Top-Shelf Advice
"How are you using and infusing technology withing your store? Have you received a positive response?"
"We are a very old store and up until about three years ago, we had no real online
presence. While we have a rudimentary website, we have a current Facebook page which
displays our products and promotions. It has quite a following. In the future, I’m hoping to
incorporate an interactive website where consumers can purchase products and custom
design gift baskets. After all, it can only raise sales."
Lindsey Smalls, owner of Houston Gourmet Deli Den in Houston, TX
"Technology is so important in a changing marketplace. And as it develops, we are
trying to develop with it. We have both FourSquare and Facebook accounts to keep
in touch with our younger demographics. We also regularly tweet about discount or
sale items. We have a website, which about 40 percent of our overall sales come from.
Lastly, our store manager blogs about his favorite products and the recipes he uses to
create new and innovative treats. The technology that I would like to see implemented
in the future is a QR code or an iPhone application that directly relates to our shop.
We’re currently researching the process for developing something like that."
Kevin Miller, owner of Doreen’s Market in Washington, DC
"We’re a very small store in a tightly knit community. So, I never really felt the need
to create an online presence. As we are located in a suburb of L.A., we did recently
participate in a Groupon promotion for our merchandise. This was met with much
success and I am willing to do it again. It brought in not only our neighbors and regular
faces but also those who don’t generally venture outside city limits. Moreover, these are
people that we’ve continued to see."
Vivien Strain, general manager for Grapevines in Point Glendore, CA
"The internet has helped us to grow, not only the store’s sales, but also the capacity of
things we can do. Since having a website, we have started cooking and baking classes.
We broadcast these in webinar form with a password for those who pay but can’t attend
and those who’ve never attended and need a general feel for what’s happening. This
has really helped us grow and I hope we’ll continue doing it."
Stephaine Calik, owner for The Chef’s Kitchen in York, PA
"We have a website but it gets relatively little activity. That’s why, in the upcoming
year, we are going to start doing e-newsletters and electronic promotions. We will have
clients register their email address after a purchase. I think it will help generate in-store
activity and hopefully advance sales on the website."
Ella Mallory, general manager for Groceries Galore in New York, NY
