just happening upon it would not buy them all? I was a salesman, a wholesaler, importer and dealt with this issue from many angles. Every angle sucked. If someone buys something they should clearly be able to dispense of it as they choose.

 

Have you ever spoken up about requesting something? If not. It's on you bro. If you want to address the problem differently. You can open up your own place where you get to set the rules, or you find another bottle shop that doesn't do it this way and figure out when their stock of these limited doo dads are checked in, and stocked.
Limited availability is just that, so if you're not putting the effort in on YOUR end to secure something that YOU want, and is only going to be in stock for a couple hours, if at all, considering they are willing to hold stock back and that YOU also personally want in your own stash. Your loss, and the only person to be mad at is YOU.
Don't see why this is an issue, when you apparently can understand clearly how much product they are allotted.

 

He's not a horse with no name; his name is Lazarus.......With apologies....

 

Looking at public posts to a social media platform is really nothing like secretly watching others, especially when they undress, for sexual gratification tbh

 

I don't even know if any of the liquor stores around here do what is described by the OP. But then again, I also don't feel the need to get to know the people working in the shops (as some have suggested above) because I'm not chasing whales and one-offs. I go to the store, buy what I want and leave.