Charcoal shortage looming?

bubbajack

I just left local Ace store that I help with BGE sales when possible. The owner told me today Big Green Egg has no charcoal to ship to dealers, mentioned indefinitely. Wondering if Royal Oak will soon follow. He was able to score some Rockwood for his customers though. Said he had a pallet coming.

Not sure if this is entirely true, but I don't see a reason he would mislead me. Suggest picking up several bags to have a stash. I know my family has been cooking some stress away as many of you have. Keep safe and Egg On!

bubbajack

hoosier_egger

Probably just BGE ensuring their release of sugar maple lump really takes off. 

bucky925

@bubbajack.  He told me the same thing a few days ago except he is unable to get RO also.  I've been on him to carry Rockwood since he opened the store and he always told me he couldn't and sell BGE's.

Carolina Q

bucky925 said:

@bubbajack.  He told me the same thing a few days ago except he is unable to get RO also.  I've been on him to carry Rockwood since he opened the store and he always told me he couldn't and sell BGE's.

That's BS. My local Ace sells both BGE and Rockwood.

lousubcap

Paging @stlcharcoal.  Might as well get it from one in the business.

Gulfcoastguy

My local grocery store had a pile of Cowboy lump today. Ace which is just as good carries Rockwood, I don’t know what their inventory is.

TN_Egger

No chicken, pork or beef in the supply chain...who needs lump?

carrda04

Twin Cities ACE locations that carry Rockwood claim to have it in stock for pick up approximately 5/1. Hopefully that's the case, and if so, I have 5 bags claimed already to see us through whatever comes next.

northGAcock

Carolina Q said:

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bucky925 said:

@bubbajack.  He told me the same thing a few days ago except he is unable to get RO also.  I've been on him to carry Rockwood since he opened the store and he always told me he couldn't and sell BGE's.

@bucky925 Blaackhawk in Charlotte sells both.

500

My local Home Depot has 71 of the 15.44# bags of Royal Oak in stock right now. 

Foghorn

So, have we determined that there is or isn’t a shortage?

lousubcap

Foghorn said:

So, have we determined that there is or isn’t a shortage?

I haven't found anything about it but usually @stlcharcoal is on this sort of topic pretty fast.  No sighting yet??!!

Carolina Q

My local Ace (2 miles away) has both Rockwood and RO in stock. Curbside delivery too. Home Depot has plenty of RO.

builderdawg

Foghorn said:

So, have we determined that there is or isn’t a shortage?

It’s fluid. 

JohnInCarolina

Just checking out Rockwood's site, it seems you can still order bags from them with free shipping:

https://store.rockwoodcharcoal.com/

Jonathan will surely be on soon to tell us if he foresees a real shortage, but perhaps in any case it can't hurt to stock up.  

Carolina Q

yeah, but it's like 40 bucks a bag for "free" shipping!

JohnInCarolina

Carolina Q said:

yeah, but it's like 40 bucks a bag for "free" shipping!

I'm pretty sure Jonathan explained in another thread that the shipping costs are folded into the price, and that this has to do with how it is sold on Amazon.  

Carolina Q

yep, he did. Amazon strikes again... but it's still 40 bucks for a bag of lump.

Shiff

I just checked one of our local Ace hardware stores and they have Rockwood in the store for $25.99/bag.  I also checked a few of the other local Ace stores and at least 5 of them within 20 miles have it in stock.  There are a few others at around that distance that don't have it in stock, but their web site says if you order it, it will be in by Wednesday.

rcone

Menards near me has been out of Royal Oak Hardwood for a few weeks now, they have been well stocked with briquettes. I am guessing the manufacturing scraps that manufactures uses have been running thin. 

lousubcap

Carolina Q said:

yep, he did. Amazon strikes again... but it's still 40 bucks for a bag of lump.

True for one bag.  The shipped to your door three pack is $35/bag thru Rockwood and even more expensive thru amazon.  Here's the related thread about the shipping costs:
Rockwood Thank You  FWIW-

DoubleEgger

lousubcap said:

show previous quotes

Carolina Q said:

yep, he did. Amazon strikes again... but it's still 40 bucks for a bag of lump.

True for one bag.  The shipped to your door three pack is $35/bag thru Rockwood and even more expensive thru amazon.  Here's the related thread about the shipping costs:
Rockwood Thank You  FWIW-

Remember that one bag of lump with last Carolina Q 12 years...

Carolina Q

DoubleEgger said:

show previous quotes

lousubcap said:

Carolina Q said:

yep, he did. Amazon strikes again... but it's still 40 bucks for a bag of lump.

True for one bag.  The shipped to your door three pack is $35/bag thru Rockwood and even more expensive thru amazon.  Here's the related thread about the shipping costs:
Rockwood Thank You  FWIW-

Remember that one bag of lump with last Carolina Q 12 years...

Lately that's true.

500

Actually, right after this craziness started, I couldn’t find RO in stock online, but found it later. 

caliking

Foghorn said:

So, have we determined that there is or isn’t a shortage?

Not in my house...

dmchicago

Just reloaded. 

SandyHookEgger

caliking said:

show previous quotes

Foghorn said:

So, have we determined that there is or isn’t a shortage?

Not in my house...

hoarder

caliking

SandyHookEgger said:

show previous quotes

caliking said:

Foghorn said:

So, have we determined that there is or isn’t a shortage?

Not in my house...

hoarder

Guilty as charged. I’ve said before that I’ve been a hoarder since before it was fashionable

I cant remember the last time I bought lump by the bag. Or two. Or five. 

Some moons ago, a fellow egghead called- 
him- “ you want in on 200lbs of lump?”
me- “Sure! When and where am I meeting you??”

Carolina Q

A while back, I went in with two other guys on 30x20lb bags of Wicked Good. We each got 10 bags. Lasted a while! Actually, I think I still have a bit left.

WGs distribution center is about 30 miles away and a 20 lb bag of lump is about $14!

lousubcap

@Carolina Q - If I had that kind of access to WG, (was it Weekend Warrior?) there would be no concerns about another product, assuming their quality control issues of several years back have been solved.  

stlcharcoal

Carolina Q said:

yep, he did. Amazon strikes again... but it's still 40 bucks for a bag of lump.

Buy local......over half of that $40 goes to UPS, then it's ~$2 for the box, 22 cents for the tape, the marketplace subscription, the shipping/fulfillment subscription, the weekly pickup fee from UPS, and the labor to downstack a pallet, build the box, put it in the box, and process the shipment for the box.  I know it's only 1-3 minutes per box (depending on the size/quantity), but doing 50-100 boxes a day adds up.

We make less money selling online, but we have to do it for the people who cannot shop local, and especially now, those who do not want to leave their house.  And yes, we have had customers less than 10 minutes from our warehouse pay $45/bag on Amazon for us to ship it (and as much as I want to drive it over to their house with a $20 bill stapled to the bag, Amazon forces us to ship it through their BuyShipping platform with a tracking number.

So, the only people making a bunch of money off our online sales is Amazon......15% for merely having it listed on their site and nothing more.