Wolfville liquor store keys on 'customer experience'

By Wendy Elliott

The Advertiser

NovaNewsNow.com



The Nova Scotia Liquor Commission outlet in Wolfville is due to expand soon and will feature the commission’s newest retail concept, “Distinctly Maritimes.”

According to tender documents, the enlarged store will look different inside and out based on an aesthetic that will transform the NSLC from “a place to buy something to a place to shop.”

The tender suggests the NSLC “vision is to draw inspiration from the natural form and function of the Nova Scotia land and seascape” and revamp the current store into a “vibrant customer experience.”

Some customers locally have bemoaned the loss of the Port of Wines sections, but Rick Perkins, VP marking and communications, says most of the products “in the old Port of Wines section were incorporated onto the regular shelf.”

Perkins noted that customer research showed that forcing customers to shop for wine in several locations was inconvenient.

He did add that the loss of specific products might indicate they were no longer offered because of a low level of sales. Perkins said the NSLC is currently reviewing all 108 stores and aiming for a new mix or look that should roll out in a couple of months.

Work on the 8,207 square-foot store on Front St. is expected to start this month. The NSLC processes 17 million transactions annually, which amounts to $500 million in sales.