# Coles And Bi-lo Delete Home Brew



## MHB (20/6/10)

News that might affect many of you, it appears that Coles/Bi-Lo are deleting their entire home brew range.

Coopers response to club members who have enquired goes like this View attachment 38863
(I've just saved the text)

And there is discussion on the Coopers Website
MHB


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## fraser_john (20/6/10)

That is certainly going to piss a lot of K&K brewers off! Safeway/Woolies/BigW will be rejoicing as it means more customers buying the kits from them!

I suppose the LHBS selling Coopers kits will be happy about it too?


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## manticle (20/6/10)

That's pretty crap. Doesn't affect my brewing much (although I can occasionally pick up some crown seals) but I know walking past the home brew aisle in either coles or safeway is what led me to full mash brewing.

I recently noticed my local K-mart has limited their range (nearest place to buy DME for starters if I run out) so maybe Safeway will follow suit. 

On the upside it may mean more business for independent retailers.


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## Sammus (20/6/10)

manticle said:


> That's pretty crap. Doesn't affect my brewing much (although I can occasionally pick up some crown seals) but I know walking past the home brew aisle in either coles or safeway is what led me to full mash brewing.
> 
> I recently noticed my local K-mart has limited their range (nearest place to buy DME for starters if I run out) so maybe Safeway will follow suit.
> 
> On the upside it may mean more business for independent retailers.



QFT. My situation exactly.


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## peas_and_corn (20/6/10)

While it won't affect me at all, the thought that *some* of those sales would go to a LHBS is a nice one.


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## pokolbinguy (20/6/10)

should lead to some nice "clearance" specials for those bargain hunters. Shame I dont shop at coles..


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## microbe (20/6/10)

Excuse me for not reading the article, but does it give a time-frame? Now read, no indication of time. For those who still are K&K or KnB - keep an eye on clearance prices, and don't be afraid to negotiate on multi-purchases.

Cheers,

microbe

_*Edit* - Damn I'm a slow typer!_


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## jakub76 (20/6/10)

That's a big blow for coopers. I agree it's a profits decision but not regarding the margin on kits, I reckon it's got more to do with the profit they percieve their liquor outlets are missing out on by people making their own plonk.
From the wesfarmers website...they sell


> beer, wine and spirits at Liquorland, Vintage Cellars, 1st Choice Liquor Superstore and Coles Online


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## peas_and_corn (20/6/10)

jakub76 said:


> That's a big blow for coopers. I agree it's a profits decision but not regarding the margin on kits, I reckon it's got more to do with the profit they percieve their liquor outlets are missing out on by people making their own plonk.
> From the wesfarmers website...they sell



I doubt it. While they are all owned by Wesfarmers, each division is treated like its own business, so Coles in reality doesn't give a crap if Liquorland is missing out on sales. I'd say that the % of kits they have to discount because of a low code is too high for their liking.


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## manticle (20/6/10)

I reckon the % they miss out on from people brewing their own might be close to 0.000000039% of a beesdick's impression of an ant's balls.

Probably more to do with products that don't shift from the shelves.


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## Oatlands Brewer (20/6/10)

Ya not wrong about coles not giving a flying kcuf about other branches of the same company...I used to work for Vintage Cellars, even between liquor brands the care factor is zero.

I reakon they are discontiuing the line because A: there isnt the turnover and they cant get a "home brand" equivanlent to which they can appliy rediculous margin too.


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## peas_and_corn (20/6/10)

Oatlands Brewer said:


> Ya not wrong about coles not giving a flying kcuf about other branches of the same company...I used to work for Vintage Cellars, even between liquor brands the care factor is zero.



Yeah. Coles is now selling bikes, despite heaps of them being in the same centre as a KMart. My store got 16 pallets of toys the other day.


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## pdilley (20/6/10)

fraser_john said:


> That is certainly going to piss a lot of K&K brewers off! Safeway/Woolies/BigW will be rejoicing as it means more customers buying the kits from them!



Think like a business. THis means higher prices charged by Safeway/Woolies/BigW as less competitors are in the market offering K&K Home Brew supplies.

Cheers,
Brewer Pete


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## peas_and_corn (20/6/10)

Well, while Coles is exiting, there's still a few players- Woolies, Safeway, KMart, BigW, Foodland/IGA etc- enough to keep some competition around.


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## DU99 (20/6/10)

i will be keeping an eye out in COLES for bargains..i get my caps in bulk there cheaper,than supermarkets


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## marksfish (20/6/10)

i wonder how long before woolies follow the coles lead, maybe coopers woudnt cough up to pay for shelf space.


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## manticle (20/6/10)

aren't woolies and coles same shit, different smell or am I confused?


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## Oatlands Brewer (20/6/10)

Nah Mant....same shit different cows


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## marksfish (20/6/10)

different companies a bit more like tweedle dee and tweedle dum, i have always been amused how they have the same specials on a week apart. ps. the missus works for coles do i have to declare affiliation :unsure:


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## manticle (20/6/10)

Sorry - woolworths and safeway are the same cow.


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## eamonnfoley (20/6/10)

Maybe this is a conspiracy - one step closer to prohibition :icon_vomit: just jokes.


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## VonFehringer (20/6/10)

Just a pity Coles don't stock the really good kits , love to see those go out at a bargain price!!


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## sydneyhappyhour (20/6/10)

Normally only buy crown seals and carbonation drops from them on the odd occasion, still its going to get a bit annoying if I forget to order these consumables when I buy my grain. Think i may just have to increase the amount of these I keep on hand its not like stocking up on these for the future will break the budget.


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## pdilley (20/6/10)

Woolies is closer, but a SuperBarn is near my preferred butcher, but yet again today on rare occasion I was in a different centre and shopped at Coles as it was the only option. I did scan the home brew section (I always do) even though I'm AG, but they were all full price on the shelf at my Coles today 

Cheers,
Brewer Pete


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## bum (20/6/10)

marksfish said:


> different companies a bit more like tweedle dee and tweedle dum, i have always been amused how they have the same specials on a week apart.


 
Because the supplier provides a discount in order to promote continued sales of their product?


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## Murcluf (20/6/10)

Not an issue for me as I already have chosen not to shop at the likes of the 2 headed Beast(Coles & Woolworth)I perfer to maintain my freedom of choice rather then being dictated too by a pair of thugs with their over inflated prices, limited selections market dominance in the guise of convenience.....


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## manticle (20/6/10)

OT but

They are a horrible rip off aren't they? We have a local fruit market up the road as well as a halal butcher. I can spend approximately one third of the amount of money to feed myself and my partner that I would at a major supermarket. Also have an independent italian run supermarket nearby with attached deli, butcher and bakery. I have very little need to go to the majors although there are still ocassional items I buy. I just resent walking out with a small basket's worth and paying 70+ dollars when I know I can eat for a week if I spend that elsewhere.


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## pdilley (20/6/10)

Rip off? With the average family looking at what you (granted old days) used to be able to buy a car for every year in food bills (7K-14K depending on size of family) each year. You could be smart and bring in land consultants and buy in 6K worth of food trees and plants and start your own gardens and cut your food bill way down or to nothing if fully independent minded individual. Imagine what you can do without an Austrlalian Supermarket rip off bill each year? You could even reduce the number of days you work and spend more time in the garden, get a lower paying lower stress job perhaps right close to the house so there goes your fuel bills as well 

My medium term goal is to reduce food bill and increase gardens and home orchards on all the free land on the property. Long term goal is to sell up and go sub tropical and start an entire food forest of exotic fruits and do a small holding and cut my supermarket bills down to literally nothing.

Cheers,
Brewer Pete


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## tcraig20 (20/6/10)

Murcluf said:


> Not an issue for me as I already have chosen not to shop at the likes of the 2 headed Beast(Coles & Woolworth)I perfer to maintain my freedom of choice rather then being dictated too by a pair of thugs with their over inflated prices, limited selections market dominance in the guise of convenience.....



I think that it is foolish to fruit or meat regularly from a supermarket, and moronic to do it then complain about the price. Much better prices and products are easily available just about everywhere in Australia. Ive never understood why people buy anything but staples from supermarkets. 

Mind you though, they dont seem to be going out of business doing it, so obviously they are doing something right, even if I cant understand the choices that others make. 

Bit of a bugger about them dropping homebrew supplies though - I usually forget to get bottle caps until its too late and dash to the nearest Coles for them.


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## bum (20/6/10)

JamesCraig said:


> I think that it is foolish to fruit or meat regularly from a supermarket, and moronic to do it then complain about the price. Much better prices and products are easily available just about everywhere in Australia. Ive never understood why people buy anything but staples from supermarkets.


 
How are meat and veg not staples? That aside, yes, meat is awful at all the big supermarkets but the fruit/veg at Safeway is actually streets ahead of any other supermarket or (near mythical) greengrocer you might find in a shopping centre (read: complex/mall). For a great many, spending time driving around town is not worth the supposed benefit gained when all their kids will eat is chicken nuggets and yoghurt anyway.


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## manticle (20/6/10)

Brewer Pete said:


> Rip off? With the average family looking at what you (granted old days) used to be able to buy a car for every year in food bills (7K-14K depending on size of family) each year. You could be smart and bring in land consultants and buy in 6K worth of food trees and plants and start your own gardens and cut your food bill way down or to nothing if fully independent minded individual. Imagine what you can do without an Austrlalian Supermarket rip off bill each year? You could even reduce the number of days you work and spend more time in the garden, get a lower paying lower stress job perhaps right close to the house so there goes your fuel bills as well
> 
> My medium term goal is to reduce food bill and increase gardens and home orchards on all the free land on the property. Long term goal is to sell up and go sub tropical and start an entire food forest of exotic fruits and do a small holding and cut my supermarket bills down to literally nothing.
> 
> ...



