April 27: Harrods of London unveiled the new fine wine and spirits retail last week, setting a new benchmark that ought to be emulated by our retail stores in India, which are still in a state of infancy but the progressive retailers can have a look at how a retail store should operate, writes Subhash Arora who recommends every wine connoisseur, retailer, wholesale or a producer visiting London to check it out
Located in the basement of Harrods, following a multimillion pound- sterling investment, the wine and spirits area that was opened to public last Wednesday, is a beautiful, original space that puts London at the forefront of luxury drinks retailing. The overall appearance of the shop is elegant, glamorous and has been inspired by the Art Deco opulence seen in The Great Gatsby, according to a Report in dB.
With marble flooring and oak shelves finished with lime, the look and feel of the new area was carefully done to create something quite homely and accessible, as well as a space that “talked of the history of Harrods- an iconic British brand”, said a spokesperson, noting that wine and spirits was the second department created in the store, following its origins as a tea house. (Londoners love their wines almost as much as tea- unlike India where they love tea and the Scottish moniker-editor)
While the materials give an impression of opulence, the scale of the new shop which covers around 8,000 sq ft, is accentuated by its layout over a long, low-ceilinged space, featuring a series of interconnected rooms. This allows one to look through the store from one end to the other, with features that lead the eye into the distance.
It’s the attention to detail of the drinks shop that is really impressive. Chilled, glass-fronted cabinets called ‘Hero Shelves’ contain the finest wines in the range, while the lighting is screened to prevent the emission of damaging heat or ultraviolet rays. Air flows constantly within these cabinets to keep the wines at a perfect temperature and humidity; there’s even a separate room of these containers for magnums and bigger bottled.
Bespoke cradles are also used to hold display bottles at an angle of 27 deg C, which is apparently the optimum slant for visual effect that still allows the wine to remain in contact with the cork, which is necessary to keep the corks wet.
The overall temperature of the space is kept at a constant 18.5 deg C , in contrast to the old drinks shop, which was at 20 degrees C like the rest of the department store- the earlier area did contain a ‘fine wine vault’ chilled to 17 degrees C, though.
With the old location one was effectively landlocked, whereas there are now 12 different ways of approaching the shop, so they are much more accessible, according to the report. There are five separate openings leading into the area now.
But the other main reason to move and create a completely new drinks shop within the department store is to revolutionise the concept of fine wine retailing, according to Edward Gerard, head of wines and spirits at Harrods. “Often the experience of buying fine wine is too high-brow and intimidating, so you don’t attract the aspiring amateurs. We wanted to create an environment that would deliver the exclusive service of Harrods to everyone,” says Gerard.
Education with Retail
An educational element has also been created within the new store. Throughout the space there are ‘aroma tables’ which emit typical smells of grape varieties like Chardonnay, Shiraz and Pinot Noir. The shop also includes two private tasting areas, one devoted to delivering wine education in partnership with the WSET, and the other acting as a consulting area for clients looking for specialist advice.
The Airkel air-filtration system developed in Switzerland ensures the sampling area is subject to a constant flow of air that strips the room from any smoke, including your clothes, effectively keeping everything free from the aroma-releasing particles.
Also, one can consume any drink bought in the wine and spirits at no extra ‘corkage’ charge. Wines bought in the shop can be drunk in any of Harrods restaurants for £30.
There are 1,400 labels of wine alone. There are as many as 400 new lines. The current range sells from £9 to £28,000 a bottle! Particular focus has been spent on ensuring that the fine wines are exclusives and / or procured directly from the cellars of the top producers, with Harrods no longer relying on the secondary market, offering perfect provenance for collectors too and avoiding the chances of any fake wines which is getting common every day.
The Harrods Retail store should be on the must-visit list of every Indian wine connoisseur and wine retailer/wholesaler/producer visiting London. There are several interesting ideas one can emulate-like keeping the wine bottles at 27◦ C and aroma tables. A retailer could conduct WSET or other wine appreciation courses at the retail store.
The importance of temperature control would be a natural corollary after the visit- all subject to the excise approval in the States, of course. Perhaps, there should be a trip sponsored by the government for the right persons to visit and give a comprehensive report to be forwarded to all the excise collectors in different states!
Jai Ho!
Cav. Subhash Arora
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