latimes.com:
Here's some sobering news: Beer prices are going up.
The nation's two largest beer sellers said Tuesday that they planned to raise prices, although they provided few specifics.
Beer prices about to get frothy - Aug. 25, 2009
Realbeer.com: Beer Break - Consumer Reports Ratings and Beer Prices
The price of beer in 128 countries.
Rising beer prices could leave you tapped out - Food Inc.- msnbc.com
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SO - how are sales? Are they down? If so, and you're raising prices, you're proving there is NO such thing as "market demand" but that collusion and presumptions of consumer loyalty trump real market responses. Until very recently, can anyone think of one single commodity other than seasonal produce that has had its price LOWERED when demand crashes? Nope. Not since the 1970s has anything like "market demand" entered the picture. Because of structured agreements among ostensible competitors, we have unresponsive prices for most everything. Between that and the demands for government subsidies, could we at least have an agreement that the words "free market competition" never cross our lips EVER again?
It proves nothing about market and demand. There have been a series of hops shortages in recent years. Most microbrewers have already been forced to raise their prices in the last 2 years (I don't buy any budmillercoors products, but I've noticed most six-packs of craft beer in the last year or so have gone from $6.99-$7.99 to $7.99-$9.99). The big producers were mostly sheltered for a while because of long-term contracts with suppliers guaranteeing a certain price, but once those expired, the upward pressure of the price of supplies is forcing the price increase.
Buick, Ford, GM Now American Beer...they just don't get it. You have to actually BE the Best to charge the Most not just THINK you are LOL
I don't drink Domestic myself but there is a REAL reason that they are so popular and it is NOT because of the Taste. It is because they are CHEAP!!
More arrogance from US executives. No Beer Bailouts here. Is that their plan? Go Broke and get a handout?
and i just quit drinking
I've cut down 90%. And the ocassional pack of cigs at $7 is out. .
Why not artificially raise the price and screw everyone? It just worked for the banks. Late capitalism is a grotesque system of penalties.
These companies are DRIVING ME TO DRINK!
Huh, wait a minute.....
How is that not price fixing?
It's not price fixing because there's no collusion between the two. They both buy from the same producers of hops and barley, and both have been rising in price in recent years, because so many farmers have converted their fields to produce the more profitable, more subsidized corn. Craft brewers have raised their prices, homebrew stores have raised their prices, and now for the same reason, the big macro producers are raising their prices.
Wait a minute!? When demand goes down, they raise the price, and when demand goes up, they still raise the price? What happened to the good old days, when demand went down, the price on a product went down as well, in hopes of stimulating demand? Now, manufacturers of every stripe, use any excuse they can to raise prices. Demand is up, raise the price. Demand is down, raise the price. Two full moons in one month, raise the price! This is a perfect example of runaway capitalism.
How about we just boycott A-B & M-C completely, and see what they do then? I don't believe that people would ever do that, but it sure would raise a lot of peoples ideas about what good beer should taste like, if they would just sample other beers worthy of the brewmaster's art. The fact that people would be willing to pay more for the swill that these 'breweries' (and I use that term VERY loosely,) just boggles my mind. Frankly, if I was forced to only drink this stuff, I would rather have a soft drink!
People! Start drinking REAL beer! Better yet, start brewing your own... I do!
This is just brutal and inhuman. If you could combine nazism and communism into one huge entity, they would look just like an American beer company trying to prices on beer!
Thank God I don't drink A-B or Miller-Coors!
Those particular breweries could save lots of money by hooking up to the saloons urinals and the taste wouldn't change all that much.
Who says they don't already do that??
OOOOOH that's IT...Revolution!!!! Revolution!!!!!....my ox has been gored !!!!!!! my camel's back has been broken !!!!! Now I'm off the couch and p'd off
Yep, once one acquires a taste for beer the Millers, Buds, etc. don't hold much attraction. Gimme a Moose Drool, please.
yum
Mirror Pond Pale Ale for me!
I got tired of high beer prices years ago. Do what I do, brew your own. It's cheaper and far superior to the giant breweries!
I buy supplies from these people, very reliable.
http://www.midwestsupplies.com/
No, I don't work for them!
Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse!!!
The problem with raising beer prices are people like me. I like beer. But I don't need it. Even at the current price, it strains the weekly food budget a bit. If it gets too expensive, I'll merely cross it off my list. Then AB gets nothing from me. And nothing from all the people like me.
beer is so overpriced. $6 and up for a six pack.
thanks for the exccuse to final start home brewing.
Or in a bar where they charge 6 plus for 1 beer.
Went to a baseball game, and 1 beer was 9 dollars. Ridiculous.
9-WTF! Now that's unamerican and criminal
Lots of people start homebrewing for the attractiveness of the price, but it rarely pans out that way. Maybe you start with a 4 gallon pot on the stove and some malt extract, but then a few months later you're shelling out a few hundred for that 15 gallon kettle to cook on the front lawn, the mashing and lautering equipment, maybe a refrigerated fermenter, kegging supplies... give it a year or two and you'll be wanting a completely automated 20 gallon brewing tower, at least 2 dedicated beer fridges, one down around 43F for lagering, and another in the 50-55 range for serving ales... and when you get into real ale, there's the expense of the casks. I know very few people who have stayed in homebrewing and kept their budget at a level where they actually saved any money. And none of them ever give up on commercial beer for ever.
well, what a depressing scenario. how about making your own wine? I'm newly poor and need to drink. lol. I guess it takes a village to brew.
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First Posted: 08-26-09 08:42 AM | Updated: 08-26-09 08:47 AM