The Grapevine

Break Your Wine Shop Out of the Rut

November 22nd, 2016

There are a great many varietals that your customers have likely never heard of. Make the introduction. And scare yourself in other ways, too. Your business will be better for it. [level-members]

Yes, everybody wants Cab and Chard and maybe a Merlot if they haven’t seen Sideways. (Or maybe if they have – Miles is pretty obnoxious …) But Assyrtiko, nero d’avola, falanghina, savagnin are all worthy grapes, and you could do worse than to introduce them to your wine shop customers.

You could also do worse than to scare yourself in other ways, and strive to do something different every month. No doubt you’ll try things that are duds, but thinking of them as things that cost you time and money is the wrong perspective.

Instead view them as things that move you closer to the things that will be the business-defining features that your customers come to love. The “secret sauce” that separates you from the competition and frees you from having to stock what everyone else has – and frees you from competing on price or the convenience of your parking.

Break out of the rut. You may hit some bumpy patches along the way, but you’ll be in much better shape in the long run.

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