A&P, Best Cellars open up shop in N.J.

WESTWOOD, N.J. A&P unveiled the fruit of its partnership with Best Cellars, a specialty retailer of adult beverages, with its first-ever Best Cellars at A&P shop in the New York City suburb of Bergen County, N.J.

The unit incorporates the Best Cellars philosophy of merchandising wine by flavor, rather than label or variety. The 8,500-square-foot unit--7,400 square feet of selling space--offers some innovations as well. For the first time, a Best Cellars concept is offering beer by flavor profile as well as wine, helping consumers navigate the range of major brewery, import and craft products on the market.

Also, A&P is using various data sources to develop a series of Top 10 displays that offer the most popular labels in a variety of categories, such as American sparkling wines or Merlot, in which case, the merchandising incorporates product from any point of origin.