a call to arms: "Brace yourself: Beer prices are going up"

thought that yuenling was expensive now?

Brace yourself: Beer prices are going up
Brewers say rising commodity costs and lower volumes are forcing them to raise its price tags.

NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) – Beer drinkers beware: The cost of a cold one is going up.

Brewers across the globe are hiking prices to compensate for lower volumes and higher commodity costs in the recession.

Anheuser-Busch InBev, the world's largest brewer and maker of Budweiser, announced plans to raise prices Tuesday.

"We plan on taking price increases on a majority of volume and in a majority of markets this fall," Anheuser-Busch InBev said in a statement. "The increase helps cover some input costs."

The U.S.-Belgian brewer said prices will go up "across different price tiers" including its high and low-end brands.

The price hikes are part of a broader industry trend.

Heineken, best known for its Heineken and Amstel brands, said Tuesday that its global price increases have helped it turn profits despite sagging volumes.

Anheuser-Busch InBev (ABI) was formed in November 2008 when InBev, which brews Beck's and Stella Artois, bought St. Louis-based Anheuser-Busch for $52 billion.

The looming price hike comes as sales volumes in the brewing industry have declined. Anheuser-Busch InBev said earlier this month that total beer volumes were down 1.5% in the second quarter versus the same period last year.

Heineken, based in Amsterdam, said Tuesday that price increases helped the company offset the pull back in consumption. Heineken makes and brews 170 international beers and ciders, but is best known for its brands Heineken and Amstel.

"The economic and trading conditions remain difficult, and there will be continued pressure on volumes in the second half of 2009," CEO Jean-François van Boxmeer said in a statement.

http://money.cnn.com/2009/08/25/news/companies/anheuser_busch/index.htm
Guess I picked a good time to go on the wagon….those Belgian Tripel prices were killing me as it was.
Lets all guess the date a Yuengling reaches that $10 mark at Seth's establishments. I'll go with November 11th, 2010.
Great.. I guess the $7 Budweiser at the 930 club can't be too far away..

All I know is my budget for beer is going down regardless of what happens to prices.

Julian, wrote:
Lets all guess the date a Yuengling reaches that $10 mark at Seth's establishments. I'll go with November 11th, 2010.

i'll take the under.

hutch wrote:
All I know is my budget for beer is going down regardless of what happens to prices.


that's precisely what got us in to this situation…
sweetcell wrote:
Julian, wrote:
Lets all guess the date a Yuengling reaches that $10 mark at Seth's establishments. I'll go with November 11th, 2010.

i'll take the under.
No, you actually have to pick a date. Closest wins.
sweetcell wrote:
Julian, wrote:
Lets all guess the date a Yuengling reaches that $10 mark at Seth's establishments. I'll go with November 11th, 2010.

i'll take the under.

hutch wrote:
All I know is my budget for beer is going down regardless of what happens to prices.


that's precisely what got us in to this situation…


I've carried the load long enough! Someone else will have to pick up the slack!
Julian, wrote:
sweetcell wrote:
Julian, wrote:
Lets all guess the date a Yuengling reaches that $10 mark at Seth's establishments. I'll go with November 11th, 2010.

i'll take the under.
No, you actually have to pick a date. Closest wins.


01/01/10
I would actually have to brace myself if I read an article that said beer prices were going to go down, not up.
Julian, wrote:
sweetcell wrote:
Julian, wrote:
Lets all guess the date a Yuengling reaches that $10 mark at Seth's establishments. I'll go with November 11th, 2010.

i'll take the under.
No, you actually have to pick a date. Closest wins.

i was trying to make a funny… apparently i didn't.

ok then: March 1, 2011.  enjoy single-digit priced beer for the next year and a half.


It doesn't really matter to me as most of the time I now drink before the show and then just enjoy the concert…

But I think the 930 would be crazy to keep passing the hikes on to their customers as these are already consuming less.. SUCK IT UP SETH!!!

In a way InBevs strategy to me seems silly: consumption is going down because people can afford less so you INCREASE prices?
hutch wrote:
But I think the 930 would be crazy to keep passing the hikes on to their customers as these are already consuming less.. SUCK IT UP SETH!!!

i take it you don't run a business… you expect seth to lose money on beer sales?

hutch wrote:
In a way InBevs strategy to me seems silly: consumption is going down because people can afford less so you INCREASE prices?
 
they're banking on the fact that they'll make more in higher prices than they'll lose to lower sales.  look up "price elasticity".
I'd venture to guess that at the typical show, after paying the band, staff, mortgage/rent, insurance and other general overhead involved, that a sizable chunk of the profits at 9:30 come from alcohol sales.  So if prices go up, in order to maintain his profit he'll have to step in line or start cutting corners somewhere else.  And off the top of my head I don't see too many places in a business like that to cut corners.