My short term goal is to set myself up with a decent living (from student and casual worker to paper conservator). My short/medium term goal is to make my space as DIY as possible (veges, brew/ferment, support small local businesses). My long term goal is to be as self sufficient as possible which is why I enjoy your posts so much. DIY is so much more than cutting up photocopies for a flyer or ripping a hole in your jeans.


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## bum (20/6/10)

It is 4-track.


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## manticle (20/6/10)

And egg white.


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## Bribie G (21/6/10)

I mostly shop at ALDI, the lasses there know me by name now (as the staff numbers there are small and stay for years seeing as ALDI actually look after their people) and I keep ribbing them "when are you going to get home brew supplies". Maybe the word will filter up. Tins of Helles, Bock, etc - we can only dream.


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## tcraig20 (21/6/10)

bum said:


> How are meat and veg not staples? That aside, yes, meat is awful at all the big supermarkets but the fruit/veg at Safeway is actually streets ahead of any other supermarket or (near mythical) greengrocer you might find in a shopping centre (read: complex/mall). For a great many, spending time driving around town is not worth the supposed benefit gained when all their kids will eat is chicken nuggets and yoghurt anyway.



Im sure that you take my meaning - flour, sugar, tomato paste, bog roll, etc - staples. Perhaps not the most literal application of the word, but I dont see the point in being pedantic.

I must be spoiled - Ive never managed to live farther than a comfortable walk (5 -10 min) from a greengrocer. At the moment, there are three within a short walk of my house, three more if I feel like a bit of a walk (at least two of these in mall complexes). Likewise for butchers. 

I suppose those who feel they are 'too busy' are the target market for supermarket fruit and veg. I suppose if you find that it makes more sense to buy fruit and veg from a supermarket than to go elsewhere, thats your business. It seems a bit pointless to complain about it though. Cant say that Ive ever shopped at Safeway, so I cant comment on them in particular.


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## bum (21/6/10)

Then why were you?

I don't have kids (whom might only eat chicken nuggets and yoghurt) and shop at independent retailers where possible. I'm trying to look at things beyond my own narrow perspective.

But remember that independent retailers will tell you themselves that the big boys are able to support a narrower margin than them so who is really paying more than they should?


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## Back Yard Brewer (21/6/10)

What was the OP ? :blink: 

BYB


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## Bribie G (21/6/10)

On Bribie Island (pop over 15k so we are as big as say Wangaratta, Busselton or Ballina) they are about to demolish the ONLY fruit shop on the island and replace it with a 24 hour McDonalds. Still who needs veg when you can feed the kids on happy meals.


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## tcraig20 (21/6/10)

bum said:


> Then why were you?
> 
> I don't have kids (whom might only eat chicken nuggets and yoghurt) and shop at independent retailers where possible. I'm trying to look at things beyond my own narrow perspective.
> 
> But remember that independent retailers will tell you themselves that the big boys are able to support a narrower margin than them so who is really paying more than they should?



Why was I what? Complaining about supermarket prices? I dont really think that I was. Commenting on Safeway? I dont think I really did that either. Something else Im missing? Probably.

Who is paying more than they should? Not me - I tend to be fairly price conscious, and tend to follow value. Ive been in supermarkets twice that I can recall in the last three months, once to buy shampoo, and once to buy boned pork shoulder that was on special for sausagemaking (and yes, I know, we've been talking about how the price and poor quality of supermarket meat, and yet I admit to buying it. Like I said, I follow value). 

One thing that Ive noticed since moving to a larger city is that a lot of the small independent shops actually offer superior prices on a limited range _staple_ goods than the large supermarkets. 

Anyhow, Ive got to go work for Dr Evil tommorrow, so I'd better be off to bed.


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## bum (21/6/10)

Despite any personal animosity you might be getting from me I really do hope you've got a name tag there.

[EDIT - in case the reference isn't coming through above (the internet is a funny place, after all), my point is that there isn't any personal animosity. Sorry if you get the joke but I don't want any confusion on this issue.]


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## jivesucka (21/6/10)

what's the farmland lager and draught like? anyone actually tried them?


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## petesbrew (21/6/10)

My local Coles had a better hb stock than the woolies, but the queues - like Kmart & target - are horrendous, as they only ever have 3 out of 12 registers happening at any time, usually operated by complete retards or narky old women.
Just for the hell of it, I sent coles a note saying basically that, and a heads up to Woolies, saying to up their stock a bit.
Always handy for bottle caps, dextrose, and toucan supplies.


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## Pennywise (21/6/10)

I've always found the Coopers kits at Coles to be a couple of bucks more than the same ones at BigW, but agree they're good for emergency supplies


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## DU99 (21/6/10)

within 2km's from where i live i have 3 coles stores 1 woolworths 2 aldi's 1 iga,bulk butcher,2 fruit and veg..plenty of choice..


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## MarkBastard (21/6/10)

Just to continue the off-topic stuff. I mostly shop at Woolworths in Brisbane because a lot of other shops e.g. Butchers are rarer or a let down. When I lived in Sydney it was a different story.

People focus too much on Woolworth's prices etc and fail to realise that for some people being able to buy everything in the one place is worth the extra $10 or whatever per trolley load.

I couldn't imagine going to several different places like Aldi, Woolworths etc all in the one day to save $5. Hell it's annoying enough going shopping in the first place! One of my most hated things.


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## petesbrew (21/6/10)

Mark^Bastard said:


> Just to continue the off-topic stuff. I mostly shop at Woolworths in Brisbane because a lot of other shops e.g. Butchers are rarer or a let down. When I lived in Sydney it was a different story.
> 
> People focus too much on Woolworth's prices etc and fail to realise that for some people being able to buy everything in the one place is worth the extra $10 or whatever per trolley load.
> 
> I couldn't imagine going to several different places like Aldi, Woolworths etc all in the one day to save $5. Hell it's annoying enough going shopping in the first place! One of my most hated things.


+1
I do our weekly shop, and the only time I go into different shops is when I'm after something special or Woolies doesn't have what I need. I won't argue that better stuff is at the butchers, but I couldn't be arsed.
And the nappies are good at Aldi.... Hang on...why the **** am I talking about nappies on AHB?
Beer, I'm thinking about beer... and boobies... Much better. :icon_chickcheers:


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## SpillsMostOfIt (21/6/10)

The Off-Topic stuff is fun...

Our nearest Coles is 9km away. Our nearest Woolworths is 51km away. I can't afford to shop at the IGA across the road from Coles or the local specialist green/meat grocers (the wonders of tourist towns *sigh*). We tend to do big trips to the Woolworths (and use the savings from buying petrol in Ballarat to pay for the trip) and just buy what we have to from the local Coles (which is one of the most expensive in Vic). We're slowly getting the hang of growing our own veg.

The On-Topic stuff is fun...

Coles appears to be pursuing a strategy of slowly removing brand names from its shelves. I'm sure that makes great business sense to them right now. In the future, it will most likely back-fire on them when it becomes plain that they are buying all their stuff from companies that are bigger than them and now hold all the cards. The true desperados will buy the farmland homebrew stuff, but the amount of business Coles loses from this decision is likely to be really very small.

I think it is a bit disingenuous of Coopers to complain - if the quality of their product doesn't motivate their customers to travel to another store to buy it, I'm not sure that is the fault of their stockists.


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## DU99 (21/6/10)

BIG W carries a better range of cooper's than all the local supermarkets in my area and BIGW have it on special occasionally


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## juzz1981 (21/6/10)

Not that im using kits anymore, but we only have safeway and coles here that sell home brew kits.
Guess safeway have the monopoly now, no more kits on special


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## Pennywise (21/6/10)

DU99 said:


> BIG W carries a better range of cooper's than all the local supermarkets in my area and BIGW have it on special occasionally




I agree, the BigW I go to even has a better Coopers range that G&G. Of course though G&G have a much wider range of brands


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## Wonderwoman (21/6/10)

My local coles axed their homebrew range a few months ago which prompted me to switch to safeway (which is in the same complex, so really no extra effort on my part), but unfortunately their range is pretty small and they don't stock any accessories like the carbonation drops or crown seals. Not sure if they even have dextrose/BE2.

i'm just not going to do any k&b anymore as my LHBS only stocks $20 black rock kits.


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## Yeastie Beastie (21/6/10)

Now it will be like living in the country.
My choices when I was K&K was:
Foodworks - Coopers Lager, Coopers Brewing Sugar and carb drops.
IGA - Coopers Lager, Coopers Draught Crown Seals and BE1.
Had to wait to go to the city to get anything half decent. 
It is my reason for going AG, postage of grain is cheaper that a trip to the city.

Good to see a bit more business going to the LHBS though.


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## komodo (21/6/10)

On Topic: 
It'll be based on shelving fronts. Home brew takes up a reasonable amount of space for something that I would expect is probably not that high a turn over catagory. 

Off Topic:
My partner and I shop using coles online. Mostly because Woolworths homeshop is shit house. The reason we buy online is because for both of us our time is worth more than the savings to be made tripping around shop to shop in search of items at the cheapest prices. Also we can be cooking dinner use the last of the tinned tomatoes and simply add it to the coles online shopping cart there and then.
The delivery drivers are friendly (they often give our dog treats etc and know whats going on in our lives - more so than the check out chicks at any of the supermarkets would ever get to know us). 
We realise the meat isnt the best quality (mostly due to hanging time) - but its miles ahead of the quality of supermarket meat of 5, 10+ years ago. As for the fruit & vegies. Id actually say that unless your looking for organic produce you'd be hard pressed to find better produce than what is available at coles and woolies as they have strict guidelines for growers (for example friends of ours grow apples for coles/woolies and they have to have their entire orchard netted to protect the fruit from weather damage and birds etc - this is a requirement given to them to be used as a supplier to coles / woolies) and its all kept in purpose built coolstores.

