Market Liquors Centurion succeeds through unique design

STOREWATCH
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“It made sense for Diamond’s Discount
Liquor to partner with Food Lover’s
Market. It will offer more convenience
for consumers and afford them the
opportunity to also shop for liquor
when they purchase their groceries. We
understand that customers want an easier
and friendlier offering,” says Paul O’Linn,
MD of Market Liquors.
Warm and attractive interiors
“The design of the Market Liquors store
closely resembles that of the Food Lover’s
Market store as we wanted there to be a
synergy between the two,” says O’Linn.
When customers enter the store, they find
a neat and impeccably clean interior that is
well lit and well organised.
An eclectic mix of wooden floors and
shop fittings with modern attention to
detail give the store a com fortable and
warm feel. Lighting is a prominent feature.
Unique champagne cork lights illuminate
the wine section. Energy-saving lamps
illuminate light boxes that are fitted into
the shelving to attract customers’ eyes
while lighting up the products.
Designed by Market Liquors executive,
Janet O’Linn, the store has a definite
feminine touch. “Each aspect of the design
enhances the overall look of the store,
which specifically targets female customers.
It invites them into a warm and friendly
space that is unlike that of the typical,
standalone bottle store,” says O’Linn.
Champagne cork lights illuminate the wine section. Light is a prominent feature
in the store’s design, which aims to attract female customers.
Store manager, Francina Matlala, says that
a friendly, smiling disposition is what keeps
customers coming back to Market Liquors.
“It is the decorations – the cork lights,
the hanging banners, the branding on the
fridges and the light boxes fitted into the
displays – that give the store a different
look and feel and set it apart from other
liquor retailers,” says Francina Matlala,
store manager at Market Liquors Centurion.
“It’s the great look and feel that attracts
customers to the store,” she says. Matlala,
having previously worked for one of Market
Liquors’ top competitors, says that there is
no comparison to this store’s unique and
innovative design.
Easy moving
The store is also easy to assemble and
transport, saving franchisees the cost of
hiring a shop fitter, as staff members can
do the work themselves. The wooden
fittings are modular and consist of just nine
shelving and three counter components.
Only six screws are needed for the entire
shop, so the shelving can very easily be
deconstructed, wrapped, packed and
shipped in a 20ft container to any location
overseas. Practical, as Market Liquors plans
to expand into Africa in the near future.
“We wanted to design something that
was upmarket and yet cost efficient, while
it could hold the heavy weight of liquor
products,” says O’Linn.
Having only opened in November last year, the store has already built up a client base
that comes back for the convenience, low-prices and excellent customer service.
Focus on service
Market Liquors customers are greeted by
welcoming and helpful staff members
when they enter the store. “A friendly,
smiling disposition is the key to success,”
says Matlala. “It’s what keeps customers
coming back.”
The excellent customer service is due, in
part, to the small management team that
is hands-on in its approach and heavily
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SUPERMARKET & RETAILER, MAY 2013