let's just be clear about what the idea is. It's basically a "beer importers club". Non profit. The only one who makes a tiny profit is the bloke based in the US who makes some trips to various stores and (perhaps) micro-breweries to pic up merchandise. It could probably be associated with a brewers club (such as the Canberra one.) I'm not sure about the legality, but obviously beer is imported by retailers (or they purchase from importers.)
Hypothetically, if I was based in the US, say LA, with a house & a garage. It would be no problem for me to organize a pallet, even once every 3 months. All I have to do is buy slabs of beer over a three month period, and put them on the pallet in my garage. The shipping company (fully insured) will turn up, shrink wrap it, and load it on a truck. Then leave me another pallet to fill up over the next 3 months for the next order. And I collect a 10% fee for my troubles. It would be a good little side-earner.
This concept already operates for general goods. Most things you find online in the US (clothing, cameras, home theater projectors, laptops), but they won't ship to Australia, you can organize for Price USA (
www.priceusa.com.au) to buy it for you in the US, have it sent to their US address, and they forwarded it onto Australia for a commission/fee.
I was in 1st Choice the other day thinking to myself 'there is nothing here'. Gas Stations in the USA (I was there about 6 months ago on hols) have better variety in beer at non rip-off-prices than these Coles-owned assholes who only care about their shareholders and the wankers in middle and upper "management" who need their bonuses to pay for, er, all the BS associated with their wanky lifestyle (large house, shopaholic materialistic wife, kids in private schools, SUVs, etc etc, etc). f--- them, f--- them all I say. Lets start non-profit beer importer clubs...and tell the Australian Retailers where they can go stick their BS fake European beers and their inflated prices. $20? for a 6-pack? Go get f---ed.
Broome Pale Ale. WA's Finest Craft Beer.