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How reliable is the Binny's website?


Thomm
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My wife is planning a short trip for us across the southern border (into Illinois) to visit the Gurnee Mills outlet stores. This coincides quite nicely with my recent online perusal of a few nearby Binny's locations. 

Does anybody here have experience with how reliable the info regarding what's in stock is?  Should I call before I go?  Can I reserve a few bottles that they will hold for me?  

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Don't rely on the website, call if you have something specific in mind. Not long ago I went in (Gurnee store) for something on sale; the website said five bottles in stock, there were actually none. Fortunately I live not that far away, but it's still annoying, and not the first time that happened. Got rain checks, but took extra trips.

 

 

 

 

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Thanks. That pretty much answers my questions. Website for Gurnee store says six bottles of what I'm looking for in stock, but has said that for the last 3 days, hence my suspicion.  I will make the call when in the area. 

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In my experience, the Binny's online inventory is fairly accurate -- for example, I bought the last Rare Breed on the shelf at one of my local stores a couple days ago and it now shows as out of stock, and I saw it on shelves at two other locations yesterday and the site shows them as having it.

I think the big question is just how close to real time their website inventory is -- I would guess it probably updates overnight after stores close out sales for the day since it's not a true e-commerce website ala Amazon. I've put in an ask to my bud who is a buyer there to see if he knows.

In any case, on a typical weekday they're always happy to help on the phone in my experience.

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52 minutes ago, stevegoz said:

In my experience, the Binny's online inventory is fairly accurate -- for example, I bought the last Rare Breed on the shelf at one of my local stores a couple days ago and it now shows as out of stock, and I saw it on shelves at two other locations yesterday and the site shows them as having it.

I think the big question is just how close to real time their website inventory is -- I would guess it probably updates overnight after stores close out sales for the day since it's not a true e-commerce website ala Amazon. I've put in an ask to my bud who is a buyer there to see if he knows.

In any case, on a typical weekday they're always happy to help on the phone in my experience.

 

It may vary. In my case, this last time I asked someone if there was more somewhere else in the store. He checked their computer (not the same as the website) and they had been out for several days. Either way, if traveling any distance, call first!

 

 

 

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On 2/25/2023 at 12:25 PM, Thomm said:

My wife is planning a short trip for us across the southern border (into Illinois) to visit the Gurnee Mills outlet stores. This coincides quite nicely with my recent online perusal of a few nearby Binny's locations. 

Does anybody here have experience with how reliable the info regarding what's in stock is?  Should I call before I go?  Can I reserve a few bottles that they will hold for me?  

The website is very accurate for non-allocated items. Online, make sure you go to the item you want, select Gurnee Mills as your store, then click on the check availability tab and it will tell you if it's in stock at Gurnee Mills and other stores. Note, however, Binnys will not let you buy a bottle from one store and pick it up at another. They do have quite bit of barrel picks though, like from Barrel, Yellowstone and others I can't remember. Those are usually at every store. No 4R barrels at the moment.

 

Anything allocated, like all Wellers, Blanton's, Old Fitz, Elijah Craig 18 all LEs from the major players, some LE Barrel Bourbons etc. are not on the website. These are all sold off to special customers, staff, etc. before the public ever gets a chance. You know the drill.  Anything left over, like a $699 Whistlepig that no one wants, are distributed out to the stores that have customers who will buy the most expensive bottles like Highland Park, Oak Brook, Downtown etc.

 

I've never been to Gurnee Mills, but I do not imagine it gets a huge allocation of anything just because of its location.  In the past 4 years, I haven't seen any LE, Weller, Blanton's, 4R barrel or anything else of that caliber on the shelf at any Binnys anywhere. 

 

If anything good is there, you need to look in the "Rare and Collectibles" room. There will be a big sign on the wall you can see from across the store. Just ask someone to let you in because you can't always see everything from behind the glass.

 

In general, Binnys are massive, but just stocked with a ton of average stuff and routine barrel picks.

