Publican

Instead of relying on low-margin blockbusters,
private stores should look to the gems buried
amid the Liquor Distribution Branch’s speculative
items. There they can discover unique grower
champagnes, small lot wines, funky craft brews and
ciders, and cocktail-essential liqueurs that rarely
find space on BC Liquor Store shelves.
Don’t forget that plenty of young urban couples
who’ve developed a taste for artisanal products are
leaving Vancouver in search of more affordable digs
in small-town and suburban BC. They are a growing
market, thirsty for what a private retailer can offer.
An LRS can also develop a reputation as the go-to
source for certain types of products. The Strath Ale,
Wine & Spirit Merchants in Victoria, for instance,
carries nearly 200 different single malts, and is
Vancouver Island’s only retail outlet for the Single
Malt Whisky Society. Meanwhile, the Brewery Creek
Liquor Store in Vancouver is a must-visit destination
for beer lovers, offering more than 800 local and
international craft beers.
4) Get Social
Once you’ve redesigned your store’s layout and
improved your selection of craft products, you still
need to get the word out.
Social media is a good tool for targeting younger
customers in particular with promotions, contests,
and event notices. An even better technique is
offering free in-store tastings, seminars, winemaker
dinners, and social events. These are not so much
about one-off sales as they are about building
customer loyalty, creating better-educated
consumers, and turning casual shoppers into
advocates for your store.
Legacy Liquor Store, for instance, hosts frequent
events around a 36-foot-long harvest table that
Lamb describes as “our most effective marketing
tool since we opened, bar none.”
Photo courtesy of The Strath Ale, Wine & Spirit Merchants
The Strath Ale, Wine & Spirit Merchants carries nearly 200
different single malts.
In any case, given the shifting retail landscape in
BC, LRS owners have to change with the times to
succeed. With few exceptions, simply offering cold
beer and Sunday openings is no longer a model
for success.
“Think of what happened to convenience stores
when grocery stores started to open on Sundays,”
Lamb suggests. “Don’t keep doing the same thing,
watch your customers dwindle, and wonder why.
Don’t think it’s the same old, same old. You’ve got
to do something.”
5) Focus on Service
What makes all of these strategies succeed or fail
comes down to one thing: service. Investing in
well-trained, experienced, and service-oriented
employees is the best way to gain the edge over
your competitors.
The Strath, for instance, has wine, beer, and whisky
specialists who can explain exactly why a customer
should drop $150 on a bottle of single malt. So does
Legacy, Brewery Creek, and West Vancouver’s 16th
Street Liquor Store. And it’s not just the folks on the
floor who matter. Knowledgeable wine, beer, and
spirits buyers who can dig those gems out of the
Spec lists are also crucial.
Smart retailers also offer services that make life
easier for customers, such as home delivery. Liquor
Express, with six locations on Vancouver Island, is
one of a growing number of stores to offer delivery,
as is the Clayton Liquor Store in Surrey.
The Publican
17