Massachusetts retailer Liquor ‘N More opened a sixth location in the town of Wareham earlier this year, with a soft opening in February followed by a grand opening in April. Owners Michael and Liz Patterson launched the chain in 2010, with the first location in Wellfleet. Since then, the company has provided the Cape Cod market with beverage alcohol products at competitive prices.
The new 7,000-square-foot Wareham location carries around 1,200 wine SKUs. Customer favorites include Oyster Bay Sauvignon Blanc ($9 a 750-ml.) and Josh Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon ($12). Popular summertime wines include Kendall-Jackson Chardonnay ($11) and L’Escale rosé ($10). Liquor ‘N More also carries local wine labels including Diamond White ($20) from Cape Cod’s Truro Vineyards.
The Pattersons often highlight family-run wineries, stocking wines like Cinder Winery’s Syrah and Red Blend (both $30 a 750-ml.) from Idaho, Three Otters Pinot Grigio ($20) from Oregon’s Fullerton Winery, Pinot Noir ($14) from California’s Langetwins Winery, and Alfonso Moscato ($17) from Italy’s Boeri Winery. “These wineries have stories, and there are people behind their products,” Michael says.
The Wareham store boasts 15 cooler doors and roughly 500 SKUs of beer, including mainstream offerings like Bud Light ($23 a 30-pack of 12-ounce cans) and Coors Light ($17 a 18-pack of 12-ounce cans), as well as popular independent names like Founders All Day IPA ($16 a 15-pack of 12-ounce cans), and Harpoon IPA ($15 a 12-pack of 12-ounce cans or bottles). Liquor ‘N More emphasizes its craft and local offerings, which notably include Hog Island Brewery’s White Shark wheat ale ($12 a 6-pack of 12-ounce cans), Barnstable Brewing’s Milkshake IPA ($14 a 4-pack of 16-ounce cans), Pony Shack Cider’s Fifer’s Dream ($13 a 6-pack of 12-ounce bottles), and Shoal Hope Ciderworks’ Monument ($5 a 16-ounce bottle).
Liquor ‘N More offers approximately 700 spirits SKUs, and the Pattersons are seeing strong interest in whisk(e)y, rum, and vodka. Popular offerings include Tito’s Handmade vodka ($28 a 1.75-liter), Dewar’s White Label blended Scotch ($30), Bacardi Superior rum ($20), and Jack Daniel’s Tennessee whiskey ($40). As Massachusetts is home to several craft distilleries, the store stocks local offerings, including Nantucket Naturals’ vodka ($25 a 750-ml.) and Bloody Mary mix ($7), as well as Cape & Island Distillers’ Cape Cod vodka and Cape Cod Great White rum (both $25).
Customers are usually willing to trade up, though Liquor ‘N More keeps most spirits prices low to remain competitive. “People don’t have to bargain-shop,” Michael says. “They come in and know they’re going to get the best price they can.” Loyalty and rewards programs aren’t allowed in Massachusetts, but the store does offer deals like a 10% discount on the purchase of six bottles of wine and a 20% discount on the purchase of a case.
Liquor ‘N More has 50 total employees working at its six stores, with Wareham staffing seven. Customer service is a major focus, even down to small gestures like greeting customers with a smile and carrying purchases to their cars. The store’s overall design also works to make customers feel at home. “We try to keep the same vibe at every location—a warm, comfortable shopping experience,” notes Michael. “There can be a lot of intimidation when it comes to wine and spirits, so we try to maintain an accommodating atmosphere.”
Customer traffic at the Wareham location is steady, as the store is located in a busy area near a Walmart, Target, and other shopping destinations. The Pattersons don’t plan to open another store for a while—Massachusetts liquor laws currently set the maximum at seven, though that is set to change in 2020—but they will enlarge and remodel the other locations to grow the business.