TOPIC:

"TheBeerNut":22sn3f0y wrote:

"Partridge9":22sn3f0y wrote: Come on - are you serious - you think price has no impact on beer sales[/quote:22sn3f0y]I'm just going from what these figures[/url:22sn3f0y] say. What figures are you using?[/quote:22sn3f0y]

I wouldnt be so bold as to back up an arguement with figures !

That ruins it - but seriously - cheap beer is squeezing the microbrewies.
I do believe that price has an impact on what people buy.
I also believe for closely related products people often shift brand based on price. Beamish/Guinness would be a classic example.
It would be interesting to hear the microbrewies opinion on this-

please remember this is NOT a tax or a duty - its a requirement for sale to be a minimum price - thats an important distinction. The brewery or off-license stand to make a little cash.

"Partridge9":xxck73nb wrote: but seriously - cheap beer is squeezing the microbrewies.[/quote:xxck73nb]But seriously, I don't think it is. It's a different segment of the market completely and minimum pricing isn't going to bring them close enough together to make a difference.

It is conceivable that somebody might decide to trade up if the gap was narrowed, but the real price of that -- holding back our criticism of price controls as a health strategy -- is too high. The value of this proposal to craft beer is not high enough for us to support it, IMO.

"sbillings":1sadvbli wrote: The price difference between Irish craft beer and macro beer in pubs is little to none, yet it is an up hill struggle to get people to even try it. What makes you think the same beers would benefit from a narrowing of price gap in the supermarket?[/quote:1sadvbli]

I don't think its an uphill struggle to get people to try craft beer in pubs.
All we can ask for is choice.
I just dont think selling beer below cost does anything positive to beer or the production of beer.

Will the narrowing of price gap in supermarkets benefit microbreweries ? What will people choose ?? Who knows ? But at least they have a choice.
Its a valid question - I think we should ask the microbreweries !

"sbillings":477brlqy wrote: What makes you think the same beers would benefit from a narrowing of price gap in the supermarket?[/quote:477brlqy]

For whatever reason, I think people are more open to trying something different in off-licenses, even if something different is a Czech pilsner or Polish lager.

"Partridge9":477brlqy wrote: I don't think its an uphill struggle to get people to try craft beer in pubs.
[/quote:477brlqy]

Maybe not in "destination" craft beer pubs like B&C and Porterhouse but in pubs with a single tap I think it is. Sadly the bar staff are often sceptical about the product and can make a smart arse remark if you order it.