Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Still more fun with PLCB numbers - Update

Keeping up their streak, the PLCB is still giving discounts to those who drink the higher end items and shafting those who don't.  From the July meeting agenda.

See if you can find your own.

Item - Unit Cost - Retail Cost - Page# - What it should cost


Johnnie Walker Blue with glasses in Refgid Box
$166.41  $234.99   8        $255.27

Casanova Di Neri Brunello di Montalcino "Cerretalto" DOCG
$184.56    $258.99    35    $283.12

Casanova Di Neri Brunello di Montalcino "Tenuta Nuova" DOCG
$66.10    $72.99    35    $101.40

Cain Vineyards Five
$101.36    $149.99    39    $155.49

Jameson Rarest Vintage Reserve Irish Whisky
$221.94    $309.99    39    $340.46

Glenrothes 1978 Vintage Single Malt Scotch
$643.08    $849.99    40    $986.48

Glendronach 21YO Parliament Single Malt Scotch
$100.53    $124.99    40    $154.21

Retail price should be unit cost times the markup (30%) times the flood tax (18%), 

$X * 1.3 *1.18 = Retail Cost


















18 comments:

Anonymous said...

When is the charade going to stop,it just goes to show how corrupt the system is and the reps in the house and senate, what can we do to beat the system..

Anonymous said...

The board can't approve these prices without the votes of Corbetts appointees. Throw out Corbett this November. Seriously, unless there is reason for these prices no one is telling us they are breaking the law. I'm surprised no one from this blog has callered Stacey Kriedmann or filed an FOI request by now. That would be their usual MO. They have been slipping up a lot lately.

Albert Brooks said...

The board members do not serve the same term as the Governor so they would still be there no matter who wins in November. Stacey is just the PLCB talking head who says what she is told to say.

Do you mean "that would be the usual MO?" If not, who is the they you refer to?

A formal request is probably the next step though.

Anonymous said...

Let us know how that works out.

412libertarian.com said...

http://www.reddit.com/r/PLCB/comments/2axnlb/the_plcb_is_breaking_the_law_and_engaging_in/

Not sure if you're active on reddit but that's an interesting thread. Lot of misconceptions out there about the PLCB

412libertarian.com said...

From that thread :
"I asked a straightforward question about whether all of the data was analyzed, or just a few cherry picked products. You didn't answer that question, but cherry picked some additional data and attacked me. I'm not going to do the work for you to support or defend your accusation. I'm simply saying that you haven't provided anything more than anecdotes at this point. If you want to make a case using numbers, do the work and show some statistically significant data."

I think he has a slightly good point, we should run the numbers for all products for a given month. This can be automated by using excel or another spreadsheet. We should find out how many items are "mistakes" and what percent of the mistakes are high end items.

I think this is a good idea. Perhaps one of us does wines and the other, spirits.

Albert Brooks said...

You would have to cut, paste, reformat and edit every item into the spreadsheet. I don't have that much free time. After awhile you pretty much can look at a price and see if it is correct although I do understand your desire to have full verification.

412libertarian.com said...

A shortcut for the math is to just multiply by 1.534.

Take 1x1.3x1.18 and that's what you get, 1.534. So their total markup including profit and JFT should be 1.534x their cost. I am running some numbers and it actually appears average, non luxury customers are being hit with a double whammy. For example, page 23 in June. Skinnygirl items their cost is $4.53, retail should be $6.95 but they are charing $9.99. And that's a one time buy! On a percent basis the regular consumer gets hosed. There are some items where the bottle costs and whatever only add $1 or $2. How can they add $3 extra to an item that only costs them $4.53?

I don't think it will take very long to just multiply their cost by 1.534 and see how many items are off, and which ones. I think I'm going to do this for June

Albert Brooks said...

As I mentioned previously here (noplcb.blogspot.com/2014/04/more-fun-with-plcb-numbers.html) there are other misc fees that impact the price. Bottle fees, which is added before the JFT, and rounding account for a large percentage of the retail price of lower cost items. You can't just do a formula and expect to have it come out exactly. You have to look at it and get the feel for it.

Albert Brooks said...

What you might want to look into is why the Silk Mill Hill Winery Zinfandel Lodi 2012 on pg 24 is a $4.81 unit and only a $8.99 retail or why the Nieto Senetiner Torrontes Salta 2013 on the same page can be 36 cents cheaper unit but $2.00 less retail. That doesn't seem to be right either.

412libertarian.com said...

I have a spreadsheet set up if you want a copy, where all you have to do is enter in the PLCB cost and the actual retail price and it will spit out what the item "should" cost (before bottling fees and such) and also the difference between what it should cost and actual retail.

I'm working on plugging all the numbers for July in as we speak and will report on it soon, hopefully by the end of the weekend if I get time. Easiest way would be to just print out the pdf file with all prices and then start plugging in numbers. Doesn't take very long with a computer actually

Albert Brooks said...

I'll certainly look at it. You should have my email from my signup on your blog.

Anonymous said...

This new guy is on the ball! Go team!

412libertarian.com said...

I ran the numbers and will post the findings shortly to my site

412libertarian.com said...

I've got a few new posts up you may want to look at

Anonymous said...

What we needed was some one doing good research. Thanks.

412libertarian.com said...

Don't worry there is more to come. Stay tuned.

412libertarian.com said...

Also Al does good research too, great research in fact, and is the one who even brought this issue up in the first place. I'm just taking what he did and running with it. He is obviously more than free to run with what I've done, all the way into the endzone of ending the PLCB.