Market Watch, March 1, 2017

MARCH 2017 MARKETWATCHMAG COM MARKET WATCH 95BEER BUZZBeer And A HaircutFrom barber shops to car washes businesses are offering beer to entertain customersJoel Alonzo recalls the frustration of waiting for a haircut Sometimes Id have to sit for an hour with nothing to do but look at my phone he says There had to be a better way Impressed with the Sport Clips franchise which features flat screen TVs airing sporting events a couple of years ago Alonzo decided to go a step further His Fresno California based SipsnClips salon now offers up to 12 different draft beers for customers waiting for a trim along with three 65 inch TVs for their sports view ing pleasure Other shop owners also have expanded into selling beer particularly craft brews to the delight of their customers The Quick N Shine car wash in Gilbert Arizona began offering craft brews in 2010 and it now stocks about 1000 SKUs generally priced from 10 to 12 a six pack Quick N Shines reputation as a beer destination has grown so much that the store now features two large beer caves and growlers for takeout 899 to 2999 a 64 ounce growler The Roslyn Car Care Center in Roslyn New York also appeals to beer lovers who are having their cars serviced A growler station featuring four draft beer selections 999 a 64 ounce pour was added nearly three years ago Other nontraditional venues are capitalizing on the craft beer craze Dano and Jess Kinnee opened Greenway Bicycles in Ocala Florida in 2010 in a space that had previously been zoned for a convenience store They always wanted to run a beer and bike shop as cycling and craft beer often go hand in hand Today Greenway offers between 80 and 120 brews generally priced from 120 a 16 ounce can of Pabst Blue Ribbon to 25 a 22 ounce bottle of Funky Buddhas Morning Wood Bourbon barrel aged imperial porter In Greensboro Vermont Willeys True Value sets itself apart from the areas other hardware stores While the store has sold beer for some 50 years its one of just a few retailers that stocks brews from the highly regarded Hill Farmstead Brewery located nearby The store attracts beer lovers from out of state in search of limited production brews like Dorothy dry hopped saison 999 a 750 ml Overall Willeys True Value beer offerings range in price from 599 a six pack of Rolling Rock to 1999 a four pack of 12 ounce bottles of St Bernardus Abt 12 While offering beer has provided a lift to many businesses Alonzo of SipsnClips concedes there have been challenges SipsnClips didnt receive its license to sell beer until five months after the salon opened in early 2016 The city didnt know how to classify us since we were a new hybrid Alonzo notes He has also received some negative feed back Some people had reservations about the need for another establishment selling alcohol Alonzo explains SipsnClips draft brews are priced from 4 to 6 a 16 ounce pour while a small selection of bottled beers are priced at 3 to 350 each Many venues use social media and apps like Beermenus com to promote their offerings and operators agree that adding beer sales has been worth the challenges Customers are shocked when they walk in and see the growler station explains Neil Grimaldi co owner of Roslyn Car Care Center Many dont know what a growler is so theres an opportunity to educate them and maybe sell some beer The extensive craft beer selection at Quick N Shine meanwhile has driven new customers to the car wash says owner Mukesh Sharma And for SipsnClips the expansion into beer highlights the salons approach to customer service Guests appreci ate that we understand them and their needs Alonzo says mwTerri Allan Nontraditional retailers have discovered that selling craft beer can attract new and engaged consumers Willeys True Value a hardware store in Greensboro Vermont has sold beer for half a century and now brings in beer fans from across New England