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/777147
www.beveragedynamics.com January/February 2017 • Beverage Dynamics 17 TIPS FOR OTHER RETAILERS How can other beverage retailers learn from Tower's success over the years? Sheron offers a few words of advice: STAY TRUE TO YOURSELF AND TO YOUR BUSINESS. It's important to understand your core values and the goals you've set for your business, and not feel pressured to jump on every trend that comes along in order to succeed. "We're never going to compete with the big grocery stores, and we will never compete with the small, upscale wine boutiques. We have large stores and sell a variety of products, but we only commit to a new trend if we believe in it and know we can support it well." BE CREATIVE. In a state like Georgia that has so many restrictions, it's essential for Tower to generate creative ideas in order to achieve growth. "It forces us to constantly think outside the box, but some of our best ideas have come forward as a result." KNOW YOUR CUSTOMER. In addition to connecting with custom- ers in-store, take the initiative to go out and learn about on-premise trends in your area to get a head start on local trends. You may outstep your competi- tion that way. local on-premise establishments. Sheron says he spends a lot of time in Atlanta, visiting different on-premise sites and building relationships with that part of the industry. As a result, Tower can often pick up on local trends as they emerge. "If I see a certain kind of craft beer or cocktail gaining momentum in the city, I'll definitely want to experiment by adding that product in rotation at our stores," Sheron says. "A lot of times, I'll select the hot product and also several other comparable prod- ucts in that segment to give our customers some options and see what performs well." Facilitating customer tastings is another way Tower has been successful introducing new products to customers and encouraging additional sales. The Doraville location hosts two beer, wine or spirit events per week in its tasting room. Occasionally Tower has also offered food pairing tastings, such as a beer and burger event. Although customers enjoy sampling new products, one challenge Tower faces is the state law requiring tasting rooms to be separate from retail stores and to also have a separate entrance. While the Doraville tasting room is located right next to the store, Sheron says it can be difficult translating tasting events into sales for that reason. COMMUNITY FOCUS In addition to generating new ideas of how to continue growing its business within the confines of the state's two-store limit, Tower also maintains a strong commitment to supporting its surrounding community. Each month, Tower selects a local charity event, and unlike many other businesses that simply offer up financial sponsorship, the Tower staff participate in the events hands-on. Sign-up sheets are placed in each store location, and all staff members are encouraged to participate in events that range from serving food to the homeless in soup kitchens to reading to children in local classrooms. "We try to get as many employees to participate as we can, and it's something that's very important to us as a company," Sheron says. "The Atlanta area has been so good to Tower over the years, and we will always work hard to give back to the community." BD MELISSA NIKSIC is a freelance writer and marketing communications strategist from Chicago, IL. Her work has appeared in Chicago's Daily Herald newspaper, Time Out Chicago, Suburban Life newspapers and various magazines. She is also the author of several children's books. Follow her @MelissaNiksic. Tower's two Atlanta-area stores average 22,500 square feet each.