May 2013 Integrated Solutions For Retailers
By Matt Pillar, editor in chief
Over the course of 24 months, BevMo! leveraged big data and cloud computing to rebuild its entire IT enterprise from the ground up.
It’s no secret that Americans love to unwind with a drink. Even as the Great Recession caused consumers to pare back spending in most retail segments, wine and spirits retailers enjoyed both topline sales gains and growth in their share of the adult beverages market. In 2010, the liquor industry tallied up nearly $20 billion in sales on 4% year-over-year growth while wine sales grew 2.7% to $2.9 billion. Collectively, wine and spirits accounted for more than half of U.S. alcoholic beverage sales that year, for the first time surpassing the country’s beer sales.
Spurred by this market growth, BevMo! has become one of the largest beverage-lifestyle specialty retailers in the country, with 132 stores spanning the West coast. But while the industry appeared poised for sustainable expansion, BevMo! recognized that it was not.
