Skyline online prices sky high - updated
Beergeek | October 30, 2002I was thinking about ordering some Skyline Chili online from their store. But at $4/can before shipping I just can’t justify it. So I sent them an e-mail. We’ll see if they respond.
UPDATED — They did. Click Read More to read my email to them and their response.
As a former Cincinnati resident currently living way out west I often feel the craving for Skyline. But I must say — you aren’t doing anything to help feed that craving.
Why do you charge such a premium for your canned chili online?
When the in store cost is usually $2-$3/can you charge $4/can even in full case quantities. And that doesn’t even include the shipping!
I’d love to get some sent to California to feed my craving. But at these prices?
It would be cheaper to buy a round trip ticket to Cincinnati and carry back 3-4 cases than it would be to mail order 2 cases from you!
Please consider lowering your prices to something a little closer to retail — and a discount for larger quantities would be fantastic!
A few short hours later I got this reply from the corporate VP of marketing. While I do understand — it still doesn’t lower the price….
Jeff:Thanks for your note. I agree with you that the mail order prices are on the high end. We actually wholesale the product to a mail order partner (Montgomery Inn) who sets the pricing. Obviously they have to make a profit too and the end result is pricing a good deal higher than grocery stores.
Hope that helps.
Thanks.
Greetings to da grump and all readers. I am a
Ron Cottrell | September 29, 2003Greetings to da grump and all readers. I am a 45 year native of Cincinnati, now transplanted to the sticks of north central Ohio. I have been blending and selling my own version of the Cincy Soup since the early ’80’s and I ship many pre-measured ready to use bags of spices TO CINCINNATI each month. Many of my purchasers swear it IS Skyline and many say it is better! It’s also Easy to fix. No measuring (except the water!), no fancy ingredients, and it’s ready in an hour!. Your idea to de-grease is correct, except the fat in the ground beef provides a great deal of flavor, and should be removed after the chili is fully cooked, by allowing the grease to rise to the surface in the refrigerator after cooking, then removing it. If any of you Cincy Chili Heads want to try the easy way, drop me a line.
Best of luck!
Ron (Chef F)
country_lane@redbird.net
Has anyone tried Ron's stuff? Sounds great but I'd
rob | November 15, 2003Has anyone tried Ron’s stuff? Sounds great but I’d like to hear from someone else if it really tastes like skyline. Call me skeptical, but I’ve never known anyone to make a good skyline knockoff.
Hey Rob, Send me an address and I'll send you enough
Ron Cottrell | November 16, 2003Hey Rob,
Send me an address and I’ll send you enough to make a batch. Then you be the critique.
Ron
Got some, it's tasty (and cheap!) but doesn't really taste
Rob | December 4, 2003Got some, it’s tasty (and cheap!) but doesn’t really taste like Skyline to me. There is something distinctive about Skyline….not sure what it is but nothing else smells or tastes quite like it….and that seems to be missing in Ron’s. This tasted more like conventional chili to me.
A little followup....this stuff is a lot closer to skyline
rob | March 2, 2004A little followup….this stuff is a lot closer to skyline if you add some extra cinnamon, allspice, and a bit of worcestershite sauce. I’m going to order more when my last bag of spices runs out.