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LCBO Winter Craft Beer Release 2014

This forum is for discussing everything beer retail: LCBO, Beer Store, Grocery Stores and Indie Stores.

Moderators: Craig, Cass

Kel Varnsen
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Post by Kel Varnsen »

Craig wrote:
Kel Varnsen wrote:
atomeyes wrote:gotta love the LCBO website. gives you up-to-the-minute inventory updates.



not.
I know this comes up a lot, but do you really expect the LCBO to maintain a real time inventory of every product? Even the ones that cost a couple of bucks? Does any store do that? I mean I can't go to walmart.ca and find out how many snickers bars the store nearest me has.
Pretty much every online store in existence does this.
Online stores I imagine don't have the same kind of problem with shoplifting that real stores do. I doubt too many random people walk into the Amazon warehouse and steal shit without someone noticing. Again if this is so easy why can't walmart tell me how many snickers bars they have at a given store, or why can't home depot tell me how many 2" wood screws they have?

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Craig
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Post by Craig »

Kel Varnsen wrote:
Craig wrote:
Kel Varnsen wrote: I know this comes up a lot, but do you really expect the LCBO to maintain a real time inventory of every product? Even the ones that cost a couple of bucks? Does any store do that? I mean I can't go to walmart.ca and find out how many snickers bars the store nearest me has.
Pretty much every online store in existence does this.
Online stores I imagine don't have the same kind of problem with shoplifting that real stores do. I doubt too many random people walk into the Amazon warehouse and steal shit without someone noticing. Again if this is so easy why can't walmart tell me how many snickers bars they have at a given store, or why can't home depot tell me how many 2" wood screws they have?
Sure, so you still have to do inventory every now and then and fix the counts. You're still better off with a live total than you are with yesterday's count.

Walmart most likely can tell you how many snickers they have in a given store. They don't publish that information, because who cares, but I bet they have it in their inventory system, then they do counts at night to see how much went missing during the day. That's how the gas station I worked at in 1999 did it. The unverified counts were available at a click of a button. 16 years ago. In a gas station.

cfrancis
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Post by cfrancis »

Live inventories are very real and very possible but they are also very expensive.

My guess is that the LCBO has a live inventory but just chooses not to publish it for fear of the ghost inventory and the problems that would produce.

Our inventory here is all scanned and not only will it tell you in real time how many knick knacks you have it will tell you where they are in the warehouse, row, shelf, stack. I can't imagine any large grocery store, LCBO, Home Depot having it any other way. I was in Canadian Tire looking for something that on their online inventory said that they had 2. Couldn't find it, staff looked it up and it gave row and shelf, had the item in less than 5 mins. It was in an overstock position instead of in it's normal location.

Personally I think the LCBO inventory system is fine, for the vast majority this is all that is necessary. For us that are hunting, we are looking for more because we are searching for needles and don't want to waste a trip to an obscure location in order to find the needle. It takes nothing to call ahead and get them to locate the item and hold it for you till you make your trip.

atomeyes
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Post by atomeyes »

"live inventory is very expensive."
you know how much revenue the LCBO does?
i can easily argue that live inventory would, in the long run, save them money. again, look up SAP. reduces their accounting costs, makes orders and inventory more seamless.

btw, only 5 bottles left on the QQ shelves

cfrancis
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Post by cfrancis »

atomeyes wrote:"live inventory is very expensive."
you know how much revenue the LCBO does?
i can easily argue that live inventory would, in the long run, save them money. again, look up SAP. reduces their accounting costs, makes orders and inventory more seamless.

btw, only 5 bottles left on the QQ shelves
I work on a SAP system currently. I know it well.

I would assume that the LCBO currently has SAP or some other system that is similar. I know they have a scanned inventory. They just don't make that info public although it's all available internally.

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Craig
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Post by Craig »

atomeyes wrote:btw, only 5 bottles left on the QQ shelves
Hmm. I was hoping to snag some after work. I wonder if my best bet is QQ or King & Spadina?

mtomlins
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Post by mtomlins »

Craig wrote:Hmm. I was hoping to snag some after work. I wonder if my best bet is QQ or King & Spadina?
Well, it sure as hell ain't Ottawa :( !

walz22
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Post by walz22 »

Just stopped in at Summerhill and there appeared to be about 10 or so cases on the floor, and a few more singles of it on the shelves as well. Guy in front of me bought two cases, so I can't see it lasting long...

