Hi y'all. I recently did an IG Live chat with a few retailers in the series I've been doing called "Wine Hustles" - exploring alternative professions for sommeliers in the wine industry. Retail is definitely booming right now, though the job has changed somewhat. That face-to-face human contact has been minimized and been replaced with a lot more shipping, logistics, etc. But presumably that won't last forever, and as Dustin Wilson of Verve Wine (in SF & NYC) mentioned, retail gives you the opportunity to reach people beyond your immediate vicinity, unlike restaurant and on-premise work. The good news is you don't need much in terms of credentials to apply for a job in wine retail: both Dustin and Cara & Simi from DECANTsf agreed that a lot of the wine stuff can be taught, but things like work ethic, hospitality, and personality is what they are really looking for. I started my career out in retail, and I highly recommend it as a way to gain access to experiences and people that can further your career. You can watch the whole video on my IG @janeymaxine.
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As someone who also was in retail before restaurants, I am excited by how creative some of them have been at attracting new customers. They have to compete with grocery stores and big brands (i.e. Total wine, K&L), and connect with individuals. I’d love to hear more about strategies people have used in terms of buying wines that tell the stories they want to tell, all the while still making money.
I personally have had success from creating online wine communities and leveraging larger importers or retailers. I think it’s a great opportunity for customers to try brand new wines for a fraction of restaraunt pricing. This will end up helping smaller production wineries gain reputation and gain a reputation in the fine dining market in the future. Now the question is if fine dining will crumble and fall, or make a comeback. Thoughts?
@John Oliveira & all others - I don't think fine dining will crumble entirely, but I think that market will become significantly smaller in the short term. The comeback will probably take 3-5 years to get back to where it was in early 2020. Like @Jane Lopes said- for wine professionals (in restaurants and on-premise) they should be reaching for the opportunities that reach people beyond your immediate vicinity - whether with a Verve Wine or on your own..... Cheers!
I agree. I never under estimate the strength of Perseverance and creativity. We can make anything happen with these elements. Get out of the comfort zone people! It's time to shake things up. 😁
I've been in and out of the table side and retail world for most of my somm life, a short 3 years, but I love retail more than table side. I often find that people get excited about whatever You're excited about in retail. I normally talk about what the grape is, where it's from, and what the price is and leave it at that... if I have a story about the wine maker I throw that in. But otherwise I find that retail people walk in wanting what they want. The worst thing I've seen people do when new to retail from the table side service life is overwhelming the customer w terms they don't understand or care about. It's a lot like being a rep... If they want to know, probably they'll ask. And then throwing in a few bottles or producers you're excited about. The best transferable skill somms have for retail is dealing w BS of customers, but also! The ability to do the "if you like that.. try this!"
I love this perspective. I have never worked in retail but I like the approach from a customers/guest point of view. It's not overbearing and just informative enough to not make somebody feel intimidated out of asking for guidance.