How a new wine superstore in Wilmington could impact local shops

Wilmington wine lovers likely already know that a Total Wine & More has opened in the area. The business is known for its large stores, low prices, and extensive selection of beer and wine.

The 23,000-square-feet shop in the former Earth Fare location at 943 Military Cutoff Road in Renaissance Market is the 233rd location in 27 states of the privately owned company that was founded in 1991.

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Each time, they look for communities with a sufficient population of wine and beer lovers before they move into a city, said Edward Cooper, vice president of public affairs for Total Wine.

“We are a superstore where you can find 8,000 plus varietals of wine, old world, new world, everything,” he said. “As well as thousands of beers."

Some, though, are worried about what impact Total Wine will have on the area’s dozens of smaller, independent beer-and-wine businesses.

“All of us have struggled through two-and-a-half years of COVID,” said Amy Siler, owner of Soif de Vin at 5226 S. College Road in Wilmington. “We tried to emerge just in time for a down economy. Total Wine is just another nail.”

The Wilmington location is also the 13th in North Carolina. Before the opening, locals would have to drive to the nearest locations in Myrtle Beach or Raleigh area. That is actually something that many Total Wine shoppers do, Cooper said.

“We are a destination,” he said. “You have to get in your car and drive to us.”

He said the average customer is one who shops there three to five times a year and will stock up when they shop.

At many smaller stores, they see their regular customers much more frequently.

“There are some I see every day,” said Jonathan Miciolke. He’s the manager and 'natural wine shaman' at Red Bank Wine. The wine shop recently moved from Mayfaire to a larger location in Bradley Creek Station at 5815 Oleander Drive.

The primary reason for the move was to create a lighter and brighter shop, one with seating and room for their high-end selections. But Miciolke said it’s also a fortuitous decision because otherwise they would be essentially right across the street from Total Wine.

But proximity isn’t the only concern for small business owners.

“Ultimately, we are in a luxury business,” said Shawn Underwood, Siler’s husband and partner at Soif de Vin. “There was already enough pricing competition between groceries and Costco. But Total Wine is a volume house with national buying power... They will enter the market with guns blazing."

He is worried that every small wine shop in the county will notice a difference.

“When things are good, people may not want to travel across town to stock up on $10 wines,” he said.

“They are the biggest chain of wine stores,” Miciolek said. “But I like to think that people who shop for wine have brand loyalty and person loyalty.”

He’s worked at Red Bank for seven years and said he cultivated relationships with shoppers, some of whom will text him while at restaurants, asking for his wine recommendations.

“I always try to answer, because it’s important,” he said.

At Total Wine, each store is curated a little differently. In the case of the Wilmington store, look for a bit more in terms of beer.

“We know the area is a leader in the market for beer," Cooper said.

In the decades Total Wine has been in business, Cooper said they’ve pioneered some of what have become to be standard practices, from being early adapters of tastings to implementing the create-your-own six pack.

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There will be an extensive selection of single beers on an aisle in the local Total Wine, and two tasting stations – one for beer and one for wine. There's also an onsite classroom for educational events, including visits from the winemakers and brewers who have a relationship with Total Wine.

“There will always be a place for independent stores,” Cooper said. “We invest a lot in training our employees, but we also know that we can’t necessarily replicate that experience of an owner who is there all the time and develops relationships with his customers."

Miciolek said it will be important for for wine shops to capitalize on their strengths and their own identity in the market.

“I hesitate say anything bad about people or a business getting people to try more wine,” he said. “But I do think we have to think about how we can be better.”

They are already making deliveries to local community homes. And at Soif de Vin, they’re focusing more events and education — with an eye toward discounts and value, too.

Allison Ballard is the food and dining reporter at the StarNews. You can reach her at aballard@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: Total Wine opens in Wilmington, what's the impact on local businesses?