Broadway Wine Merchants

[metro]

Did a search for "Broadway Wine Merchants" couldn't find any threads. Anyhow, drove by today and noticed they are now open and fully stocked.

[Tex]

can you give us a little background behind BWM? Where is it? How big?

[cherrylane]

It's great! Huge wine selection. Right on Broadway and 8th...the owner is personable and knowledgeable about the wines.

[mecarr]

They are between 8th and 9th street on Broadway.

[Urbanized]

The building they are in is on the east side of the street. 824 N. Broadway. 10-15 years ago it was the home of European Motors, and served as the first office of the Automobile Alley Main Street program in '96-'97. The space was also home to the first Chocolate Decadence events, before it was moved across the street to the Hudson-Essex Building.

Most recently it was the sales office for Grant Humphreys' real estate developments, especially Block 42.

The space looks absolutely fantastic when I drive by it on the way home. I can't wait to stop in. I believe the product selection is specifically wine and wine only, and it looks massive.

This is the type of retail envisioned by the Automobile Alley folks more 10 years ago (not that the bicycle stores, CD Warehouse, and various restaurant development aren't equally fantastic), and it is amazing to see it finally come to pass. I have a real soft spot for Automobile Alley, and man is it looking great these days.

[autoMATTic]

I have been in there. The place looks great. There is also a selection of beer and spirits. The store is not complete yet. Like most businesses, I am told it will take some time for the owner to reach the level of inventory he anticipates. There are some great apartments upstairs that look down into the store. Since they are legally separate from the store wine tastings, parties, receptions, etc. can be held in there.

Bottom line: the place is great and will only get better. We need to show our support for these places that risk going into automobile alley. Byron's is cool as well but ...

[wsucougz]

Sweet, I'll have to check it out.

[jbrown84]

This is the type of retail envisioned by the Automobile Alley folks more 10 years ago (not that the bicycle stores, CD Warehouse, and various restaurant development aren't equally fantastic), and it is amazing to see it finally come to pass. I have a real soft spot for Automobile Alley, and man is it looking great these days.

This is good to see. There is so much potential for A-Alley. I'd like to see most storefronts be retail one day, with offices only on upper floors. More residential on upper floors would add alot as well.

BTW, Schlegal's did a phenomenal job with their space. It feels like a national chain store in that it's just really well-designed. Like REI quality.

[SouthsideSooner]

I'm happy to see retail go in to Automobile Alley but this just doesn't sound like a very good idea from a business sense.

Byrons is the largest wine and spirits retailer in the state and is just a mile down Broadway. They are hyper-competitive and will do everything they can to limit the success of this new venture.

This means that this new business will be reliant on customers who are willing to settle for a much smaller selection and pay a (much) higher price rather that go another mile.

I hope that they're doing this more as a hobby than as a serious attempt to make money.

[Urbanized]

Gotta tell you, from looking through the window as I've driven past it looks like the wine selection might not be that much smaller than Byron's. Shocking, I know.

I stand corrected on them not selling beer and spirits. I had heard somewhere that they were going exclusively wine.

[Pete]

I imagine they are going for a different crowd than Byron's.

I'm sure they'll provide much more in-depth customer service, especially in the wine department.

That, and tastings/events are every bit as important to those interested in wine as price.

[jbrown84]

Definitely sounds like they are going for a different demographic than Byron.

[LakeEffect]

I stepped in after work this evening - it honestly looks to be as big, if not a bigger, selection than Byron's. The aisles seem easier to navigate than Byron's. Two good points.

[autoMATTic]

I'm happy to see retail go in to Automobile Alley but this just doesn't sound like a very good idea from a business sense.

Byrons is the largest wine and spirits retailer in the state and is just a mile down Broadway. They are hyper-competitive and will do everything they can to limit the success of this new venture.

This means that this new business will be reliant on customers who are willing to settle for a much smaller selection and pay a (much) higher price rather that go another mile.

I hope that they're doing this more as a hobby than as a serious attempt to make money.

While Byron's is a huge store, it is not the largest in the state. Tulsa has a larger store and, if I am not mistaken, The Cellar on May is also larger. Cache Road in Lawton is also a huge store (with an incredible selection might I add. Cache Road currently has the largest beer selection in the state). As for the demographic, I think Broadway Merchants is going after the more selective buyer and, perhaps, those that dont want to share an aisle with a hobo. I hope they can both do well. I never wish ill on any business when it is owned and managed by lokies (locals/Okies). As for service, Broadway Mechants is incredible. There were a couple of things that I wanted that were not yet in stock. The owner/manager was quick to order anything I needed.

P.S. By larger I mean inventory, not square footage.

[BailJumper]

I agree with SouthSideSooner, This place has its work cut out for it.

I plan on patronizing them soon, but it will take a miracle for them to be profitable. I can only imagine what their overhead is.

I agree though, if they have truly knowledgeable staff and do some education events like tastings they might beat the odds - otherwise, regardless of their target demographic, dollars are dollars and Byron's is hard to beat.

[SouthsideSooner]

Wine and spirits are a commodity and as with most commodities, price rules.

When I wrote that Byron's is the largest wine and spirit retailer in the state, I was referring to sales volume. Although they would never release the numbers, industry insiders estimate their sales volume at about 20 million dollars annually.

In commodity retail, the only thing stronger than having the lowest prices is having the reputation for having the lowest prices. Byron's has been the low price leader in Oklahoma since we came out of prohibition over 50 years ago.

The wine and spirits business is very low margin much like groceries. On sales items and price sensitive items, Byron's is selling those products at 5 to 10 percent over cost. That would most certainly include the top selling products in every category. The higher the sales volume you have, the lower you can afford to set your gross margins because it is a very low overhead business. Byron's pays no rent because they have owned their property for a long time. Their only real expense is payroll and it is a very low percentage against gross sales.

