Moreno’s Liquors: Leading for a new generation

When it comes to effective leadership no one company can truly say that they have the all in one fix it tool. But then again every company has different goals and strategic plans to reach those goals. So how does this relate to Moreno’s Liquors? Or better yet, how does this company show effective leadership?

For more than thirty five years Moreno’s liquors has been a staple of the Little Village community, catering to one of the largest growing latino populations in the country.  Since its birth in the mid 70’s, Moreno’s has always strived to be the best in what they do with a mission statement that quotes to “bring only the finest and best priced liquors to the consumer, where we believe that it is the customer that knows best.”  Making sure that each and every worker at Moreno’s is well versed in the variety of products carried, the family run business believed that creating a focus in customer service was the key to running a successful business.  

Although the bushiness had maid a foot hold in the local neighborhood, back in early 2010 sales fluctuated with bigger stores such as Binny’s and Costco literally cornering the market with prices hard to match. With Binny’s sales just under $10,000 a day, and a market shift from liquor to beer, more than 15% of small liquor stores closed from 2010 to 2012 within the chicago land area. So how does one compete in a flooded market?  Moreno’s quickly changed its strategic plan, by first focusing on who are there customer base, and what is uniquely different about there store? Being the largest distributor of tequila in the midwest, Moreno’s quickly realized that there focus was not on having the lowest prices on the block but rather having the rarest products in Chicago. Not only was the company devoted to building customer relationships, but wanted to show this by having customer driven quality products. In this case they noticed a need for obscure and unique products, not just solely based on tequila but also through cognac’s, brandy’s, mezcal’s and the fast growing demand for micro-brews. Realizing that products alone would not be enough, Mike Moreno and son came up with a strategic plan for the future of the company. In an age where the internet is growing faster than anyone could imagine, Moreno’s understood the vast potential of the virtually untapped internet liquor market. Currently under development the company plans to have a fully functional website with a list of all there main product by the end of november this year. They also are in the works of getting the proper licensing in order to turn the site into a e-commerce site that focuses on bringing rare and unique products to connoisseurs throughout the united states.

So my question for you is, do you think a market plan such as this will work successfully? Do you see a demand or even potential for buying liquor online?

 

5 thoughts on “Moreno’s Liquors: Leading for a new generation

  1. I like the plan but I do not know if it will be enough to keep the business thriving though. I think the site will be appreciated by the loyal customers that Moreno’s already has but it will not be enough to pull in new customers. I would not shop on there online site to see if they have a certain type of whiskey when I could just go to a Binny’s where they will more than likely have the whiskey I was looking for. One thing that could help them is if they delivered alcohol that you ordered online. People love to be lazy and getting liquor delivered right to your door could be a huge hit that would set Moreno’s apart from their competitors.

  2. It would definitely take time for the online business to pick up, especially if other places are convenient and consumer are able to pick up liquor instantly at places like Binny’s or Costco. If they want to boost business, they have to take an aggressive approach to sell online and work with different vendors out of state to deliver their specialty which is Tequila. Also an added bonus would be nice such as local delivery, where they do delivery to parties or events within a certain radius. This would give them an edge over competitors and provide different outlets to produce revenue.

  3. As with any small business, it’s always difficult to compete against the larger chains. The chains have economies of scale, large advertising budgets, and typically larger stores among other advantages. Mike Moreno is certainly taking the right approach by rethinking his business strategy so that the chains don’t put him out of business. I do think the concept of specializing is probably the way to go for him. He’s choosing a corner of the market and attempting to “own” it. It’s a solid marketing strategy and can most likely be sustained for some time. I agree with his idea to create a website for advertising purposes. Word spreads extremely quickly that way and it’s probably the most efficient way for him to get the word out. The eCommerce option will certainly help as long as he can really make sure he carries a vast variety of specialty tequilas. If he can show how knowledgeable his business is on tequilas and offer more than any larger chain store, he may be able to save his business in a tough market.

  4. I have never heard of Moreno’s Liquors and I have lived in the Chicago area my entire life, so their advertising is obviously not good enough just yet. I definitely like their mission statement and looks like the owners have set high goals and a strong strategic plan, especially since they are going against larger and more known competitors. Also, since Moreno’s is located in a neighborhood full of faithful customers, I believe the online business site can be successful, fundamentally since the focus is highly on the customer and the delivery of the rarest products/alcohol in Chicago, however only with time will their business pick up. Yes, we do live in an age of growing internet and technology, yet it would be difficult for a small business such as this to gain more customers at a higher rate than they’re gaining now. Lastly, an online site selling alcohol would have to deal with underage kids trying to buy the liquor online. There can be a high demand for buying liquor online, and like someone said earlier, Moreno’s should consider the delivery process for the customers, which could definitely help the business and satisfy the buyers!

  5. I believe that the online advertising could be used effectively especially if directed towards the right client base. One way that Moreno’s could set themselves apart from the chain stores would be to offer specialty tequila recipes which use their unique tequila products. However, there are some disadvantages to the online market. The legacy of this company was personal relationships and customer service, but the eCommerce market is very impersonal. Also, as stated above, the potential for sales to underage individuals poses a large legal risk to the company.

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