I do shop the markets when we have time. We love shopping the markets its a pleasure. We can get things unavailable to us at the supermarkets and we can often grab a bargin. We also buy seafood from a local seafood store as the quality from coles online is a bit naff. 
We find when we shop the markets it becomes an all day event as we have to shop the markets for certain items, then go to a grocers store for items like flour, sugar, shit tickets etc, bottle-o for some wine or spirits, butcher for our meats and on it goes.
Sure we save about 25% on our grocery bill and get generally better quality produce. But it takes all day and when you really only see one another on the weekends and you have a house mid renovations and a puppy to walk and play with as well as trying to have a social life - spending that 25% extra and compromising on quality of some items is worth it to have it delivered to your door when you get home from work.

I suppose its like foxtel. I could have FTA TV and watch good quality TV/movies when its available or could spend my $120 a month and have good quality TV/movies any time I want. I have foxtel, I shop online. 

Theres plenty of good greengrocers, independant supermarkets, good butchers etc out there. If they had a website where I could do my shopping and the local green grocer, local butcher, local supermarket could arrange a delivery of my items at a time that suited me for a comparitive price to coles online Id use that service. The florist industry does it - why not the food/grocery industry?


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## Pollux (21/6/10)

Brewer Pete said:


> Rip off? With the average family looking at what you (granted old days) used to be able to buy a car for every year in food bills (7K-14K depending on size of family) each year. You could be smart and bring in land consultants and buy in 6K worth of food trees and plants and start your own gardens and cut your food bill way down or to nothing if fully independent minded individual. Imagine what you can do without an Austrlalian Supermarket rip off bill each year? You could even reduce the number of days you work and spend more time in the garden, get a lower paying lower stress job perhaps right close to the house so there goes your fuel bills as well
> 
> My medium term goal is to reduce food bill and increase gardens and home orchards on all the free land on the property. Long term goal is to sell up and go sub tropical and start an entire food forest of exotic fruits and do a small holding and cut my supermarket bills down to literally nothing.
> 
> ...




LOL, you've just described my dream lifestyle. I'd love to be able to get out of Sydney, purchase a moderate block of land (say 20acres) and set it up to provide me with all the food we would need, install solar power, rain water and also water recycling and basically be self sufficient. The wife would still work to bring in some money and I could spend my days taking care of the property. I grew up on a farm and I swear beef tastes better when you've hand fed the steer 

As for the coles dropping HB thing, my local one even has the Coopers starter kits, might see if they drop them significantly, I'd like another fermenter/hydrometer. But their prices are weird, one thing I've always loved is that they sell the same 23L willow esky I used to use for my MT for $47, but the regular price at K-mart is $29.....Go figure.


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## MeLoveBeer (21/6/10)

Not the end of the world; Coles range was always atrocious at best and kmart (also wesfarmers owned) would still be stocking the product lines.

I can understand this being an issue for remote brewers who can only get access to Coles, but prices from the sponsors above or your LHBS would still be comparable (plus they have a far superior product range). As far as I'm concerned I'd rather see the money go into the pocket of a small time operator than either Coles or Safeway.


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## Lord Raja Goomba I (21/6/10)

Much rather buy from my local HBS for home brew stuff, but I haven't done the kit thing for a very long time.

For those on a kit - they'd much rather it, because it is signficantly cheaper to buy from a supermarket (from my experience back in the bad ol' days). By removing coles, then woolies don't have the competition from the big ones, and you can guarantee the LHBS won't be able to compete, based on margins. So this does effectively drive the prices up.


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## MarkBastard (21/6/10)

Well said Komodo.

It annoys me when people make out that Woolworths and Coles shoppers are ignorant, or dumb. It's not always the case. Some people are literally happy to spend a small premium for convenience and I am often one of them.


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## cdbrown (21/6/10)

I shop at Woolies for nearly all items - the butchers nearby are more expensive, the sunday fruit and veg market cost just as much and the food's no better as they all just go and get it from the same distribution centre.


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## pdilley (21/6/10)

Pollux said:


> LOL, you've just described my dream lifestyle. I'd love to be able to get out of Sydney, purchase a moderate block of land (say 20acres) and set it up to provide me with all the food we would need, install solar power, rain water and also water recycling and basically be self sufficient. The wife would still work to bring in some money and I could spend my days taking care of the property. I grew up on a farm and I swear beef tastes better when you've hand fed the steer



Mate, its all Permaculture today. People have already been doing it and leading the way. You and me are the stragglers. You can get some magazines at the news agency on it, or get the books from permaculture research institute if you want, even get the dvd on establishing a food forest (great DVD by the way) at the PRI website as well.

Get with it!

Cheers,
Brewer Pete


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## pdilley (21/6/10)

I encountered a great Coles experience this weekend. Quality of supermarket goods are dependent on what competition is around. In my main shopping centre, its Coles on one side, Woolies on the other, and quality of produce is not that great.

My other shopping centre has my fav. butcher, the produce of the supermarket there is not great either.

The new shopping centre has a butcher, a fresh produce store, and even a liquorland right next to it. This Coles had top quality produce compared to everything I've bought in the area so far, it actually had a decent beer selection (drop dead kid you not!) and even good prices on meat.

So experience is always local and always competition dependent.

Cheers,
Brewer Pete


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## kbe (21/6/10)

No real loss, really. Here you can get a box of PET bottles from Bilo/Coles for $15.58 (or around that), go to Big W in the same shopping centre and pay $12.48.

I am happy to either

1) go to the local brew shop
2) buy off the internet

The range that can be gotten on the net is enough for me to not give a stuff about the shops like Coles and Woolworths and I would rather pay the postage. A few more boxes of PET bottles from Big W and I should have enough.


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## manticle (21/6/10)

Mark^Bastard said:


> Well said Komodo.
> 
> It annoys me when people make out that Woolworths and Coles shoppers are ignorant, or dumb. It's not always the case. Some people are literally happy to spend a small premium for convenience and I am often one of them.



OT

I don't think anyone's ignorant unless I talk to them and find out that they actually are. I prefer independent retailers for a variety of reasons (DIY, same spirit that attrcats me to brewing etc) but for me I can get a week's worth of fresh, good quality meat and fruit/veg as well as most groceries at two independent small businesses within a two minute walk of each other (slightly less distance from my house as Safeway and Coles and Aldi too) It costs me approximately 1/3 the price (not a difference of 5 or 10 - more like a difference of 60 or 70).

Every time I go to Coles I feel ripped off. Every time I go to these two places I feel like I've walked away with a bargain.

I've probably mentioned this on this forum more times than I should but my income is variable (postgrad student and casual worker) so knowing I can feed myself, my partner and my cats significantly cheaper (and better) if I avoid Coles is a good thing.

There's a third independent Italian run supermarket I sometimes go to for smallgoods and their deli makes Coles and Safeway look like a joke - prices are less than major chains although not as low as the other two outlets. Still something like lavazza coffee retails there for around $5 as opposed to 9 or 10.

I'm not sure who suggested that the quality of Coles and Safeway fruit and veg was good but I disagree. Often flavourless and artificially ripened - and no I don't buy much organic produce (can't afford it). I can still get more flavoursome fruit and veg elsewhere for less.

I understand if someone wants or needs convenience. I understand people are busy with kids, business, life, etc and I don't blame them. I work 5 casual jobs with regularity and have a couple of other bits of income making in addition to that as well as study postgrad, brew, draw, make music post ridiculous amounts of waffle on AHB and live with my partner. No kids, thank christ - that's possibly the time killer. 

Personally though I find the attitude of 'convenience rules' has contributed a lot to things I don't like - one of which is monopolising markets which means products and decisions that effect the consumer are less and less dictated or influenced by the consumer. I laso like connections with things and find the major supermarkets have the remotest link to the produce (foodwise anyway) that I'm buying. Their deli smells like bleach - my local italian deli smells like cheese and sausage and everything is sliced fresh in front of me. Yes I have to wait longer but if you smelt their cacciatore sausage, you might wait too.


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## HoppingMad (21/6/10)

Well, I think it sucks. h34r: And sucks big time.

That's one less place we can get this stuff. It's one less place we can compare a price and get the best brew for our buck. I find it damn annoying.

Another sign that Coles are only interested in reducing the number of their suppliers, rather than provide a good range for their customers. Wander around any shelf and you'll find an increasingly pitiful range that has more and more homebrand stuff disguised as legitimate product. If they want to become an upmarket Aldi by stealth then why don't they hurry up and get it over with already. They're not fooling me.

Coopers kits are a great aussie product and deserve support from companies like Coles. It's where most homebrewers start (myself included) and I find it a shame that because a few rows of chips and nuts might have sold better, they're getting rid of this stuff from the aisle. If I had never seen these supermarket kits when I started out, I probably would have never have been introduced to this hobby at all. 

This is one brewer that will be voting with his feet and heading to Woolies. Hopefully the stuff will still be seen as a viable product there. They just lost my grocery bill.

Rant over,

Hopper.

P.S: Surprised that Big W still has homebrew stuff. It's been deleted from the Melbourne QV store it appears. Can't find them anywhere. Hopefully this is not going to be a broader policy also.


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## Pennywise (21/6/10)

Couldn't have put it better myself Hopper, well said


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## DU99 (21/6/10)

or is it a Conspiracy to make us go to the home brew store...which for some they dont locally...or it rebadged coles brand


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## Nevalicious (21/6/10)

Amen Hopper! :icon_cheers:


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## HoppingMad (23/6/10)

Cheers fellas, 

I'm going to put my rant to paper and send it up the Coles flagpole and see who salutes.

Encouraging news on the related thread someone posted yesterday here on post #9:
Related Thread

That Coles are being bombarded (and rightly so) with complaints. Top work to those that have!

