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Liquor Store "Huh?" Moments


fenderbender4

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4 hours ago, Respectfully said:

Last week I was at the Total Wine checkout buying two bottles of Grand Marnier Cuvée du Centenaire. After unsuccessfully scanning them she manually researched the price and rang up $32.99 each. ? I politely pointed out the mischarge. 

 

Funny you mention this.

I have a buddy who literally goes to stores, looking for pricing /shelf errors to get bargains on items.... fights with managers to honer the sign or tag errors even after it scans higher at the register, and then tells his friends to go do the same and get the leftovers.  Many times, these are simply because a clerk didn't know any better and put the higher end bottle in the lower end spot on the shelf behind a tag with a price on it.

Latest missions were:

-store pick KC bottles for the price of regular KC ($30 ish)

-Rossville barrel proof rye for the price of regular Rossville ($35 ish)

-Russel's reserve single barrels for the price of RR 10 year ($30 ish)

etc. etc. etc.

 

I'm certainly no angel or preacher, but I've always felt this was kind of a crappy thing to do, because it's a deliberate and intentional act on his part.

 

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5 hours ago, fishnbowljoe said:

Darn. I used to live near there. Thirty three years ago. <_<

 

Biba! Joe

I've only started going to that neck of the woods for business in the last 10 years, but there have been many changes in just that decade.   How long since you have been there?   Carmel is an amazing suburb.

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21 minutes ago, 0895 said:

 

Funny you mention this.

I have a buddy who literally goes to stores, looking for pricing /shelf errors to get bargains on items.... fights with managers to honer the sign or tag errors even after it scans higher at the register, and then tells his friends to go do the same and get the leftovers.  Many times, these are simply because a clerk didn't know any better and put the higher end bottle in the lower end spot on the shelf behind a tag with a price on it.

Latest missions were:

-store pick KC bottles for the price of regular KC ($30 ish)

-Rossville barrel proof rye for the price of regular Rossville ($35 ish)

-Russel's reserve single barrels for the price of RR 10 year ($30 ish)

etc. etc. etc.

 

I'm certainly no angel or preacher, but I've always felt this was kind of a crappy thing to do, because it's a deliberate and intentional act on his part.

 

I would say very crappy, in an ass-hat kind of way.  ;)

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1 hour ago, 0895 said:

 

Funny you mention this.

I have a buddy who literally goes to stores, looking for pricing /shelf errors to get bargains on items.... fights with managers to honer the sign or tag errors even after it scans higher at the register, and then tells his friends to go do the same and get the leftovers.  Many times, these are simply because a clerk didn't know any better and put the higher end bottle in the lower end spot on the shelf behind a tag with a price on it.

Latest missions were:

-store pick KC bottles for the price of regular KC ($30 ish)

-Rossville barrel proof rye for the price of regular Rossville ($35 ish)

-Russel's reserve single barrels for the price of RR 10 year ($30 ish)

etc. etc. etc.

 

I'm certainly no angel or preacher, but I've always felt this was kind of a crappy thing to do, because it's a deliberate and intentional act on his part.

 

RRSB for $30?!  That's just robbery.

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8 hours ago, geclbxf said:

They just opened a store on 86th in Indianapolis

Wow, that must be new.  They must have started the radio spots before the store opened.  I'll have to check it out, well warned by other SBers about the "recommendations".  ?

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3 hours ago, geclbxf said:

I've only started going to that neck of the woods for business in the last 10 years, but there have been many changes in just that decade.   How long since you have been there?   Carmel is an amazing suburb.

IIRC, we moved to Rockford in 1987. From 1982-1987, we lived in the Pickwick Farms Apartments complex. Pickwick was off of Ditch Road between 421 and Meridian Street east to west, and between W 86th Street and W 96th Street north to south. Nice area. It was a nice compromise for a decent place somewhat in between where my wife and I worked back then. 

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19 hours ago, 0895 said:

 

Funny you mention this.

