Store Within a Store: Wine Kiosks Boost Sales

These new self-service wine kiosks, developed by Simple Brands, are currently in 30 supermarkets within the state, including some Giant Food Stores, Wegmans Food Markets, Giant Eagle, The Fresh Grocer and Shop 'n Save stores, and have been well received by the public.

In order to purchase wine at a kiosk, customers need to swipe a driver's license and blow into a mouthpiece to prove they are not intoxicated. After completing those two steps, customers can open the door and pick the bottle of wine they purchased.

They are part of a six-month-old program designed to make wine-buying more convenient for consumers, who otherwise would have to make a separate trip to a state liquor store. Simple Brands CEO Jim Lesser said, "On many days there are over 1,000 transactions."

Craft Beer Sales Soar
Craft beer continues to grow in popularity as well, with double- digit growth across the board, the Chicago Tribune reports. Even the big brewers are taking notice, as with the recent transaction of Anheuser-Busch buying Goose Island craft brewery for $38.8 million.

Craft beers started in the 1980s, growing from a mere handful of breweries to more than 1,750 last year. In 2010, craft beer took 5 percent of beer sales nationwide, with some analysts forecasting that it could account for 20 percent by 2020.

"Craft beer is kind of a rising tide right now," said Benj Steinman, president of Beer Marketer's Insights. "It's really in the sweet spot of where more consumers are going, and that seems to be toward the sort of innovation, flavor and variety that the craft brewers are epitomizing."

Create Your Own Wine and Craft Beer Boutique
With the popularity of wine kiosks and the increasing sales of craft beers, why not create your own wine and craft beer boutique within your store.

You could dedicate a section of the store to this new trendy boutique that showcases affordable wines and craft beers. The wines could be displayed in wooden wine racks or barrels, or in a unique brick display case. With the beer, you could have a display showcasing some of the craft beer six-packs, as well as individual bottles in large wooden or galvanized beverage tubsâ€”on ice ready to go.

You could even specialize in small production, hand crafted, artisan wine and craft beer that consumers are unable to find at groceries, big warehouses or liquor stores. Advertise with POP in-store window signs and banners, and handouts showcasing a unique wine or beer with a monthly special, or an occasional wine and beer tasting event.