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+--- Thread: Advice solicited (/thread-20613.html)
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- stevebody - 03-30-2005
Guys,
Judye and I have decided to pool our money that's not tied up in investments and open our own wine shop by Christmas of this year. We're working on the prelims, now. I'm wary of seeing the world through my own admittedly-slanted view of retail commerce and would appreciate any advice you can give me on what would constitute the ideal atmosphere and tone to set in your favorite wine shop. I contend that retail ain't exactly rocket surgery: Smile at everybody, learn the names of anyone you see more than once, don't nitpick over returns and be willing to back up your recommendations, set fair prices, and run a LOT of specials. I have a list of possible names and the bones of an interior design scheme but I'm of two minds. One says that places I've worked, like Esquin, can be any sort of drafty, ill-lit hellhole you want as long as the wines are there. The other says that I - who will be running the place 100% of the time it's open - don't want to work in a place as aggressively shabby as Esquin again. Plus, that ain't me. I like paint, lighting, music, and a bit of romance, where possible.
The nuts and bolts of daily ops and the wine list are the least of my worries. If people don't feel good about coming there, I'm sunk, even if I do everything else right.
I'm prostrating myself afore everybody I know for ideas and my back is killin' me but, with Judye's recovery and what that means to our future, I'll take any and all ideas I can get.
Thanks in advance.
Steve
- hotwine - 03-30-2005
Nice idea. What I like to see in a shop includes:
- daily tastings at posted times;
- all wines stored "at rest", and none upright;
- optimum storage temp & RH in the shop (post it on a sign and offer sweaters to wimps)
- 15% case discount, 10% half case;
- low margins, low margins, low margins....
Also offer consultations on wine cellar design and construction, shipping of collections, appraisals.
- Thraz - 03-30-2005
I second the above, and would add that I find it frustrating when the location of each wine type/region is confusing - e.g. some South African wines in the middle of the Australian selection, white Burgundies mixed with Loire, Washington spread out in different sections etc. I realize it is not easy to do, because somehow I can't achieve this order in my own, very modest cellar, but I'm much more lenient with myself than with a store.
Also, I've always thought I would feel better if the store had low lighting, but I've never seen one that had it - nor do I know the impact it would have on atmosphere, probably not great.
- Thraz - 03-30-2005
Sorry for the breach of etiquette - I just realized this is the moderators's area. I did not mean to butt in.
- wondersofwine - 03-30-2005
That's okay Thraz. I think others can comment here. I agree with HW about storage temperature. I like to have room for shopping carts between aisles, knowledgeable sales staff, several bottles open for tasting (and on occasion the management willing to open one that I am interested in tasting before buying although I would not expect them to open a $80 bottle or something like that). Macarthur's Beverages (Bassin's) in DC has a section just of half bottles that I like to browse. For one person that is a better size than the 750 ml. bottle and also appropriate for expensive dessert wines. Most wine shops seem to carry a line of accessories (corkscrews, glasses, maybe coasters or gift wine bags, etc.). My usual wine shop also carries olive oils, sometimes cheese, and other gourmet items.
Stevebody, you are probably already familiar with the distributors in Washingon having worked at Esquin, but that becomes a big factor in procuring the wines you want to sell and that the public wants to buy. Be careful to give thought to this before locking into a distributor relationship. And I trust you will be carrying some of those good QPR Spanish wines you like?
- Thomas - 03-30-2005
Stevebody, at my shop in NYCity I learned two important things--wine shoppers love a place that is warm (not heatwise, but attitudewise) and inviting. The fact that we had upholstered chairs, plus we gave away free espresso, made many love us.
The second thing I learned--create your own wine offering niche. In other words, if every store in town has a similar selection, why would anyone be loyal to any one of you (other than personality, of course)? Focus. Find a copy of the March 2005 Decanter. I have an article in there about niche wine retailers.
Oh, there is a third thing I learned--if you are planning to bring in an investment partner, immediately lower your expectations of what that partner will do.
[This message has been edited by foodie (edited 03-30-2005).]
- hotwine - 03-30-2005
...."if you are planning to bring in an investment partner, immediately lower your expectations of what that partner will do."
Foodster, do you mean "other than bring money"?
- bigredwines - 03-30-2005
One of the things I like about my local bottle shop is that they have an( a bar with 8 stools and about 8 high boy tables) area that serves a limited menu of hot sandwiches with mixed greens,cheese and fruit trays,mixed nuts.This keeps me in the store longer.this creates that warm and fuzzy mood.WW and I have lunch there at least 2 to 3 times a month.It is rare that I leave without buying a case of something.
All the wines lay down and are listed by regions.I really like the way they display there wines. If you would like I will take a picture of their shop and E mail it to you.I wish you much success and if I am ever in the Seattle area I will visit.
