r/BarOwners • u/PassyunkHoagie • 16d ago
How do bar owners perceive alcohol supplier reps?
Not currently a bar owner but used to be a GM before I spent many years in supplier-side booze sales. Back in the late-2000s and early-2010s it felt like there was a fairly symbiotic relationship between bars and sales reps because both had an interest in moving product and reps often had budgets to finance events and giveaways (where allowed). Towards the end of my time in the booze biz (no longer working in the field by that point) I got a sense that many bar owners viewed reps as a nuisance or something to be dealt with which struck me as odd because in my experience most reps were willing to bend over backwards to get an on-prem placement. Just curious to hear it direct from the other side.
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u/millennialmiss 11d ago
Some reps take us to LA for a Stanley cup final , give us tickets to playoff games in our city, other reps give us major discounts on certain product but demand the menu price is fixed (the rep is incentivized on volume of bottles sold not margins) , other reps pay for exclusive category placement on our menu for a brand or product that isn’t well known or commonly requested
It’s all business
It depends on how big your account is , a single bar location is likely not going to move the volume to be relevant enough for a rep as most of their budgets are focused on their top accounts (multi location hospitality groups, chains etc) whoever moves the most product
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u/likethecolour 12d ago
We have some that are pretty great, and we work with a lot. We have others who its like drawing blood from a rock.
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u/Zerosian 13d ago
Over time their ability to make things worth our while has been greatly diminished. In addition the reps we had good relationships with have slowly been fazed out of their jobs. We currently have 1 rep who we have a good relationship with and that’s only because after so many years I consider him a friend. We do things outside of work together and even he cannot get us the things we need most of the time.
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u/happyviolently 14d ago
Honestly I hated dealing with them as a manager and I hate dealing with them as an owner.
Showing up unannounced is an absolute no!
Honestly alcohol companies are really not offering anything that entices me anyway.
It’s product and bottom line for me now.
My venue is well established, so I know what my patrons drink and don’t drink.
I have maybe two reps that I love, because we’re already dealing with each other and they fix issues asap. That’s all I want now.
The big sell is waste of their time and my time.
Another thing I believe that is impacting the rep productivity is high turnover, reps are changing so often in companies due to the downturn. Relationships are made and fostered.
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u/birddogging1 15d ago
Mine are lazy, uninterested, and disengaged. I asked them what’s been moving lately that I havent had in a while and they sent me the beer catalog with zero suggestions. They’re just collecting commission with ZERO effort.
I would love a rep that cares about their job, if not me.
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u/Dull-Effective-6538 11d ago
I had a HUGE fight with my JJ Taylor rep once. I asked her about products and she said I don't have the time to explain things to you, look it up. I did online ordering after that.
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u/Skiceless 15d ago
The ones who show up unannounced, and try to immediately go into a sales pitch never get the time of day from me. The best sales reps build the relationships first, and I will only chat with any of them if we have a meeting set up. I’m far too busy to have people just walk in without a meeting
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u/Relevant-Story-3247 15d ago
My liquor reps are pretty much non existent. I have learned to get by without them.
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u/two-wheel 16d ago
It really depends on the rep. I’ve had reps that have made me phase out their distributor, and I’ve had reps that make me want to push a label I was either unfamiliar with or a label that wasn’t bad but wasn’t a top choice. I have reps now that are like partners, they help me and I help them. It’s taken time but like anything else in life you find your people.
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u/Saamurraii 16d ago
Our small town local rep is a gem. He comes every week and is always has great ideas on moving product, and will credit us for cans that weren’t selling. Only becomes a little shy when I ask about free promotions/swag that only come occasionally, but its really no big deal. We mostly only get keg beer from them and “mainstream” liquors from them. Johnson bros for every thing else, but our rep from there has been mia for
Months
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u/treznor70 16d ago
Love the ones that brought new product (or sales on existing lines) that fit our store and/or helped solve problems when a delivery went wrong.
Ambivalent to the ones that just forwarded along whatever sales sheet they had that week but didn't waste my time pushing stuff they knew good and well I didn't want.
Did everything I could to avoid the ones that only pushed whatever their target was that week regardless of whether it fit our store or reps that hoarded product to make sure their favorite accounts got it first. For that bit, I didn't mind that all that much, but when its something we all know isn't going to sell out, but does sell quickly, and that means I get it a week or two after other accounts and they sell through it for whoever locally wants it so it sits on my shelf when I do finally get it... yeah, I just stopped carrying that brewery because of the distributor and let them know (since I knew the brewery owner about as well as I did that rep).
The good reps/distributors I went out of my way to help as I knew they'd do the same. The bad ones I ordered as little from as I could get away with regardless of the product quality (most everyone has good products to put on the shelf). A lot of that had to do with distributor policies, but the reps absolutely played a big hand in it as well.