I'm sending out my rant too to Coles Customer Care area - I think it's important they give their customers choice and know about it.

Hopper.


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## Bribie G (23/6/10)

Aldi by stealth is probably a good take on the situation with Coles. I was in Coles yesterday, at Morayfield. Rarely get in there as it's a 60k round trip but we went to see Shrek4 (3d of course) and I had a look in Coles to see if they were specialling any HB, might make a couple of partials as keg fillers. No such luck, still all well stocked ATM and full price. However looking around the store a lot of things seemed excessively expensive. Just as a backgrounder, the Morayfield store was a BILO until Coles really shot themselves in the foot and coverted a lot of them to Coles. 

It used to be full of customers, and before we got ALDI on the island I would drive down every fortnight and stock up on BILO goodies, particularly the bulk meat trays. It was worth the drive. Yesterday the place was deserted. There are two Woolies Stores at Morayfield, plus an ALDI and a new Supa-IGA. I had to go to Woolies while we were there to get a Woolies specific item. It was thronged. And I did my ALDI shop as well seeing as it was right there. Bustling.

Coles are getting their asses busted by the other stores so it will be interesting to see what direction they take.


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## MarkBastard (23/6/10)

manticle said:


> OT



Let's put it this way, if I lived in Brunswick I would do exactly the same as you. Where I'm living at the moment there's no real alternatives. There is a butcher that costs more than Woolworths but has really good quality stuff. I shop there. There's a butcher a lot further away with a massive range and decent prices that I go to if I want to buy big roasts etc or if i'm having a BBQ or whatever. There's a fruit shop (Mal Meningers) that's pretty far away that has insanely good value and good quality produce that I go to when I'm in that area.

I go to the Sunday markets (local) and pick up fruit and veg there when I can too.

But I also go to Woolworths and love it. It is what it is because that's what a lot of people want. I'm not going to rag on it for being the most successful. I'm really glad I have two in close proximity, one a short walk away from home and one on the way home from work with good parking.

Only thing that pisses me off about Woolworths is the one close to my house has free trollys and so people often leave them out the front of my place. The one on the way home from work is in an area no one can walk a trolly home from (industrial sort of area) yet they require a gold coin to get a trolly. So bloody annoying if you don't have a coin on you. It should be the other way around.


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## bkmad (23/6/10)

Having lived in the UK for 3 years recently, I can see coles and woolworths going the same way as the big chains over there. Tesco and Sainburys have both got their own lines of products and for some things there simply isn't a choice and the only thing available is the own brand product. They seem to have products packaged at 3 different levels, the no-frills level, a similar product with better packaging and then their "premium" range, packaged and priced as such. It's obvious to me that coles especially, have started to head in this direction.

In some cities the big chains have taken over to such an extent that they are the only choice for groceries. Where I lived in Manchester, there simply wasn't a butcher, baker or fruit and veg shop near me. I can only hope we don't let that happen here. Since getting back I've definitely made a point of trying to support local businesses over the big chains, and as others have mentioned, the prices and quality are often better anyway.


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## Sammus (23/6/10)

spoke to coles management the other day and theyre not even axing it, just removing it from smaller stores, but areas where it's selling theyre keeping it.

And on the topic of all the independant grocers, butchers, etc, there's a few down here I go to regularly, and theyre never cheaper. In fact, it usually costs around twice the price of coles/woolies, but the quality is heaps better... I thought the point is that you go to the little fruit and veg shop or the farmers markets to get better produce, cos in my experience, it's certainly not cheaper.


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## Pennywise (23/6/10)

Sammus said:


> And on the topic of all the independant grocers, butchers, etc, there's a few down here I go to regularly, and theyre never cheaper. In fact, it usually costs around twice the price of coles/woolies, but the quality is heaps better... I thought the point is that you go to the little fruit and veg shop or the farmers markets to get better produce, cos in my experience, it's certainly not cheaper.




Agree, the farmers market I go to on the way home from work to get the veggies costs me about $15 more when buying the same stuff from Coles/Woolies, but it's better. The thing is though, I don't have to throw half of it away 2 days later, which is what Coles veggies are like, so in the end it actually works out cheaper.


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## zebba (23/6/10)

Mark^Bastard said:


> Let's put it this way, if I lived in Brunswick I would do exactly the same as you. Where I'm living at the moment there's no real alternatives.


That's a fair point. 

Where I am now is great cause there is a butcher and fruit/veg right next door to coles that sell similar quality for 1/3rd the price (and they throw in freebies too). Yet they are often empty and coles is loaded, which pisses me off no end - the convenience of one store is offset by the fact you wait 3 times as long in line and pay 3 times as much. 

But that's a specific rage. I've also lived in areas (malvern, for example) where the fruit/veg stores and butchers are twice the price of coles/safeway. And you get stuck behind some toff asking for the lamb rack to be frenched (what a waste!) so it takes twice as long to get it.


----------



## jivesucka (23/6/10)

i'll ask the question again, has anyone used the farmland homebrew products? what are they like?


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## Bribie G (23/6/10)

My KnK brew buddy mate round the corner did a farmland lager last year and it was pretty vile - I don't know who makes the generic supermarket kits, maybe Wander or someone, but they are made down to a price. Rather pay the extra few bucks for a Coopers or Morgans.


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## petesbrew (23/6/10)

jivesucka said:


> i'll ask the question again, has anyone used the farmland homebrew products? what are they like?


Pretty vague response, but I used them in a toucan a few years ago, and to be honest it's not worth the $2-3 saving. I dunno, it may come from the same factory, but I'm happy basing my KnK recipes on the Coopers brand.


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## pcmfisher (23/6/10)

Farmland and woolies generic cans used to be supplied by coopers years ago, in Adelaide anyway. Don't know if they are the same quality on not.
Having said that, a 2 can farmland brew I did once was one of the few brews that ended up on the lawn. :wacko:


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## HoppingMad (23/6/10)

Have heard of people doing a two-can with a Homebrand Draught and one of the Dark Ale, or Stout cans from Coopers. But on their own you would be getting what you pay for methinks. :icon_vomit: Happy to be proven wrong though if anyone has had a good brew from them.

Hopper.


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## petesbrew (23/6/10)

HoppingMad said:


> Have heard of people doing a two-can with a Homebrand Draught and one of the Dark Ale, or Stout cans from Coopers. But on their own you would be getting what you pay for methinks. :icon_vomit: Happy to be proven wrong though if anyone has had a good brew from them.
> 
> Hopper.


hehe, yeah the T-58 yeast did not help.


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## booyablack (23/6/10)

Jivesucka,

I recently did a toucan with 1 x Farmland Lager + 1 x Farmland Draught. It's been in the bottle for four weeks now. I've tried a couple and they taste terrible so far. 

The reason I attempted this was because I had previously gone to the shops to make the cheapest toucan I could and see how it went. That day the Tooheys Special Lager was on special ($8 each) and just cheaper than Farmland ($8.23 ) so that's what I got. It turned out surprisingly good! So I thought I'd do the same with the Farmland cans with the result being far from good. I plan to tuck those bottles away in the corner and come back to them in 6 months - 1 year. Hopefully time heals all brews! Both times I used only the cans and nothing else i.e. no extra grain, hops etc. I even used the kit yeasts both times.


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## Scruffy (23/6/10)

It's all a big 

<<<SNIP>>>*

It would be interesting to see Wallmart introduce a couple of hypermarkets here (just as an anthropological study you understand). That would really shake things your Coles and Woolies up!! And probably/ultimately your farmers...

*Bit of self preservation moderation...


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## Bribie G (23/6/10)

Andy, what's the "you" thing? Don't tell me they are revoking your visa . Noooooooooooooooooo
Eyup, come to t'dark side and become a true Colonial like me  Tha wain't regret it.


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## Margwar (23/6/10)

I sent an email to Coles... It was handy place to get my caps and LME and I am annoyed that they are removing Coopers stuff. Here is their reply:

Good Afternoon,

Thank you for contacting us regarding the availability of Coopers Home Brew at Coles.

We regret to learn of your disappointment with our decision to no longer range this product and would like to extend our apologies for any inconvenience you have been caused as a result.

The decision to remove this product was not one made lightly. Our Merchandise Team is constantly reviewing our product range to ensure that we are meeting the needs of our customers.

When selecting our merchandise, previous sales history and customer demand are assessed. This includes obtaining the right balance between Proprietary brands and Coles brand products. Every product, no matter what brand, has to earn the right to remain on our shelves.

We set financial hurdles for Coles brand products as well as Proprietary products. Should the product not meet these hurdles, it is removed from sale. This rationale allows us to deliver innovation and increase space to categories with large sales growth.

As a result of our assessment, the complete product range of Home Brew products, not just the Cooper brand, has been removed from most Coles and Bi-Lo stores. There are some stores however, where the customer demand for this range is high and will remain on the shelves.

We appreciate you taking the time to provide us with your feedback. Your comments have been referred to our Merchandise Team for their consideration and information.

Yours Sincerely
Rima Rustom
Customer Care


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## Scruffy (24/6/10)

Dear mate,

Thank you for taking the time to write, I'm pleased you can did. I'm proud to announce we're constantly in a fantastic position to offer you whatever the shit we want, unless it doesn't make as much as our shareholders dictate. For instance, it would be far too costly, let alone unAustralian, to start pandering to all the wogs and boat people that seem to be bothering our 1950's white Methodist demographic these days, you should be ******* grateful you can buy a hot chicken lovingly nurtured in our intensive farm - and I'll tell you how good they are mate, Woolies sell the same shit... Anyway, funny you mention home brew, I strongly believe at base level, it just comes down to regenerated incremental processing and taking into account our exploratory research points to ambient asset flexibility and factoring in a more contemporary reimagining of our integrated modular contingencies... get to **** piss boy. We have a store in Footscray, perhaps you could move there, our investigations suggest we might even start selling crack there...

