The secret to the quick success of Liquor World Las Vegas, according to president and CEO Rony Shamoun, starts and ends with the support and sacrifice of family members. “My family has had a lot to do with the growth of this concept,” he says. “They’ve stayed by my side, and thanks to their vision, we’ve been able to take Liquor World from a single store to 12 locations.”Indeed, the emergence and growth of the 17-year-old retail chain is a worthy example of the classic American dream. From a 1,200-square-foot store leased just prior to the last economic recession, Liquor World has grown into the city’s third-largest beverage alcohol retailer, with revenue in excess of $50 million. 

For his accomplishments in building a retail powerhouse in one of the most competitive beverage alcohol markets in the country, Shamoun has been named a 2023 Market Watch Leader.

Early Glimpse

The son of Iraqi immigrants, Shamoun grew up in Southern California. His father, Amer, worked as a carpenter and constructed liquor and convenience stores, while his mother, Nawal, worked multiple jobs to help feed and educate Rony and his siblings. By the time Rony was a young adult, his father was specializing in the installation of walk-in coolers for liquor stores in the San Diego area. Rony teamed up with him to sell the coolers, giving him a glimpse of the opportunities that exist in the beverage retail channel.

In the early 2000s, the family relocated to more affordable Las Vegas. Rony signed a lease on a small space located in a shopping mall southwest of the Strip in 2006. “With my dad’s background in building walk-in coolers and fixtures, we were able to build that store together, the first Liquor World,” he recalls. A second location, a short walk from the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino, opened three years later. That’s been followed by three additional stores in and around the Las Vegas Strip, and another seven stores in outlying areas—including affluent enclaves like Henderson’s Inspirada neighborhood—all opened in the last 14 years. The newest store, in Henderson and en route to Lake Mead and Lake Las Vegas, was unveiled this past spring. 

All of the Liquor World Las Vegas stores, which now range in size from about 3,000-14,000 square feet, have been built from the ground up. Half of the stores are leased, Shamoun says, and the other half are owned outright. The chain is widely considered the No.-3 beverage retailer in Nevada, behind only Total Wine & More and Lee’s Discount Liquors. In addition to his parents, Shamoun points to other family members who have contributed to the chain’s growth over the years, including his sisters Rana and Rem Shamoun.

While the pandemic proved to be a boon for most beverage alcohol retailers in 2020, stores in Nevada were challenged. During the early stages of lockdown, the state’s liquor stores were prohibited from opening, and in the ensuing months, only sales via delivery were permitted, with no in-store sales. “It was devastating to our industry,” says Shamoun. But Liquor World navigated the difficult period better than many competitors. “Fortunately, we were prepared for delivery because we knew it would come down the pipeline eventually,” he explains. “While other retailers couldn’t turn as quickly as we could, for us, it just meant flipping a switch.” Despite the pandemic, Liquor World opened four stores in three years, and sales in both 2021 and 2022 were strong for the chain.

Clean And Well-Lit

Liquor World Las Vegas takes pride in having clean, well-lit stores with friendly and knowledgeable team members. Wide selections of wine, spirits, and beer are offered, with some stores featuring temperature-controlled wine sections, beer caves, and tasting areas. Store design plays a critical role in the chain’s merchandising strategy, Shamoun notes. “Whenever we open a new store, we always ask, ‘how can we make the shopping experience the best one possible for our customers?’” the retailer says. “Gone are the days when you could say, ‘vodka is in aisle 5 and Tequila is in aisle 6.’ You now have to think more creatively, such as, ‘should mezcal lead the Tequila category?’”

Inventory at the stores in close proximity to the Strip cater to the city’s tourists, while Liquor World’s neighborhood shops target a generally affluent and discerning local shopper. The 10,000-square-foot Inspirada store, for example, features a 2,000 square-foot wine bar, which is open during the store’s regular business hours and is also utilized for special events like bottle signings and tastings. The newest Lake Mead Parkway store, meanwhile, at 7,500 square feet, boasts a 1,000-square-foot beer cave and a separate walk-in ice chest that’s large enough to house 400 bags of ice, an attractive feature for boaters headed out on the water. 

Spirits dominate at Liquor World, accounting for 60% of sales, with wine and beer each contributing 15% and miscellaneous items representing the remaining 10%. The chain stocks about 4,000 spirits SKUs, from Barton vodka ($8 a 750-ml.) to Highland Park 30-year-old single malt whisky ($1,310). Top-selling spirits brands include Tito’s vodka ($29 a 1-liter), Casamigos Reposado Tequila ($60 a 750-ml.), Jameson Irish whiskey ($26), and Jack Daniel’s Tennessee whiskey ($24). A single-barrel program, “Liquor World Discoveries,” has proven very successful for the chain, Shamoun says, with more than 75 offerings over the last couple of years.

