How to Survive the Wine Retail Business

Steps for success in a changing economy

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with several friends who work in retail stores here in New York City. Over the course of several days and a few long conversations, I began to think of their plight. Not only have they been fairly battered by the economic climate of the past several years, but they are constantly facing new challenges. Better Internet availability of wines, impending approval of wine in supermarkets, the need to keep up with social media’s demands (from maintaining a presence on Facebook and Twitter to rethinking in-store signage and advertising), all combine to make retail a bit of a scary place today.
I’ve put together a few thoughts on what retailers might want to consider while moving forward through 2012, but I’m also reaching out to all of you. I would love to hear what you think about the state of the retail wine business. What do you think forward-thinking retailers should be doing today to make sure their businesses are growing tomorrow?
And retailers, what can you do to help ensure your continued survival? The first point is so obvious that it can be easily forgotten.
1. Remember you are in the service business
Sounds obvious, right? But judging from my experience, this is not always the case. I’m sure many of you might respond that you are in the wine business, which while technically true is a meaningless diversion. Retail wine sales are, by definition, consumer facing commodity sales. Yes, part of that role is providing expertise, but I often see the very fundamentals of commerce being ignored. Like what? How about cleanliness, courtesy and respect?
It is that simple at its base. Keep a clean, well-organized store and consumers are likely to think more highly of you.
Treat customers with courtesy whether they are buying $5 or $500 worth of hooch. You really can’t judge a book by its cover, and I am walking proof of that!
And respect my intelligence, please. I know what corked wine is, and even cooked wine, but I do recognize that many consumers don’t. When those consumers want to return a bottle, it is often because they don’t like it, not because of the defect they claim to detect. We know that, but what I also know from my years in retail is that a minuscule percentage of wine actually gets returned. How little? In my experience, somewhere between one-tenth and four-tenths of a percent.
That is still a lot of money, thousands of dollars on each million in sales, but you should take the hit. Not because of the people who don’t know what corked wine is, but because of the people who do! Treat the wine lovers and wine geeks well and they will not only return but will spread the word about your policy and attitude towards them. I’ve been on the receiving end of both good and bad publicity, there is no doubt which I’d rather see.
2. Talk to your customers
This is treading more into the social media end of things, which is still a giant time-sucking black hole if you ask me. We’re all desperately involved in social media, not so much because it pays such big returns, but because we’re afraid of missing the boat in case it does.
You have a finite amount of time in your day, so how much time should you spend on social media and what should you be doing? Simply stated, as much time as it takes to build up your audience. If you don’t have much of an audience, then it doesn’t really matter how much time you spend working your social media strategy because no one will be listening.
That brings us to the crux of the situation. To both attract and engage customers you have to provide value to them. Don’t think of social media as an advertising or marketing channel, think of it as an educational and enjoyment channel. I’m not saying that you shouldn’t use social channels to promote your store, sales and events, quite the contrary in fact since each of those could be a perceived benefit to your customers, but that cannot be the totality of your messaging.
Let people know where you’ve had a great meal or food and wine pairing lately. Set up a time to answer questions, either virtually or in the store, about the basics of wine. Virtual Q&A is a great tool since it allows those who might be embarrassed by their questions to ask them in relative anonymity. Give your social channels a personality, be responsive and make sure you get involved with other social channels my commenting, liking and interacting.
This is all a strategy to win friends and fans, who eventually turn into brand advocates. The bigger your base, the broader your reach. All of a sudden you’re recommendations are being broadcast not only to your group of fans, but to their’s as well. If there’s one thing I know for sure, it is that many of those wine geeky enough to follow a wine business’s thread, feed, or page are looked upon as “the wine guy or gal” in their personal circles. That’s the way to build up your audience and reach, organically.

3. Do something to get attention
This is something that has been kicking around inside my head for years, since cellphones first had cameras and I saw people take pictures of bottles and shelf talkers in the store.
Today, those pictures can get plastered across the web instantaneously, on peoples Facebook and Pinterest pages, or Flickr feeds.
I always thought it would be good idea to be outlandish enough to make people stop and take a picture of an in-store ad or display. Something that they would want to share with their friends, and yet was clearly branded by the store. I’m no longer in retail so I haven’t given enough thought to this idea lately to come up with some concrete examples, but with the explosive growth of Pinterest lately, you can see the writing on the wall.
We are moving from a text-based world to a visual-based world. Icons and badges have replaced words. QR codes have tried to do the same, though with limited success seeing as they were very much a transitional step. Today, images get the most traction in social media. People love them, and are quick to post and convey so much so quickly.
This is bound to be the next frontier. Getting people to take and share images of your displays, events and advertising could be big, even though I know we’re not quite there yet. So that brings me back to the beginning. While I’m hoping to offer some thoughts here to help stimulate this discussion, what I’m really looking for are your ideas.
— Gregory Dal Piaz, Snooth
http://www.thedailymeal.com/how-survive-wine-retail-business?page=0,1

Tourists and residents of Manila travel out of town to the north on a short getaway look for the best place in Clark to buy some fine vintage wine to bring home after their holidays and vacations. Many find a top rated wine shop called Clark Wine Center to be an exciting place to do some shopping in Clark Pampanga. This famous wine shop is highly recommended for visitors going to Clark Pampanga to drink good wine, relax and unwind with friends and families. This frequently visited wine shop is known by tourist and visitors to Pampanga, Angeles city, Subic and Clark Philippines as a cool place to hang out in Clark. Many attend the regular wine tasting held either outdoor on the roof deck or in indoor on the second floor above the wine shop. The place has good atmosphere for a private wine tasting party or a small night out gatherings for business or social event.