Local regards,

Y'ou Rstuffed.

We Own Australia SuperMarkets (cause you don't know any different...).

Wesmarkets Inc (oh and maybe we've got a financial interest in all those odd little Malls in the suburbs that have a Realty, a Bottle shop (affiliated), a Loot (or at least a weird hippy shop), a discount shop that sells usefully sized plastic containers, a veggie shop (odd affiliation to the local super market...), a news agent (that looks like all the other news agents), a hair architect and maybe a couple of Chinese cafe's that sell weird coloured sausages and Yum Cha - whatever that is - and day old chips, oh and bless our OP shops, 




...meh, second half of the Engerland game, suspend rant...


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## manticle (24/6/10)

Scruffy said:


> Dear mate,
> 
> Thank you for taking the time to write, I'm pleased you can did. I'm proud to announce we're constantly in a fantastic position to offer you whatever the shit we want, unless it doesn't make as much as our shareholders dictate. For instance, it would be far too costly, let alone unAustralian, to start pandering to all the wogs and boat people that seem to be bothering our 1950's white Methodist demographic these days, you should be ******* grateful you can buy a hot chicken lovingly nurtured in our intensive farm - and I'll tell you how good they are mate, Woolies sell the same shit... Anyway, funny you mention home brew, I strongly believe at base level, it just comes down to regenerated incremental processing and taking into account our exploratory research points to ambient asset flexibility and factoring in a more contemporary reimagining of our integrated modular contingencies... get to **** piss boy. We have a store in Footscray, perhaps you could move there, our investigations suggest we might even start selling crack there...
> 
> ...



^Official letter. How did you get a hold of the file template?




Mark^Bastard said:


> Let's put it this way, if I lived in Brunswick I would do exactly the same as you. Where I'm living at the moment there's no real alternatives.



Of course. Like I said I get the different reasons people shop there and make no claims as to their intelligence levels for doing so (meaning I don't judge them as ignorant or anything remotely connected) I do still buy various things from Safeway and Coles myself - just prefer to utilise the alternatives as much as possible. If you have no alternatives then...........................


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## Scruffy (24/6/10)

If you have no alternatives!

There's the rub!

Any town in the UK will have an Asda, Morrisons, Sainsbury's, Tesco, Co-operative Food, Somerfield, Marks & Spencer, Waitrose, Aldi, Lidl, Netto, Quality Save, Farmfoods, Iceland, Best-One, Budgen, Costcutter, Londis, Mace, McColl's, Nisa-Today, Premier Stores, & SPAR. In cities you get ALL of them.
- hey, there's even a PAK-Supermarket (for just about anything Asian that Tesco's or Asda doesn't stock!), then there are the _Independent_ grocers where you can poke around for just about anything...
Granted there are more people in the UK and I shouldn't be comparing, it was just a bit of a culture shock walking into, well just about anywhere, and seeing the same few products!

I have seen changes though, in the short 18 months I've been here, there's a little more choice!


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## HoppingMad (24/6/10)

Dietz said:


> I sent an email to Coles... It was handy place to get my caps and LME and I am annoyed that they are removing Coopers stuff. Here is their reply



Interesting. I wrote to customer care earlier this week and so have a couple of buddies. Looks like Rima and her friends haven't got to mine. 

I guess they're too busy burning great Aussie companies like Coopers at the stake and dancing around the ashes.

Hopper.


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## petesbrew (24/6/10)

HoppingMad said:


> Interesting. I wrote to customer care earlier this week and so have a couple of buddies. Looks like Rima and her friends haven't got to mine.
> 
> I guess they're too busy burning great Aussie companies like Coopers at the stake and dancing around the ashes.
> 
> Hopper.


I also sent an email, & had a reply from Reamer Rimjob. I'd say it was the same email draft for every product they bin.


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## Bribie G (24/6/10)

Hey Scruffy, re your list of Pommy grocery retailers, I'm glad to see that Nisa are still going, my Dad and I used to get tanked on Nisa Lager which was brewed in the Netherlands (Prolly by Bavaria) at around 30 pence a can


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## Pennywise (24/6/10)

petesbrew said:


> Reamer Rimjob




:lol:


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## Sammus (24/6/10)

HoppingMad said:


> Interesting. I wrote to customer care earlier this week and so have a couple of buddies. Looks like Rima and her friends haven't got to mine.
> 
> I guess they're too busy burning great Aussie companies like Coopers at the stake and dancing around the ashes.
> 
> Hopper.



It would surprise me, I also write and got an identical response as that posted above. Word for word. I figured they just auto mailed it to everyone who question them.


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## King Brown (26/6/10)

Im pretty sure last time I was in the homebrew section at Coles I saw they had their own brand can kit (I could be wrong though)
Does'nt effect me, except that they are handy for crown seals.

:icon_offtopic: 

I actually shop at Coles for staples as well, refuse to shop at woolies, as they bought an Iconic Perth venue and shut it down to extend its bottle shop, and later bought the sail and anchor and shut down its onsight brewing operations... but thats an issue for another thread


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## DU99 (24/7/10)

have been to a few coles stores this week..some of there lines have been reduced to clear..


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## mwd (24/7/10)

Not in my local Coles still got most Coopers and others at normal price.


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## superdave (24/7/10)

Still pretty full at my local Coles too.


Tropical_Brews said:


> Not in my local Coles still got most Coopers and others at normal price.


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## kelbygreen (24/7/10)

coles and bilo here is empty and still full price. have kits no dextrose or malt have few boxes of be1 and 2 on shelfs thats it no reduced prices yet. pissed me off as was short 500g dextrose and 200g malt last sunday and nothing so have to go out of my way to get stuff or order online and get delivered. Was good when i was just short as i new instead of buying a extra 1kg malt i could go there and get 500g to top up


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## Bribie G (24/7/10)

Possibly good news for NSW home brewers, Franklins chain has been sold to Metcash and all the stores are going to be sold off as IGA stores. Apparently existing IGA owners are queuing up to snap them up. Supa IGAs usually have a good HB section, the one on Bribie here is better than Woolies and even stocks boxes of PET etc. 
So that's 80 plus stores on the way, which should make a dent in things.

Here in QLD there's an IGA on every corner, they aren't strong in NSW but that's changing right now.

Edit: you'll get one at Mayfield, N'stle


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## poppa joe (24/7/10)

Just about out here in Nowra.....
Brewing been taken over by Kitchen Stuff..
Still full price....But not much left....
Cheers
PJ


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## petesbrew (25/7/10)

Carlo Coles has reduced to clear stickers up on a few of their products. Anyone keen on Coles Brand for $6? Otherwise it wasn't really worth it.


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## DU99 (25/7/10)

the 3 stores near me ..housebrand,selected coopers products even the kmart near me has the malt/BE reduced and drops..


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## dcx3 (25/7/10)

It sucks to live in a duopoly and like everyone else i would love to see walmart or aldi spread out into Oz and take on a bigger share of the market.
I used to work for both Coles and I.G.A. and there both pretty crap.Coles have been getting there arses kicked by woolies for so long there getting rid of everything that doesnt turn a large profit for them in an effort to claw back the ground they have lost due to poor management. 
IGA/Metcash are constantly voted as one of the worlds worst employers, when i worked for them they told there staff that they couldnt afford to give them a pay rise that EBA {every 4 years} because of the financial downturn...not long after they post a very large profit lol,leaving there workers with a 4% pay rise for the last 8 years, in the year of the EBA inflation rose 4% as well.
I wouldnt rely on IGA to stock homebrew product due to the fact that most are privately owned.You may be able to strike up a friendship with the owner but the fact is IGA are very overpriced.
I cant help but feel this opens a door for someone else to supply we just have to support them!


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## Eggs (25/7/10)

If anyone is interested, burnt bridge coles in outer easten melbourne has reduced all brewing stock to clear. but the price saving is not realy significant. The cans are a few dollars down, i think 7.95.
packets of caps dex etc are something like 70c off.


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## WarmBeer (26/7/10)

Coles Essendon Fields has reduced their Coopers kits to $8.31, boxes of brewing sugaz to $3.45, and caps to $2.39.

Not a huge saving, about 20-25% off.


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## Kevman (26/7/10)

What does it mean in the future though.

While we can't buy it at Coles and Buy Low, will it mean that the rise of more small LHBS opening again?

Will our sponsors get a lot more business? While thats OK for those of us on here, what about those homebrewers who don't come to this site?

Will another major chain store pick up the slack and start stocking the products? Bunnings homebrew? (After all its DIY)


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## DU99 (26/7/10)

Big W and woolworths will still stock..IGA stocks also..Bunnings owned By same people that run COLES


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## WarmBeer (2/8/10)

Coles at Essendon Fields have Coopers Stout cans clearing out for $5 each. Get 'em while they last.

I can feel a couple of $10 toucans coming along soon...


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## Ade42 (2/8/10)

All the coles ive been to in Brisse in the last few weeks (about 10 of em) are pretty much gutted out now. 
and yet a couple of Wollies have dramatically increased thier range (the FULL brigalow odd's and sods stuff etc).

Its a pain in the arse for me as my LHBS i can only get to on weekends, when will we have a latter than 5pm LHBS in QLD?, I reckon they'd sell loads more open late one night of the week. 

Its a bit of a culture shock moving from NSW to QLD with all the shops shutting at dusk!


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## mwd (2/8/10)

Coles and Woolies close most nights at 9:00PM what more do you need. ?


----------



## bum (2/8/10)

Tropical_Brews said:


> Coles and Woolies close most nights at 9:00PM what more do you need. ?