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Craig
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Post by Craig »

Craig wrote:
atomeyes wrote:btw, only 5 bottles left on the QQ shelves
Hmm. I was hoping to snag some after work. I wonder if my best bet is QQ or King & Spadina?
King and Spadina said they hadn't got it yet.

QQ had about 15 bottles left when I left, but the guy behind me looked like he was going to put a sent in that. It want with the beer, but on an isle end.

Not that people should rush out or anything, this is just the tip of the rollout.

rfrf
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Post by rfrf »

Craig wrote:
Craig wrote:
atomeyes wrote:btw, only 5 bottles left on the QQ shelves
Hmm. I was hoping to snag some after work. I wonder if my best bet is QQ or King & Spadina?
King and Spadina said they hadn't got it yet.

QQ had about 15 bottles left when I left, but the guy behind me looked like he was going to put a sent in that. It want with the beer, but on an isle end.

Not that people should rush out or anything, this is just the tip of the rollout.
I think there must have only been a case out at King and Spadina last night, and I cleared what was there. No tag on the shelf either... there'll be more.

atomeyes
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Post by atomeyes »

to clarify:

there was an end at QQ. i didn't see it. just saw the shelf stuff. they may have more in the back.
i was at Laird and Eg this AM. they didn't have it then, but it was put out later.

computers: i know that The Beer Store does NOT have SAP. they've put out bids a # of times and are a mess to work with. don't know about the LCBO.

review: opened my bottle of Rodenbach Vintage. important that some of you case hoarders read this. i am betting that MANY of you will be disappointed with this beer. it's a great food pairing beer. if you're looking for complex beer with depth and mouthfeel, this ain't it. it isn't insanely tart. i think it's lovely and i'm making saffron chicken for dinner and it should pair really well.

i bought 4 bottles. drank 1. likely won't buy more. but if i cooked a shitload of fatty fish, i'd buy it to pair. or, save it for summer porch drinking.

rfrf
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Post by rfrf »

Rodenbach:

TORONTO-CENTRAL 2 COOPER STREET
QUEENS QUAY & YONGE
416-864-6777 Feb 4, 2015 916

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spinrsx
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Post by spinrsx »

holy cow, that should make sure there is enough for everyone (in toronto)
rfrf wrote:Rodenbach:

TORONTO-CENTRAL 2 COOPER STREET
QUEENS QUAY & YONGE
416-864-6777 Feb 4, 2015 916

A
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Joined: Sun Jun 24, 2001 8:00 pm

Post by A »

atomeyes wrote:to clarify:

there was an end at QQ. i didn't see it. just saw the shelf stuff. they may have more in the back.
i was at Laird and Eg this AM. they didn't have it then, but it was put out later.

computers: i know that The Beer Store does NOT have SAP. they've put out bids a # of times and are a mess to work with. don't know about the LCBO.

review: opened my bottle of Rodenbach Vintage. important that some of you case hoarders read this. i am betting that MANY of you will be disappointed with this beer. it's a great food pairing beer. if you're looking for complex beer with depth and mouthfeel, this ain't it. it isn't insanely tart. i think it's lovely and i'm making saffron chicken for dinner and it should pair really well.

i bought 4 bottles. drank 1. likely won't buy more. but if i cooked a shitload of fatty fish, i'd buy it to pair. or, save it for summer porch drinking.
More or less tart than Rodenbach Grand Cru?

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GreatCop
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Post by GreatCop »

rfrf wrote:Rodenbach:
TORONTO-CENTRAL 2 COOPER STREET
QUEENS QUAY & YONGE
416-864-6777 Feb 4, 2015916
Just picked some up there. I was feeling pretty :cry: when I saw the tag on the shelf and nothing there, but then I was :D when I happened upon them on my way out.
They were a little tucked away (if you're looking at the "refrigerated" area where the Mort Subite is, just turn right and they're stacked from the ground with the Westmalle and La Trappe) but I think there were about 20 or 30 bottles for the taking when I left.

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