Kit prices

frederick · Post by **frederick** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 9:50 am

Hi all.... I am now very puzled... I went on the Woodfordes website and priced the Nelsons revenge.... 16.99 so I then priced it in all the links of our home page and found prices ranging from 17.99 up to 19.49 for the same kit. Funny I thought.... maybe there are some extras in the dearer kits or are we being screwed by some suppliers and furthermore the range of delivery charges is from Â£3.0 up to Â£6.0
Moral..... shop around.
Take care all..... Frederick

5thelement · Post by **5thelement** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 10:40 am

Wilkinsons have some of the Woodforde's kits and they only charge Â£14.99, usually only a small selection though.

beesley121 · Post by **beesley121** » Fri Jun 06, 2008 1:26 pm

yep, imo some suppleirs are takng the p*ss! especially when it comes to delivery.

i now order everything i think i need in one go so delivery is free. I find that LHBS charge considerably more than online homebrew shops

frederick · Post by **frederick** » Sat Jun 07, 2008 9:26 am

The problem is that we are so placid... the answer to being ripped off is that if we publicised the offenders we would possibly be in court for slander or something. It is a pity the offenders cannot be named and shamed in the forum with an email copy sent to them.
Unfortunately we the British are now too easy going... we dont even make a decent protest about the fuel prices... the British make a squeek and Europe is brought to a stand still.
No wonder so many people are now emigrating.

bitter_dave · Post by **bitter_dave** » Sat Jun 07, 2008 10:02 am

frederick wrote: It is a pity the offenders cannot be named and shamed in the forum

There is nothing under libel law to prevent you voicing an opinion about a supplier, as long as you don't give inaccurate facts.

I would be a little sympathetic with homebrew shops who charge a bit more though. Nobody is getting rich off selling homebrew stuff, and not all shops have the same buying power. Wilkinsons are apparently able to sell kits for less than homebrew shops can buy them! Not all homebrew shops are in a position to buy - or could sell - tons of grain either, for example, so I'm not sure bad mouthing shops who charge a lot for grain online is very constructive.

Minus The Bear · Post by **Minus The Bear** » Sat Jun 07, 2008 10:03 am

Well I can understand a LHBS charging a it more for kits due tho increased overheads etc.

The people who run these shops are not trying to rip you off. i don't know if you have noticed but running a homebrew shop is not particularly profitable, if it was i'm sure there would be more of them.

The people who run LHBS's do it because they want to, and if we don't support them they may dissappear altogehter.

I have no idea why you are talking about court, slander and calling people offenders for charging a few quid more than wilko's, remember wilko's is a large chain that does not have to rely on homebrewers for the vast amount of it profits.

frederick · Post by **frederick** » Sat Jun 07, 2008 10:12 am

I am not sure that complaining about high prices is bad mouthing bitter-dave especially when the price difference between the manufacturer and the supplier is in the order of just under Â£3 on a Â£16.99 article. These people already get these items at trade prices and then heve the nerve to up price the item even further. Maybe you do not mind this... but I do.
Take care.... Frederick

Minus The Bear · Post by **Minus The Bear** » Sat Jun 07, 2008 10:27 am

How do you think LHBS make money? if they sold things at the same price as the manufacturer sold it to them then they would not make any profit.

I just think we should support LHBS's, because if we don't and they are no longer around when we need them they will be missed.

frederick · Post by **frederick** » Sat Jun 07, 2008 11:21 am

Hi minus the bear.... do you think the retailers get the items at the same price they charge us....THEY DO NOT... as a retailer they get their items at trade prices that can vary from 33% upwards. Just think for a moment .... if they did not they would make no profit and most of the retailers do make handsome profits otherwise they would go broke.
The problem is that some retailers make indecent profits.... at our expense. I have been in the trade (not beer I must add) and I know from experience that retailers can shop around for the best mark up.
As for Wilkinsons I am quite sure their trading of home made beer items is no greater and could be less than the dedicated retailers and many of their items are going at less than other traders.
I am all in favour of a reasonable mark up but NOT when it is greater than that charged by the manufacturer to the general public... in the case I have quoted... Â£3

Take care.... Frederick

Hoppopotamus · Post by **Hoppopotamus** » Sat Jun 07, 2008 11:41 am

33% margin is not much for a reatil shop in a niche sector. If I was running a LHBS I'd want to be making a better margin than that.