I have a buddy who literally goes to stores, looking for pricing /shelf errors to get bargains on items.... fights with managers to honer the sign or tag errors even after it scans higher at the register, and then tells his friends to go do the same and get the leftovers.  Many times, these are simply because a clerk didn't know any better and put the higher end bottle in the lower end spot on the shelf behind a tag with a price on it.

Latest missions were:

-store pick KC bottles for the price of regular KC ($30 ish)

-Rossville barrel proof rye for the price of regular Rossville ($35 ish)

-Russel's reserve single barrels for the price of RR 10 year ($30 ish)

etc. etc. etc.

 

I'm certainly no angel or preacher, but I've always felt this was kind of a crappy thing to do, because it's a deliberate and intentional act on his part.

 

I’d watch your back with him.  Anyone who lies, cheats, and steals in such a premeditated way and to such an extent, will most certainly do the same to you.  

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Liquor Department in a grocery store recent offered KC gift sets at $21.99 while the regular bottles were $26.99.  I went back a few days later and the gift sets were priced at $26.99.  OK, makes sense.  I went back a few days later and they were priced at $21.99 again.  OK, I guess someone made a mistake on the pricing.  I was there today and the price of the gift sets is now $29.99 as is the price of the regular bottle.  However, the price of KC Rye is still $26.99.  The price of KC and KC Rye has been the same at this store since....forever.

 

It gets better.  This store offers a 15% discount when you buy six bottles.  The discount price has been listed as $18.69 regardless of whether the price is $21.99, $26.99 or $29.99.   Even better, the $29.99 is listed as a sale price.

 

I know for a fact the liquor department manager keys in the pricing.  

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2 minutes ago, mbroo5880i said:

I know for a fact the liquor department manager keys in the pricing.  

...after sampling each of the bottles?

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Concerning the concept of shopping for accidental mispricing, knowing someone has intentionally mispriced something and not bringing it to their intention is the same as stealing.  I wouldn't even enjoy whatever it is that I bought knowing that it was accidentally mispriced and I didn't pay the fair price.

 

It has only happened to me  a few times and when I point it out the clerk either offered to sell it to me for the lower price or indicated it wasn't a mistake.  I usually explain to the clerk that it appears to be mispriced and ask it they can please check the price to verify it is correct.  Most often the bar code provides the correct price.  

 

 

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5 minutes ago, IamMatt said:

...after sampling each of the bottles?

LOL, I dunno.  He is a nice guy and very knowledgeable.  Last time we spoke, he told me he was not drinking any more.  I didn't ask for details.  I will ask him what is up with the pricing changes next time I see him.  Since it is a grocery store, he isn't always available.  This store seems to have three pretty regular employees in the liquor department.  They do a pretty significant volume of business.  

 

If the price for buying 6 is $18.69, then I will look to pick up more while they are still available.

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TW store opened Nov. 4 on Indy North side.  It turns out they had to go to court to open the store.  Indiana government didn't want to allow it because TW owners are in another state - DE.  A judge ruled this violated the Commerce Clause.

East 86 street is a 45 minute or more drive for me.  I'm rarely in that neighborhood.  One day, I'll either be up there for something else, or curiosity will get the better of me.

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1 hour ago, PaulO said:

TW store opened Nov. 4 on Indy North side.  It turns out they had to go to court to open the store.  Indiana government didn't want to allow it because TW owners are in another state - DE.  A judge ruled this violated the Commerce Clause.

East 86 street is a 45 minute or more drive for me.  I'm rarely in that neighborhood.  One day, I'll either be up there for something else, or curiosity will get the better of me.

I’ve heard that Binny’s has wanted to open stores in Indiana for a while. I believe Indiana kept them out till now because of their interpretation of the Commerce Clause. FWIW, I’ve also heard that this was referred to in a tongue in cheek sort of way as “The Binny’s Rule”. ?  

 

Biba! Joe

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4 hours ago, fishnbowljoe said:

I’ve heard that Binny’s has wanted to open stores in Indiana for a while. I believe Indiana kept them out till now because of their interpretation of the Commerce Clause. FWIW, I’ve also heard that this was referred to in a tongue in cheek sort of way as “The Binny’s Rule”. ?  

