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.
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ference between the different blends of champagne: classic blend (a third of each of the three champagne grapes), blanc des blancs (100% Chardonnay), rosé, blanc des noirs (predominately black-skinned grapes) and single village wines. By changing a few habits and mindsets, retailers might just be able to get customers to purchase an extra bottle or two of bubbly on their next visit to the store. T Setting a Strategy o sell champagne, it pays to have a strategy. Mike Martin, who handles the top champagne account sales at Selection Pas Mal - a New York importer carrying eleven brands of champagne, including the darling labels Laherte Frères and José Dhondt - groups his wines by Champagne regions. He emphasizes to his retail accounts that having a wine from each of the three main regions of Champagne pro- vides diversity: the Vallée de la Marne is Pinot Meunier- predominant; Côte des Blancs is Chardonnay land; and the Montagne de Reims is known for its Pinot Noir. Martin focuses on selling styles of champagne rather than brands. This sales concept, which Martin cleverly calls “dis- tribution of style,” is more about educating the consumer on champagne styles than about pushing individual, less- er-known champagne houses on the consumer. This education-based and comprehensive sales model encourages a year-round rather than short-term, season- al attitude toward champagne consumption. “What I give the customer is an understanding of just how dif- ferent these Champagnes can be, and also ways of sell- ing the correct Champagne to the person looking for a particular style,” Martin explains. “Since all three are different, the merchant now has a few more suggestions to offer his cus- tomer.” Staff training for retail accounts is another one of Martin’s key strate- gies. He teaches the staff about the three main regions that make up Champagne and also trains retailers how to ask the best questions to gauge their customers’ champagne preferences. Once the staff has taste- tested the wines they’re selling they feel more confident in their knowl- edge and, thus, make more sales. And to help break from the holiday-only stigma, Martin suggests emphasizing the culinary-accompaniment poten- tial and cuisine-versatility aspects of champagne. Champagne comprises a surprisingly considerable portion of sales for many A-list wine retailers. The pres- tigious Park Avenue retailer Sherry-Lehmann has long been one of New Yorkers’ go-to place for bubblies. Known for the breadth and depth of its champagne selection, Sherry-Lehmann currently carries more than 260 champagne selections. COO and partner Shyda Gilmer says that champagne makes up almost 20% of the retailer’s total annual sales and has been on the upswing, with double-digit growth last year. While Sherry-Lehmann has a long history of part- nerships with high-profile champagne brands (including Roederer, Perrier-Jouët and Dom Pérignon), it consis- tently maintains marketing efforts and special offers in its catalog, which goes to a mailing list of 110,000 cus- tomers five times a year. In addition, about seven times a year Sherry-Lehmann has the cellar masters or propri- etors of champagne houses conduct staff training and host in-store tastings. Gilmer also emphasizes the importance of its sponsorship of high-profile events, such as Fashion Week and Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), for maintaining the seamless asso- ciation of champagne and Sherry-Lehmann. I Summer Promotion n the age of online shopping, Sherry-Lehmann still uses its Park Avenue storefront window dis- play as a key showcase for “special” wine promo- tions — of which its partnership with Veuve Clicquot’s Polo Classic last summer is a prime example. In conjunction with this partnership, every Friday last June it hosted free cocktail-hour tastings of the entire line-up of Clicquot champagnes to draw in clients. Last summer, Sherry-Lehmann in New York City used its Park Avenue storefront window as a key showcase for Veuve Clicquot’s Polo Classic promotion. Beverage Dynamics • www.beveragedynamics.com • May/June 2011 • 51