Hey! It's me, Kasia, and I've been visiting businesses with our Marketing Manager, Melissa to find out more about their biggest e-commerce challenges.
Walking into 3 Parks Wine Shop is like crashing at a friend's home after a long day. Not only is there good music pouring from the speakers, the cozy space beckons you to stay a while, maybe nibble on some cheese with that wine growler you just bought. In fact, I didn't want to leave. | | | That's because of Sarah Pierre, owner and managing partner of the quaint neighborhood store. The first thing you notice about Sarah is her smile, and any timidity you have about wine melts away. "We have taken the pretension out of wine altogether," she tells Melissa and me. | | | But crafting the perfect ambiance takes personality, and making your shop a household name in Atlanta takes drive. | | | Here's 3 ways that 3 Parks incentivizes customers to keep them coming back: | | | 3 Parks Wine Shop, named after the three parks in its vicinity, offers up a loyalty program that uses a virtual punch card. "People have so much to carry around these days," Sarah says. "I really wanted to offer a program that was convenient." After 10 reward punches, customers get 10% off, which can be combined with other discounts for huge savings. | | | She also offers wine growlers, which you can bring back for refills—a worthwhile trek since the shop was voted as having the best rosé selection in Atlanta. | | | But what drives most of her sales is her wine club, which has weekly, monthly, or yearly subscriptions. And since Sarah can't ship alcohol, the club drives foot traffic to the store, where customers can then pick up a little something extra. | | | Since opening up shop in 2013, Sarah tries to stay ahead in the industry. "I need to be doing something cooler than everyone else in wine," she says. The U.S. is officially the largest wine consumer in the world, meaning 3 Parks goes head to head with bulk wine sellers like grocery stores, big-box retailers, and online subscriptions. | | | Not only does she follow similar shops to hers—including email campaigns from other states—her mission is to join forces with small wine retailers to help consumers understand the value of the bottles they purchase from them. "Smaller retailers hand select wineries that have a story, a family, a farmer," Sarah says. "So with that, small guys are in it together." | | | When I ask Sarah what her biggest victory is, she motions around to the store. "This is my success." The shop hosts weekly tastings, which are a hit in the community. As she points out, it takes just one regular customer to bring in 10 more. With a career rich in restaurant experience, Sarah is no stranger to lustrous events: 3 Parks has hosted soirees since its beginning, including off-site parties replete with meat and cheese platters. | | | But she doesn't consider herself a retail guru. "I'm more event- and hospitality-minded," she says. She wants customers to ask questions, and to do so, she's fostered a very friendly, informal atmosphere. "We've changed the way people dine," Sarah says. "I love having long conversations with customers about their wine-tasting trips, or where they had dinner the night before, or their favorite bottle. I even get to see their kids grow up." | | | As for her biggest challenge: "Keeping up!" Sarah says with a laugh. "It gets nuts...and I love it." | | | | |
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