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  • lead time on distro orders

    How much lead time does your distributor give you when ordering. We work with a very small local company which gave me about 36 hours notice on an order this week and was steaming mad when I could not bottle enough beer in that amount of time. I am fully aware that 36 hours is way too short. I am curious what kind of lead time everybody else is given. By the way, we are a packaging brewpub in our first year of operation set to put out about 600-650 bbls in year one. We basically bottle as distro orders from us and thankfully most of our accounts carry kegs.

    Sean

  • #2
    As a distributor we usually deal with anywhere from 2 weeks to 4 weeks lead time requirements from our breweries. Some have even gone as high as 6 weeks. Our local breweries tend to be about a week, but can react sooner on occasion if needed. Regardless, if we have an agreement on what to expect regarding lead time, we do our best to honor it. If we do get something on a rapid turn around due to ordering problems, or, more likely a great sales week, we are appreciative.

    If you haven't already given your distributors a required lead time, you should do so. That will help with the forecasting process on their part and cut back on rush orders (at least it should).

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    • #3
      Man oh man, glad we're not the only ones!
      We have two distributors; one places their order on Tuesday afternoon/evening for pick-up on the following Friday, the other places their order whenever they need it and waits for a call from me when the order is ready for pick-up. That is usually about a week.
      Even if a lead time is placed in the agreement, your distributor may not honor it, then what would you do? Get into a pissing contest with your distributor? Not a good idea.
      As far as them being pissed about you not having bottle product ready in 36 hours, I'd suggest you speak with the manager of the distro about the limitations of the small brewery or better yet, bring down to your operation so they can see it for themselves.
      Communicate, communicate, communicate.

      Prost!
      Dave
      Glacier Brewing Company
      406-883-2595
      info@glacierbrewing.com

      "who said what now?"

      Comment


      • #4
        Dist.

        Agree with Dave here. We usually have 2 weeks, but it varies. The key is communication - your distributor will be a much more effective partner if they understand your limitations and see them firsthand. We'd all love to be able to put out beer in a day, but the yeast isn't likely to cooperate with that idea and that's not even addressing carbonation and packaging!

        If they're badgering you, give the boss a call and explain what's going on to him. I've found that if I'm open about what's happening and why, our distro gets it and manages their inventory and accounts accordingly.

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        • #5
          Our standard operating approach is to order at the beginning of one month for delivery at the beginning of the next .. effectively four weeks lead time.

          If a brewery requests a longer lead time we just place a larger order to carry the extra weeks. We try to never have more than four weeks on the floor though so that the beer is as fresh as possible.

          One of our breweries has logistics down so that we can order on one week for delivery on the next. We typically place two or three orders in a month.

          Our locally brewpub is the other extreme. We are selling as much as he can produce so we work it backwards. He tells us when there will be beer to pick up and we come and get it. We do let him know how things are moving so he can shuffle the schedule if necessary (or possible).

          JMac is spot on ... it all comes down to communication.

          Fundamentally we distributors understand that yeast are tough to wrangle. We may get frustrated at not being able to get enough IPA for the market but we understand. Helping your distributor communicate production delays down to your best retailers goes a long way to help smooth the path to market. Your retailers all love a phone call from the brewery...in good times as well as bad.
          David Little
          Beer Consigliere and IT Guy
          Savannah Distributing
          david@gabeer.com
          912.233.1167 x102

          I like beer. On occasion, I will even drink beer to celebrate a major event such as the fall of communism or the fact that the refrigerator is still working.
          Humorist Dave Barry

          Comment


          • #6
            dplittle

            Thanks for the insight, we are currently trying to "work it backwards" right now and it seems to be working a bit better. We just opened last august in a small but very busy tourist town so I haven't experienced what summer sales can be like. My problem now is guessing how much beer the pub will consume so that I don't give distro too much.

            Thanks again,
            Sean

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            • #7
              Originally posted by lagunabrewdude
              My problem now is guessing how much beer the pub will consume so that I don't give distro too much.
              Don't tell anyone I said this but in my opinion, the pub has to come first. Not only are the margins better for you but if you short your pub customers you'll lose them out in the marketplace too.

              We deal with this issue constantly. Our local has been experiencing dramatic growth internally and every barrel he pours at the pub is one less we have in the market. It's better though that he have a strong local following since these folks will also buy it when they are having dinner across town.

              I have had to temper my "buy local" when talking to new accounts though. There was a time when I told every place looking to add a new craft draft line that they HAD to put on the local brewery's beer (even before I became their distributor). Craft drinkers like to drink local and we are a tourist town too. We get lots of folks coming through asking "what's the local beer?" Until they can expand production I've had to use what we can get to satisfy the accounts that have been supporters all along. Hopefully soon things will open up.

              Good luck and cheers!
              David Little
              Beer Consigliere and IT Guy
              Savannah Distributing
              david@gabeer.com
              912.233.1167 x102

              I like beer. On occasion, I will even drink beer to celebrate a major event such as the fall of communism or the fact that the refrigerator is still working.
              Humorist Dave Barry

              Comment

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