StateWays is the only magazine exclusively covering the control state system within the beverage alcohol industry, with annual updates from liquor control commissions and alcohol control boards and yearly fiscal reporting from control jurisdictions
Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/447128
StateWays ■ www.stateways.com ■ January/February 2015 12 VA ABC The ABC demonstrated the importance of the part- nership between itself and its licensees by bringing store managers and regional mangers to its headquarters for periodic product knowledge training. "When someone comes into one of our stores with a question about rye versus wheat Bourbon or a specifi c type of tequila, we want to equip the employees to be able to answer those questions," Painter says. "We think it's important to relay that type of hands-on training." In addition to hosting an 80th anniversary event for employees in Richmond, commissioners Marsh and Judy Napier also made numerous visits to stores across the state to meet employees, fi eld questions and listen to concerns. "Our employees touch every county and city every day," Painter says. "We're very cognizant that these folks are our front line, so we've done a number of things to reach out to them to make sure they have all the tools they need." The relationship with state lawmakers is equally as important, so keeping them abreast of all the ABC's ini- tiatives is a priority. "We have to be careful to keep a good relationship with the state, because if we don't they could prevent us from modernizing by shifting those resources else- where," Marsh says. "If we can't continue to modernize, we can't satisfy the consumer." UPDATING THE CUSTOMER EXPERIENCE S tore modernization was an emphasis in 2014. The ABC opened three new premier stores last year, all of which feature modern design elements and dedicated tasting areas. The Williamsburg store features an additional cen- terpiece decorative item — a reproduction copper still — that is a nod to the area's history of moonshine pro- duction. Not coincidentally, legal moonshine sales were up 40 percent year-over-year at that location. The cen- terpiece design concept has been so successful that the ABC plans to consider implementing it for all future renovations and new openings. Just as important as redesigning stores is making sure that consumers are able to fi nd the products they want on the shelves. To that end, the ABC now updates its product listings quarterly rather than biannually. "We're getting sophisticated about what consumers want simply by asking them," Painter says. "We're also able to respond to the market in a much more nimble fashion, rather than having to waiting and missing out on what's hot right now." ENFORCEMENT IN A CHANGING ENVIRONMENT N o part of the ABC better encapsulates the phrase, "It's not your grandfather's ABC," than the Bureau of Law Enforcement. In this day and age, the enforce- ment group is tasked with a more diverse range of duties than ever before. The bulk of the resources remain dedicated to a net- work of special agents, who operate out of nine regional offi ces around the state. In addition to the traditional investigations and compliance checks, agents are respon- sible for investigating licensee misconduct ranging from " OUR EMPLOYEES TOUCH EVERY COUNTY AND CITY EVERY DAY. WE'RE VERY COGNIZANT THAT THESE FOLKS ARE OUR FRONT LINE, SO WE'VE DONE A NUMBER OF THINGS TO REACH OUT TO THEM TO MAKE SURE THEY HAVE ALL THE TOOLS THEY NEED. " — Jeffrey Painter Judy Napier, Commissioner; Jeffrey Painter, Chairman, and Commissioner Henry Marsh.