This seems like an odd move:
Isn’t that funny for a company who replied to the Bud commercial with their own Pumpkin Peach ale kit.
I want to go on record here, I think it’s odd, but it would take a visible change in the store to get me to change shops. NB has earned a lot of goodwill by their service and selection over the years. I give plenty of side-eye to AB/InBev, but I don’t see how homebrew can contribute to dirty distribution/marketing practices. If it’s just big money letting my LHBS expand, I’m cautiously okay with that.
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I would agree that I’ve never had an issue with NB. My wife bought me a starter kit from NB for my birthday that started my crazy obsession with homebrewing. I don’t exclusively buy all my stuff from NB but I have never questioned the quality of the ingredients or equipment they carry. I am a little concerned as to the intentions of inBev.
If this is true, and it looks like it is, I’ll have to do some soul searching this weekend. I might not be back.
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Living in the Minneapolis area Northern Brewer and Midwest Supply have been the go to suppliers for me for many years, and believe me it’s been a few thousand dollars over that time. But if they are now owned by AB InBev I’ll be hard pressed to spend money there anymore. AB InBev has used their size and dominant control over the industry and legislators to bully distributors, retailers and bars to squeeze out the smaller craft brewers with blatantly anticompetitive practices. Add to that their commercials that demonstrate their pure contempt for any beers other what they offer and the ridicule they heap on consumers of alternative beers and I would feel as though I’m contributing to a terrorist organization by spending my hard earned dollars with them. Those that use NB and MWS only as online suppliers switching to alternates should be easy, there’s a lot to choose from. As for me, I’ll switch to a combination of online and throw my support (dollars) to alternate LHBSs in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area. In fact this may be the very thing the other local independants need to help grow their business.
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Man that sucks. Hope it’s not true.
Now lets think about this… Hmmm “venture CAPITAL”. I see the need to be greedy and get MORE money. Squeeze out the home brewer along with craft brewer, there’s where I see this going. We’ll all be drinking Bud or just plain water. Will NB reply to us? Have they got the balls to talk to us? I’ll give them a week. Pissed off SNEEZLES61
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You may see some deals in the short term as they try to squeeze out the competition like free shipping. This new forum platform with just another way to gather information. Did you ever notice that after a hot discussion topic something be discussed end up being on sale. Kind of creepy like voyerism. It’s been fun.
If this is true, I’ll be using my NB gift cards but will have to consider very hard if I will continue to purchase from them after that. Regardless, I will be following this story with interest.
Rad
It’s true.
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Well I might stick around to answer the occasional rookie question, but I’ve definitely spent my last dollar there…
I’ve heard that InBev is working on a plan to improve their image by slashing prices on home brewing supplies even if it means per annum profit loss of 0.000000000000000000000000000001%.
Completely made up statement based on no facts.
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So exactly what does this mean to us, the home brewing community? Are those who will no longer purchase saying that solely out of principal, as a boycott against big bev? Or is there an indication that being owned by AB/InBev going to make life as a home brewer difficult, more expensive, and less enjoyable? It is possible that our experience may not change? Often, when a big company takes over a smaller one, they don’t really make any changes, but rather just allow the newly acquired asset to run as it always has, and now the new parent just gets to claim the profits.
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I’m wondering if they’re after market research. Craft has grown, and Crafty tends to get laughed out of the beer aisle. Maybe they want to get some market research on what’s big in Homebrew, so they can see the next trends in Craft? If they see more homebrewers doing sours, then the “crafty” brands will start selling sours. Spicy hops look big this year? Let’s use those in all the IPAs. Of course that’s a total guess on my part. Again, I don’t immediately see how this will change my experience (I may just be short sighted). I don’t like the idea of adding to the profits of the big bullies in the playground, but I’d need a really good competitor to replace my customer experience.
I understand that many people don’t want to “add to the profits of the big bullies”, but in reality most people DO want to do just that. If they did not want to do that the big bullies would not exist. We see it every day. The vast majority of people want to pay less for what they get. There are a limited number of ways to do that. You either decrease quality, or you increase leverage by buying in bulk. THe big guys can take advantage of that bulk buying power. The buying public will go where the price is low, and that makes it possible for the big bullies to get bigger. I can guarantee that the majority of the people who say they will not buy from NB after this merger will reconsider if the the Big Mouth Bubbler is 20 bucks on AB/InBev/NB and the smaller supplies companies are selling it for 45 bucks. Perhaps there is that threshold in price differential that will allow them to hold out and go with the small company, but realistically the bullies win out because the buying public supports them.
So a gizmo we’ve been buying costs the owner .75, they in turn sell for 2.00. There are many little companies like this all over the US. Local, able to be flexible. New owner buys one of previous owner. New owner has very deep pockets. Instead of buying a few gizmo’s, he buys ALL/MOST that the maker can make for .35, new owner sells for 1.75, other owners now feel the loss. They find something else to keep them in business, possibly, not what they started. New deep pocket owner has squashed competition, gizmo goes up to 4.00. I don’t appreciate that, and won’t help promote that as much as I can help it. I do as much local, not the cheapest route, yet, I can feel good when I see the locals at say, high school football game and their kids are playing. That is a home run to me. Sneezles61
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Loopie if you go make sure let us know where.
Yes please.
