Overhead view of part of the selling floor of the West Hartford, CT, Crazy Bruce's, as well as out- side view of the store, which measures 15,000 square feet.
managers are reluctant to share financial details, to get an idea of their annual volume, note that their total inventory at any one time (excluding busy November - December months when the storage areas are groaning with cases) the Bristol store carries about $1 million in inventory, while the West Hartford store accounts for about $800,000. In November and December, months that account for nearly 25% of Crazy Bruce's annual sales, the stores bulk up to about $3 million combined, as managers take advantage of buying power and sup- plier deals to purchase many items to last them until the following autumn.
Popular prices and discounts remain the cornerstone of Crazy Bruce's well-established strategy. In blue collar Bristol, which does about 15% more business in volume than the West Hartford unit, the store splits business about 35% each for wine and beer and 30% spirits, while in West Hartford, the split is 40% wine and 30% each beer and spirits. Discount wines priced less than $5 account for a remarkable 25% of wine sales, and the stores routinely sell more magums of wine than 750s. Few non-sparkling wines exceed $50. Supermarket shop- ping carts filled with close-outs priced as low as $4.99 or even $2.99 crowd an aisle near the front of the stores, and one afternoon during a visit, nearly every customer who entered at least checked them out to see the latest deal. Faced with a challenging marketplace – economic downturn, the threat of big box retailers, a tax minded
state government and a drive in some quarters for Sunday openings (an idea many stores including Crazy Bruce's are fighting) - the stores manage to thrive, maintaining an average ticket of about $35.
Purchasing Long Range "W
e have to purchase long range to save money and to offer our cus- tomers the lowest price we can,"
says West Hartford store manager and buyer for both locations Michael Bradley (June Curtin runs the Bristol store, and current owner Mark Wilson gives them a free hand to run them both.) "Many spirit items are purchased for a year at a time, to make sure we pay the lowest possi- ble price. We use the time we spend with suppliers wisely, trying to see their marketing strategies as well as giving suggestions as how I feel their products will sell." "The way the liquor laws are written in Connecticut, everyone pays the same price whether it's
Beverage Dynamics • www.beveragedynamics.com • March/April 2012 • 43
