Beverage Dynamics is the largest national business magazine devoted exclusively to the needs of off-premise beverage alcohol retailers, from single liquor stores to big box chains, through coverage of the latest trends in wine, beer and spirits.
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/116557
Tribune ads. But that's how we Selection and market today and customers Pricing Crucial come to us." ike service, product selecAll employees participate tion and price point mix is in the social media program. crucial to the success of Rosen mentions the casual Evolution, though Rosen approach that social media admits some tweaks have been allows. "If I'm out to dinner required. When the first store and have a wonderful meal, I opened, Evolution for instance put it on Twitter and ask peocarried a lot of cabernet sauviple what would they match this gnons at both the high and course with, and I get 50 low end of the price spectrum answers. If I get a delivery of - $30 and up and $9.99 and Pappy Van Winkle or some down. Instead, they discovered other tightly allocated brand or the sweet spot for many of a new product comes in, we'll their customers to be in— Brian Rosen, tweet about it and even though between – responding to the Evolution Wines & Spirits market, Evolution now stocks it's priced at say $300 per bottle, it sells out in 20 minutes about 50 skus of cabernets without spending a dime – It's priced between $11.99 and gone before it hits the shelf." 19.99, a range he calls between grocery and boutique, Of course, this marketing style won't work for pro- maintaining the low end and trimming the higher ring moting the top fifty best-selling mass market products, items. But he's also sensitive in building the brand of but for stores trying to craft a personality and brand presence, social media hold the key, he says. Evolutiuon – for example, even though innovative wine packaging like single-serve tetra packs and bag-in-box sometimes offer good value and quality wines, he believes the general public opinion of such packages are low and so while he carries some jugs and such other lower-priced wines, he doesn't push them much. "You don't get that many opportunities to engage a customer, to make them want to come to you, and if I ruin the opportunity to engage with them by putting the wrong product in front of them, I may never get them back." Other innovations make sense: Evolution offers customers a chance to mix craft beer six-packs so they can sample high-priced brews as they emerge without being forced to buy more than they want. "It's a partnership between consumers and retailers, rather than making them buy the whole six pack, let's learn together and if we both like it, let's keep going," he says. Similarly, taking part in the sudden surge of interest in local and craft spirits, undiscovered as well as rare and limited time products, helps build the brand of Evolution as a place where the wine, beer and spirits brands carried are those the store stands behind. It's all part of the Evolution partners' design - build a brand through service, selection and knowledge, creating strong customer relationships while opening new stores. If things go right, it may be a model for the future. I "There are great opportunities once you get below the big boxes to create a small box niche business." L