Minnesota Municipal Beverage Association Newsletter
(July 29, 2012 - August 4, 2012)
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As I See It...

Resource  

Resource: A source of supply, support, or aid, especially one that can be readily drawn upon when needed.

 

In a review of the first two thirds of summer I looked back on in store tastings that staff, sales representatives and our distributors many of whom are Commercial Members of our organization.

 

During June and July we have had 9 different in store tastings, this week of We Fest we are promoting Skinny Girl cocktails with John O'Reilly from Beam Global on Thursday evening and Friday we are sampling hand crafted rum Brinley Gold Shipwreck with Lexi from Vinocopia

 

Remember to ask your salesperson and our commercial members to do tastings in your store. If you need help in setting up your first tasting feel free to contact any of the board members.

 

If you are planning a holiday wine/spirits tasting (I personally don't want to think about snow and cold just yet) make sure to set up with your salesperson and lock in a date a.s.a.p.

 

Until Later!

 

Michael Friesen

Hawley Liquors

 

Handling Shoplifters
Shoplifting  
Do you have a plan to handle shoplifters and avoid this situation...
 
 

An employee of Ace Hardware in Coon Rapids is recovering from apparent stab wounds after trying to stop a shoplifter Tuesday morning.

 

Store owner Todd Spanjers tells KARE 11 that the incident began when one of his employees called out on his radio to report a shoplifting incident in progress. By the time he and other employees were able to respond the suspect and a female accomplice were already exiting the store with a supply of brass plumbing fittings.

 

Spanjers and one employee followed the man to his car in an attempt to keep him from escaping. The store owner reached inside in an attempt to put the vehicle in park, while the employee opened the door and tried to grab the suspect. That's when the man threatened to kill the employee, pulled a knife or cutting tool and stabbed or slashed him.

 

At that point the suspected shoplifter ran from the vehicle and headed down Foley Boulevard with Spanjers following him, talking with police dispatchers and relaying their location.

 

Eventually the man reached a stand of trees and dared Spanjers to come into the woods after him.

 

Eventually squads arrived on the scene and arrested the suspect. There are reports that they had to use a taser on him, but police haven't confirmed that.

 

The stabbed employee was transported by ambulance to the hospital, as was the woman who was with the shoplifter. No word on either of their conditions.  

Bundle to Increase Sales 
Price Increase  
By BarOwnerTips.com 
 
Research done by the University of Virginia and Duke University indicates that consumers place a perceived value on combo meals, even if it costs the same as the items do if purchased separately.  
 
 For example, say your bar has an offer where customers can buy some food and a beer together for one set price.
 
Even if you don't offer a discount on the items when bundled together, customers will see value in the combination offer.  
 
Researchers found that people choose the combo meal option even when there is no price discount.
 
 
When a bundled meal is offered, these menu items are made more appealing to the customer and they are easier to select rather than the customer having to choose each item individually. 
 
What does this mean for your bar?
 
Take a look at what items go together on your menu and start creating combinations.  It's up to you whether you include a price savings or not, butif the research stands up to the test, your combos will sell either way. 
How to Attract More Business 
Attracting More Business  

By Bob Phibbs, The Retail Doctor

  

Businesses across the country are struggling.

  

Retailers are asking me what to do and what I tell them is that the only thing you can control is how you approach your business - not business conditions.

Blaming it on anything else won't get you anywhere.

  

You can't lock the doors of Walmart, unplug Amazon, best Best Buy or cover the Target.

  

You can only control what you have the ability to control.

 

All of your focus has to be on attracting customers into your store, keeping them there, selling them something, inviting them to come back and marketing to them afterwards.

 

Using these eight steps in order gives you that focus:
 

1.     Be honest. Ask yourself what you are doing right and what might be going wrong in your shop. Evaluate your processes, allocation of labor, training programs and marketing materials.

 

Make a list of at least five things that are working and five that aren't.

 

Now be even more honest - think about what your customers see. Make a list of five things that you think they love and five that they don't.

 

2.     Prioritize and decide to change those things that aren't working first. Some of these might be tough, like firing someone you know has to go, having a mammoth clearance sale of dated merchandise, or moving your entire store around. Now notice how much better you feel.  Taking action with purpose to make your business better makes you feel better.

 

3.     Bond. Find a way to make your employees' day first, then your customers' day and then your own. Find a way to connect with your employees, not as a best friend but as a person. Find common ground. If you make your employees feel good, they'll transfer that feeling to your customers and happy customers buy more and that makes your day.

 

4.     Gather. Do whatever it takes to get the word out about your store. If you have an email list already, skip to #5. If not and you have an old mailing list in a dusty file cabinet, or a list in your PC, copy all of your physical address information along with loyalty rewards, special orders, sales books and other information into a new database.

 

Once you have your email list, use it in a personal way. Personally invite customers into your store with something specific they might enjoy.

 

Even just thanking your best customers for their business in a personal way brings them back in.  When they do come in, thank them personally again.

 

Come up with a compelling subject line that promises benefits - not free, discount or coupon.. What do you want them to do upon reading it? Come into the shop, tell a friend, join Facebook page, create a gift list, come to an event - you decide.

 

5.  Train your crew on how to sell. Have your employees role-play their new skills towards the front of the store. Nothing attracts and is more inviting than people seeing other people shopping. Next create a store sales goal; breaking it into bite-sized goals.

 

6.  Become a student of Facebook and learn as much as you can about attracting fans, engaging them and keeping them.

 

7.  Change your parking. If your parking lot is empty and you've always told employees to park in back, have them park in front to look busy, then have them move them when you are packed.

 

8. Zip it. Stop asking other shop owners how their business is. If it's great and yours isn't, you'll feel worse. If theirs is worse, you still won't feel better.  Instead ask them one good thing they did yesterday.

 

You want to attract more customers to your store, you need to look at the energy you are creating - or not creating - in your store and then work to make someone else's day so they can make yours.

A Man Was Telling His Bartender...
Old Man2  
A man was telling his bartender, 'I just bought a new hearing aid. It cost me four thousand dollars, but it's worthy every penny. This thing is state of the art!'

'Really,' answered the bartender, curious. 'What kind is it?'

The man said, 'Twelve thirty.' 
 
Future Dates to Remember!!

2012 MMBA Regional Meetings

 

Fall 2012

 

2013 MMBA Boot Camp 

 

February 19 & 20, 2013

Breezy Point Resort

 

2013 MMBA Annual Conference

 

May 18 - 21, 2013

Arrowwood Resort

Ask A Director

Gary Buysse
Rogers
763-428-0163

Cathy Pletta
Kasson
507-634-7618
  
Vicki Segerstrom
Milaca
320-983-6255
  
Brian Hachey
Stacy
651-462-2727

Nancy Drumsta
Delano
763-972-0578

Lara Smetana
Pine City
320-629-2020

Michael Friesen
Hawley
218-483-4747

Tom Agnes
Brooklyn Center
763-381-2349

Steve Grausam
Edina
952-903-5732

Toni Buchite
50 Lakes
218-763-2035

Brenda Visnovec
Lakeville 
952-985-4901
 
Bridgitte Konrad
North Branch
651-674-8113
  
Shelly Dillon
Callaway
218-375-4691
  
Karissa Kurth
Buffalo Lake
320-833-2321
 
Paul Kaspszak
MMBA
763-572-0222
1-866-938-3925

 
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