Liquor retail stores going upscale
It used to be that working behind the counter at the corner liquor store was considered by some to be a job of last resort.
But times have changed, and so have the stores. Many have gone upscale and stock a dizzying selection of world-class wines, artisanal distilled spirits and coveted craft beers.
To guide customers through myriad choices, some package liquor stores now hire staffers who have previously worked as professional sommeliers and wine stewards, among others, and possess a vast knowledge about vintages and varietals.
"The industry continues to change and adapt to meet the needs of customers," explained John Bodnovich, executive director of American Beverage Licensees, a national trade association for nearly 20,000 independent retail beverage alcohol license holders throughout the country. "Consumers are becoming more educated and more interested in the stories of the people and ingredients behind the products on the shelves.
"Part of what defines independent package (liquor) stores and bottle shops is the service and knowledge they provide to customers," he said. "A more sophisticated customer demands more sophisticated customer service and staff who can explain the differences between the unparalleled selection of products in the U.S. market."
It's not uncommon for alcohol retailers to require employees to complete extensive company training and education programs before being allowed to assist shoppers in selecting the beverages for which they thirst.
In Nevada, people who work in retail stores that sell alcohol and are located in counties with populations of more than 400,000 people (such as Clark County) are also required to complete the coursework for and obtain and carry a state Alcohol Education Card.
Mel Hutchinson has long been a wine enthusiast. His hobby helped him land a position as general manager of Liquor Library, the first non-duty-free, full-service package liquor store at an airport in the nation. It is located in the Terminal One baggage claim area at McCarran International Airport.
The 1,350 square-foot store, which opened earlier this month, features 10-foot-tall shelves that are stocked with a variety of beers, spirits and "everything from very popular, common wines to high-end, limited-release wines," Hutchinson explained, as well as "multiple brands" of tequila.
Given its location, it's no surprise that Liquor Library's target clientele is tourists to Las Vegas.
Before opening the store, Hutchinson said the owners conducted research and learned from local taxi cab and limousine drivers that a top request made by passengers exiting the airport is to "stop at a liquor store on the way to the hotel" so travelers can purchase alcohol.
Liquor Library "just offers it in a convenient location," Hutchinson explained. "They can grab (their purchase), go grab their bags, go directly to their (hotel) room and start their vacation a little bit sooner."
Only a few of the store's 11 staffers have previous professional food and beverage industry experience.
"We have (hired) people that have moved into kind of their hobby job from their other jobs and brought skills with them that we think will be very beneficial to us," he explained. "We looked for people that we thought were outgoing, could communicate with our customers and just be a good example of a first contact with a visitor to Las Vegas."
The employees were provided training about the products carried by Liquor Library and also underwent an extensive federal background check that is required of anyone who works at the airport.
"One of the things that we're going to have to deal with is making sure we keep our (employees) happy so that we don't have a lot of turnover," Hutchinson said, "because if we were to hire someone else, we would have to go through a three-week (background check) process before they can even start working, so we would be short (staffed)."
While Liquor Library is not currently hiring additional employees, Hutchinson said that could change in the future if the company decides to open additional stores locally or at other airports.
"Who knows, this could potentially be in every baggage claim in every airport throughout the country," he said. "If we feel that's the correct path, we don't want to lose our competitive advantage and everything we're going to learn from being the first. Our (current employees) are going to be the people leading that charge. We'll do everything we can to help our people grow."
It's a sentiment echoed by executives at Total Wine & More, a national retail chain that has a pair of stores in Southern Nevada.
Headquartered in Maryland, the company stocks more than 8,000 types of wines, 3,000 varieties of distilled spirits and 2,500 brands of beer at each of its 89 stores nationwide.
With that many choices available to customers, it is essential that each staff member be thoroughly educated about the products, said Edward Cooper, vice president of public affairs and community relations for Total Wine & More.
The company, which categorizes itself as a "beverage alcohol retailer," provides its employees with 150 hours of training "before they even get to start working with customers," Cooper said.
"They're learning about everything you can think of in terms of what makes wine distinct and great," including specific details about regions where the grapes are grown, he said. "In addition, they're learning about the different types of distilled spirits and beers that are out there."
Additionally, the company hosts training events in its stores on a weekly and monthly basis, during which staffers learn about and sample new products before they hit the shelves.
"We want our team members to make sure that they understand what's the tasting profiles of these flavored vodkas; what's the tasting profiles of these new and emerging single-malt scotches that are coming out; these artisanal distilled spirits. The same thing with wine, as well," Cooper said. "We want to be ahead of the curve on that so we can be of most value for our customers."
That's especially important in Southern Nevada, where Cooper said customers are often much more knowledgeable about alcohol than in other cities "because of the tourism industry, because of the sheer number of folks that come through" the region.
"That's a challenge for our (employees) to be able to not only equal the knowledge base of the customer, but to exceed that. Folks will come into our store having a general sense of what it is they want and then it's incumbent upon our team members to make the suggestions that are going to please the customers."
Total Wine & More's employee education efforts include the "Wine for Life" program, through which staffers are given free bottles to enjoy at home provided they complete questionnaires about the wine's taste and other characteristics. The program serves as a "vehicle to provide all of our store support team with valuable information regarding wines and wine culture," Cooper said.
The company also sponsors a pair of annual trips to the renowned wine-producing regions of California and Europe, during which a select group of up to 70 employees visit dozens of wineries and sample products.
"Taking these folks on those trips and doing that training is going to provide them with the knowledge base that's going to serve the customer," Cooper said. "I don't know of any other retailer that invests the time and effort in their team members like we do."
At Total Wine & More stores, employees are grouped in teams: Red shirt-wearing staff members man the cash registers as part of the front-end team or help stock shelves and tackle other tasks assigned to the merchandising team. Staffers who don white shirts and ties are wine, spirits and beer team members and are considered experts on the beverages.
The latter team is one in which former sommeliers, wine stewards and wine cellar managers can typically be found, Cooper said. "Those are folks who clearly come with some great experience and expertise and education."
Each store also has several department managers including a wine manager, as well as beer, wine and spirits specialists. "We want to encourage all of our team members to advance within the company," Cooper said.
A list of the retail and corporate positions currently available at Total Wine & More is at www.totalwine.com/eng/aboutus/careers.cfm.
"When it comes to knowledgeable staff, our team members are it," he said. "For us, it's all about the customer, so we train our team members in such a way to make sure that it's an experience unlike any they've ever had."
