Retailers repeatedly hiking prices of older bottlings

[eelbrook]

This is a practice that is steadily driving my friends and I away from certain retailers.

On older expressions, this breed of retailer is no longer content with the margin on original RSP (paid on release to the distributor or bottler).

Rather, they increase the price above RSP again and again and again - often to above the hammer prices achieved at online auctions with global audiences.

Potential short-term greed prevailing over long-term customer loyalty?

(NB I'm not talking here about bottles bought in by retailers at auction. And I also acknowledge that the self-same retailers referred to above often offer very competitive prices on younger, newer bottlings.

[Kava]

I always feel that rather than competition between specialist whisky retailers regards pricing there is collusion and price fixing by the few top retailers who have cornered the market online and the smaller specialist online retailers happily follow their lead on pricing.

[lincoln imp]

you are right eelbrook it is nothing more than greed but it is at every level.

In Europe there are a few shops selling Glenfarclas 25 year for an average price of £85 just under 97-100 euro with at least a dozen shops under the 110 euro bracket.
So between £85-£97 in Holland & Germany
In the UK

The Whisky Exchange £145
The whisky Barrel £155
The whisky shop £170

I will collectively refer to these 3 as The Whisky Robbers

so between £60-£85 more than in the UK

Its not all taxes so lets not get hoodwinked here, it is pure greed the Master of Malt want only £120 which is still steep in my view but not milking it like those other 3.
These 3 want another £25-£50 over and above what MoM want.

Is there not something perverse when even with shipping costs I can get whisky much cheaper in Holland and Germany, yes there are a few more taxes but not that much?

In the UK we are taken for a ride for anything with 12+ age statement but the problem is not solely down to the shops I also blame investors and speculators as for the general massive price hikes.
The shops are just spotting an opportunity, they are not interested in drinkers, there is absolutely no loyalty where profit is concerned.

Do what I do buy from Holland and Germany (before its too late)

Finally I have much sympathy with our North American friends who have high taxes and much less opportunity, I feel for you guys.
_________________
Pour me a glass please.

[eelbrook]

If you're situated in say the Royal Mile in Edinburgh, I guess you can get away with one-off sales to gullible walk-in tourists.

But most retailers rely on repeat business from regulars.

If greed drives those regulars away, that spells trouble for these retailers

[Olorin]

Personally I am yet to move onto this "calibre" of whisky. Moved into 12-18 yr drams currently. It is sad hearing your stories about the high prices being charged - almost certainly greed driven as you've said. Do you guys have any retailers that do give more reasonable prices? Or are the auction houses the place to look?

[sorren]

Agree with most of the above but .... Let's not get fully carried away and just blame the retailer, now I'm no expert in this area but does the distribution side not have something to do with the price set by the retailer? I recently bought a bottle at the asking price of £200 which was the rrp..Master of malt and The Whisky Exchange both sold at around £170... everywhere else sold at the £200 mark.. Maybe the problem here in the uk is not the retailer but the cost of the bottles to them.. of course I could be totally wrong ..

[CGRenn]

Yeah very much agreed with all above. I see what Sorren is saying but then again, I get a bit lost.

Whisky Exchange have a bottle of Talisker 25 2007 Cask Strength for £350. They had several vintages last year but now all they have is 2007. The standard price at auction for the same bottle is £190. I believe the RRP in 2007 was just over £100? Granted it was 10 years ago, and I know Talisker Market the 25 Year Old 2010 and up at standered Strength but that's a heck of a mark up even on the auction price....

[opelfruit]

[eelbrook]

Saw a bottle a fortnight back. The ticket price was RSP + £25. But this was 'out-of-date'. When the price was checked at the till, it was RSP + £150. Now, just two weeks later, the self-same retailer is advertising it online at RSP + £350. Nuff said.

[unblended]

out of the seven in the royal mile vicinity there are four I don't bother with
over the top prices to say the least
will the bubble burst who knows I thought it would a while back


richard

[eelbrook]

There is one thing about these retailers that bewilders me.

If they've dust gatherers (bought at original wholesale price direct from suppliers) that aren't selling, why hike up the shop-shelf price even further and have them sit around for even longer?

Why not instead release the cash through whizzing them off to Scotch Whisky Auctions (which only charges £6 a bottle all in)

[davidbe]

Could someone explain the logic of Craigellachie 23 pricing in the UK?

£385 in the UK on TWE and MoM, and yet available for around €180 in Germany on sites that ship to the UK.

Beyond secondary pricing (it's £260 at auction). Just utter madness.

[Kray]

[davidbe]

[James T]

I would love to hear the likes of TWE etc explain why some of their pricing is way above other countries but I doubt they would comment on it, besides we probably already know the true answer, there pricing is about getting as much profit as they can out of there customers.

Distilleries will always say that they have no control over what retailers sell whisky for, they simply suggest what the retail price will be.