Craft coolers???? Heh. it's a market dominated by brands. If you are not Smirnoff or Bacardi etc, you get zero respect. The closest thing to a "craft" cooler we have I think is the Blackfly line, they are more made with juice and have significantly less sweetness to them. But they just don't do that well in the end. Visiting the "Party Zone" is only really worth it for the ciders, which sometimes get lost in the shuffle. I can sit down at the Harp here in Port Credit and down Strongbow all day long...
I think it's both profit and pandering to the monster companies that make the coolers. Smirnoff and Bacardi invest big time into these things, and they want them pushed, pushed, pushed. The target crowd is the 19-25 age range, so people are old enough to know what kind of junk they put into their bodies. I can't really say how much profit these things really bring in, since they for the most part, are a seasonal product, and out of the 30-40 products they release each year, only half make any real impact in the terms of sales.
I gripe alot about the challenges working in the beer section, but man alive, it is NOTHING compared to the coolers. Not matter how hard you try, you cannot make the section look good. People constantly take single units out of multi-packs etc, facings etc are all messed up all the time, and staff seem generally apathetic to them in general. Staff (in my store anyways) at least TRY to get the beers done, but everyone is so disillusioned about the coolers they just walk on by. There is less fridge space, but EVERYONE wants in it, not like beers where some are just happy to have the product in the store. And all reps for coolers want "blockpiles" (stacks of cut-cases on the floor), despite how good or bad their stuff sells. I get the odd request for beers, but nothing like this. It's the only thing I dread about work in the summers...I have a couple of co-workers that'll help put in an effort, but it's not enough. I like the WHOLE store to look neat and presentable.
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A Notice To My Customers -LCBO at Mavis/Dundas Mississauga
Okay, quick question here, it really is more or less for the Mississauga crowd though.
Should I, or should I not re-list Cooper's Sparkling Ale? Is it worth it? I know no one in Mississauga lists it anymore, but it can be a slow seller regardless. I did have some people comming by for it, but it's going to be a tough sell to the manager to re-list. I gotta check it out for availablility, but the same might apply for the Salvator, if it's still available.
Should I, or should I not re-list Cooper's Sparkling Ale? Is it worth it? I know no one in Mississauga lists it anymore, but it can be a slow seller regardless. I did have some people comming by for it, but it's going to be a tough sell to the manager to re-list. I gotta check it out for availablility, but the same might apply for the Salvator, if it's still available.
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SteelbackGuy
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We've delisted it at our store. It just sat there and collected dust.Ghost542 wrote:Okay, quick question here, it really is more or less for the Mississauga crowd though.
Should I, or should I not re-list Cooper's Sparkling Ale? Is it worth it? I know no one in Mississauga lists it anymore, but it can be a slow seller regardless. I did have some people comming by for it, but it's going to be a tough sell to the manager to re-list. I gotta check it out for availablility, but the same might apply for the Salvator, if it's still available.
Once in a while, we'll get someone in looking for it, but other than the occasional Aussie visitor, no one else bothered with it.
If you`re reading this, there`s a 15% chance you`ve got a significant drinking problem. Get it fixed, get recovered!
Not only did I get some Sgt Major back in, I brought in some of the Stuart's Sessional and Corporal Punishment...er...I mean Brown Ale in as well to try out.
I'm probably going to have to wait on the Coopers...especially if I gotta pitch it to the Manager to list. I really have to work on getting Waterloo Dark back into the store, too many customer requests for it, and I've been blocked once on it's return. I had a little more success, usually at least a case a period, again, there were people comming in specificly for it, not being overly available in the area. When I clear out of a few more dead brands, I can probably sneak some onto the shelf no problems.
Craft beers continue to boggle my mind though...Steelback, what is selling at your store? After Mill Street and Old Credit, it gets pretty slim...a few of Waterloo's stuff goes, and Sgt. Major's, once and a while I can get Great Lakes moving, but it's off and on....
I'm probably going to have to wait on the Coopers...especially if I gotta pitch it to the Manager to list. I really have to work on getting Waterloo Dark back into the store, too many customer requests for it, and I've been blocked once on it's return. I had a little more success, usually at least a case a period, again, there were people comming in specificly for it, not being overly available in the area. When I clear out of a few more dead brands, I can probably sneak some onto the shelf no problems.
Craft beers continue to boggle my mind though...Steelback, what is selling at your store? After Mill Street and Old Credit, it gets pretty slim...a few of Waterloo's stuff goes, and Sgt. Major's, once and a while I can get Great Lakes moving, but it's off and on....
