Brand Research

Brand history

Established in 1987 by Grant Jones Regional Wines has a 28 year history in providing a range of wine, beer and spirits to the people and establishments of Wellington.

Regional began as a wholesale distributor of wines to Wellington restaurants, and in 1990 opened the retail store by the basin reserve that they still occupy today. It was at this store that beer and spirits were added to their repertoire.

Regionals is still owned and operated by the Jones family and describe themselves as a “hub of people, passion and education around the marvellous craft of fine Wine, Beer and Spirits. Regionals prides themselves as being a team of beverage ‘geeks’ that encourage an appreciation of wine beer and spirits on a personal level. They do this through the regualr tasting events they hold, beverage subscriptions and vast selection. Regionals  as still being a distribution service for a number of sought after establishments in Wellington including Ortega fish shack, Dockside, Avida and Hippopotamus.

Product

As a retail store Regional Wines has an extensive range of Beer, Wine and Spirits. This includes obscure and preminum options as well as more affordable everyday drinks.

Physically regionals is a very large store which looks like an old barn or warehouse with exposed beams on the roof. There are sections of wine crates on the walls and flags hanging up, the carpet is a deep maroon and there is a lot of exposed wood giving the shop a rustic European feel. The attendants are dressed in a black button up shirt and black pants affirming the classic professional feel of the store.

Regionals has a large selection of local craft beers with small curated selection of 19 tap beers with which you can refill your own flaggon. This tap beer service reflects macro-trend of wanting to purchase a product straight from the source reducing it's environmental impact (although this makes no real change to the environment it makes people feel less guilty). In the chilled section there is predominantly craft beers in individual bottles with a small selection of mainstream cheaper beers hidden way down the back. This choice of positioning reflects the stores value of beverages that are different and for a customer after quality and new things.    

The Wines are categorised into country of origin the largest section being NZ wines which are categorised into different regions. This reflects the stores value of local products as well as aligning with the macro-trend of consumers wanting something local which they can trust as a quality product and by buying they are supporting local businesses, thus supporting the New Zealand economy. 

Regionals stocks hard find spirits as well as mainstream options. They have a glass cabnit filled with premium spirits such as 100 year old rum. These options show that an educated customer shops here. 

Although Regional Wines aesthetically looks like a classic slightly old fashioned Wine shop on the inside they offers a range of service beyond the retail of wine, beer and spirits that align with the contemporary customer, that is one that is after a two way relationship through education and interaction. These services include:

·      Drink catering for all types of functions including corporate, weddings and other celebrations. This service includes helping the customer to create a beverage list within in their budget, dropping off and pick up of good and glass hire.

·      Distribution service to bars and restaurants, this includes not only same day delivery and a chilling service, but training and support programmes to help the “establishment deliver a superior level of beverage service”.

·      Monthly beverage subscriptions - hand picked packs delivered to the customer. Helping the customer try new things based on the drinks that they do like.

·      Regular in store events and tastings helping bring like minded appreciators together.

Place 

Regionals is in the upper end of liquor stores in Wellington because of the vast selection of premium, craft and inderpendant brands that they stock. How ever Regionals still stocks a selection of affordable options as well keeping in in the category of an everyday store for many people. 

Price 

      Regionals is a store devoted to providing quality beverages, this can be seen in the vast selection of craft and independant brands as well as the premium brands they stock. Because of these products appears to have a higher price point than many of the lower end liquor stores in town such as Big Barrel and liquior king. Because of this Regionals trends to attract an older customer, or ones that is willing to spend money on quality over students. However Regionals also stocks a large selection of cheaper wines and mainstream spirits and beers cattering to a much wider customer base than it initially appears. 

Promotion

Website
online store
Facebook
events 

Competition

      Moore Wilsons

      We believe Moore Wilsons wine, beer and spirits department is one of regional wines main competitors. This is because they both are suppliers to bars and restaurants in Wellington as well as being a retail store with a wide selection of local beverages.

      Like the other departments in Moore Wilsons the wine, beer and spirits department is in a very paired back setting, concrete floors, raw shelving and in the canter of the room the wine is displayed in their original freighting packaging giving a sense of  ‘straight from the source’ transparency and authenticity.

  

      The wine is displayed according to type with a section for European wines. Most wines have a sheet of information about it or the winery hung next to it.

  

      Like Regionals Moore Wilsons also has craft beer on tap, but with only 5 choices. They don't have refillable flaggons for sale like Regionals, however these can still be used. 

Garage Project 
Big Barrel