Calling all disgruntled lager Drinkers - Get Kronenbourg served again at the Amex

[severnside gull]

What are you on? there are about 8,000 people in the East compared to about 2,000 in the North and 5 people in the South..

Lots of families and children in the east and the one place (east lower anyway - haven't been upstairs yet) where there are shorter queues. If you want to link cellars it would be up and down not horizontally so the sales generated need to take potential sales across both levels into account. I excluded south but allowed for potential sales in north as that is where the drinking youth congregate and sales per capita should be strong? West stand is, for my guess, where the money is to be made and where I would concentrate any promotion that involved a higher risk.

 

[Bigtomfu]

Email sent:

Dear Elliott,

As you will be aware many of the fans attending the Amex in record numbers are fiercely loyal to the cause and will continue to support the club emotionally as well as financially. Throughout our 14 year struggle to see the club playing at such a wonderful venue as the Amex we showed as a group and individuals that you underestimate us at your peril.

The ground is a fitting tribute to every man, woman and child that wrote letters, marched, gave out flyers, arranged incredible shows of solidarity from the football community in general and essentially helped this club survive and to hopefully flourish for years to come.

Get this right and both Azure as a company and the Albion as a club will flourish, get it wrong as you seem to be right now people will vote with their feet.

It is simply not good enough to offer a generic choice not loved by many and then increase the price at well over three times the current price of inflation.

I would welcome some kind of forum to allow the paying population to vote or influence the decision of what to stock.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Kind regards,

Tom. (WSU)

 

[Birdie Boy]

Don't know what you lager drinkers are complaining about...at least you can get a Lager...albeit not one of your choice....you try anywhere in the Stadium...including 1901 lounges to get a Guinness or Murphys or a Stout (Harveys does a nice bottled Stout)....not everybody likes lager...im my 55 years of following Albion I've been to many grounds over the country and most clubs sell a heavy beer.

The issue with any Stout is the longevity, there is a huge wastage, I believe, if it is not drunk quick enough. However, there is the new style Guinness that is in a can, it is poured into a glass and then put on a pump/machine that vibrates and makes it go all Guinnessy. There is no wastage with this system but there may be an issue with the time it takes to pour one....

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

Kronenbourg is not the greatest but it is premium and a damn site better than Fosters... The argument is over premium beer, in my view, rather than about Kronenbourg.

The biggest problem we have here is its all a question of personal taste. I now drink Ale and cider after years of lager. My local sells crappy lagers,ale and cider ( i only go there occasionally), but they do have kronenburg so i resort to that and in my opinion is better than fosters etc.
I still maintain that the main issue is how to get most of the 27,000 (30,000) people to turn up early and stay afterwards, and surely one way is to give them a choice and stop them from going back to a pub where they can get it.
The club have this ground breaking drinking policy even for away fans, they need to take advantage of this.
This is tongue in cheek but this is what I would do;
Keep Harveys and Dark Star (of course, i'm mad not stupid)
Then hand the rest over to St Austell brewery, they sell an amazing range of Bitter, Pale Ale (Tribute) Stout and even english lager called Korev which is ok. (i am not bias because i live in the south west, i am originally from Kent/ Sussex just love their pubs)
Feel sorry for Argyle fans they have carling, no wonder the local pubs are packed 20 mins before kick off.
As a bit of fun what would you do if you was in charge?

 

[The Large One]

Considering that (a record) 11,500 pies were sold at the Amex on Tuesday - before, during and after the game - I'd say that keeping people behind hasn't been seen to be much of a problem.

 

[Birdie Boy]

As a bit of fun what would you do if you was in charge?

I wouldn't have changed anything with regards variety of beer and food, I suspect at least 90% would have been happy with what was on sell last season. I would also not have been against a price rise, £3.90 (plus 10% discount refunded to ecard) for a beer at a large venue is not expensive, most places are around £4.50. I would have concentrated on staffing first, with regards numbers and quality (although I found this to be excellent in ESU on Tuesday). The quicker you serve people, the quicker the queues go down and the quicker they will return. Having foreigners working is also not an issue but may be they should not be serving if they struggle with the English language and the tills. Can't they be employed elsewhere, like pouring beer or making hot dogs etc? Next step would be to look at why food runs out and replacements have not been stocked. Too many times I have queued for something and they have run out. Surely an extra person that refills each kiosk is not out of the question?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

As a bit of fun what would you do if you was in charge?

I'd probably hire more and suitable staff (staff which can remember orders and do simple maths in their heads) and give them some proper training so that the kiosks can operate at a higher capacity. I might buy some more tills as well. Introduce simple things like an Express 'beer only' stall.

 

[les dynam]

Surely something like Becks Vier or even Heineken would be a better option if they're only going to sell one lager? A nice 4% everyman guzzler that nobody objects to?

On the catering front... i really do wish Azure would show us a bit more respect by actually taking the time (and the money) to train the poor sods working in those kiosks. Yes i appreciate they're going to be mainly temporary or agent staff, but the guy who attempted to serve me on Tuesday had no idea what he was doing. I asked for a tea (amongst other things) and he then ASKED ME if they sold tea and where he might find it behind the counter. He then brought over two pints of cider (i asked for lager), and then had to wait until somebody was free to help him use the till. He literally had no idea how to input the items into the machine. Not his fault of course, really wish Azure would just spend 30 mins or so showing people the ropes before pitching them onto the shop floor.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

Email sent:

Dear Elliott,

As you will be aware many of the fans attending the Amex in record numbers are fiercely loyal to the cause and will continue to support the club emotionally as well as financially. Throughout our 14 year struggle to see the club playing at such a wonderful venue as the Amex we showed as a group and individuals that you underestimate us at your peril.