“Tequila remains on fire,” the retailer says of current spirits trends. “It’s our No.-1 category and shows no signs of slowing down.” In fact, he notes that while higher prices on most spirits lately have prompted customers to trade up to larger bottles and shop less frequently, that’s not the case for Tequila. “With Tequila, it doesn’t matter what the price is. Customers will still purchase it,” Shamoun says.

Sales of canned cocktails and RTDs are also strong at Liquor World. “Canned cocktails have grown like wildfire,” Shamoun says, pointing to brands like High Noon ($17 an 8-pack of 355-ml. cans), Jack Daniel’s & Coca-Cola ($9 a 4-pack), and Crown Royal RTDs ($15 a 4-pack). Space allocated to the products has grown fivefold in recent years. But with so many new offerings, Liquor World gives new brands a 90-day trial period. “If they don’t turn in three months, we discontinue them,” the retailer explains.

Changing the Mindset

Shamoun concedes that with a name like “Liquor World,” customers don’t initially expect the stores to be wine destinations. But he and his team are determined to change that mindset by focusing on good wine values. “In order to build our wine business, we’ve decided to come down on pricing,” explains the retailer, pointing to products like its “Wine Discoveries,” which are small-label wines with just a 30% markup, as compared to competitors that take a 50%-70% markup on private label wines. The 2017 Yannick Alleno & Michel Chapoutie Cotes du Rhone ($20 a 750-ml.) is a recent example. Liquor World stocks about 4,000 wine SKUs, ranging from André Brut Rosé ($4 a 375-ml. can) to the 2009 Penfolds Grange Bin 95 ($810 a 750-ml.). Top-selling wines include LaMarca Prosecco ($15), the 2021 Kendall-Jackson Vintners Reserve Chardonnay ($11), and the 2021 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc ($16).

Liquor World features some 2,500 beer SKUs, priced from $3 for a 24-ounce can of Miller Lite to $40 for a case of 12-ounce bottles of Lagunitas IPA. Top-selling brews include Modelo Especial ($15 a 12-pack of 12-ounce cans) and Truly hard seltzer ($16). Given the Las Vegas climate, the chain strives to satisfy strong demand for cold beer, with most stores featuring 15 to 20 cooler doors or beer caves. Single-serves are popular among tourists walking the Strip, due to the city’s open-container allowance, and Liquor World leverages the opportunity. “People have learned they can either go into a casino and buy a 12-ounce beer for $20 or come to Liquor World and spend $5 on a 24-ounce can,” Shamoun notes.

Among the miscellaneous items sold at Liquor World, cigar sales are robust. The chain offers up to 80 rotating cigar options at any one time, which are typically housed in reach-in humidors. “We see cigars as an add-on sale for the spirits customer,” Shamoun remarks, adding that the stores’ staff are trained to make recommendations to pair with spirits purchases.

Masterful Marketing

Liquor World launched its loyalty program in 2018, followed by a mobile app in 2019, and according to Shamoun, both tools have been well received. Under the Liquor World Rewards program, members earn $5 back for every $200 they spend, as well as the ability to sample new products early and attend special events. Of course, the chain also benefits from the program. “We pride ourselves on being a tech company,” Shamoun notes. “With the rewards program, we’re able to better understand our consumers and target them.”

The company’s marketing strategy also includes a vast outdoor advertising program, with weekly ads running on 42 billboards around the valley, including four on the Strip. The billboards and loyalty program tie into what Shamoun calls Liquor World’s “360-degree” marketing campaign, quarterly executions organized in partnership with brands that also utilize email blasts and in-store videos and displays. “It’s been extremely successful,” the retailer says of the campaign, with sales of featured items typically seeing a 50%-100% increase.

With uncertainty over whether the economy is headed into a recession, Liquor World will hold steady at 12 stores for now, Shamoun says. While he notes that he keeps his eye on markets like Reno, Nevada, Denver, and even Arizona for possible expansion in the future, for now the retailer’s focus is on growing the chain organically and satisfying the needs of his customers. “The fact that Liquor World is locally owned and operated keeps us competitive,” Shamoun says. “I envision us remaining a strong player in this market. We live and breathe Vegas.”