- californiagirl - 03-30-2005
I like BRW's idea also- Steve- opening a wine shop/bar is my dream. Ask my dad. I would take BRW's idea a step back to start with. Have a wine bar in the back area with stools, possibly a casual sofa. Have a selection of cheese, chocolate and breads/crackers/breadsticks. Make it easy yet inviting. They're great to snack on- make sure the "snacks" are middle $$ range- not cheap, but you don't have to go all out. Offer a selection- 3-4 bottles on select nights of tastings.
Discounts. I would say 10% on case- 5% on half-case. It sounds substancial to the customer, and doesn't take much from you.
Start a e-mail client list. Let them know of upcoming specials and the tasting nights! Even something special you might be offering in you "snack" selection! Get some decent tasting glasses. It shows your customers you care about what they drink with!
Partner with Wash wineries for vendors to spend a day/night at your shop.
That's just a few of my ideas!
- TheEngineer - 03-31-2005
Best of luck to you and if you don't mind, I would love to learn and hear about the things that you do in your way to the store opening.
Cheers and Good Luck!
- Glass_A_Day - 03-31-2005
Steve, I mirror everyone else's advice, but can you have a tasting in store? In many states it is illegal to have a bar in a shop. That was the bane of a past acquaintance who wanted to open a wine shop with a tasting room.
- Bucko - 03-31-2005
Okay, I like to kid around but I'm dead serious here. Come down to Olympia and visit Olympic Wine Merchant. Talk to Pat Hub. He has been in the business for 25 years, from restaurants to wholesaling, to wine reping to owner of his own shop.
He has a very eclectic collection of wines that I just love. I never leave the shop with a case or two of wine.
He is always tasting a few oddball wines in the shop, be it from Croatia to Sardinia. He has a nack for finding off-beat wines that are tasty and value priced.
If you come down this way, let me know ahead of time and we'll do lunch.
- Thomas - 03-31-2005
Hotwine, I mean simply lower expectations...but I am speaking from a cynical experience.
If NY State would have allowed it, I would have served cheeses and breads and had a small bar in the shop--not allowed in every state.
Bucko's wine merchant illustrates what I mean by finding a niche. What his guy does is what we did. We actively sought wines that others did not have. We also eschewed wines with ratings; everyone in town had them; didn't make us any different, and it would have forced us into a fixed mark-up by having to compete with the others. When you have a niche, you control your profit instead of letting the winery or distributor control it.
STEVE: don't know your market, but if you want to converse further, email me.
[This message has been edited by foodie (edited 03-31-2005).]
- Innkeeper - 03-31-2005
Having visited foodie's store on a number of occasions, I agree with his style. I don't think the niche he found was dependent on being in magalapolis. Though some, like moi, travelled some distance to get there, it was basically a neighborhood store, that could have been successful in almost any city including Belfast, ME.
- hotwine - 03-31-2005
Maybe we could talk Foodie into franchising his concept....
- Thomas - 03-31-2005
Well, Hotwine, I'm an available consultant...
Really, in NY State the opportunities will be great soon, after things settle down and wine is allowed in grocery stores.
IK, tell them what the place looked like before we opened the shop.
- wineguruchgo - 03-31-2005
I would have a guest book on a podium as you walk in/out. Ask your guests what kind of wine they like. You also can ask for their name and email address so you can contact them if you find such a wine.
So long as you make people feel special and appreciated you will always be busy. They will be back.
- Thomas - 04-01-2005
Guru, we found that you have to be careful asking customers for addresses. So many are afraid of spam and annoying mail. The way we handled that is by explaining our weekly tasting policy and that if the people were interested in it, they could sign up for the weekly email that told them what we would be tasting. Even then, some people just refused.
Through our POS system I designed a way to record every purchase.So when someone said, "I was here a week ago and you sold me this outrageously good wine, but I can't remember anything else about it..." We looked it up and could find out what the wine was. You'd be surprised at how many people don't take notice of what they buy.
I also designed the POS system to kick out a receipt that gave information about the wine and the foods it matched.
All of that stuff takes work, but it pays off.
[This message has been edited by foodie (edited 04-01-2005).]
- wineguruchgo - 04-01-2005
" we found that you have to be careful asking customers for addresses. "
Foodie,
I understand completely. Yet, there are many people out there who love to attend wine tastings and many will volunteer info for monthly newsletters, per se. So long as you give notice that you will not be selling their address, many people will volunteer it.
Keyword: volunteer. So long as you aren't making it a condition of a sale you will probably get some who will do it.
- Thomas - 04-01-2005
Guru, the rest of what I posted agrees with you completely:
"The way we handled that is by explaining our weekly tasting policy and that if the people were interested in it, they could sign up for the weekly email that told them what we would be tasting..."