It doesn't matter if your after a half pint of KD, a 5 liter box of Franzia white zin, a bottle of Remy Martin XO or a bottle of '04 Caymus S.S. Cab., they are going to be ALOT cheaper. Highly rated, hard to get wines? Byron's has better access to the highly rated wines and other hard to get products than anybody because of their sales volume and Byron's influence over the last 50 years on how those products are allocated.

The top three considerations in opening a wine and spirits store is location, location, location. I don't think putting one a mile south of Byron and challenging him for the downtown market is one I would have chosen.

Disclaimer: I have never worked for Byron's or any of their affiliates.

[metro]

Definitely sounds like they are going for a different demographic than Byron.

yeah, ironically Byrons may still get the whino's over Broadway WINE Merchants.

[Dan]

I bought a couple bottles there yesterday. Owner's a nice guy, they had some stuff that Byron's doesn't stock, and the prices seemed reasonable. Hope he does well; it's a long road.

[TStheThird]

One of Byron's main advantages is that he has the nice sized warehouse attached to the store to stock wine. They do the type of volume that allows them to take advantage of promotions. The big wine makers and distributors will run promotions on different wines with a greatly reduced price for a week. Byron has the space to buy the heck out of that promotion. Very few in the state have the ability to buy as much quantity as Bryon does at the prices that he pays.

[TaoMaas]

It doesn't matter if your after a half pint of KD, a 5 liter box of Franzia white zin, a bottle of Remy Martin XO or a bottle of '04 Caymus S.S. Cab., they are going to be ALOT cheaper.

What do you consider "a lot cheaper"? I've found that even some of the mom and pop liquor stores comes within a buck or so of Byron's prices on different things. I was suprised.

[PLANSIT]

Wine and spirits are a commodity and as with most commodities, price rules.

When I wrote that Byron's is the largest wine and spirit retailer in the state, I was referring to sales volume. Although they would never release the numbers, industry insiders estimate their sales volume at about 20 million dollars annually.

In commodity retail, the only thing stronger than having the lowest prices is having the reputation for having the lowest prices. Byron's has been the low price leader in Oklahoma since we came out of prohibition over 50 years ago.

The wine and spirits business is very low margin much like groceries. On sales items and price sensitive items, Byron's is selling those products at 5 to 10 percent over cost. That would most certainly include the top selling products in every category. The higher the sales volume you have, the lower you can afford to set your gross margins because it is a very low overhead business. Byron's pays no rent because they have owned their property for a long time. Their only real expense is payroll and it is a very low percentage against gross sales.

It doesn't matter if your after a half pint of KD, a 5 liter box of Franzia white zin, a bottle of Remy Martin XO or a bottle of '04 Caymus S.S. Cab., they are going to be ALOT cheaper. Highly rated, hard to get wines? Byron's has better access to the highly rated wines and other hard to get products than anybody because of their sales volume and Byron's influence over the last 50 years on how those products are allocated.

The top three considerations in opening a wine and spirits store is location, location, location. I don't think putting one a mile south of Byron and challenging him for the downtown market is one I would have chosen.

Disclaimer: I have never worked for Byron's or any of their affiliates.

For me, the location is far superior to Byron's. I've always complained that there was not a liquor store in DT or BT within a reasonable walking distance. Even if this new place is slightly more expensive, it's a better alternative for those living DT who embrace the ability to walk for any commodity.

[BailJumper]

For me, the location is far superior to Byron's. I've always complained that there was not a liquor store in DT or BT within a reasonable walking distance. Even if this new place is slightly more expensive, it's a better alternative for those living DT who embrace the ability to walk for any commodity.

Lets just hope they didn't design their business model around that idea. While it may be great for you, there are not that many people living within walking distance of that place.

As SSS pointed out, the liquor business is a numbers game and when you have tiny margins (often only 10-25%) and are forced to carry stock that doesn't turn that often, you're going to need lots of customers.

Hopefully he worked something out with the landlord and his 2nd biggest expense will be kept low until he can get a loyal customer base.

I also read an article a couple of months ago showing that many wine consumers were switching to much lower priced labels in these economic times.

[autoMATTic]

One of Byron's main advantages is that he has the nice sized warehouse attached to the store to stock wine.

Which happens to be illegal. It is not Byron's. It belongs to his son-in-law (a super nice guy named Paul I believe). I would love to take the time to write out the particular laws on this subject. I think some of you know what I am talking about . . .

[SouthsideSooner]

Which happens to be illegal. It is not Byron's. It belongs to his son-in-law (a super nice guy named Paul I believe). I would love to take the time to write out the particular laws on this subject. I think some of you know what I am talking about . . .

No, your referring to Sterling W&S which is close to Byrons but not attached.

Byrons has their own multi-level warehouse in the back of their building behind their retail space where they have millions of dollars in product stored.
Wholesale prices go up and down on a regular basis and they load up when wholesale prices are down.

There is nothing illegal about it.

[PLANSIT]

Lets just hope they didn't design their business model around that idea. While it may be great for you, there are not that many people living within walking distance of that place.

As SSS pointed out, the liquor business is a numbers game and when you have tiny margins (often only 10-25%) and are forced to carry stock that doesn't turn that often, you're going to need lots of customers.

Hopefully he worked something out with the landlord and his 2nd biggest expense will be kept low until he can get a loyal customer base.

I also read an article a couple of months ago showing that many wine consumers were switching to much lower priced labels in these economic times.

Didn't say it was. Merely pointing out that many people within a mile radius will probably enjoy being able to grab a quick bottle of wine or spirit without getting in their car. And, hopefully, one day, there will be a lot of people within walking distance. Thanks for your input though.