Insight Seth?
sweetcell wrote:
hutch wrote:
But I think the 930 would be crazy to keep passing the hikes on to their customers as these are already consuming less.. SUCK IT UP SETH!!!

i take it you don't run a business… you expect seth to lose money on beer sales?

hutch wrote:
In a way InBevs strategy to me seems silly: consumption is going down because people can afford less so you INCREASE prices?
 
they're banking on the fact that they'll make more in higher prices than they'll lose to lower sales.  look up "price elasticity".


i love it when sweetcell talks dirty. . .
chaz wrote:
I'd venture to guess that at the typical show, after paying the band, staff, mortgage/rent, insurance and other general overhead involved, that a sizable chunk of the profits at 9:30 come from alcohol sales.  So if prices go up, in order to maintain his profit he'll have to step in line or start cutting corners somewhere else.  And off the top of my head I don't see too many places in a business like that to cut corners.

Insight Seth?


OH gee Sweetcell thinks I've never heard of price elasticity! Wow! Thanks Sweetcell for the tip!

I guess it comes down to how inelastic one thinks beer sales at the 930 are… At some point where you hike prices on beer you may have less gross sales revenue. Or maybe people will keep consuming the same regardless of price?.. WHy not $20 beers then?
chaz wrote:
I'd venture to guess that at the typical show, after paying the band, staff, mortgage/rent, insurance and other general overhead involved, that a sizable chunk of the profits at 9:30 come from alcohol sales.  So if prices go up, in order to maintain his profit he'll have to step in line or start cutting corners somewhere else.  And off the top of my head I don't see too many places in a business like that to cut corners.

Insight Seth?


maybe he could take a bigger chunk of merch profits from the bands!  that policy and the beer prices have been the only things that have irked me about the club… i'd rather pay a couple extra bucks in ticket prices than have the club tax the merch table
hutch wrote:
WHy not $20 beers then?


cans of guinness at the pogues show were pretty close
hutch wrote:
OH gee Sweetcell thinks I've never heard of price elasticity! Wow! Thanks Sweetcell for the tip!

I guess it comes down to how inelastic one thinks beer sales at the 930 are… At some point where you hike prices on beer you may have less gross sales revenue. Or maybe people will keep consuming the same regardless of price?.. WHy not $20 beers then?

You truly are the stupidest piece of shit ever to stink up this place.

Increasing a beer's price from $6 to $7 is a marginal increase in most people's mind, despite increasing the cost by over 16%. Do you think such an increase is going to drop liquor sales by 16%? Probably not. OTOH, increasing the price by $14 on an originally $6 beer passes a certain tipping point, upon which only the most alcoholic of patrons would partake.
hutch wrote:
chaz wrote:
I'd venture to guess that at the typical show, after paying the band, staff, mortgage/rent, insurance and other general overhead involved, that a sizable chunk of the profits at 9:30 come from alcohol sales.  So if prices go up, in order to maintain his profit he'll have to step in line or start cutting corners somewhere else.  And off the top of my head I don't see too many places in a business like that to cut corners.

Insight Seth?


OH gee Sweetcell thinks I've never heard of price elasticity! Wow! Thanks Sweetcell for the tip!

I guess it comes down to how inelastic one thinks beer sales at the 930 are… At some point where you hike prices on beer you may have less gross sales revenue. Or maybe people will keep consuming the same regardless of price?.. WHy not $20 beers then?



well, i'd guess the more optimal response would be for the beer prices to reflect the demand for it- if it's a sold out show with an expected high amount of alcohol sales (say the pogues), then beer prices should go up to reflect the demand for the product; if it's a show that is sparsely attended, with an equal reduction in demand for alcohol, beer prices should go down……as it is, alcohol pricing reflects what seth thinks the market will bear all else being equal in order to achieve a certain level of profit.
hutch wrote:
OH gee Sweetcell thinks I've never heard of price elasticity!

you are arguing as if you hadn't.  just going with the flow.