If you don’t have an in-shop wine club for your retail store customers, you should. And keeping them as club members is a matter of keeping them excited and happy. [level-members]
A few secrets to a successful retail-store wine club include:
Make Them Feel Special
If anyone can walk in off the street and get what they get, why join? So make them feel special, whether that means offering extra discounts to club members, member-only events, or even products available only to members. (Or available to members first.)
Let Them Know You’re Thinking of Them
In other words, communicate. (I mean, your mom knows you love her, but she still wishes you’d call a little more often.) No need to be a pest, but it is nice to stay in touch with more than just the monthly allotment and the monthly bill. Let them know what’s coming next, send mid-month reminders with pairing ideas for wines in the previous shipment. But don’t try to sell them anything else. If you do, you’re just begging them to draw the conclusion that they’re paying you to sell to them. Not cool.
Ask for Feedback – And Record It
Track what is popular in aggregate and individually so you can tailor future club selections – and personal recommendations – to your club’s tastes.
These steps should help you keep the excitement your club members felt when they first joined going for the long haul. But there’s one more you shouldn’t forget about:
Reward Them
Every once in a while, give your best customers something unexpected, unrequested, and free. It doesn’t have to be much, but it does have to be something that shows you value their business and enjoy serving them. It truly is the thought that counts.
[/level-members]