 
Whoa! Are you really posting from the 1950s?


----------



## Acasta (2/8/10)

bum said:


> Whoa! Are you really posting from the 1950s?


lol


----------



## mwd (2/8/10)

bum said:


> Whoa! Are you really posting from the 1950s?



If you cannot get all your groceries before 9:00 PM you are either stupid or working shifts.
24 hour stores are only catering for insomniac armed robbers.
For all the so called men with pansy earings, nipple rings and all things poofter.



Subject: BE PROUD 
Date: Fri, 26 Feb 2010 08:14:11 +0000



*WE WAS BRUNG UP PROPER !!*

"And we never had a whole Mars bar until 1993"!!! *CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL MY FRIENDS WHO WERE BORN IN THE*
1930's 1940's, 50's, 60's and early 70's !*
**First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they carried us and lived in houses made of asbestos...*
*They took aspirin, ate blue cheese, raw egg products, loads of bacon and processed meat, tuna from a can, and didn't get tested for diabetes or cervical cancer.*
*Then after that trauma, our baby cots were covered with bright coloured lead-based paints.*

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had no helmets or shoes, not to mention, the risks we took hitchhiking.
*As children, we would ride in cars with no seat belts or air bags.
We drank water from the garden hose and NOT from a bottle.*
Take away food was limited to fish and chips, no pizza shops, McDonalds , KFC, Subway or Nandos.
Even though all the shops closed at 6.00pm and didn't open on a Sunday, somehow we didn't starve to death!*
**We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and NO ONE actually died from this.*
We could collect old drink bottles and cash them in at the corner store and buy Toffees, Gobstoppers, Bubble Gum and some bangers to blow up frogs with.
*We ate cupcakes, white bread and real butter and drank soft drinks with sugar in it, but we weren't overweight because......*
*WE WERE ALWAYS OUTSIDE PLAYING!!*
*We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.*
*No one was able to reach us all day. And we were O..K.*
*We would spend hours building our go-carts out of old prams and then ride down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. We built tree houses and dens and played in river beds with matchbox cars.*
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo Wii , X-boxes, no video games at all, no 999 channels on SKY ,
no video/dvd films,
*no mobile phones, no personal computers, no Internet or Internet chat rooms..........WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!*

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no
Lawsuits from these accidents.

Only girls had pierced ears!

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

You could only buy Easter Eggs and Hot Cross Buns at Easter time...
*
**We were given air guns and catapults for our 10th birthdays,*
*
**We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just yelled for them!*
Mum didn't have to go to work to help dad make ends meet because we didn't need to keep up with the Jones's!

Not everyone made the rugby/football/cricket/netball team. Those who didn't had to learn to deal with disappointment. Imagine that!! Getting into the team was based on
MERIT

Our teachers used to hit us with canes and gym shoes and throw the blackboard rubber at us if they thought we weren't concentrating .​ We can string sentences together and spell and have proper conversations because of a good, solid three R's education.​ Our parents would tell us to ask a stranger to help us cross the road.​ The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of.
*They actually sided with the law!* Our parents didn't invent stupid names for their kids like 'Kiora' and 'Blade' and 'Ridge' and 'Vanilla'

*We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned HOW TO*
*DEAL WITH IT ALL !*

*
**And YOU are one of them!*
*CONGRATULATIONS!*
*You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated our lives for our own good.*
*And while you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave their parents were.*
PS -The big type is because your eyes are not too good at your age anymore​ We want to hear all your funny, exciting and crazy Hotmail stories. Tell us now 

Internal Virus Database is out of date.
Checked by AVG - www.avg.com 
Version: 9.0.707 / Virus Database: 270.14.83/2526 - Release Date: 11/26/09 05:43:00

P.S. looks much better in HTML except I cannot remember how to code it.

Most of which is totally :icon_offtopic: and worth a three match suspension.,


----------



## bum (2/8/10)

We whippersnappers all have ADHD.

tl;dr


----------



## HoppingMad (2/8/10)

I told Reema I was never buying from a Coles again. Then hypocritically I stumbled into their Richmond store in a moment of weakness - and discovered lo and behold they still sell Coopers kits and gear there! Bought a box of Coopers Dextrose to celebrate. 

Hopefully the joy lasts in that location. Not finding much luck closer to my own postcode. God bless inner city brewers in Tigerland - your buying power must be keeping it in the shelves! :wub: 

Hopper


----------



## petesbrew (3/8/10)

Yeah yeah, back to your rocking chair Tropical B.


----------



## mwd (3/8/10)

petesbrew said:


> Yeah yeah, back to your rocking chair Tropical B.



Eh Eh Eh What did you say can't hear you I getting a bit deaf ?

Need another coat of paint on my walking frame. :lol: 
:icon_offtopic:


----------



## manticle (3/8/10)

Tropical_Brews said:


> *WE WAS BRUNG UP PROPER !!*
> 
> "And we never had a whole Mars bar until 1993"!!! *CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL MY FRIENDS WHO WERE BORN IN THE*
> 1930's 1940's, 50's, 60's and early 70's !*
> ...



I could go on but you get the drift.


----------



## petesbrew (3/8/10)

manticle said:


> I could go on but you get the drift.


In keeping with the trends of youth of today, I can happily shift the blame for my nerdiness to my dad. 
Even back in the late 70's/early 80's he had a North Star computer, complete with 7" floppy drive and a keyboard with a wooden frame. Wooden, I tells ya.
Please excuse me, it's time for my counselling session.


----------



## reviled (3/8/10)

Wooden frame  By crikey


----------



## bum (3/8/10)

Pics or it didn't happen.


----------



## petesbrew (3/8/10)

bum said:


> Pics or it didn't happen.


I'll see if he still has it. Good possibilty as he's a hoarder.


----------



## mwd (3/8/10)

manticle said:


> I could go on but you get the drift.



The forum post stripped out all the HTML text format coding of the original E-mail. It looked much better in the different colours and typefaces when I received it.


On topic our local Coles now has hardly anything left few bottle caps and odds and ends.

My closing down Toucan is up and running like a train with some Galaxy and Amarillo additions.
Going to be nice and bitter after my normal session shop brew of JS IPA.


----------



## Yob (3/8/10)

the Coles at Richmond Victoria gardens is almost bare shelved.. the K-mart in the same complex has a sale on at the moment on their remaining stock... which as of last night is without ANY coopers green cans which were $11 (I ended up with about 10 of them).. but still have some (quite a few) stouts and lagers etc.. 

I asked and they have no orders or plans to replace stock.. 

waaaaa :angry:


----------



## DU99 (3/8/10)

i asked my manager are going they going to get any home brew in and he said NO..even the farmland is going from our coles stores..


----------



## manticle (3/8/10)

Tropical_Brews said:


> The forum post stripped out all the HTML text format coding of the original E-mail. It looked much better in the different colours and typefaces when I received it.
> 
> 
> On topic our local Coles now has hardly anything left few bottle caps and odds and ends.
> ...



Remaining OT for a minute - my post (which was a slight tweaking of yours) was a light hearted dig at the whole 'we walked 50 miles barefoot in the snow' mentality of [some] older people. If I were to take it seriously for a minute I'd suggest that I (born in 1975 so the cusp of the people mentioned in that email) absolutely detest the idea of a nanny state. I believe strongly in DIY and taking responsibility for oneself and the less the government has to do with how I run my life (not hurting anyone else) the better.

The people pushing the ninny nannying though are none other than those people who were born in the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s. How old are all our politicians and moral majority groups? Who run the stores and schools and corporations and franchises? Who sits on education boards and municipal comittees? Are they 10 years old and spoilt brats or are they mainly pushing 40 and 50 and sometimes 60? The people making the decisions that affect our lives are exactly those mentioned in that diatribe. People like Kevin Rudd who envisions a utopian society where everyone is in bed by 9pm, only has a tot of sherry on Sundays and at Christmas and where everyone goes to Christian churches and Sunday school are the same, dull middle aged twits who've always made the decisions the rest of us supposedly can't make for ourselves.

Back on topic - vote with your feet guys. IF you have the choice, shop at Safeway (for everything incl HB) and make sure to tell your local coles manager exactly why. IF you have the choice sod both and shop elsewhere for everything but still tell Coles you're shifting loyalty to Safeway. In the meantime, support your LHBS IF you have one and IF it's any good.


----------



## Bribie G (3/8/10)

Off topic but when I went to school in the 50s / 60s my secondary school was one of the biggest in Newcastle (UK) and we had:

One Asthma boy - we all were alerted to watch out and help if he had an attack
One polio boy who had to sleep in an iron lung - ditto look out if he needed help and get a teacher immediately
One tuberculosis (cured) girl who was thin, gorgeous and hot like you wouldn't believe. No particular requirements but explained why she was so skinny.


Nowadays there are millions of asthma kids and if you feed half a peanut to many of them they kark it on the spot. Until we moved into the council flat our bath hung on a nail on the kitchen door and bath night (singular) consisted of Dad then Mam then the two boys. We went last because after a day of climbing trees and generally rolling in shyte the water was always black. Ha.

And no we didn't live in a cardboard box in t'middle of t'road (that was _before_ the tenement with the bath on the nail)

Edit: I agree with Manticle, because we were coming out of the absolute devastation of WW2 there was a huge and genuine need for government to step in and do great works for the people, especially in Europe and the UK, and that's where the Nanny state started to come in, and eventually got hijacked by the public service from where most of this crap emanates. So very good moves such as the panel on bread and flour (adding iron and vitamins to flour and bread in the UK after the War) laid the foundation for future idiocies such as the cholesterol fraud, the food pyramid, etc. There should have been a Nanny society 'cut off date' of around 1970 I reckon but the whole thing just kept breeding and breeding.

end rant.


