Grocery Stores & alcohol sales (Pittsburgh, Wilkes-Barre: for sale, wedding, price)

[Hopes]

I don't understand the big deal about Giant Eagle selling 6 packs. I can walk two blocks for a 6 pack.

If you want more than a 6 pack, you're heading to the beer distributor anyway.

I'll be impressed when Giant Eagle can sell single cans, like NYC, and wine.

[Johnny C]

I like the convenience stores out west that sell ammo, beer, whiskey, and tobacco.

[bboy36win]

Originally Posted by Johnny C

I like the convenience stores out west that sell ammo, beer, whiskey, and tobacco.

"Here's to feelin' good all the time! "
- Cosmo Kramer

[Hopes]

JohnnyC, why don't you just put "Laurel Highlands" in your location? Afterall, that's what is 'just east of the Southern Portion of the Western Part of PA.'



If you don't like Laurel Highlands, you can be more specific with Southern Alleghenies:

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Hopes

I don't understand the big deal about Giant Eagle selling 6 packs. I can walk two blocks for a 6 pack.

It saves you that extra trip, and one might hope the margins and thus prices would be a bit lower at a grocery store.

Again not a huge deal in the greater scheme, but for some people it would eliminate an arbitrary small annoyance and additional marginal cost.

[greg42]

Originally Posted by BrianTH

It saves you that extra trip, and one might hope the margins and thus prices would be a bit lower at a grocery store.

Again not a huge deal in the greater scheme, but for some people it would eliminate an arbitrary small annoyance and additional marginal cost.

Also selection, depending upon the bar. If you need a 6-pack of IC Light, any old bar is probably fine (but may rip you off). If you want some choices, it might be a little more difficult. For someone not from here, they're going "What the hell, where do I buy a 6-pack?" It's still strange to me. And I don't even drink beer.

The tavern lobby fights everything when it comes to beer sales. They're much stronger than the beer distributors and such. Did they ever get 12-packs in the distributors? I can't remember if that passed and haven't been to one in a while.

At least beer has the capability of people being creative with selling it, like the bottle shops. Wine is the big problem.

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by greg42

At least beer has the capability of people being creative with selling it, like the bottle shops. Wine is the big problem.

Honestly with McBroom's and D's in my neighborhood, I'm perfectly fine with the beer situation--actually, make that ecstatic with the beer situation. But I am basically a beer snob, and I recognize that some people would just like to be able to pick up a cold six-pack of Sam Adams when buying groceries.

The wine situation is indeed a little more dire. The selection in even the best stores is just too limited, and there is basically no variety between the best stores. And shipping is a real PITA. Just not a good situation for wine people.

[Hopes]

Hey, I don't even drink beer so I guess that's why I don't see it as a big deal.

From what I know about beer drinkers, a 6 pack ain't gonna cut it. They're going to the beer distributor for a case!

You'll have my attention when they start selling something other than beer at the grocery store.

[Tiger Beer]

This is interesting.

So...if you buy a 6-pack from the tavern to go, is it at inflated prices? Or is at what would be supermarket prices?

Additionally, are these government-owned beer distributors...are they at price as well? Or inflated prices?

[BrianTH]

Originally Posted by Hopes

From what I know about beer drinkers, a 6 pack ain't gonna cut it. They're going to the beer distributor for a case!

There are actually a decent number of people who drink beer now and then, but usually not more than one at a time (at least not at home) and not every day. For people like that, a case is a real investment--it may take several weeks to finish, and a little variety over such a period can be nice. Hence the six-pack is actually a quite useful unit for such casual beer drinkers, which in turn is why the six-pack even exists as a popular unit, and why grocery and convenience stores will in fact sell six-packs if they are allowed to.

Edit: By the way, the six-pack is actually roughly equivalent to a bottle of wine in terms of number of servings. So basically for the same reasons many people buy wine by the bottle and not the case, that is why many people prefer to buy beer by the six-pack and not the case.