Merchandising and pricing strategies
samuelvandegrift@columinate.coop
217-390-8946
It’s not just you: building a successful wine program comes with a certain intimidation factor. The holiday season can amplify the pressure, and your co-op members probably feel it, too. “People who don’t purchase wine as often might want to buy wine for Thanksgiving, and not know where to start,” says Samuel Vandegrift, an industry veteran with two decades of experience.
With more than two decades of experience in wine, beer, and spirits, Columinate member-consultant Samuel Vandegrift regularly helps co-ops connect with customers and boost sales using everything from pricing strategies to in-store promotions and events. Sam has some key advice for what stores can do to bring joy and delight to their beverage departments.
Everybody loves a great dinner party, especially when we take things outdoors and make it a picnic. Deliciousness needn’t be hard. Your member-owners are looking to make great food with excellent beverage pairings, so help raise basket totals while improving engagement!
Baked into the being of every co-op are the Seven Cooperative Principles. These are ideals and actionables. Democracy, community, learning, and economic justice form our decisions as cooperators. Independence too is central to what roots these enterprises, yet shared interest in building an economy beneficial to all is central to measuring success. Your wine department is a place where you can honor this principle.
There is an entire genre of films and TV shows dedicated to pointing out the soullessness and drone of American workplaces, with 1999’s Office Space perhaps the most famous example. Columinate consultant Mark Mulcahy has the prescription for both the workers at Office Space’s fictional Initech, and for the real workers at co-ops and independent grocers across the country. “I’m working on bringing joy and balance back to the workplace. That’s gotten lost. That’s what makes people want to come to work: to find joy and purpose in their work. Everyone carries the same products and margin pressures will continue. Businesses who build a culture of doing real work through joy will thrive.”
