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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18 Beverage Dynamics • January/February 2015 www.beveragedynamics.com 2015 RETAILER OF THE YEAR to our in-store customers before they make a decision to buy." Currently there's a bill making its way through the Wisconsin legislature that would let retailers offer spirit tastings as well. The other legal hurdle in many states that Cellar 70 doesn't face in Wisconsin is the ability to offer a single entrance and checkout for grocery and beverage alcohol customers. "Especially in tourist areas, you want to be all things to all people," Guenther says. "So for the grocery stores having everything attached with a common entrance is a huge advantage to Trig's and to the Cellar 70 brand. It's a one-stop shopping experience for customers and adds a dimension to our business. The ability to shop both sides of the store without two stops means that wine, beer and spirits have become part of the regular grocery list for most of our customers." WHAT'S HOT IN THE NORTHWOODS Cellar 70's biggest sellers match up pretty well with national trends, although the stores do skew more toward higher-end wine (since that's their specialty) and whiskeys (given their northern location and cold winters). Bourbon has become such a popular category for Cellar 70 that the 2014 Thanksgiving ad featured a 10 percent off promotion for all Bourbons across the board. "Single malt Scotch is a big category for us and we can't really keep up with it," Ackman says. "Like with Bourbon, the younger generation is really getting into it. As much as Dennis doesn't like to hear it, fl avored whiskey is getting younger people involved in the category and hopefully as their palettes change, they'll come to appreciate the higher-end Bourbons and Scotch." As Tewes mentioned when discussing the Stevens Point product mix, craft beer is a driving trend as well. "There's no price limit I've seen yet where craft beer tops out," he says. "We're selling $20 to $25 four-packs of beer." For wine, Tewes says that red blends continue to do well, and Moscato is still very strong. "Wisconsin defi nitely has a sweet tooth," Kohl adds. No matter what the category, Kohl stresses the importance of in- teracting with customers, learning about their taste profi le and brand preferences, and understanding their needs. "Hand-selling is the one biggest thing that sets us apart from the competition," he says. "People come to us to learn about beer, wine and spirits. They know our staff is always there to offer explanations and answer their questions." BD TRIG'S CELLAR 70 QUICK FACTS • Trygve (Trig) and Tula Solberg created the fi rst Trig's store in 1971 in Land O'Lakes, Wisconsin. • Today the company operates in fi ve locations in Northern Wisconsin: Rhinelander, Minocqua, Eagle River, Wausau and Stevens Point. • The fi rst Cellar 70 opened in the Minocqua location. Today each Trig's store has a Cellar 70, offering more than 10,000 SKUs of wine and a wide selection of beer and spirits. • Parent company T.A. Solberg Company, Inc. employs more than 1,000 associates. Aside from Trig's grocery stores that include Cellar 70 departments, properties include Trig's Central Bakery and Trucking, Trig's Recycling Center, the Tasmania Northwoods Resort, Trig's Village Market in Manitowish Waters and Tula's Café in Minoc- qua, as well as several convenience stores and gas stations. Craft beer takes up about 15 percent of beer sales in Stevens Point.