Why Are Australian Suppliers So Expensive Compare To Usa?

[Silo Ted]

It's the MO for at least one local player

 

[manticle]

One out of how many?

If you don't want to buy someone's products, don't. If you don't want to buy their guilt trip, don't.

Easy done.

To translate CM2's well summed up but badly spelled statement (iphone + butterfingers):

Buy what and where you want. Buy local where (read if) you can (and if you think it's worth it). Above all, support good products and good service (wherever they may exist).

Some people go to as extreme lengths to justify why they don't buy local (the retailers are all like Christopher Skase mentality) as others do to castigate others for not buying locally.

Your money. Spend it where and as you see fit. Just hopefully have enough discrimination not to support crap businesses, shit products and rip-off merchants.

 

[pbrosnan]

Go get a price from Hops Direct (in WA, USA) for a pound of NZ hops ... Organic Hallertau Hop Pellet (NZ): $15 for 454g. What? You just paid $10 for 90g! FOOL. You can get it shipped here in 4 days via DHL for $20 and be ready for the weekend brew.

Yup - Aussie retailers are cocks. Good for them for trying to maximise their profit, but this ain't 2002 - people are getting wise.

I'm with Nick on this one.

 

[bignath]

I know threads like this crop up on AHB regularly, and this is getting off topic, but i also agree with many, that the prices we pay at certain brew shops is bullshit.

I have used the sponsors before (many, many times) and they are great! I would gladly use them again.

I consider in general, that their prices are usually very good, but my LHBS (lots of black and yellow signage hint, hint,) has just started selling 15g packets of hops for $5 a pack. **** that....

I have ordered overseas before, and recently put in an order from Ellerslie (no affiliation) to try their hops - haven't used their produce before.

At the price i've just paid for a quantity of hops, including freight from 5 hours away came to $58 rounded up. The same quantity of hops from my local would have set me back $333!!!!! That's just ******* wrong.

 

[Golani51]

CB serve free beer don't they..
can't get that in the US or China.

actually.....In the US, you can go to breweries Ie Harpoon (Vermont/New Hampshire border) and ask for a tasting paddle and not pay a cent. Go to a brewery tour Ie Samuel Adams, and not pay a cent, and get as many samples as you want for FREE for 40or so minutes (14 or 15 taps there). Same all over. It is like a freebie chucked your way at the local haunt (The Lincoln is great), but you will never be back (I did go to a few of the tours however). Don't you have to pay at CUB? Even in Amsterdam, for 5 euros you could get 5 beers and do the tour. We don't do it so well here on the whole.

That being said, I love the craft brewing "thing" everywhere in the world. It is like a brotherhood. Never met a nicer, albeit sometimes dodgier, bunch of guys. That includes the shops as well.

 

[Bada Bing Brewery]

One out of how many?

If you don't want to buy someone's products, don't. If you don't want to buy their guilt trip, don't.

Easy done.

To translate CM2's well summed up but badly spelled statement (iphone + butterfingers):

Buy what and where you want. Buy local where (read if) you can (and if you think it's worth it). Above all, support good products and good service (wherever they may exist).

Some people go to as extreme lengths to justify why they don't buy local (the retailers are all like Christopher Skase mentality) as others do to castigate others for not buying locally.

Your money. Spend it where and as you see fit. Just hopefully have enugh discrimination not to support crap businesses, shit products and rip-off merchants.

+I
Spelling Maniticle (those in glass houses .... )
Cheers
BBB

 

[pbrosnan]

backseat economists everywhere. And not a clue between them.

Where did you earn your B Econ? Not the University of Chicago I'll warrant.

 

[Golani51]

I know threads like this crop up on AHB regularly, and this is getting off topic, but i also agree with many, that the prices we pay at certain brew shops is bullshit.

I have used the sponsors before (many, many times) and they are great! I would gladly use them again.

I consider in general, that their prices are usually very good, but my LHBS (lots of black and yellow signage hint, hint,) has just started selling 15g packets of hops for $5 a pack. **** that....

I have ordered overseas before, and recently put in an order from Ellerslie (no affiliation) to try their hops - haven't used their produce before.

At the price i've just paid for a quantity of hops, including freight from 5 hours away came to $58 rounded up. The same quantity of hops from my local would have set me back $333!!!!! That's just ******* wrong.

The store you are referring to is ridiculous. They will go the way of the bookstores if they don't shape up quick. Their knowledge is minimal at best.

Can you give us an example of your hops order just for comparison please? Do they produce here? Is it of the same quality as the other stuff?