 

Biba! Joe

I would rather have a Binny's in Indy. 

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At a store that typically has decent to OK prices for stuff on the shelves, I perused their locked cases (which unfortunately typically aren’t priced decent to OK).  Saw a 4R LESmB 2020 for $499.97, and a Weller C.Y.P.B. priced the same.  High, but not necessarily egregious.

 

But the ECBP C920 for $199.97 made me go ?......

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11 hours ago, fishnbowljoe said:

I’ve heard that Binny’s has wanted to open stores in Indiana for a while. I believe Indiana kept them out till now because of their interpretation of the Commerce Clause. FWIW, I’ve also heard that this was referred to in a tongue in cheek sort of way as “The Binny’s Rule”. ?  

 

Biba! Joe

Maybe TW case will set a new precedent.  Since TW is already on North side, Binny's should come here, on the South side, Greenwood/ Center Grove area.  They could advertise on the I 69 corridor and have easy access from one of the exits.  I know of a closed Marsh store that is empty, and a large parcel of undeveloped land that would maybe be even better.  Tell your friends Joe.  It would be like a machine printing money.

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  • 2 weeks later...

It appears Meijer is going to limit purchases of brand name spirits during the holiday season.  They want to make sure there is enough to go around.

 

https://www.wthr.com/article/news/local/meijer-limits-alcohol-sales-for-holiday-season/69-50abb2aa-daaf-4b38-ab3b-6385215b3973?fbclid=IwAR0QDI4IfLbWJoIxEKJoW3FjQlCbFXMmlCmTFsE20n907r54OUvyZZoijkw

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On 11/14/2020 at 10:26 PM, PaulO said:

Maybe TW case will set a new precedent.  

My company bought a Texas beer distributor in 2019. We are not based in Texas and there was a US Supreme Court case pending at the time regarding Texas law prohibiting out of state owners of liquor wholesalers. There was an exception to the law that would’ve allowed us to buy the wholesaler unless the Supreme Court went the wrong way. Luckily it went our way. Just this week the Supreme Court upheld another Texas law prohibiting retailers from being owned by out of state companies, this time they went against Walmart. It’s pretty complicated and confusing law because you have state constitutions and laws, as well as the US constitution, the 21st amendment, the three tier system and the dormant commerce clause all needing to be navigated. 

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So opposite "huh" yet again from my local. They just heard I'm stuck at home quarantining. And called offering to bring me anything I need. Actually was out of tobacco. So, on Thanksgiving, the owner is driving over to throw a pack as far as he can down my driveway.

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8 minutes ago, FasterHorses said:

Lady told me that ancient age  is allocated

Next time you’re in that store, ask her if she moved there from Illinois. :huh:

 

Biba! Joe

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21 minutes ago, FasterHorses said:

Lady told me that ancient age is allocated. 

In virginy ancient ancient is limit 1 per customer per day and 1.75 rarely available.  Same limit with crown royal peach & bartons 1.75, 

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10 minutes ago, B.B. Babington said:

In virginy ancient ancient is limit 1 per customer per day and 1.75 rarely available.  Same limit with crown royal peach & bartons 1.75, 

We are living in the Crazy Years.

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28 minutes ago, B.B. Babington said:

In virginy ancient ancient is limit 1 per customer per day and 1.75 rarely available.  Same limit with crown royal peach & bartons 1.75, 

I can't tell you how many grocery stores I have been in that have decent bourbon selections where Crown is either locked up or you have to take a tag to customer service to get a bottle.  Yet, they have FRSiB, WR, Knob Creek, and other more expensive bottles of bourbon with smaller bottles than Crown sitting on the shelf.  I know Crown lovers who can recite all of the flavors.

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They lock up the stuff most likely to be shoplifted.

I've seen the same thing too.  Flavored junk locked away, $50 - $100+ Bourbon and Scotch just out there on the shelf. 

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