 

Anecdotally, sometimes you can hit the jackpot - the other day I picked up an Ardbeg 22 that was hiding in the Rare and Collectibles of a Binnys. This was a Unicorn bottle still at the 2018 price (almost quadruple on secondary) because it was regarded as the best of the age stated bottlings from the old Ardbeg stills before the shut them down permanently in the mid 1990's. A really great find.

 

Sometimes you get lucky and hit the right Binnys on the right day. Good Luck!

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....also google "Binnys whisky hotline" which is their blog that infrequently gives updates on some incoming bottles

 

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Thanks for the advice. I had planned on browsing for things I can't seem to find near me, but I may come home with a store pick or two of something more familiar also.  Should be a fun adult field trip. 

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John Lennon said, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans." I guess that applies somewhat in this situation. 

Wifey and her daughter found Michael Kors more to their liking than Coach.  I sauntered off to the Gurnee, IL Binny's, as it was a mere 13 miles away. I found nothing special there, and the 6 bottles of Pikesville Rye that the website had downgraded to 3 were, in actuality, zero. 

Not too disappointed, we returned home. I pulled out my phone and checked the 3 area TW stores, as I do several times a week.

Holy Cow!  3 bottles at the Bayshore store, a mere 15 miles away. I called to confirm. The clerk had eyes on the product. 3 bottles on the shelf. I downloaded the app. I reserved 2 for pick up.  

The best part: I saved 4 bucks a piece on em. 

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  • 3 weeks later...

Typical experience. A Binny's can have a footprint of a football field and have nothing that's both affordable and special. 

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2 hours ago, jvd99 said:

Typical experience. A Binny's can have a footprint of a football field and have nothing that's both affordable and special. 

I guess it's all about perspective.   Living in a control state I was all wide eyed and in awe the last time I was in a Binny's (last year).  Now of course I buy bourbon, rye and scotch.  The scotch selection in Binny's is pretty extensive compared to what I can get here.

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6 minutes ago, Bourserker said:

I guess it's all about perspective.   Living in a control state I was all wide eyed and in awe the last time I was in a Binny's (last year).  Now of course I buy bourbon, rye and scotch.  The scotch selection in Binny's is pretty extensive compared to what I can get here.

I know there are states that dont have what a Binny's can offer, and I'm probably spoiled and take it for granted. However, my criticism is rooted in their business practices of selling everything out the backdoor, to employees, friends and to the ultra-rich VIPs. Nothing of note is ever available on the shelf. It's a fool's errand even trying to crack that system. Everything that's left is aisle upon aisle of crappy craft bottles no one has ever heard of.  And everything is marked up 5-10% over local mom and pop shops, who they grind into the dirt. Yeah, it makes me a little mad....

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I would love to have a Binny's in Indy.  We have several Binny's employees as forum members including @Lost Pollito.  

 

I never trust any liquor retailer's website availability.  Years ago, The Party Source in Covington, KY and Liquor Barn in Louisville were pretty accurate  but they quickly became unreliable as the bourbon boom exploded.  Even locally, I saw where a Big Red has bottles listed in inventory in the store where I shop.  I went in and showed them on my cell phone where the product was supposed to be in inventory.  They told me that often the inventory is not accurate.  Sadly, not due to purchase trends but due to employee theft. 

 

It is really a matter of perspective.  Indy has three major players, each with their pros and each with their cons.  I find myself drawn more away from liquor retailers and more toward groceries like Kroger and Meijer that sell most major brands (FR, WT, Beam, OF, etc.) and have a reasonable selection of upper mid shelf and craft at better prices than the liquor chains.  I had a smaller local that got great bottles get bought out by one of the larger chains. So the availability of LEs and other desirable offerings dried up.  This was a store that 10 years ago had PVW, Weller, WFE PHC, etc. on the shelf.  I realize those bottles would probably not be put on the shelf today if they had stayed independent but they immediately disappeared off the shelf once the store was bought out.  Kind of the Walmart effect on retail alcohol. 

 

Even with buyouts and consolidation, I believe the current retail options are really good. 

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11 minutes ago, mbroo5880i said:

I would love to have a Binny's in Indy.  We have several Binny's employees as forum members including @Lost Pollito.  

 

I never trust any liquor retailer's website availability.  Years ago, The Party Source in Covington, KY and Liquor Barn in Louisville were pretty accurate  but they quickly became unreliable as the bourbon boom exploded.  

I'd love to get a real honest download from an employee of where all the sought after "allocated" bottles disappear to, because I haven't seen any in years, and I'm a very good customer, yet it gets me absolutely nowhere. Sure, I can buy all the $1000 bottles of scotch I can load in my cart, but if I want a bottle of Weller, I get laughed out of the building

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7 minutes ago, jvd99 said:

I'd love to get a real honest download from an employee of where all the sought after "allocated" bottles disappear to, because I haven't seen any in years, and I'm a very good customer, yet it gets me absolutely nowhere. Sure, I can buy all the $1000 bottles of scotch I can load in my cart, but if I want a bottle of Weller, I get laughed out of the building

 

There is a game and we aren't players, my friend.  Some retailers are transparent on LEs and others are very opaque.  That said, one-time I sent an email to the primary sales lead of a local retail chain when I couldn't attend an in-person lottery asking if they might have other options for participating in the lottery because I had to work.  He ask me if would like a WLW.  Yes, please.  I was shocked.  Yet, that gesture of good will has shaped my perspective of the chain even 10 years later. They always get the benefit of the doubt and a decent amount of my business. 

 

I believe I mention in the forums before that I have had retailers tell me they have set aside LEs for distributors.  I watched a retailer had off a bottle to a guy.  When I asked he had more, he told me the guy worked for one of their distributors.  I guess expected that I would think that was ok.  What?

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At one time, Bill Cosby was A-Number-1 on the Binny’s list to receive first shot at any and all of Pappy/BTAC/Etc.  Probably, not there anymore…I hope… 

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I appreciate all the discussion on the "shenanigans" going on in the background at Binny's.  I didn't know about all that, and it's interesting stuff for sure.  I tend not to like to give my business to places that have funny stuff going on.

 

As for the bigger issue I know I'm stating the obvious, but our alcoholic beverage laws in the US are just totally jacked up.  You can go to one state and it's a free for all, and then go one state over and it's super controlled.  There appears to be no perfect system based on all the different ways things are done in various states.  The "free for all" states appear to be awesome on the surface until you find out that 90% of the liquor stores have very limited selections and anything decent is usually priced near secondary.  Same thing with the control states.  Those seem to suck on the surface but I can say that at least here in VA you can get a lot of good stuff off the shelf that's decently priced.  We do have our lovely "drop" system that's super annoying, and that has created demand for some bottles that aren't highly sought after in other regions (i.e. stuff like regular BT is "allocated" here and can only be obtained on the drops).  However, if you can get a BT or ER or whatever else in VA, you'll at least be paying MSRP and not 5x MSRP.  Like I said, no state has a perfect system.  Oh yeah, and don't even get me started on ordering online, and getting stuff shipped.  The laws in different states are all over the place there.  My understanding is that in Europe you can just order stuff online with no issues, that would be nice.

 

I haven't hit my bourbon zen and likely never will because the rush of finding something and collecting is a large part of my enjoyment of whiskey(y).  I did give up hunting allocated stuff many years ago, and haven't run across anything super special in a while.  However, I do still get a rush when I find something I can't get here , and know I'm gonna have that on my shelf whenever I get around to opening it (like a New Riff SB for example, yeah no big deal to others...ha ha ha).  I also got into this in 2011 when all the BT stuff was 5 deep on shelves, I found ORVW10 and some BTAC on shelves, I got several pappys from the waiting list and so on.  Heck I was looking at my spreadsheet the other day and just as an example I apparently paid $41.95 for an OFBB in 2013 and $69.99 for a Saz 18 around the same time (both found on shelf)...wow!  So I guess my point is those days are gone, I've come to terms with that and I just enjoy decent quality mid-shelf stuff.  So maybe I have hit a pseudo zen or something, I don't know...ha ha ha.  

 

Sorta got off topic there, sorry about that.  May have to post that last paragraph with some additional detail in the zen thread at some point.

 

 

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