R

 

[krusty_oz]

I was in the US in September last year. The supermarket had some mainstream Australian wines (like Jacobs creek) for ~$8 (plus tax, so it would be $9), hard to get them here for below that price unless you buy a 6pack, have a sale or go to the 'big green' bottleo. They had 3*750ml cans of Fosters for under $5 (not sure if it was made in Australia though), ignore the fact it was Fosters and think back to the last time you could get 3 megaswill longnecks for $5. Your lucky to get 2 for $6 these days.
US does have lower wage costs thanks to the abundance of people moving to the 'land of the free' from south of the boarder, you can't get away paying under $10/hour for someone here.

 

[bum]

Books, jeans, cars, music, movies, prepared food, pretty much everything.

This (recurring) discussion is redundant beyond words.

Shut up, all of you.

 

[Bada Bing Brewery]

Books, jeans, cars, music, movies, prepared food, pretty much everything.

This (recurring) discussion is redundant beyond words.

Shut up, all of you.

you forgot sex toys - I heard that from a friend of course
BBB

 

[Silo Ted]

Books, jeans, cars, music, movies, prepared food, pretty much everything.

I hear what ya sayin, cobber.

 

[Simon66]

I think one of the big problem is the US suppliers charge the Australian importer a lot more then their domestic customers. So basically the Australian importer is charged more then what item sells for retail in the states (though not always). I know this the case with other products not related to brewing and beer. I am talking about commercial quantities here not the small amount an individual would import for themselves.

It would be good to hear from some of our Australian retailers though what they think.

With the actual cost of beer and freebies overseas, Australia tax and excise laws and rates make our beer prices much more expensive. Even if the brewery was to give the beer away they still have pay the excise on it. Small brewers don't get the free kick, in relation to tax, that small wineries get.

Simon

 

[Golani51]

I hate clothes shopping, but I paid there for 6 pairs of shoes what would only get me one pair here. Same with jeans (CK, 501s, etc for under $30 each).

The Fosters you are referring to are made in Canada and are worse than here. Before I realised there was what I now consider good beer, I was living in Israel and we got the Canadian stuff. It was really bad.If I knew how bad it was then, it would taste even worse now.

When I was in Holland, I could get wines from Israel cheaper than what I could get in Israel. It is truly a funny world.

At the end of the day, despite all that is going on, some industries are taking advantage of the situation and they will not last long now that there are so many options. It is probably a good thing.

 

[Phoney]

I recently bought a new car stereo head deck.

Australian retail $599.

Amazon.com $180 with free shipping.

BAM!

 

[proudscum]

How did guilt ever even come into the equation?

coz i was taking the pish

 

[ekul]

When i buy american hops from over seas it doesn't mean i send dollars overseas. It means i spend the $100 that was going there anyway (they're US hops afterall) and the $100 i save stays in australia, in my pocket.

 

[Screwtop]

T A X!

Import tax + GST

Screwy

 

[pbrosnan]

I was in the US in September last year. The supermarket had some mainstream Australian wines (like Jacobs creek) for ~$8 (plus tax, so it would be $9), hard to get them here for below that price unless you buy a 6pack, have a sale or go to the 'big green' bottleo. They had 3*750ml cans of Fosters for under $5 (not sure if it was made in Australia though), ignore the fact it was Fosters and think back to the last time you could get 3 megaswill longnecks for $5. Your lucky to get 2 for $6 these days.
US does have lower wage costs thanks to the abundance of people moving to the 'land of the free' from south of the boarder, you can't get away paying under $10/hour for someone here.

Yeah but, the wine was made in Australia so no Mexicans there. And beer is generally made under fairly strictly regulated conditions so I don't think cheap manufacturing labour is a factor if it's made in the US or other "Western" country. It probably comes down to volume, competition and cheap retail labour. I suppose input costs may be lower, not sure on the relative cost of water and barley between here and the US. I honestly think that competition is the major factor. 6 packs of craft brewed beer in Australia regularly top $20 and can go over $25, you couldn't survive in the US if you tried to charge that much for beer. I mean, a 4 pack of Alpha is $25 dollars. A 6 pack of Green Flash is $12 in a supermarket in Brooklyn.

 

[Stinger]

Gotta laugh at the current situation with Coles liquor trying to fight the price war wanting to sell slabs of megaswill for $28 and Fosters are refusing to supply them with product that they are going to sell at below cost.

Then you have Dan Murphys (woolies) selling Penfolds Bin 389 for $37 a bottle when the wholesale price is $44/bottle and retails for $65. Fosters staff have bought over a 100 cases of the bin 389 back for less than they sold it for in the first place!!!LOL :beerbang: