WineStyles Taking Off
The franchising of wine is something that has never really gotten of the ground. Presumably this has been the case because there was not a perception that the market for wine was large enough or because the vast majority of wine is purchased in the much more convenient confines of the grocery store.
WineStyles seems to be changing this with a wine store franchise that has grown to over 100 franchises in just a year and a half. The WineStyle franchise are showing up predominantly in suburbs where the gathering of the upper-middle class 40+ year old demographic is generally found.
The "WineStyles" name points to the approach the stores take, offering wines by style ("crisp", "Fruity", "Mellow", "Silky", etc) rather than simply by varietal or country.
The stores also are sticking to the $25 and under price range, a category that let’s people stay in their budgets at the low end, venture in to something a tad better in the middle, and give them a semi-splurge near the top end.
The cost to open your own WineStyles franchise? Somewhere in the neighborhood of $150,000. As with most franchises, this investment includes training in retail management, wine and promotional help from corporate headquarters.
The success of WineStyles is one more confirmation of wine coming on with America. And there is a snowball effect in place too. As wine becomes more and more visible, either via storefronts or pop culture, more and more people investigate what it has to offer.
Is WineStyles a good investment? Who knows. Drop a comment if you’ve been in a WineStyles store.
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Let’s not forget that Best Cellars launched the concept of a store offering a limited number of labels below a set price, and that it has outposts in several cities, certasinly not 100, that’s remarkable.
Vino 100, http://www.vine100.com/ (“100 wines all under $25”), is now up to 34 franchises (with another 19 “opening soon”), most of which appear to be located in retail malls.
I’m surprised that a major grocer like Safeway hasn’t picked up this concept in-house.
There’s also Vino Venue: http://www.vinovenue.net/
If they are successful, I expect they will also franchise the concept.
The above picture is of my store in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. We have been very successful and look to open another store in the Palm Beach Country this year.
Please visit or call us. 5540 PGA Blvd. Palm Beach Gardens Florida (561)630-0033
Cheers,
Andrew Feinberg
Andrew,
Congratulations! It would be great to have you wiegh in here at Fermentations now and again from a retailer’s perspective.
cheers,
tom…
I have been to the WineStyles store in Irvine and Costa Mesa, California. I have never had such a pleasant experience with selecting wines and having the ability to taste them in the store. I fell in love with the concept so much, I bought one:-)
We just opened our WineStyles in Illinois in November and are excited about our progress. Our customers love the non-intimidating atmosphere and great wines. But more importantly, we have a number of events that make our shop a fun place to go. From wine classes to Girl’s Night Out to Movie Premier evenings, the community is genuinely excited about the concept.
I think we have the first Wine Styles in Mexico. Our local wine group had a tasting there. Nice store and concept.
Fred Carpenter
San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico
Tom,
My wife and I are opening a WineStyles in Claremont Ca. As the others have mentioned, it is a great concept that involves both the novice and mature wine drinker.
201 N. Indian Hill Blv
Claremont CA. 91711
909 447 4400
CHEERS!!
We are Claremont residents..forgot to put the Suite number
A-100
I think WineStyles are great for communities where wine is a new concept and the neighborhood consists of beginners. But I think it is quite easy for people to outgrow these stores and want more selection and actual wine expert advice. Some owners of WineStyles are interested in buying into a successful industry, and they are not always wine aficionados.