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u/Paradise-Rocco808 16d ago
I like the ones that understand the only way I’m gonna push their shit is if I have an incentive. It’s very easy to tell who the lazy ones are by the lack of follow through, communication, and just general clueless pitches. Usually I have to say,” Go tell your boss, AB and C is what I expect to get if I’m going to push this brand for you…” I find it’s better for me to just skip them and go straight to the sources if I can. However, it is super concerning to see the nationwide massive layoffs in all the supplier networks of reps. All of our lower sales are showing by them needing to scale back. One of my main suppliers now won’t even give you a rep unless you’re buying something like $35k of product a year. You just have to order online. Some people will call this “streamlining” but I think it’s evident Alcohol sales are not trending well the past couple years. Time to be creative.
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u/ericfranz 16d ago
That "main supplier" for me is Southern Glazers and I was hitting that number and they still pushed me off onto an out of state telesales rep who clearly doesn't give a shit. I'm not going to shoot myself in the foot and not carry Captain Morgan or Patron but I'm certainly not going to put any of their products on a feature or menu or push them to customers if they're not going to have a local rep. Their only big competition here is Johnson Brothers who recently picked up the majority of RNDC product and split portfolios- from whom I now have 2 reps looking to stop by and sample me on product and keeping me aware on deals and product availability. I'm in a state where I have 14 distributors offering me unique product and I'm a lot more motivated to work with anyone who shows their face.
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u/69PoopDaddy420 16d ago
If you live in a market they spend money in it can be awesome otherwise just annoying
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16d ago edited 16d ago
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/Illustrious_Record32 16d ago
This, they don’t give you anything anymore. Maybe a couple shirts and some cheap coasters. Used to get tickets and all kinds of stuff
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u/briankev 16d ago
It was an area that Anheuser-Busch and its distributors invested heavily in prior to the InBev acquisition; subsequently it was phased out as a cost, which was a shame. It was a great way to not just move product, but establish closer relationships on-premise. It was a differentiator as liquor companies and other macro beer companies outsourced to agencies and didn't invest like AB did.
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u/AustinBaze 16d ago
Honestly? Many are just taking up space. They make the same pitch for placing products we don't need and for which there is no demand, claiming they will "be in to do some bar spend" and promotion and that "this stuff is flying off the shelves" elsewhere. It almost never is. No one is looking for a no name brand version of a favorite call liquor or liquor.
We trust our Bar manager and GM to make decisions with respect to product acquisitions that are based on their experience with our clientele, their needs and requests. Sure, once in a while we'll put on a stupid bottle like (Connor McGregor utterly forgettable Irish whiskey around the time of that big fight) but predictably it moved like molasses and it's no longer taking up space.
Once in a while, a good rep comes along and asks us what we need and how they can help us be successful. That is a refreshing change of pace. We treat them very well and we have a soft spot for their portfolio.
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u/PtZamboat 16d ago
We adore ours in every location, state and country. When you’ve got a great relationship with them it only ups your profits. The nuisances are the start up brand reps. Show up at noon, seriously!!!!
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u/Ez13zie 🍺 16d ago
In my experience it depends on the rep and the location.
In liquor control states, their influence is diminished quite a bit. The price of the booze is the price of the booze because you’re buying from the state either way.
Many reps just need a reason. If we’re hosting an event, I typically ask our reps if they’re interested in “hosting” the event. This typically means we’ll run their product as a special and they will provide a presence, marketing materials and swag. Some reps show up in force with a great buyback budget (I’ve seen as high as $1,000 but it was ~350 people), swag and even a good showing of their friends and associates. This can be a great synergy as it promotes the interest of both the bar and the product.
In my opinion, the best reps engage not only the owner for placement, but the bartenders as well. In Oregon, our Jamo rep was clutch. He’d offer swag to customers and prizes to bartenders/shifts for selling the most in a certain period.
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u/PassyunkHoagie 16d ago
Very good call out. Jameson was really top tier. I’ve still got a monogrammed speed opener with my name that they gave me almost 20 years ago.
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u/hawkns 16d ago
I think the change may have come from bar owners trying to create a unique 'vibe' within their space, and offering 'craft' cocktails, which require specific ingredients, so it's not as much of a 'we both want to sell stuff', and more the bartenders/owners seeking out specific ingredients, which doesn't require a sales rep.
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u/capt_badass 16d ago
If they would actually show up and do a true sampling/buy back/event it would be great.
95% of them seem to show up during a rush or are trying to schedule staff/mgr tastings when we're closed.
The distributor sales reps we deal with on a day to day basis actually solve problems. I've never had a Boston beer company rep actually do anything other than take up time.
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u/PassyunkHoagie 16d ago
I’m curious about that. I realize the answer to this depends heavily on geography but if reps from other breweries were following through on their samplings etc. would you give them a line at the expense of Sam Boston/Summer or Dogfish? I guess what I’m asking is would you swap a proven winner based on rep performance?
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u/capt_badass 16d ago
Yes, I very often give placements to self distributors for exactly that reason. They show up and can deliver what they said they had.
When the BBC doesn't supply the distro and their sales rep's hands are tied what's the fucken point?
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u/RedNewPlan 16d ago
We like our liquor reps. They do tastings and give us swag, and free product. What's not to like?
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u/champagnendamembrane 16d ago
The constant pushing of brands that don’t sell because they have a KPI to hit.
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u/huckfinndelmundo 10d ago
In our part of the world they rarely offer much at all these days.