CSA Exclusive: BevMo! streamlines store communications

9/6/2019
The leading West Coast liquor retailer is enhancing customer experience with a back-end solution.

BevMo!, which operates nearly 170 stores in California, Arizona and Washington, prides itself on providing a fun in-store environment. The retailer has built an omnichannel approach (BevMo! also operates an e-commerce site) that combines online shopping with creative in-store shopping experiences, ranging from pop-up tastings to in-store celebrity appearances.

To ensure that store associates can maximize the time they spend participating in omnichannel events and interfacing with customers, BevMo! is streamlining, coordinating and automating communications between corporate headquarters and stores with the Retail Zipline workflow platform. Julia Miller, communication and event specialist, BevMo!, spoke with Chain Store Age about the retailer’s efforts to keep “BevMologists” on the store floor and out of the stockroom.

“We needed to provide more effective (headquarters-to-store) communication that was dynamic, not a static once a week newsletter,” explained Miller. “Along with that, we needed to find a solution that would improve store execution and provide an interactive interface for our stores to use.”

According to Miller BevMo! ultimately decided to deploy Retail Zipline because it allowed effective communications. “We could be more planful with workload, quickly reach the needs of the business, and provide our field leaders with the ability to follow up and track execution on one platform,” Miller said. “Plus, it provides visibility to communications and workload to all levels, from the CEO to the store associates.”

Miller stressed the importance of communication between corporate headquarters and field- and store-level managers and associates to BevMo’s omnichannel business model.

“The ability to quickly communicate a coherent message across our organization continues to create a culture of consistency and execution,” she stated. “Working with Zipline is one of the best vendor relationships we have. The top-level service they provide to the internal communications team has a direct impact on our store teams.”
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