TRY BEFORE YOU BUY!
Libby Faulkner talks to The Whalley Wine Shop owner Tom Jones about how they have achieved a firm place on the high street
The Whalley Wine Shop has gone from strength to strength since it first opened its doors as a vibrant independent wine retailer eight years ago.
“I think what’s key is keeping the customer at the forefront of your mind, we are always thinking of new and interesting ways to get our customers to try new wines and step out of their comfort zones,” says owner Tom Jones. “Introducing the barrels to the front of the shop means it’s a great place to socialise as well as shop.”
There is no better way of doing this than to try before you buy, which is made easy with the arrival of the shop’s new state-of-the-art Enomatic wine tasting machine. This is an eight-bottle ‘Enomatic Elite’, which has technology that keeps the wine super-fresh for up to four weeks – not that it ever sticks around that long – meaning customers have the chance to taste a number of the vast selection of wines in the shop before making a full purchase. The wines are regularly changed and handpicked by the team to fit with regular themes, to help customers explore more of the world of wine.
“Another way we like to encourage people to test new wines is through our hand selected quaffable cases – £75 for 12 wines means they get a wide selection of specially picked options accompanied by tasting notes – they might just discover their new favourite,” adds Tom.
The shop itself has had a steady and organic growth and after celebrating their eight year anniversary, they are now enhancing their social media presence headed up by newest recruit Sam, who produces fun and informative videos and blog articles for Facebook and beyond. So, for regular updates on all things Whalley Wine he’s the face to look out for.
“Sam has really taken it in his stride and is definitely engaging with our audience, it’s great to see him get involved with videos and it’s the perfect platform to promote our offering.”
The Whalley Wine Shop dedicated tasting card means customers can load money on to the card whenever they like, to spend on anything they like in-store. The cards have recently been upgraded but if customers take in their old cards, any balance remaining on the old card can be transferred to the new card with an extra 10% credit added for free.
“The cards can be loaded up with credit and then customers can use the new ‘Enomatic’ Machine whenever they like – a self service system to sample as many wines as you like! Many load money on at the start of the month as a bit of a ‘fine wine’ drinking budget.”
The constant progression of The Whalley Wine Shop, and the dynamic high street of Whalley thanks to parking improvements, means there’s no excuse not to pop in and try a glass or take a bottle home.
The Whalley Wine Shop
63 King Street, Whalley BB7 9SW
01254 822581
facebook@whalleywineshop
instagram@whalleywineshop
twitter@whalleywineshop
