The Good Pour cofounders Ray and Giuliana Horal .
The Good Pour benefits a wide variety of charities and causes , giving each customer a choice of what to support .
Modern Retail with a Charitable Focus by KYLE SWARTZ
Beverage alcohol retail is in a constant state of evolution . From products stocked to customer service and merchandising strategies to the physical store layout , everything changes as the years progress . For instance : The industry changed for the better in the ‘ 90s , when stores nationwide opted for a cleaner , brighter , family-friendly layout , rather than the darker interiors of decades prior .
Now in our digital age and time of shifting consumer preferences , businesses must adapt again . Millennial and Gen Z shoppers prefer a modern style of stores and brands .
Regardless of age , many people today can feel swept up and overwhelmed in our hyper-partisan , endlessly political world . The opposite of that ? People uniting around one thing : It does feel nice to do good .
Thus is the motivation behind The Good Pour . Based in central Florida , this new wine and spirits retail business is built around the idea that people want to give back . How the company goes about this is innovative , and suggestive of how consumers want to be treated by where they shop in 2024 . So , too , is The Good Pour on the cutting edge in terms of social media and customer service .
The company operates two stores in Gainesville and Longwood , with a third on the way in College Park . After opening their first location in January 2024 , the founders believe they can reach five by the end of this year , with franchisees possibly doubling that number in the near future .
Mike Huska , managing Partner .
CHARITY AT CHECKOUT
Cofounder Ray Horal can count two decades experience on the distributor / supplier side of the industry . He also launched a vodka brand , GameDay Vodka . Traveling the country for these prior jobs , he saw opportunity in the retail tier while reflecting on the modern consumer .
“ The Good Pour is fueled by a belief that all people want to do good ,” Horal explains . “ In a world that ’ s so divided today , the thing that brings people together is that people want to help other people .”
Creating a beverage alcohol retail model around this idea , Horal and the rest of the team placed philanthropy at the forefront . When customers shop at The Good Pour , the store makes a donation to the charity of their choice .
Many stores asks shoppers to round up their receipt , but The Good Pour is making the
donation — and the customer gets to choose the charity . What also separates The Good Pour is also the level of consumer ease .
“ Digging into charity at checkout , statistics found that only 24 % of people actually participate in this form of charitable giving ,” Horal says . “ And www . beveragedynamics . com Summer 2024 • Beverage Dynamics 25