Home Brewclubs And Home Brew Shops

[Chippy]

.......

 

[Beerpig]

Look at the Grumpy's forum

I'm sure it puts a lot of people off doing business with them

I think more goodwill would be generated by sponsoring competitions & rewarding return business

My thoughts

Cheers

 

[bighanno]

I'd settle for a LHBS that had product knowledge, made you feel welcome and served you freshly dressed and showered!!!!!!

 

[johnno]

Grain and Grape do an AG demo once a month.

That has got to be good for business.

johnno

 

[ausdb]

Look at the Grumpy's forum
I'm sure it puts a lot of people off doing business with them

Yes but look at a mature market like the US and consider the ones like brewboard.com, B3's forum and Northern brewers, they are a great resource. Whilst the majority of LHBS in Oz are only interested in selling cans of goo with brewpak/modifier/enhancer number 69 and a teabag of hops of course they won't be interested.

 

[andrewl]

the country brewer (no affiliation) has a forum on their site, talk is not always about their products and they also hold brewing competitions and also incentives for regular customers i.e. you spend a certain amount of money and you build up a smaller amount of money on their database... Only problem for you is they are in sydney and bathurst (but they do mail orders)

 

[bighanno]

Not hard is it. Funny, mate and I last week walked out of the LHBS and said to each other "Last time we spend our money in there" Sadly, no one else supplies here. If only the guys from Nambour or Manly QLD could set up here (with respect to the other good operators)

 

[normell]

Bit harsh Jayse,
I thought that it was a fair question, given that Wagga being a isolated place like where I live.
In Castlemaine we have a health food shop that sells cans & brewbooster packs, & in Bendigo (1/2 hour away) LHBS mostly K&K again, heaps of stuff for the wine or bread maker :blink: but nothing in the way of grains, or a way of crushing them, reluctant to even get ESB fresh wort packs (to heavy to freight, to big to store, Blah,Blah), so it's a once a week 250K round trip to G&G in Melbourne for me.
I feel that these small LHBS would be happy for a club, if they only brewed kit & kilo brews, but as we all realize, most brewers eventually move on to AG brewing, maybe a bit quicker if in a club
Please let's not start another muck fight with Peter, after all this time.

Normell

 

[Tseay]

I think this highlights the problem that a number of HBS opertators are brewers who try their hand at retailing not the other way around. Hence the abysmal presentation in their outlets and the attitude that some have. Their margins get eroded, they try to hang on to what they have. They are generaly one man bands, work 6/7 days. I suspect a number aren't making wages.

 

[Steve]

The reason I buy Grumpys Products now is because i started to read people raving about their products on their forum, on hbkitreviews and on this forum. I now make a bulk purchase every month. I receive freebies often. I was lucky enough to be the 1000th person to use their online shop and received a box full of goodies, from liquid yeast, hops, caps etc etc etc. I believe they make money because of their forum.
My LHBS is excellent. When a new brewer from Canberra comes on to this forum I and others recommend that they go there for great advice, service and products. Just this morning I emailed him offering a pile of old longnecks in return for the freebies that I have received, he then sells on those longnecks to customers, swings n round-abouts I told him. He is also a member of the local club and local clubs website which also have a forum. I believe he does make money and great relationships from that forum and this forum.
So basically IMHO I believe a brewshop can benefit from having a bunch of keen brewers.
Cheers
Steve

 

[Steve]

P.S. As a member of the local brewing club we get a 10% discount at his shop too.
Cheers
Steve

 

[bighanno]

HBS there is a mail order market for you, with so many poor lhbs about/ Why not have membership and offer discount. I know that there are a number of ex and current ADF members out there. Why not some sort of ADF membersip/discount service?

 

[normell]

Excuse me for asking Bighanno
But shouldn't that be for every body, not just adf's
If you want special discounts for adf members, start another website just for yourselves

 

[PistolPatch]

From what I've seen of the HBS's, frankly, I'm tempted to buy one. Sort of!

Several things amaze me....

1. You think every HBS would be a member here on AHB. How else would you stay in tune?

2. It was purely through accident that I found I could order grain through my LHBS (they get it from a far better HBS in Brisbane.) The guy that is there most days doesn't even know what a kettle/boiler is. Mostly they talk about how strong/quickly you can drink your brew/spirit and how much they have drunk that day!

3. The display/advice/storage is shocking on the Gold Coast.

4. The only one who has decent display/equipment, everyone hates. (This is readily apprent from prior AHB posts but he survives and, here you go Chippy, mainly through mail order!)

I would think that if you wanted to be successful in the HBS game, you'd want to be on the net or at least an active contributor to AHB.

On the downside, I imagine it would be a nightmare of a business in many ways. Most of us start home-breing when we're broke. We also love making things ourselves and pinching other's ideas! Many home-brewers are, frankly, shockingly stingy.

I think if I had a shop, I'd cater for this and have lots of weird stuff in stock like S/S braid/mesh, tap fittings etc, etc. I'd also probably rent/lease out equipment/breweries. I'd try and supply 2nd hand fridges and also do a, "You pitch the yeast, I'll brew it for you service."

Whilst the above to me sounds exciting, the purchase of consumables, (grain, hops and yeast), which is the stage that we'd like everyone to acheive can't really bring that much money - can it?

Sorry for the ramble. PP.

 

[goatherder]

Sorry, rambling a little but I have 2 very good-looking beer assistants here and I'm playing hard to get! Just joking but they wanted a mention.

So, anyone know of one up for sale?

[post="120338"][/post]​

A home brew assistant? I'll buy one if you've got a spare!

 

[bighanno]

You're right Normell, it should be for all, but ADF should have the edge just sometimes

 

[normell]

PP
Pretty sure that 2 of the big HBS's in the Melbourne area "lurk" these forums.
If anyone does a "you pitch the yeast, I'll brew for you" that they would need a brewery licence

Normell

 

[normell]

You're right Normell, it should be for all, but ADF should have the edge just sometimes

[post="120340"][/post]​

So being a nasho in 1971, do I qualify
:blink: 3803169 :blink:
Normell

 

[BoilerBoy]

Some good points there Pistolpatch.

I think insightful knowledge and loyalty factor become major issues in running a successful HBS.

Piss brewers off at your own peril

BB

 

[bighanno]

Normell.
The sad thing in life.......................we all remember our regie number to the day we die!
Chippy.........We are all equal, just some of us are more equal than others )