Inside The Bottle Shop That Arranged Its Stock By Real Life Occasions

Last week in Australia, a wine store opened in Melbourne’s Brunswick East that didn’t arrange its layout around the traditional liquor concepts of grape varietals or intimidating lingo. Instead, neon lights frame a range around how people actually drink, grouped simply as: Weekday ($15+), Party ($25+) and Fancy ($40+). Drop Shop is the contrivance of Dan Sims, Courtney Keegan and Luke Mickinnon. Inspired by Japanese konbini culture of highly efficient convenience stores, the 60-square-meter wine shop has taken a ruthless approach to curation. With room for just over 150 wines, every bottle must justify its existence.

According to Sims, an active chair of Wine Victoria, the wine sector has done a phenomenal job of making itself less accessible by focusing on processes rather than experience. “Wine, by default, is social. It should be fun. Instead, the default setting has become process and death by masterclass or death by degustation,” he told Inside Retail. At Drop Shop, everything from the angle of the fridges to the height of the door handles has been overhauled. Even the traditional brown paper bags have been replaced by hot pink ones. 

Taking the friction out of buying wine 

A bottle has only around 5 seconds to gain attention on a shelf, and for many consumers, purchasing wine can be clouded by a whirlwind of GI, terroir and tasting notes. What many liquor retailers miss is the art of identity and accessibility. Wine Business Analytics found that 51 per cent of customers find wit and bold visuals in a label appealing. In 2022, Vivino revealed that 85 per cent of people said they had purchased a bottle of wine based on the label’s appearance. For Keegan, the premise was to take the friction out of buying wine. “Someone literally said, word for word, ‘This is how I actually shop.’ That’s exactly what we want to do – make it feel like this is made for you.” Customers could be in and out in a minute or two, finding what they need without overthinking it.

Sims explained the concerns before opening day were logistical rather than the public not grasping the interior concept. “I was paranoid the first weekend thinking, ‘Please don’t let us run out of beer,’” he said. “It’s running. She is going.” Keegan said confidently. “The customers coming in are excited. They’re just like, ‘This is the best.’ Whatever hesitation I had was quelled quite quickly.”

What makes the cut 

The range is opinionated, though far from dogmatic.“If anything, it’s a heavily curated and considered selection,” Sims said. “I say to people, I’ve got 170 wines. How many Soaves do you think we’re going to have… one.” The business also insists that at least 70 per cent of the products are from Victoria and, uniquely, factors in the producer’s story, too. “Is the person behind the wine interesting? Can we know them? Is there a story? We’ve got this random little Pecorino from Italy that’s so good we’ve already had to restock it after selling out in less than a week. It needs interest, vibrancy and personality.”

Community and serving up to the locals 

One thing that blew them away was the welcome they received from the community, including an embrace from local restaurants and cafes. “The guys from Charrd brought flowers. The guys down the road brought sushi. We got a bottle of fizz from Waxflower. A bunch of cafes have come around and said g’day. Everyone’s been really positive and really welcoming.” Sims said. The team’s commitment to watching how people utilise the store has been equally profound, with a sharp focus on accessibility. “In a world of declining wine consumption, I think the last thing the wine sector needs is to make itself less accessible. I remember saying the other day, ‘Remember when we had fun in wine?’ Why is fun such a bad word? It should be fun. It should be social.”

Beyond the shelves, Sims hopes Drop Shop becomes a place people return to for a sense of discovery. From August, the team plans to partner with neighbouring venues, including Daphne and Times New Roman, on casual tastings and winemaker dinners designed to make wine more social and approachable. Far from formal degustations, the events will centre on conversation, local connections and good drinking. “If we can create an experience where people can have some fun and do something nice midweek, that’s a win,” Sims said. Ultimately, the team aspires for the store to become synonymous with two simple ideas: fun and curiosity.

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