the following year , in 1997 . “ It included a full cooler and increased wine selection .”
Beyond the broader wine variety , the new location also included other common upgrades that helped move forward the alcohol retail industry in the mid-to-late ‘ 90s . Namely : better décor and lighting . All of which helped make Court Liquors and many similar retailers a more family-friendly environment for modern times .
From its humble origins and ‘ 90s transformation , the company has not stopped evolving . In 2016 , seeking more space , Court Liquors built a warehouse for increased storage and better SKU variety .
“ We are always evolving and monitoring current trends and growth areas in the industry ,” Pizzonia explains .
EMBRACING ECO-CONSCIOUS
Perhaps most noticeable about Court Liquors today is how much the retailer focuses on organic , biodynamic and sustainable wines . While healthier , natural products are currently trendy , the store was ahead of the curve when first emphasizing these items around 2006−2007 .
Pizzonia was behind the push . “ I was very much into food , and developed an interest in food sourcing ,” he recalls . “ I started looking into the ingredients of products . I didn ’ t want to consume foods that had been processed . I started being a fanatic about it . I took up gardening as a hobby .”
“ From there I shifted my focus and looked at our wine selection ,” he adds . “ I thought , ‘ There ’ s got to be products out there that nobody knows about yet ’. At the time there were a couple of wine brands advertising that they were USD-certified organic . I can remember laughing at that , thinking it was a fad . But I shifted my mindset .”
With his new mindset , Pizzonia began stocking eco / sustainable wines . Today , the store specializes in this subcategory . Around 80 % of Court Liquors ’ wine SKUs are organic , biodynamic and / or natural brands . Signage throughout the store identifies and explains these products .
This has lined up well with the broader trend of U . S . consumers eating , drinking and living healthier .
“ People today want to know what products they ’ re putting in their bodies ,” Pizzonia says . “ They also want to know whether those products are being handled responsibly , they want to know the people behind the products . This is not just an agricultural focus but also economic . Consumers want to know how the brands treat the people working there .”
These types of wines are also a possible answer to the top question in the category right now : How can wine attract more Millennials and Gen Z ?
“ A lot of my sales reps have been bringing that question up ,” Pizzonia says . He points to how well organic , biodynamic and sustainable wines performed at Court Liquors during the pandemic . He sees this as a sign of younger LDA customers having interest in the subcategory .
“ During the pandemic , many younger consumers — aged
A relocation in the ' 90s saw Court Liquors expand from 1,000 square feet to 4,600 , while moving across the lot from its original location as a little store next to a grocery shop .
21 to 30 — relocated into the area , coming back home to stay with their parents ,” Pizzonia says . “ These consumers were going to college , often in larger markets like cities , so they had more exposure to the trendy healthy lifestyle . So they wanted natural , organic and biodynamic wines , with artisanal backgrounds .”
“ The pandemic exposed us to this audience in greater numbers ,” he adds . “ After Covid , as those consumers have gone back to their former lives , our numbers have receded . But we have been able to maintain a good , steady base ” of people buying these wines .
Why haven ’ t more retail stores considered growing their organic , biodynamic and sustainable selection ? “ I think we can become so focused on the commodity side of this business that we sometimes don ’ t take a serious look at niche areas like this ,” Pizzonia suggests .
ATTRACTING MILLENNIALS AND GEN Z TO WINE
As for getting more younger consumers into wine in general , Pizzonia recommends taking cues from social media . After all , that ’ s where these generations spend much of their time , where they go to learn .
For instance , he suggests a locally produced TikTok channel , @ SuperVinoBros .
“ They ’ re geared toward that younger audience ,” he says . “ They don ’ t present themselves as wine experts but as wine www . beveragedynamics . com Spring 2024 • Beverage Dynamics 11