----------



## poppa joe (3/8/10)

Just been to Coles....Nowra
2 tins Generic
1 tin English Bitter
6 European Lager
3 Stout
NO DECREASE IN PRICE..... :angry: 
Cheers

PJ :chug:


----------



## HoppingMad (3/8/10)

iamozziyob said:


> the Coles at Richmond Victoria gardens is almost bare shelved.. the K-mart in the same complex has a sale on at the moment on their remaining stock... which as of last night is without ANY coopers green cans which were $11 (I ended up with about 10 of them).. but still have some (quite a few) stouts and lagers etc..
> 
> I asked and they have no orders or plans to replace stock..
> 
> waaaaa :angry:



Hmmm. Interesting. The Swan St Richmond Store had plenty of stock on Friday. Can't speak for what happened over the weekend.

Hopper.


----------



## seanohio (3/8/10)

Tropical_Brews said:


> If you cannot get all your groceries before 9:00 PM you are either stupid or working shifts.
> 24 hour stores are only catering for insomniac armed robbers.
> For all the so called men with pansy earings, nipple rings and all things poofter.



or for those stuck back in the dark ages!


----------



## Bribie G (3/8/10)

seanohio said:


> or for those stuck back in the dark ages!


 :icon_offtopic: Arguably with 40% of Australians believing that Dinosaurs and people actually coexisted then we are probably entering a new dark age.


----------



## DU99 (3/8/10)

BigW is getting my trade...plenty of range..


----------



## mwd (3/8/10)

seanohio said:


> or for those stuck back in the dark ages!



Why would any sane person not working shifts be out grocery shopping at 02:00am. for everybody else there is 7-11 24hr stores.

I agree with Manticle to a point but all these older idiots making the rules up now are most likely the 'Warpheeds' from our schooldays. The ones that could not get dirty or play with all those unruly kids in the football team, would rather read an advanced Calculus book than the Beano you know the type.


----------



## bum (3/8/10)

WTF is a Beano?


----------



## the_yobbo (3/8/10)

seanohio said:


> or for those stuck back in the dark ages!



Hmm, how about WA, I think we're still in the dark ages. 
Thursday night's 9pm close time, every other day closing time is 5pm and closed Sundays.
IGA's are somehow able to be open till 7pm each night but are expensive.
... And I can't beleive the people of WA voted against week night trading and Sunday trading. It makes me angry.
I'm less effected at the moment, but I've certainly worked 5.5days a week, monday-saturday morning in remote locations. I drive back Saturday arvo and want to get shopping done on Sunday... but no.. nothings jolly open....

/end Rant.

Ok, what was this thread about again. Oh, Coles in greenwood had kits at ~$8 I think. That was a week ago.


----------



## Bribie G (3/8/10)

bum said:


> WTF is a Beano?



Favourite UK kids comic. Sadly Australian kids have missed out on comic weeklies published just for them, I guess due to the low population mass. The beano is now online as well, of course. This thread is definitely waay of topic by now.


----------



## Pollux (3/8/10)

My local coles (Leichhardt) as started to mark stuff down......

As for extended trading hours, as a shift worker I have been through a Coles at some odd times, K-mart too........You'd be surprised by how busy these places are at 11pm, I was expecting a ghost town but found quite the opposite.


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## WarmBeer (3/8/10)

WarmBeer said:


> Coles at Essendon Fields have Coopers Stout cans clearing out for $5 each. Get 'em while they last.


Coles at Essendon Fields have 4 Coopers Stout cans left, with a couple of packs of Carbonation Drops at $1.29 a packet.

aaaaaand, we're back On Topic


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## DU99 (3/8/10)

Thats cheap drops at my store $2.30......


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## BoilerBoy (3/8/10)

Picked up 5 cans of Coles homebrand lager for yeast starters here in Adelaide for $6.04 ea less 5% (sons discount card). marked "reduced to clear".

Cheers,
BB


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## seanohio (3/8/10)

Pollux said:


> My local coles (Leichhardt) as started to mark stuff down......
> 
> As for extended trading hours, as a shift worker I have been through a Coles at some odd times, K-mart too........You'd be surprised by how busy these places are at 11pm, I was expecting a ghost town but found quite the opposite.




agreed! as a shift worker it's nice not to have to pay $8.00 for a litre of milk.

saw the stout cans marked down and contemplated buying one or two at leichhardt coles, but in the end decided against it. might pick up some carbonation drops there though if they get marked down enough.


----------



## manticle (3/8/10)

Tropical_Brews said:


> Why would any sane person not working shifts be out grocery shopping at 02:00am. for everybody else there is 7-11 24hr stores.



But if you are working shifts/late nights?


----------



## flyingtadpole (3/8/10)

OK...local Coles in Mt Barker SA, very little left, marked way down: Toohey's draught a couple)( $8.75, Coopers English bitter x1, euro lager x1, both at $11.50; 4xcoopers ginger beer at $9.05. But I mean, what's the point? KMart alongside is selling the ginger beer at $9.75, the other two Coopers at $13.50, and Daught, Lager, Stout, at $10.25, Pale Ale at $13.50, so it goes. So Coles didn't do much of a price cut. Oh and BTW, home brands are $6.50. Isn't this fun...


----------



## mudd (3/8/10)

bought 2 cans farmland (lager and draft) for $2 ea (short use bye) everything else ~30% off at Malvern Vic Coles last week.

Thinking of adding both cans in with some extra hops (I have 20g Cascade), and the sugar mix that came with my coopers kit and see what happens. Any pointers on using more than one can in a brew? I've been using mostly fresh wort kits.


----------



## bum (3/8/10)

Funny how this thread went from calling for a Coles boycott to advertising their prices.


----------



## Murcluf (3/8/10)

Wife was just at Coles Gawler (I don't shop there I'm a Foodland man I stopped shopping there since I watched the 4 Corners- the price you pay) rang me from there to say everything in the homebrew section was reduced to clear as like very where else, following Boiler boys lead I got her to a can of farmland lager for making starters. What made me laugh the most was, that they have repackaged the can must of cost them a pack only to stop stocking it ha ha ha.


----------



## EnergeticSloth (3/8/10)

Well just had a trip to my local coles (burnside) and the bastards didnt have bugger all out cheap cept farmland lager ($6) and maybe $1.25 saving for thooeys can thought what a damn waste of my time be so much easier if the coles accross the rd hadnt closed and buggered off maybe they couldnt care for us in the better off areas :unsure:


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## Murcluf (3/8/10)

Just straighted reading the instructions on the new packaging totally cracked me up no wonder they can't the stuff.
Brewing direcctions
2.Add 18 litres of cold water and providing temperture of liquid is below 35C add yeast and stir breifly 
3. Maintain temperture of brew at 25c to 35c 

Oh my giddy aunt no wonder Home brewing has a bad name when shyte like this is written as directions to brew, talk about being setup to FAIL!!!!
Helping protect the there megaswill buddies maintain market share.... Bar stools


----------



## HoppingMad (3/8/10)

bum said:


> WTF is a Beano?



It's not just a comic book dude. It's also something handy to brewers...
Beano Supplements Used in Homebrewing

Gets rid of the 'whoopee' in beer if you get my drift.

Cheers....Parp....oh, sorry pardon me  

Hopper


----------



## jyo (3/8/10)

Murcluf said:


> 2.Add 18 litres of cold water and providing temperture of liquid is below 35C add yeast and stir breifly
> 3. Maintain temperture of brew at 25c to 35c




I've never bought Coles homebrew brand...is this really written on the can??? Reminds me of my first couple of years brewing using 2 heater belts...:icon_vomit: 

Everything marked down in Armadale, W.A. too. There are also 2 new homebrew shops just opening in Perth, so hopefully (as much as it may inconvenience some brewers) Coles discontinuing their range will allow these new blokes to stay in business.

Cheers, John.


----------



## Scruffy (4/8/10)

Streuth! You guys...

Anyone would have thought John Lennon had ...err, married Cynthia.

Is there a point? Are people disappointed? Are we all waiting for the next boat person to come along and rescue us?

Not sure I see a problem with your concerns...

As one door closes, you all seem to be waiting for all the others to slam shut. 

Where's your entrepreneurial spirit, your bloody mojo, or your larrikin tradition of disdain for authority, propriety and the saccharin conservative norms of bourgeois Australia?
Unfortunately, it seems to be a two sided self-perpetuating dynamic; the social conservatism of the mainstream fueling the undercurrent of larrikinism and rebellion that, in turn reestablishes the puritanical mores and wait for it... censorship. Err, I digress - Coles dropped a tin of malt extract? Surely there's an app for that? Surely someone'll fill that gap...

I know it's Tuesday - and it shouldn't excuse my jaded cynicism, what's the problem?


----------



## reviled (4/8/10)

bum said:


> WTF is a Beano?



:blink: Mate, you havnt lived :lol: 

I was subjected to Beano comics as a kid, probs cos my old man is from essex and grew up with them!


----------



## Wisey (4/8/10)

Whoa scuffy, its too early in the morning to comprehend your post


----------



## Murcluf (4/8/10)

jyo said:


> I've never bought Coles homebrew brand...is this really written on the can???


Word for word it is mmmm yummy acetone


----------



## BoilerBoy (17/8/10)

Just heard now on the radio that what appears to have created the situation in regards to coles deleting there hombrew range is that Coles were demanding a greater cut on Coopers homebrew kits threatening that if a better price could not be obtained they would delete there product.

Coopers reply was simply "Go ahead"

I guess Coopers is in a financially strong enough position to thumb its nose to at least one of the heads of the two headed supermarket monster. 

Cheers,
BB

Sorry just reread MHB first post info its all in there


----------



## petesbrew (17/8/10)

Bought a handful of "reduced" stuff from coles. Best was a $9 Mex Cerveza can. Walked thru Carlo woolies on the weekend and saw it for $4... don't you hate that? There's probably a few more left.