When you consider that the average UK wage is about Â£450 per week the owner of a LHBS has to make about Â£90 per day just to be Mr Average. That comes after he has paid VAT, Employers National Insurance, rent, staff costs + loads of other overheads I can't think of right now. I very much doubt that most homebrew shops shift more than a couple of hundred pounds worth of stock per day so I would think that it is a struggle. Of course if you disagree you could always set up your own shop and become a homebrew millionaire.

To be honest I feel a bit guilty for not supporting my LHBS more - or I would if the person who runs the one in Brighton had any idea what she was talking about.

Minus The Bear · Post by **Minus The Bear** » Sat Jun 07, 2008 12:19 pm

frederick wrote:Hi minus the bear.... do you think the retailers get the items at the same price they charge us.

of course not, i think if you actually read my posts this is obvious.

frederick wrote:...THEY DO NOT... as a retailer they get their items at trade prices that can vary from 33% upwards. Just think for a moment .... if they did not they would make no profit and most of the retailers do make handsome profits otherwise they would go broke.

of course i know this, you were the one suggesting they should make less profit.

Obvously you just wanted a rant, which is fine.

Completely agree with you Daab, you won't get rich running a homebrew shop.

bitter_dave · Post by **bitter_dave** » Sat Jun 07, 2008 12:28 pm

frederick wrote:I am not sure that complaining about high prices is bad mouthing bitter-dave

I think I would construe the following as bad mouthing:

It is a pity the offenders cannot be named and shamed in the forum with an email copy sent to them.

That's what I was referring to. By the way, the recommended retail price for Wherry is just shy of Â£20. Shops such as Wilkos or Woodfordes themselves are able to sell the kit for much below this, because they don't have to rely on homebrew as their main line and have bulk buying power.

eeyores61 · Post by **eeyores61** » Sat Jun 07, 2008 2:23 pm

There were two home brew shops in my town when we arrived 20 years ago (three if you include Boots). Now there are none. Surely that gives an idea of what massive profits these shops make?

Wilkos may not rely on its home brew sales, but it can buy in bulk to supply all its stores, over 299 of 'em. Buying in bulk can reduce the price considerably, especially direct from the manufacturer.

Basic delivery from wilkos is 3.95.

Post by **Aleman** » Sat Jun 07, 2008 9:12 pm

One of the things that really p*sses off the HBS is when a supplier suddenly starts selling direct to the public when they have been trading through the HBS and building a market for their product . . . then all of a sudden they see a chance to make more money themselves . . . I remember when Rotokeg started selling to the public, at cheaper than their own RRP . . . retailers pulled the product off the shelves and sent it back and refused to carry them (And this was in the 80's a very lean time for HB) . . . result rotokeg eventually went bust or were bought out and the product lost . . . no big loss IMO but still lost.

Having said that something like 90+% of the regular trade of a HBS is kits, but given the vast range available now its quite an investment in inventory . . . and then the supplier sells it cheaper than they sold it to the HBS 3 months ago.

Support your local HBS . . . and your not so local one . . . you'll miss them and the range of stock when they are gone

frederick · Post by **frederick** » Sun Jun 08, 2008 10:05 am

My,My I do seem to have stirred up a hornets nest... so many people willing to pay top notch... they must be millionaires.For myself I am a pensioner and therefore I shop around for the lowest prices otherwise on my pension I would not be able to indulg in my hobbies.
As an ex retailer (radio and television) I always shopped around the various wholesalers for the best deal because in my day there was a saying... if you cannot stand the heat... get out of the kitchen. I would also like to point out that it is we the general public who make the supermarkets so strong. How many of you posters do shop at your local supermarket ?? and being perfectly honest how many go thru the links looking for the best deal or shop on the internet.
All I can say is that if anyone shops at a small store without looking at the prices they must be made of money. I am amzed at the reaction to my post when so many posters tell us of the good deals at Wilko's. For myself I have never been to them for my supplies but I suppose I should and save myself the cost of postage.
I am afraid that we do not have a local brew shop in Hinckley... only Wilco's and one day I might pay them a visit.
This will be my last post on this and good luck to all who can pay the extra to keep their local shop open.
Take care all.... Frederick

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