There are a lot of reasons why beverage behemoth Total Wine & More stands out in the drinks retail landscape. For starters the company is huge, spanning $6 billion in annual revenue across its 277 stores in 29 states. Reports last year put Total Wine atop the wine and spirits retail pyramid, as the company recently surpassed Costco and Safeway/Albertsons to become the largest wine and spirits retailer in the country. But even at that size, Total Wine has mastered the art of taking a local approach to nationwide retail. Sure, the stores follow a similar design theme and aesthetic across the country, but they eschew a cookie-cutter, one size fits all format, choosing instead to put a local slant on drinks retail even as the company grows.
Another point of differentiation: The “& More” in the name. Along with its massive selection of wine, spirits, and beer, Total Wine has a heavy emphasis on the customer experience, and that includes regular tasting events and educational classes at its stores nationwide. Throughout 2024, the company offered more than 6,000 enrichment classes across its footprint, from wine and chocolate pairing seminars to Whiskey 101. It all adds up to a customer-centric retail approach on a massive scale that’s hard to replicate. And with growth expected to continue at upwards of 20 new stores annually, it’s helping to ensure that Total Wine remains among the most influential beverage retailers in the country.
“We believe in connecting people through joyful experiences,” says Total Wine & More CEO Troy Rice. “That’s our purpose and that’s what we do. We relentlessly focus on the customer and we tailor our experience locally, with everything from our in-store signage and product assortment to advertising. Even the music that plays in our stores reflects regional tastes. We take great pride in being part of our local communities and creating stores that are more than shopping destinations. They’re dynamic, welcoming spaces where customers feel connected and engaged.”
And Total Wine is reaching a lot of customers. During his remarks at the Impact Seminar in September 2024, co-founder and co-owner Robert Trone said that Total Wine & More serves 18.5 million customers a year. Further, he noted that the company sold 260 million bottles of wine and spirits in 2023. Those are big numbers, and they’re a testament to the size and scope of Total Wine’s operation. Spirits have grown to hold the largest share of Total Wine’s sales at 43%, followed by wine at 38%, and beer and miscellaneous items at the remaining 19%.
Growth Engine
Over the course of its 30-plus years, Total Wine & More has changed immensely. The company launched in 1991 with one store in Delaware, a concept created by brothers David and Robert Trone that focused on product assortment and low prices from the start. Three decades later, the company is approaching 300 units—a number it hopes to hit by the end of 2025—and while the Trones remain involved they’ve amassed a leadership team with a wide array of retail experience that has helped keep the business relevant as the industry changes.
The Trone brothers were named Market Watch Leaders in 1993 and Retailers of the Year in 2006, and along the way they’ve also earned accolades for community service and advertising. David Trone joined the U.S. House of Representatives in 2019 and just left office earlier this year, while Robert has stayed on at the helm of Total Wine as co-owner. Rice joined the business in 2017 as chief stores officer and was named COO in 2021. He joined the Market Watch Leaders roster in 2021, and just a few years later, he now serves as CEO of Total Wine & More.
The company’s annual revenue was $5 billion in 2021 and reached $6 billion just three years later. Last year’s growth came with a new market too, as Total Wine opened its first store in Nebraska in 2024 with the debut of an Omaha location. Overall last year, Total Wine opened 14 stores nationwide, and Rice says the company will add a similar amount this year, with the ultimate goal being to open about 15-20 stores annually for the next five years. “We’re excited about future growth,” Rice says. “We see lots of opportunities to grow in the United States. When we look at markets for new stores, we look for places where we can have a meaningful impact on potential customers.”
Of that $6 billion in revenue, 18% of sales come from online platforms, and that’s also been a boon to business. Trone estimated during his presentation in September that Totalwine.com gets more than 190 million visits a year. In addition, the company has a mobile app that’s seen roughly 7 million downloads so far, and Trone said the app has 1.8 million users monthly. “Other retailers can match our prices and sometimes they match our assortment, but there’s no retailer that can match our customer experience,” Trone said at the Impact Seminar. “Our customers want to try new things. We fully support innovation and new products. We need to do a better job of getting those new ideas into our stores faster to expose customers to them in store and online.”
Indeed, Rice points to large investments by Total Wine in its digital infrastructure. He says online and mobile app transactions are now the fastest growing part of the company’s sales and estimates that as many as 65% of customers start their shopping journey online, even if they ultimately go to a physical store to shop. “It’s crucial for us to be a great omnichannel retailer,” Rice says. “Today, digital engagement goes beyond just e-commerce. Our website and app have become go-to destinations where customers can easily search for products, learn about producers, and find inspiration for their next purchase.”
The idea of discovery has become an important part of the mix at Total Wine, too. The company launched a new tagline a few years ago—“Find What You Love. Love What You Find.”—and the stores are taking that message to heart. “We pioneered the idea of large-format, standalone retail exclusively for wine, spirits, and beer,” Rice says. “When our first store opened in Delaware in 1991 that was a novel idea. Today, when people walk into our stores for the first time, they’re blown away by the selection and by how much fun it is to shop and discover something new in our aisles.”