The ground is a fitting tribute to every man, woman and child that wrote letters, marched, gave out flyers, arranged incredible shows of solidarity from the football community in general and essentially helped this club survive and to hopefully flourish for years to come.

Get this right and both Azure as a company and the Albion as a club will flourish, get it wrong as you seem to be right now people will vote with their feet.

It is simply not good enough to offer a generic choice not loved by many and then increase the price at well over three times the current price of inflation.

I would welcome some kind of forum to allow the paying population to vote or influence the decision of what to stock.

I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Kind regards,

Tom. (WSU)

Excellent email.

I look forward to seeing the reply.

I also sent an email, no reply yet.

 

[Mellor 3 Ward 4]

Considering that (a record) 11,500 pies were sold at the Amex on Tuesday - before, during and after the game - I'd say that keeping people behind hasn't been seen to be much of a problem.

Seeing as there wer 5,000 more fans thre, of course they would sell more.

Oh, and I thought the WSU was a lot quieter after the game than normal. (Although, to be fair more people tend to stay behind on Saturdays anyway)

 

[The Large One]

Seeing as there wer 5,000 more fans thre, of course they would sell more.

Oh, and I thought the WSU was a lot quieter after the game than normal. (Although, to be fair more people tend to stay behind on Saturdays anyway)

The attendance was up 27% on last season's average.
The pie sales were up around 38% on last season's average.

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

Considering that (a record) 11,500 pies were sold at the Amex on Tuesday - before, during and after the game - I'd say that keeping people behind hasn't been seen to be much of a problem.

Fair enough but if you are peckish after the game you can buy a pie and go, but how many are staying behind after for say 2 or 3 pints of fosters or Strongbow and if some research was done how many would stay behind if they sold an alternative to these.

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

The attendance was up 27% on last season's average.
The pie sales were up around 38% on last season's average.

But the pies are delicious, according to people on here Fosters and Strongbow is not.

 

[Raleigh Chopper]

I'd probably hire more and suitable staff (staff which can remember orders and do simple maths in their heads) and give them some proper training so that the kiosks can operate at a higher capacity. I might buy some more tills as well. Introduce simple things like an Express 'beer only' stall.

Where is that video of a barman using a machine that filled up a pint from the bottom of the glass in about 2 seconds, that was outta sight.

 

[Tummy Burger]

Fair enough but if you are peckish after the game you can buy a pie and go, but how many are staying behind after for say 2 or 3 pints of fosters or Strongbow and if some research was done how many would stay behind if they sold an alternative to these.

This is the issue for me. If I have to suffer a quick fosters at half time then I will put up with it. I however will not arrive early and leave late and consume the usual 5 or 6 pints of the stuff. Kroney or something German for me please. Email sent

 

[sparkie]

The attendance was up 27% on last season's average.
The pie sales were up around 38% on last season's average.

Was that 38% on evening kick-off average?

Best to compare like with like. I assume there is a difference between weekend pie demand and rush-from-work evening pie demand, but I maybe wrong.

 

[Acker79]

Fosters

Insider has added another response. Kronenberg to be available via mobile sellers on the concourses from the Sheffield Wednesday game.

 

[The Large One]

Was that 38% on evening kick-off average?

Best to compare like with like. I assume there is a difference between weekend pie demand and rush-from-work evening pie demand, but I maybe wrong.

Sales are usually much lower at evening matches.

 

[Seagull on the wing]

The issue with any Stout is the longevity, there is a huge wastage, I believe, if it is not drunk quick enough. However, there is the new style Guinness that is in a can, it is poured into a glass and then put on a pump/machine that vibrates and makes it go all Guinnessy. There is no wastage with this system but there may be an issue with the time it takes to pour one....

Good post Birdie, I understand that there is a problem with the time it takes to draw up a guinness as was explained to me by the lounge,however bottled Guinness is no problem or a can of Murphys...Harveys do a great stout in bottles...something is better than nothing.
I was talking to Paul Rogers about this and he said there was not much call for it...then the dining table next to us said "Yes there is,we'd all have a Guinness if you sold it. We have one of the finest stadiums in the country,yet many away games I've been too have sold heavy beers...if they can why can't we.?

 

[R. Slicker]

Market research is needed now that we have 27,000 to discover theit habits. The club has given the fans a fantastic ground breaking policy of the ability to turn up early and stay late, in multiple bars and restaurants with no alternatives close by, in effect a captive audience. So adjust to the fans needs for this season and see if it works. I wonder now we are in season 2 how many go to a pub of their choice before and after rather than use the Amex. In my view a choice is needed of premium and basic beer. I know NSC is market research but they dont all post on it.
Why has 1901 got premium beers that does not seem right to me, if the better beers are in the stadium, sell them.

The thing is, they have a whole seasons worth of market research. That has told them what is profitable and what isn't. They would be stupid not to act on it.
Although fair play to them for listening to the few and reintroducing Kronie.