Tourists and visitors staying in Angeles City, Tarlac, Baguio, Subic and Pampanga sometimes wonder what are the things to do in Clark Philippines and Pampanga? Frequent visitors to Pampanga discover that it is fun to do a little wine shopping at the famous wine shop outside of Manila called Clark Wine Center. One of the favorite places to visit in Pampanga Clark Freeport is the white building along M A Roxas highway of Clark which houses over 2000 selections of fine vintage wines. The Clark Wine Center is one of the places to visit, a tourist spot and a good shopping place for those staying in Angeles City, Subic or Clark Pampanga.

Leading Philippines Wine Supplier Yats Wine Cellars based in Clark Philippines with outlets in Angeles City, Subic Freeport and Manila Philippines has been not only a wine shop for fine wines covering all major wine regions but also a source of reliable and useful information about wine, wine appreciation, wine accessories, wine and health, food and wine pairing and all other matters relating to wine and its appreciation. This Philippines Clark Freeport based Wine Supplier and Wine Shop frequently holds public wine tasting events in Pampana Clark Freeport Zone, Angeles City, Subic Bay area, Makati, Fort Bonifacio and other areas in Philippines capital city Manila. Private Wine events such as private wine tasting and private wine dinners are also designed and organized for private clientele for their wine loving guests.

Wine Catering is a unique product of Yats Wine Cellars, created back in 2005 in response to a growing demand for private wine parties in Manila, Cebu, Subic, Angeles Clark Philippines.

Chateau Lafite-Rothschild is the most revered wine in China and many other parts of Asia. The best wine shop in Asia to buy older vintages of Chateau Lafite is Yats Wine Cellars located in Clark Philippines. Aside from Lafite, visitors can buy other fine wines at this wine shop in Clark Pampanga such as Latour, Mouton-Rothschild, Haut-Brion and Margaux. Excellent Burgundy wines like Chambertin, Vougeot, Musigny, Bonnes Mares, Pommard, Meursault, Chambertin, Vosne Romanee, Romanee Conti, La Tache and Romanee St. Vivant can be found here.

Yats Wine Cellars can be reached at their Clark Wine Center Philippines wine shop located on the main highway M A Roxas of Pampanga Clark Freeport Zone or their sales office in Ortigas Centre, Metro Manila. Here is the contact information:

http://www.ClarkWineCenter.com

Getting to this wine shop in Pampanga Angeles City Clark Freeport Zone Philippines from Manila
Getting to the Clark Wine Center wine shop from Manila is quite simple: after entering Clark Freeport from Dau and Angeles City, proceed straight along the main highway M A Roxas. Clark Wine Center is the stand-along white building on the right, at the corner A Bonifacio Ave. From the Clark International Airport DMIA, ask the taxi to drive towards the entrance of Clark going to Angeles City. From Mimosa, just proceed towards the exit of Clark and this wine shop is on the opposite side of the main road M A Roxas.

Best place to buy wine in Clark Pampanga outside Manila near Subic and Angeles City Philippines is Clark Wine Center.

Click here to contact Clark Wine Center in Clark Pampanga for inquiries and orders.

Clark Wine Center
Bldg 6460 Clark Observatory Building
Manuel A. Roxas Highway corner A Bonifacio Ave,
Angeles Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga 2023
0922-870-5173 0917-826-8790 (ask for Ana Fe)

Wine@Yats-International.com

YATS Wine Cellars
Manila Sales Office
3003C East Tower, Phil Stock Exchange Center,
Exchange Rd Ortigas Metro Manila, Philippines 1605
(632) 637-5019 0917-520-4393 ask for Rea or Chay

Wedding couples looking for wedding reception venues and beach wedding venues can log on to this Philippines Wedding Venue web site for free information and assistance:

http://www.PhilippinesWeddingVenue.com

While in Clark, it might be a good idea to enjoy an evening of wine-and-dine in the fine dining Yats Restaurant and Wine Bar that features an award winning 2700-line wine list. Highly recommended fine dining restaurant in Manila for special occasion is Yats Restaurant & Wine Lounge located in the famous Mimosa Leisure Estate in Clark Pampanga. Situated near this popular restaurant in Clark is the Mimosa Golf Course as well as the Mimosa Clark Casino. This top rated restaurant near Angeles City Pampanga in Clark Philippines is frequently used for private parties and corporate functions such as board meetings and other gatherings. It is located in Mimosa Leisure Estate of Clark Freeport Zone. For more information, visit http://www.YatsRestaurant.com

YATS Leisure Philippines is a developer and operator of clubs, resorts and high-class restaurants and wine shops in Clark Angeles Philippines http://www.YatsLeisure.com

Looking for famous tourists spots, places to visit and see, relax and unwind in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines? You may want to check out these sites also:

http://www.LondonPubClark.com

Besides good restaurants to wine and dine near Manila, Subic or in Angeles City Pampanga, Clark Philippines, those requiring assistance for hotel and resort bookings in Clark, Pampanga, Philippines may log on to http://www.HotelClarkPhilippines.com for more information and reservations.

The lifestyle in Clark Pampanga is quite unique. For more information about shopping, sports, golf, leisure, hotel accommodation, where to see and visit, what to do, where to wine and dine and good places to hang out, relax, have a drink with friends, child-friendly establishments, log on to
http://www.ClarkPhilippines.com

Wine lovers looking for a special bottle or something that is of great value and special discounts might log on to this web site to shop for fine vintage wines
http://www.YatsWineCellars.com

Those visitors who plan to relax and unwind in Angeles City, Subic, Pampanga, Clark Philippines might make an effort to book a room at the famous beach and lake resort Clearwater Resort & Country Club. This famous hotel in Clark Pampanga is frequently visited by families with children looking for a good place in Clark to see, a good holiday destination for the family to relax and unwind in the beautiful outdoor facilities. For more information, log on to www.ClearwaterPhilippines.com