The Wine Emporium
When did the store open?
March 2005
Where is the store located?
In the Emporium development in the Brisbane’s Fortitude Valley. The address is 1000 Ann Street, Fortitude Valley, Brisbane, Queensland
How many staff do you have?
Six
Can you tell me a little about your staff?
All of the staff have high levels of wine knowledge and education. Each is able to answer just about any wine, food or alcohol-related question that may be asked of them. And importantly, all are friendly and approachable.
How do you recruit staff?
We select people whose knowledge and passion are known to us.
Describe what happens in your store during an average day?
We sell lots of great wines from around the world! Seriously though, we may have an international or local winemaker conducting a tasting in store, we may be teaching a public wine-education class, or just selling great wines!
What differences do you see between your store and others?
Range, availability and price. We specialise in the great wines not only from boutique Australian producers, but from all the great wine regions around the world. And our everyday prices are low, ensuring that people can afford to sample great wines from everywhere as cheaply as possible.
What is the product mix in your store and why?
Fine wine, roughly half boutique Australian and half imported, although there is a smattering of more ‘commercial’ wine as well. Our Champagne selection is second to none. Beer, especially micro-brewery and as many imported and specialty beers as we can get. And an extensive range of spirits, especially harder-toget ones, including a great range of single-malts, rums, cognacs and armagnacs.
How do you select the products you stock?
Virtually all products in the store have been tasted and recommended by ourselves. Quality must be high, and all wines must represent good valuefor-money.
Would you consider that major liquor retailers pose a threat to your business?
Not really, none could possibly offer the range or expertise that we offer. Our market is generally very different from the major chains.
Name the best retail liquor outlet you have seen and why?
The great London wine merchants, like Berry Bros & Rudd, or maybe Sherry-Lehmann in New York. Worldclass merchants like these are what we are trying to emulate in Australia.
How do you see the relationship between retailer and supplier evolving in the coming years?
I think it will become closer, especially as the larger chains will dominate the middle-ground in the market place. Retailers will be looking for particular products from suppliers, and suppliers will need retailers (and restaurateurs) as an avenue to market for the plethora of small to medium producers.
How do you see the relationship between retailer and customer evolving in the coming years?
Hopefully becoming closer, with the retailer actually servicing the customers needs, rather than merely being a source for the customer to choose from what is ranged.
What has been your stores greatest success to date?
The acceptance and enthusiasm customers have shown for experimenting with wines from regions that they may not be familiar with, especially boutique and international wines.
What are the greatest challenges facing your store?
Recognition! And continually sourcing the great wines, which are notoriously difficult to obtain, especially in volume, to ensure that we always have something new and interesting for every single customer who comes in to our store.
How do you see the retail liquor environment evolving over the next few years?
I think it will become more competitive and narrow, especially at the lower - end. Unfortunately the larger groups tend to treat wine as merely another consumable commodity, rather than something special and unique.
What advice would you give to someone in running a successful retail liquor business?
Keep working hard and not rest on their laurels.
What are the future plans for your stores development?
To further increase our range of the world's greatest wines, and expose them to a larger audience.
Inside Liquor wish to thank Stewart Plant and the team at 'The Wine Emporium' for there contribution.