By: Commercial Reality

Commercial Reality — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 08:40:33 +0000

The consumers drive this ridiculous stalemate. If consumers were not so intent to save $2 on a carton of beer (less than 20c per stubbie) than dans and 1st choice wouldn’t have the market cornered the way they do. The same goes for wine something around 52% of dans profit is driven by their ‘own brand wines’ they import in bulk, label it in 3 different ways (yes, the same wine) and then sell it to three different consumer demographics who all think they are smarter than the market and drinking incredible value for money. In reality, they have no idea and are normally drinking pish.
Until producers and consumers start to think about what they are doing supporting them, nothing is going to change. Both woolies and coles have a huge influence on labor through the unions i.e. regulation will cost jobs and and a huge influence on the liberals purse strings i.e. regulation will cost you funding.
I repeat; Nothing is going to change unless it is consumer and producer driven. Don’t shop at these outlets and when people do highlight that yes, VB is $28 this week (and unsustainable) but it has been at $48 for the past three months and the independent down the road has had it for $42 the whole time, where you get service, parking and someone who cares if you come back. Small producers, these guys are not your ticket to wealth and distribution, they are the stone around your neck. There is no relationship here, you are being milked dry. They couldn’t care less how hard you work at making the perfect beer… can’t pay your way — Goodbye.

By: A Small Brewer

A Small Brewer — Wed, 23 Mar 2011 03:38:48 +0000

Well said. We initially saw Dan's as a good opportunity to get our beer out to the consumer - in some areas it is the only viable bottle shop (perhaps because smaller ones have closed down in the face of it!). But they demanded bigger and bigger discounts, had poor stock control (reports of our beer sitting in sweltering QLD carparks...), and every "opportunity" to advertise in one of their "Dan's Loves Craft Beer" marketing pushes came with a demand that we pay for the advertising AND give a bigger discount so Dan's could make the same margin while putting our beer on sale. In the end we gave up. Should have stuck with the small independent bottle shops to begin with and happy to do so now. Warning to other small breweries: it's a deal with the devil

Comments on: Fosters to Dan: No VB for you!

By: Commercial Reality

By: A Small Brewer