I’m not sure how I feel about this. I just read an article that Sunoco started a Craft Beer Exchange program which allows customers to fill growlers with craft beer at the same place they fill up their gas tanks. Currently, the program is only present in New York state with 40 of Sunoco’s APlus convenience stores equipped with beer filling stations. The company plans on expanding in to coastal South Carolina where 13 locations are slated to serve up growler fills. The typical Craft Beer Exchange offers as many as 12 rotating craft beers and the selections would change seasonally. I don’t think we’ll see this on the west coast just yet, as Sunoco operates most of its APlus convenience stores on the east coast. The fact that it could happen and most likely will at some point makes me feel indifferent. Part of me thinks it’s a really neat idea, but the other half thinks it’s bad. It makes me wonder if people will actually start going to the gas station to fill up their growlers and not patronize local breweries, pubs and bottle shops. I can see a larger corporation being very competitive with their growler fill prices and taking away business from the smaller guy. It also makes me wonder if this same concept could expand to say your local box store. I guess it all comes down to personal choices. We all have the right to choose where we shop, how we live, etc. Thoughts?
SOURCES:
USA Today:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/food/story/2012-03-04/cnbc-sunoco-beer/53323880/1
Craft Beer Exchange/Sunoco (Link Updated 9/25/2013):
http://www.gosunoco.com/aplus-food-and-beverages/craft-beer-exchange/
It would only make the Craft Beer Business that much better.Think of all those Bud 6pk people trading up to the good beer.
ReplyDeleteI like the way you think Plew! =)
ReplyDeleteHas anyone considered the implications revolving around Drunken Driving mishaps?
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