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## DU99 (17/8/10)

Our store near me are even reducing their Tooheys cans


----------



## Scruffy (17/8/10)

BoilerBoy said:


> Just heard now on the radio that what appears to have created the situation in regards to coles deleting there hombrew range is that Coles were demanding a greater cut on Coopers homebrew kits threatening that if a better price could not be obtained they would delete there product.
> 
> Coopers reply was simply "Go ahead"



That's made my day!

Very happy with that.


----------



## bum (17/8/10)

DU99 said:


> Our store near me are even reducing their Tooheys cans



They are removing their homebrew sections entirely - not just Coopers. So no more bottle caps, dex, priming lollies, useless bloody brigalow hydrometers. Nothing.

Although I did read somewhere that some stores (where HB is quite profitable) may be retaining their HB sections. Hopefully this is in regional areas where there aren't really any other options for some.


----------



## michael_aussie (17/8/10)

BribieG said:


> I mostly shop at ALDI, the lasses there know me by name now (as the staff numbers there are small and stay for years seeing as ALDI actually look after their people) and I keep ribbing them "when are you going to get home brew supplies". Maybe the word will filter up. Tins of Helles, Bock, etc - we can only dream.


Most ALDI stock is their "homebrand", so they are unlikely to sell Coopers.

Our local Safeway (Woolies) at Traralgon is clearing ALL HB stock (Coopers & Tooheys).


----------



## ChrisLevo (18/8/10)

Just checked Coles at Newton (SA) and bought Coopers English Bitter at $6.09 a can.

Plenty of everything else left if anyone wants some.


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## ChrisLevo (18/8/10)

Response from Coles to my email complaint:

"Thank you for contacting us regarding the availability of Coopers Home Brew at Coles. 
We regret to learn of your disappointment with our decision to no longer range this product and would like to extend our apologies for any inconvenience you have been caused as a result. 
The decision to remove this product was not one made lightly. 
Our Merchandise Team is constantly reviewing our product range to ensure that we are meeting the needs of our customers. 
When selecting our merchandise, previous sales history and customer demand are assessed. 
This includes obtaining the right balance between Proprietary brands and Coles brand products. 
Every product, no matter what brand, has to earn the right to remain on our shelves. 
We set financial hurdles for Coles brand products as well as Proprietary products. Should the product not meet these hurdles, it is removed from sale. 
This rationale allows us to deliver innovation and increase space to categories with large sales growth. 
As a result of our assessment, the complete product range of Home Brew products, not just the Cooper brand, has been removed from most Coles and Bi-Lo stores. 
There are some stores however, where the customer demand for this range is high and will remain on the shelves. 
We appreciate you taking the time to provide us with your feedback. Your comments have been referred to our Merchandise Team for their consideration and information."

Looks like a form letter.....


----------



## mwd (18/8/10)

Same in all industries these days where the Beancounters have taken over like an insidious disease.

Why do they write in the same way that police speak when being interviewed (allegedly BS). ?


----------



## petesbrew (19/8/10)

For all nearby - Coles @ Carlingford Court had all international range (except the ESB) reduced to $6 (but the woolies had the cerveza last week for $4).
I have more than enough stocks so someone please buy them before I'm tempted again.
ps - they also had the Coopers starter kit for $70.


----------



## glaab (19/8/10)

Coles at West Lakes has 1 Coopers starter kit left for $44.99 if anyone wants. If it's too far get someone to pricematch. I was tempted to just grab it even though I don't need it, one can't have too many fermentators you know :]


----------



## DU99 (19/8/10)

no cheap starter kits around my area..


----------



## rendo (19/8/10)

Got Coopers Sanitiser (100% sod perc I think) for $1.99....280g...bought 3



DU99 said:


> no cheap starter kits around my area..


----------



## dicko (19/8/10)

ChrisLevo said:


> Response from Coles to my email complaint:
> 
> "Thank you for contacting us regarding the availability of Coopers Home Brew at Coles.
> We regret to learn of your disappointment with our decision to no longer range this product and would like to extend our apologies for any inconvenience you have been caused as a result.
> ...



It's a shame the oil/fuel companies cant be as strong as Coopers. Most of us despise the monopolies


----------



## Lodan (19/8/10)

Coles Greenacres SA
Toohey's kits half price
most coopers kits are gone barring a single ESB (though that wasn't discounted)


----------



## HoppingMad (19/8/10)

Really odd. 

The Swan St Coles Richmond (near dimmeys) still seems to be fully stocked with Coopers goo, and no probs at the Woolies/Safeway near me despite some saying they're seeing deletions within their safeways. The only prob I've seen is very little in the way of Stout kits. They appear to have been popular given how friggin' cold it's been in Melb of late. Long live Coopers!  

Maybe the sky isn't going to fall on my head afterall. Still plenty of places to get this stuff.

I live around the corner from Coles head office in Tooronga and was ready to take it to them directly - looks like I don't need to worry.
But I did get the form letter everyone else got. And so have about 3 of my buddies.

Hopper.


----------



## T.D. (23/8/10)

I remember seeing this topic in the top threads list a few times but never got around to reading it. I thought the title meant that just the coles brand goo was being deleted. 

I realised this was not the case last night at 9pm when bottling a batch of Rye IPA, everything set up and ready to go, when I discovered I had no crown seals. Fear not, there is a coles 5mins walk away, so I bolt up there and fark me, all there is in the HB section is friggen non-alcoholic wine! :angry: :angry: :angry: 

Not bloody happy. So the IPA got kegged instead, which I didn't want to do. Stupid coles.


----------



## Midnight Brew (23/8/10)

Just picked up 9 cans of goop for $48.

Could go a few toucans or 9 batches of half the volume 

Bargains, picked up some ginger beer kits too for summer.

It's still a shame though for the kit n kilo brewer of having a big supermarket that it convientent to get two for back up supplies.



cheers 

dicko


----------



## mwd (29/9/10)

Just been into my local Coles and the Homebrew is still there and back up to original prices. $11.00-13.00 a can.
Looks to me just the ones left from the selloff that they couldn't move out at $6.00 as there are only a few varieties on the shelf.


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## chadjaja (29/9/10)

I don't see the point of Woolies keeping their range of homebrew including coopers cans in white and premo, carb drops, dex, brewing sugar, caps etc etc BUT deleting boxes of coopers dry malt from their range. Most annoying when you need to make a starter and in a bind.


----------



## HoppingMad (29/9/10)

Mate of mine reports that Coopers is still available at Coles Westfield Doncaster Shoppingtown (Eastern Suburbs Melbourne), as he was there last week.
He even has the tins of liquid sugar available there that I haven't seen elsewhere.

Hopper.


----------



## DU99 (29/9/10)

majority of stores near me have exhausted the supply's..kmart is moving some items of brigalow


----------



## pk.sax (29/9/10)

local coles had sold out and now has some more tins of cooper european lager on shelves in addition to some tooheys and coles brand ones.


----------



## BEC26 (29/9/10)

My local Coles had a sell out of all HB gear, only to be replaced with identical gear a few weeks later.

The small portion of shelf was vacant for approx 2 weeks.

Now all the small "regular" selection is back at usual Coles prices.


Cheers


----------



## furby83 (2/10/10)

i only shop @ coles and Kmart because i have a Coles staff card (5% off)
wollies has a better selection but i don't get a discount


----------



## jivesucka (3/10/10)

if they made a decent homebrew product i would be genuinely upset. but such as that is not the case i don't give a shit.


----------



## cleaninglady (9/11/10)

Kmart has deleted all Coopers and Brigalow stock too , now i've got to pay the HBS prices for crown seals and carb tabs.


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## drtomc (9/11/10)

I know it's been said before, and I know I'm lucky that I don't have to worry about the price difference, but...

I'm quite willing to pay a small amount more for caps, etc at the HBS and give them a viable business. Mutual self interest - they give me good advice and stock a whole pile of niche products.

Price difference for the bottle caps - $1
Value of good advice and friendly service - priceless


----------



## haysie (9/11/10)

the caps is a PITA if you dont have a very LHBS, I needed PET caps and went to coles then bi-lo.......... nothing. Woolies were good though, 40 minutes later and $5 of juice.
Coles? FUCKEM!


----------



## philw (14/11/10)

drtomc said:


> I know it's been said before, and I know I'm lucky that I don't have to worry about the price difference, but...
> 
> I'm quite willing to pay a small amount more for caps, etc at the HBS and give them a viable business. Mutual self interest - they give me good advice and stock a whole pile of niche products.
> 
> ...




+1 

I would rather spend an extra 3 to 5 here and there on a small local shop than a large supermarket


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## bum (14/11/10)

drtomc said:


> Price difference for the bottle caps - $1
> Value of good advice and friendly service - priceless


Not many would argue against this but I will say this - I need to do a round trip of 2 hours to get to my closest LHBS that can offer anything even remotely resembling good advice and I know a great many people are in the same boat. Bugger supporting ignorant retailers just because they're in a niche market I happen to be interested in. Big W will continue to collect my cap and priming sugar related pittance instead of the local grow-room purveyors.


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## manticle (14/11/10)

I think the above misses the point as to why most people like caps to be found at a supermarket. Most people live in cities, suburbs or towns of some type. Most cities, towns and suburbs have a local supermarket. If you go to bottle on a Sunday and realise you've not got enough caps (as happened to me a week ago), the supermarket carrying them is convenient. The home brew shop both miles away and closed on a Sunday is not.

I'll spend a portion of most pays at my LHBS and that includes caps when I remember them. It's ocassional that my beer addled brain leads to me needing to duck out the door and grab a pack in 20 minutes though. I'll probably spend the $1 saved at grain and grape anyway.


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