or the Napa fires , or why Washington wine has become so big , or why certain products are allocated .”
retail setting . You need to be able to train people as quickly and as efficiently as possible . Think about it : Two weeks in a micro-learning class versus eight weeks in WSET . It ’ s something we ’ re still incorporating .”
Elizabeth hosts regular wine tastings and invites staff to taste . She talks through what makes the wines and their regions unique , expanding the expertise of Hokus Pokus employees .
“ The more you can taste these products with our people , the more knowledge they will have ,” she says . “ Knowledge is power . It makes employees feel more comfortable in providing customer service .”
Hokus Pokus also hosts regular tastings for the public . Each store has a dual license , on and off , with a tasting bar set up inside .
“ We do wine , tequila , whiskey , all kinds of tastings weekly ,” Gus says . “ We put out the product and taste it and talk about it . It ’ s a big advantage for our stores .”
Elizabeth also teaches classes in the stores that customers can attend .
“ Whiskey drinkers , tequila drinkers , people are hungry for connection and understanding of what ’ s going on in the industry ,” she says . “ It ’ s important that we share these things with customers , like what ’ s going on with the whiskey boom
HANDLING ALLOCATED PRODUCTS
Booming consumer interest in American whiskey is great for sales , but does cause some headaches .
“ The secondary market remains strong ,” Elizabeth observes . “ Lots of people overbought whiskey during Covid , and are now selling bottles , even half-filled bottles .”
Flippers remain vigilant , seeking allocated products like Buffalo Trace bottles by traveling across state lines .
“ I ’ ll tell you what we ’ re not doing with these bottles : We ’ re not putting them out on the shelves ,” Elizabeth says . “ We want to make sure that those bottles are bought by people who are regularly supporting the store and are actually drinking the whiskey .”
Accordingly , Hokus Pokus runs a rewards program based on total dollars spent on whiskey . Participants eventually gain access to sought-after products , which remain safely out of site , not on the store floor . At the end of the year , Hokus Pokus places calls .
“ The top ten spenders get X bottles from our whiskey cache ,” Gus says . “ Then eleven through twenty get X . The rest , up to about one hundred , will get access to a randomized bottle .”
“ We want to reward our top customers , get these bottles into their hands ,” he adds .
Considering options that other stores use for allocated items , Elizabeth dislikes raffles because they invite an influx of out-of-state shoppers , chasing trendy brands . As for the basket or bag — ubiquitous in 2023 , pairing a popular bourbon with a slower-moving whiskey — she again sees drawbacks .
“ I think they ’ re unethical ,” Elizabeth says . “ You ’ re flooding the market with more alcohol than the market wanted .”
As for the Hokus Pokus rewards system , “ It ’ s something black and white that the staff members can easily understand , and can easily point to when people come in with questions ,” she says .
SOCIAL MEDIA MARKETING
Like her father computerizing the stores , Elizabeth has helped continue technological evolution at Hokus Pokus with a focus on social media .
“ Video is king ,” she says . “ Whether that ’ s on Instagram , Facebook or Tik Tok .”
Creating posts for a business with three locations spread across the state can be difficult .
“ We have to shoot content that works across all three stores ,” she says . “ We focus on new items that all three stores have , and seasonal items .”
Hokus Pokus incorporates store staff , who introduce new items on camera .
Simple advice that Elizabeth has for other beverage alcohol retailers filming for social media : use subtitles . Not everybody watches with the sound on ( in fact , a large percentage
12 Beverage Dynamics • September 2023 www . beveragedynamics . com