Weber products price increase

[LightningBoldtz]

I was at home depot the other day and notices another $10 price increase on most charcoal grills and $5 on lower priced items.

Now a One touch premium is $175 and Original is $120.

When I got into this hobby in 2010 I bough my first kettle new a green One-Touch Gold for $150 so I am not saying it is not justified.  I am curious though as other products are becoming more popular flattop griddles and pellet smokers along with cheap stuff like Charbroils  if more people will look at almost $200 for a basic kettle and balk.

Who knows,  I sell stuff second hand and with these prices I would think people would seek that first.  That is not my experience

[Lilyankee]

This is not a shock to folks that are makers/sellers of steel fabricated products. Price of raw materials in aluminum, stainless and carbon steel have all increased in excess of 100% over the past two years. Unfortunately the consumer us beginning to feel this now. Grocery stores, Hobby's, everything is getting passed along to the end user.


Sent from my iPhone using Weber Kettle Club

[michaelmilitello]

I still think a basic kettle is a good value at the "new" price when you consider it will last decades if maintained well.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[MoparProud]

Most people are balking at a dirty old charcoal kettle anyways. They will gladly pay $1000 or more for a pellet than ancient technology and getting hands dirty.

I'll be adding a Smokefire to the collection just to experience, but I will NEVER get rid of all my dinosaurs. In the event we go back to caveman days, I know they will all still work. And taste better. And last my lifetime.


Sent from my iPhone using Weber Kettle Club

[Darko]

The price of steel went from roughly 450 a ton  April 2020 to around 1400 a ton in April 2021. !0 bucks increase on a grill seems reasonable.

[Lightning]

The price of steel went from roughly 450 a ton  April 2020 to around 1400 a ton in April 2021. !0 bucks increase on a grill seems reasonable.

I've been hearing about it from all over the place, most especially from a friend of mine who works in HVAC who has seen the prices of sheet metal used in duct work explode.  I just got told the inflation rate was 1.5% per year every year since 2009 this morning by one of the union people at work though, which I guess could be the case if you remove everything that went up during that time from the calculation.

Anyways, one other thing might factor in to the price increase is the purchase of Weber from the Stephen family by the hedge fund.  The hedge fund is going to have to find the money to pay back the acquisition cost somehow so part of the price increase is probably going there as well as to material costs.

[powermatt99]

Tariffs. Supply Chain. Lack of workers.

The basic Weber grill I got as a wedding gift in 2001 cost $100. That would be $154 in 2021 dollars. The price of the grill today, however, is still only $120. That's pretty good. The grill has stood the test of time. The marriage, not so much.

[Darko]

The price of steel went from roughly 450 a ton  April 2020 to around 1400 a ton in April 2021. !0 bucks increase on a grill seems reasonable.

I've been hearing about it from all over the place, most especially from a friend of mine who works in HVAC who has seen the prices of sheet metal used in duct work explode.  I just got told the inflation rate was 1.5% per year every year since 2009 this morning by one of the union people at work though, which I guess could be the case if you remove everything that went up during that time from the calculation.

Anyways, one other thing might factor in to the price increase is the purchase of Weber from the Stephen family by the hedge fund.  The hedge fund is going to have to find the money to pay back the acquisition cost somehow so part of the price increase is probably going there as well as to material costs.

Thing is, the numbers I quoted are for basic hot rolled steel. Once you look at prices for cold roll or galvanized... those were well over $2000 a ton.

[Transit98]

I asked if people felt Pellet grills were "real smokers" last night on Reddit /smoking and the feedback was fierce- I think your right Mopar - people don't want to get their hands dirty but they act like turning in a button to drop wood pellets is real smoking. Charcoal will never die and as for the price Steel is going up and Weber's just last. Plus as we all know the 2nd hand market is full of steals!


Sent from my iPhone using Weber Kettle Club

[LightningBoldtz]

I asked if people felt Pellet grills were "real smokers" last night on Reddit /smoking and the feedback was fierce- I think your right Mopar - people don't want to get their hands dirty but they act like turning in a button to drop wood pellets is real smoking. Charcoal will never die and as for the price Steel is going up and Weber's just last. Plus as we all know the 2nd hand market is full of steals!


Sent from my iPhone using Weber Kettle Club

A pellet grill turned a friend of mine who 2 years ago would tell me he BBQ'd a steak the night before into a fairly decent pitmaster.  Is it authentic?  Is he up all night tending the fire?  Nope but the end results is pretty good.  I like my Pellet grill, it serves a purpose in my herd.