"Tom Wolper" > wrote in message
ink.net...

> Again, back to the original article: beer sales are declining. I am saying
> that they would go up if beer were more readily available which is obvious
> and was ignored in the article.

And, other than hunch, what makes you confident in that? Just as I haven't
seen any empirical evidence to back the assertion that PA's case law and
distributor system helped more regional breweries survive, I haven't seen
any empirical evidence that easier accessibility would create more demand.

Plenty of states with "easy" access to beer have seen their consumption drop
over the last couple decades. Because, well, alcohol consumption has dropped
over the last couple decades in this country. If ease of access were the
determining factor, places like Illinois and California with grocery sales
and Sunday sales and extensive opening hours wouldn't have seen drops,
either.

>
> According to "Why We Buy" by Paco Underhill, 60% of purchases made are
> decided on in the store. I am willing to make a special trip to a beer
store
> (distributor or specialty deli) just to get my imperial stout or marzen,
but
> my buying habits aren't the issue in the article. If you want to increase
> sales, you have to put the commodity where shoppers will find it on
impulse.

True for basic retail theory. But, any sales are more complex, and for
something like beer that is consumed not only as a product bought at a
store, but also at the point of purchase, the rules start becoming a little
different. Given the fact that PA is No. 1 or No. 2 in draft beer
consumption, there's some circumstantial evidence that Pennsylvanians have
simply shifted their consumption patterns as a result of the perceived
scarcity of beer.

> I could have added Harrisburg to Pgh and Philly. In any case, I'm not
> advocating beer on every corner, especially since the beer would most
likely
> be macrobrews. All I wanted to say is that if you are going to write an
> article about declining beer sales in the state, you should mention that
the
> liquor laws provide a disincentive to consumers.

Only if that's actually true.

_Steve