While other beverage alcohol retailers the size of Hokus Pokus have gotten away from cigars in recent years , the store has done the opposite , finding success with walk-in humidors . The business has also excelled with its on-premise offerings .
do not ), and you want to post content that ’ s accessible for all types of people .
Also : “ You want to try to keep a video under 15 seconds , because that ’ s the length of an Instagram story ,” Elizabeth explains . “ You want to get to the point .”
Make sure the music is friendly and upbeat , and related to the product . “ You don ’ t want Spanish guitar in a video about Italian wine ,” Elizabeth says .
Whenever making content or writing marketing emails , Elizabeth remembers , “ You have to think that there ’ s another person on the other side of this , watching or reading it . It is a conversation between you and the other person , who is the customer . So keep in mind what you want to say in an honest , effective way .”
And remember : Social media for retailers is still meant to sell products .
“ We ’ re pushing content to our websites , where people can click and buy ,” says Gus . “ We have products on-demand . Multi-channel marketing makes it easy to buy products .”
THE FUTURE
What ’ s next for a company that already boasts so many decades and generations in business ? The same strategy that has always worked for Hokus Pokus : continued evolution and adaptation with changing times .
“ We ’ re always looking five years ahead ,” Gus says . “ We ’ re seeing consumers shifting . They don ’ t just want to walk into a store anymore . They want an experience .”
For Hokus Pokus this means attention on what audio the shops play , plus interactions with customers via tastings or flights offered by the glass at the bar .
“ What is that next level of experience , what does that look like in the next five years ?” Gus wonders . “ That ’ s the biggest challenge for us . Thinking about customers who walk into the store trying to find an experience . Whether that ’ s carefully curating your inventory , or hosting events and functions , or expanding the off-premise experience by possibly adding a patio for cigar bars .”
Eact store has a dual license , on and off , with tasting bars .
To that end , Hokus Pokus has found success in an area of the store that has fallen out of favor elsewhere in the industry .
“ All of our locations have a walk-in humidor ,” Gus says . “ They ’ ve been some of the most successful parts of our business . Obviously they go hand in hand : whiskey and cigars , cognac or tequila . Some people in the Wine & Spirits Guild have been getting away from them , but we ’ ve had good luck with cigars .”
Looking ahead herself , Elizabeth sees the long-term impact of the Covid−19 pandemic on consumer behavior .
“ Covid taught the consumer how to get creative with their bar at home ,” she observes . “ So we have to carry everything for them to be able to do that . That ’ s the future .”
Another permanent development from the age of lockdowns and sheltering in place is greater consumer use of ecommerce and social media .
“ The future is also about fine-tuning the technological aspect of our online platform ,” Elizabeth says . “ For that , I like to look at other retailers in general . Not just in our industry , but what is Target doing with their app ? How do they incorporate a digital wallet ? Stores like that are successful because of the convenience and ease of their app and website .”
Altogether , this clear vision for the future and multidimensional focus in the present makes Hokus Pokus a formidable beverage alcohol retailer .
“ One of our taglines ,” Gus says , “ is ‘ Service , Selection , and Savings : That ’ s the magic of the ghost '.”• www . beveragedynamics . com September 2023 • Beverage Dynamics 13