Wine Chain Uncorks New Sales and Smashes Business Bottlenecks

Overview

The Wine Club has opened locations in San Francisco, Santa Ana, and Santa Clara, California. Yet 60 percent of its U.S.$45 million sales come in through phone and e-mail orders and 10 percent come from an online store. Its 8,000 SKUs include different vintages of the same wine and wine "Futures and pre-arrivals." But stock levels were uncertain, resulting in the occasional disappointed customer. Management also required transaction data, customer purchase histories, more highly automated purchasing, and ways to track employee productivity. Microsoft Business Solutions Retail Management System now lets business data flow where it is needed. Most vital, IT and management can now savor reliable sales and inventory numbers.