Popular Products
Tequila continues to be a dynamic spirits category for Total Wine, and Rice notes that consumers have recently shown interest in craft Tequila labels, in addition to Bourbon, liqueurs, and RTD spirits cocktails. On average, the stores carry from 3,000-5,000 spirits SKUs. Recently highlighted brands include Tequilas like Mi Familia Flores Cristalino Reposado ($60 a 750-ml. at the Claymont, Delaware store near where the company was founded) and El Padrino Blanco ($55 a 1.75-liter), as well as whiskies like Chestnut Farms Bottled in Bond Bourbon ($120 a 750-ml.), Wolcott Kentucky Straight Bourbon ($30 a 750-ml.), and Isle of Skye 21-year-old Scotch ($90 a 700-ml.).
In wine, Rice says sparkling labels are performing well, as are crisp whites from New Zealand, France, and Italy, and lighter style chillable reds. Total Wine stores stock as many as 8,000 wine SKUs and the company employs a team of sommeliers and wine experts to help guide guests. Some of the company’s recent wine recommendations span from Louis Bouillot Perle de Vigne Cremant de Bourgogne Brut ($23 a 750-ml.) and Champagne Marie de Moy Grand Cru ($48) to Amici Sauvignon Blanc ($27) and Napa Reserve Cabernet Sauvignon ($100), Il Duca Imperiale Cardinal Red ($13), and Nobilis Vinho Verde White Blend ($10).
The non-alcoholic space continues to gain momentum at Total Wine too. Some of the stores’ best-selling labels in that sector include Owen’s Craft Espresso Martini mix ($14 a 4-pack of 8-ounce cans), Athletic Run Wild IPA ($20 a 12-pack of 12-ounce cans), Ritual Zero-Proof gin and Tequila (each $28 a 750-ml.), and Mocktails Nitro Espresso Martini ($15 a 4-pack of 6-ounce cans).
“We make sure we’ve got a mix of well-known staples and more unique, trending, and seasonal items,” Rice says. “We’ve worked for several years to put the investments in place to meet customers where they are, emphasizing our low prices to save customers money, our omnichannel offerings of pick-up and delivery, and by offering the broadest selection, particularly by leaning into hot categories like Tequila, Bourbon, and canned cocktails. This has helped us compete and grow.”
Rice also credits Total Wine’s 11,000-plus team members as being critical for the company’s success. Staff training is integral and he says every employee goes through a robust program that includes weekly tastings and education on new products when they’re introduced in stores. On average, Total Wine stores vary in size from 10,000 to 70,000 square feet, though most fall within the 20,000 to 30,000 square foot range.
The company’s leadership is also impressive. Many of Total Wines key top-level personnel have a wealth of retail experience, and a few of them have an impressively long tenure with the company, including chief merchandising officer Angela Weber, who’s been at Total Wine for 18 years, and senior vice president of merchandising Travis Smith, who’s been at Total Wine for more than 20 years. “Our team comes with not only extensive industry backgrounds, but deep tenure as well,” Rice notes. “Our leadership team’s collective experience has been instrumental in driving innovation, refining processes, and ensuring our continued success.”
Beer is a lesser player at Total Wine, but the stores still offer a large selection upwards of 2,500 SKUs, which includes seltzers and malt-based RTDs. Rice points to continued momentum for light lagers and imports. The company has recently promoted newer products like Wrexham lager ($12 a 4-pack of 16-ounce cans), Founders KBS Double Oaked imperial stout ($23 a 4-pack of 12-ounce bottles), and LightStrike Hard Refresher Lemon-Lime and Orange-Mango ($10.50 a 4-pack of 16.9-ounce bottles).
Community Minded
To further emphasize its commitment to staying local while growing nationally, Total Wine has made community service a high priority. In both 2023 and 2024, the company donated more than $13 million annually in monetary and in-kind donations to more than 16,000 local and national non-profits to support a wide array of causes and community efforts. Over the life of the company, such donations top $300 million.
In addition, the company is committed to reaching its minority consumers. Total Wine has launched a multicultural initiative that focuses on Hispanic consumers to start, and kicked off the effort by identifying 38 stores in six states that would benefit from enhanced Hispanic product assortments and increased merchandising efforts to reach that segment. Some of those stores have also added Spanish signage and employees who speak Spanish to better interact with guests.
Appealing to premium consumers is also important. While Total Wine has built its brand on beating the competition on price, company executives continue to see potential at the higher end. During his remarks at the Impact Seminar, Robert said the focus remains on having the lowest prices in every market, but he added, “Our belief is that the premium and ultra-premium customer who has a high amount of disposable income is still a growing segment.” To that end, Total Wine has added concierge teams to build relationships with its top premium-level customers at 184 of its stores.
For Rice and his colleagues, all of these factors are crucial to the overall success of the business, and Total Wine will continue to support them as it grows. Rice estimates that the company will add 14-16 stores in 2025, noting that the focus is on domestic U.S. growth and not international expansion. Total Wine’s goal is to hit 300 stores by the end of this year and 400 stores by 2032. “When it comes to new store openings, we carefully evaluate each new market to match our offerings there to its customers,” Rice explains. And through it all, the core pillars on which Total Wine was founded 33 years ago remain in place.
“At the core of our culture are exceptional service, low prices, and a great selection,” Rice says. “We maintain a laser focus on understanding what our customers are looking for so we can meet their needs. We’re never satisfied and we stay nimble, evolving and changing with trends to keep up with our customers. This is an exciting and challenging year for us at Total Wine & More.”