Seasoned retailers know that buying wine for their shops is the easy part. It’s the million other details—marketing efforts that keep the shop top of mind, displays that keep the inventory moving, and processes that keep the shop running smoothly while keeping customers happy—that add up to a wine store that runs efficiently and profitably.
As a retailer myself, I’m always looking for small, effective ways to streamline processes and boost sales with minimal effort, and I often look to my fellow wine retailers for helpful tips and tricks. With that in mind, I spoke with independent wine shops across the country to get their insights on small changes that can have a big impact on business.
Change the way you make change
While most POS systems will calculate the change automatically, there’s a fine art to handing it out. “Hand the coins first so that they don’t slide off the bills,” suggests Marissa Ocasio, the education director at Glastonbury, Connecticut’s Center Wine & Spirits. “And I fold the receipt in half as I hand it to them. It goes into the wallet quicker.” For the coin averse, Rob Bralow, the general manager at Blue Streak Wine & Spirits in Long Island City, New York, says, “Always have a jar out for people to throw loose change into. No one actually wants a pocket full of metal.”
Grow mailing lists the low-tech way
While there are plenty of ways to grow a shop’s customer list online, don’t underestimate the impact of a low-tech sign-up sheet. At Copake Wine Works, my shop in New York’s Hudson Valley, there’s always one on a clipboard at the register to collect names and emails. Customers are often reluctant to add their information to a blank sheet, so we always fill in the top line to kick off a new page. We also make sure to keep the top off the pen that rests on the clipboard—it’s an easy way to make sure customers don’t walk off with it.
Help bottles sell themselves
Getting creative with bottle tags allows your bottles to speak for themselves as customers browse your shelves. Allegra Angelo, the cofounder of and sommelier at Vinya Wine in Miami, regularly has a local printer run batches of shelf talkers incorporating clever, shop-specific monikers such as Patio Pounder or I Like Pizza. “It’s a fun way to make subtle suggestions and move product without being too salesy,” says Angelo. “You can get as simple or quirky as you want.” Frounfelkner makes use of QR codes to help customers navigate his shop’s selection. “The QR codes link to a hidden page on our website,” he explains. “We call it the ‘digital speakeasy.’”
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