Please add your input...
Listening to some customers in response to the 2 bottles per person on the Schlafly / TWCP Bourbon Barrel Aged Quad....
We wanted to see if we could get a general consensus. Since we have many other barrels of beer coming (Schlafly just bottled, 4 more beers in barrel already and more on the way.) We are assuming that each should yield about 200 bottles. Would you rather see a 1 bottle limit per person (so 200 people will get one) or a 2 bottle limit per person (100 people will get 2 bottles each).
21 comments:
Prefer to get two. One to cellar and one to drink.
That was the original plan for 2, but some people felt it would be better if more people were able to get some. We will see what people think.
Obviously I would LIKE to get two, I'd prefer a better chance of at least getting one.
If switching to one bottle per raffle winner maybe do a bigger tasting (or maybe let the winners chose one of two tastin sessions) and offer small pours of that beer. That way everyone who was able to buy a bottle can try it fresh and then decide if they'd want to cellar the bottle they won or not.
Obviously more is better for those that made the cut, but those like me that didnt win the lottery, seems 1 bottle would help to spread the love further!
How many folks signed up to buy? way in excess of 175?
Something you probably should have asked and figured out before the Schlafly release.
While your at it, you should go back and change the quantity on the Schlafly quad to 1 bottle. I think it is unfair for 50 people to get 2 bottles and everyone else to be left out in the cold.
Still 100 people will get the Schlafly, we only raffled off 100 of the bottles, we still have the other 100 we are selling on Friday.
Better for more people to get the beer. If you don't sell out, collectors can come back the next day to buy another.
Why not do both? Have 50 lottery winners get 2 bottles a piece and then the other 100 bottles are sold at 1 bottle/person. So winning the lottery means something.
"so winning the lottery means something." - or the lottery people get 1 bottle, and still can go after the online reservation when we post it. At least they will have a chance to get 2 bottles?
The problem with selling online Friday is your local customers will have to fight the masses online.
Saw your actually recommended by Founders on their site as a place to get beer online.
http://www.foundersbrewing.com/blog/founders-in-the-news/pure-michigan-video-featuring-founders
While I know its good for your business to have that type of online coverage/sales, it is tough for us locals to swallow the special releases going out of town due to the "online clickfest"
I'd say sharing the spoils as wide as possible is the best scenario to make the most people happy. Its your release and your customer base. Everyone will WANT multiples but given the choice starting everyone out at one would get it in the most customer hands.
Winning the lottery means something given getting the beer via online is always a challenge.
Levi,
The lottery was used to give "regular" customers the best chance, for the first 100 bottles, that is why we insisted people come in to the store and not just call or email. If you cannot make it in the store in the course of all of January, then you are probably not a regular.
I made the cut on the first release for 2 bottles & the tasting, but I would like to see 1 bottle per person & open up the tasting to more. So more people get to taste it fresh & then cellar a bottle.
Levi,
Part II in relation to online/Founders.
The more beer we sell, the more we get of the allocated beer. The distributor bases our allocation of Hopslam on what "regular" Bells we sell, they base what Founders CBS, Better Half based on what regular Founders we sell. There are still a lot of states that don't get Founders/Bells, so we sell a decent amount of their regular stuff online. Somebody just purchased 12 cases 2 weeks ago of Founders, and it was just all of their regular stuff. That helps us get more of the hard to get stuff. Honestly, not many bottles go out of town on the hard to get stuff when I do the fastest finger method. I think the online sells actually increase your chances for the hard to get stuff.
Not directed at you - I wonder how many people fight for an allocated beer from a brewery that they never support the regular line of their beers. We need everybody's business to get the allocated beers.
Maybe the regulars would be happier if we knew how many regulars made it into the store to signup on the list. I know I did.
Its your call as its your store. I'll keep shopping at TWCP either way. You have a great selection at each store and great prices on every product.
I don't mind at all. I did not count the total number. There were 15 sheets (between all 4 stores) with about 20 names on each. So roughly 300 people signed up for the lottery.
Spread it around! If you want to reduce out-of-area sales on limited beers, just require in-store pickup on those beers.
Agree on the requirement for in-store pick up.
Thanks for letting us know the number of people who signed up vs. the number who made the lottery cut. I wasn't dogging you for your online sales and I understand they help get your allocation of any special release from any brewery.
I look forward to trying to get any special releases as well as all of the other beer TWCP sells.
You should be commended for your effort to find a fair way for everyone to be happy. People will unfortunately be left out and thus unhappy. Its what makes a special release special, the fact that not everyone can have it, those who do get it will be pleased.
I don't think TWCP is doing anything unique. Other stores now rely on first phone call after posting. Then there are other stores that do not have a list, or even hold bottles at all. It's just first come, first serve with 1 bottle limits. Nothing complicated about any of those methods.
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