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SteelbackGuy
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Really? You got the Cool Buzz moving there? It used to do okay in our store, up untill a slow decline in the past few years, I am likely going to end up dropping all of Cool...Yeah, steamwhistle does well here too, as well as Creemore, but I was focusing on the OCB. I'm not sure if it's just the LTO, but Red Leaf has been moving quite well, and I FINALLY got the okay to re-add the Waterloo Dark.
I just got some of the Muskoka canned products, the Heff-Weisse and the Lager, waiting for the Dark to get listed, but some intrest was shown to them, I'll have to wait to get in tonight to see how they did on the weekend.
I just got some of the Muskoka canned products, the Heff-Weisse and the Lager, waiting for the Dark to get listed, but some intrest was shown to them, I'll have to wait to get in tonight to see how they did on the weekend.
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SteelbackGuy
- Beer Superstar
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Ghost542 wrote:Really? You got the Cool Buzz moving there? It used to do okay in our store, up untill a slow decline in the past few years, I am likely going to end up dropping all of Cool...Yeah, steamwhistle does well here too, as well as Creemore, but I was focusing on the OCB. I'm not sure if it's just the LTO, but Red Leaf has been moving quite well, and I FINALLY got the okay to re-add the Waterloo Dark.
I just got some of the Muskoka canned products, the Heff-Weisse and the Lager, waiting for the Dark to get listed, but some intrest was shown to them, I'll have to wait to get in tonight to see how they did on the weekend.
My store is the number 1 store in the entire province for cheap Rye sales. I'm talking Black Velvet, Royal Reserve, Special Old. All the garbage. We're located in London's east end, which people consider a largely poor section of town. It's extremely blue collar, with the immediate area surrounding the store being low income housing and welfare recipients. We're also the number 1 store in the city for theft, and there is a very high amount of drug activity in the neighbourhoods in the area as well.Anyway, we sell a lot of crap. Our beer fridge is the length of the back of the store. It's huge. Not one craft beer in there. All Schlitz, Max Ice, Old Mill Ice, etc. So I guess for some reason, the Marijuana leaf on the package of the Millenium Buzz appeals to a lot of these people. We sell a few cases a week, each and every week.
If you`re reading this, there`s a 15% chance you`ve got a significant drinking problem. Get it fixed, get recovered!
Didn't know Muskoka was putting there wheat beer in a can...more good news for summer!Ghost542 wrote:..I just got some of the Muskoka canned products, the Heff-Weisse and the Lager, waiting for the Dark to get listed, but some intrest was shown to them, I'll have to wait to get in tonight to see how they did on the weekend.
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SteelbackGuy
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Ohh yeah, and I am glad the red leaf is selling. We have a blockpile of it and it just sits there. Same as last year. Ohh and same with the Niagara's Blonde and Black Oak Pale Ale. They are all on display and LTO. But these same three beers were on last year at this time, and we only sold a few six packs.
We sell a lot of "good beer" at my location, but the OCB stuff just sits there. The only OCB stuff that really sells quickly, is the Pumpkin Ale from great Lakes. TOo bad I can't say that about the Orange Peel. it takes us 6-8 months to sell a few cases.
We sell a lot of "good beer" at my location, but the OCB stuff just sits there. The only OCB stuff that really sells quickly, is the Pumpkin Ale from great Lakes. TOo bad I can't say that about the Orange Peel. it takes us 6-8 months to sell a few cases.
If you`re reading this, there`s a 15% chance you`ve got a significant drinking problem. Get it fixed, get recovered!
SteelbackGuy wrote:Ohh yeah, and I am glad the red leaf is selling. We have a blockpile of it and it just sits there. Same as last year. Ohh and same with the Niagara's Blonde and Black Oak Pale Ale. They are all on display and LTO. But these same three beers were on last year at this time, and we only sold a few six packs.
We sell a lot of "good beer" at my location, but the OCB stuff just sits there. The only OCB stuff that really sells quickly, is the Pumpkin Ale from great Lakes. TOo bad I can't say that about the Orange Peel. it takes us 6-8 months to sell a few cases.
Yeah, it was probably justa flukey week or something, and things will get back to normal, but I can dream. At the very least I can get the amount down to manageable levels. I need to get the staff back to the "only allow me to order craft beers" policy we used to have, so that we don't see 10 flats of stuff ordered. They bring in cases upon cases of Trafalger stuff, but not enough Creemore to get through a week. It makes you wanna pull your hair out.