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: https://read.dmtmag.com/i/541538
28 Beverage Dynamics • July/August 2015 www.beveragedynamics.com [ RETAIL PROFILE ] with boxed wine, because of the juiciness and alcohol," he says. "Once they graduate and earn more money, they'll move onto Zinfandel, and then Pinot Noir, because of the similar juiciness. But then they'll branch out and discover Malbecs and more." The Urban Grape would seem well-positioned to assist customers along this journey of progressing palates thanks to the company's novel shelving system, and also its focus on employee hospitality. HOSPITALITY IN RETAIL The Urban Grape seeks staff who can balance expertise with sociability. In his previous career, TJ created wine menus for restaurants (which is where he fi rst employed a progressive wine format). He is familiar with the hospitality business, and wanted to bring elements of its customer service to liquor retail. "Employees here have to be able to sell within The Urban Grape philosophy, but while also using their own personality," he explains. "We hire here based largely on personality, along with education, knowledge and availability. But you can always train someone who has a great personality." The interview process is "pretty intense," he admits. It in- cludes a trial run, in which candidates work the sales fl oor on a busy night. This "stage" (a term TJ borrows from his restaurant days) helps determine whether the applicant is a good fi t for Urban Grape — and vice versa. The company provides staff with 401k, health insurance and other benefi ts. "We want to invest in our employees' mental wellbeing," TJ says. "You know the saying: If you have happy employees, you have happy customers." Training never stops after someone is hired. TJ takes notes about new products on Evernote, a digital note-taking service, which the staff is required to read. "We have educated consumers who come in already knowing key wine terms, so we need to have educated staff as well," he explains. "Most of our staff also taste every product we bring in." With the education, sampling and Progressive Shelving, TJ puts his workers in the best position to succeed. "It's a very easy system for the staff to sell, while also being honest to the customer," he says. MODERN MARKETING The other half of the husband and wife ownership team is Had- ley Douglas. "I'm the face and the palate of The Urban Grape," TJ says, "and she's the voice." Hadley handles all of the company's marketing, relying on her background in PR and communications. Similar to how TJ has utilized hospitality strategies from his former career, Hadley has brought brand management into the alcohol retail industry. "I wanted to rip out all the pages about liquor-store mar- keting from the past, and start anew," she recalls. "I wanted to create a lifestyle brand around the store." The Urban Grape's website features a blog maintained by Hadley, which reinforces the company's brand. At Urban Grape, wines are organized on a scale of 1W to 10W based on their body, rather than by varietal or origin.