Retailing Rudeness

A sad tale of a lost sale

I stopped by a well-known New York wine store last week. It’s a store I’ve patronized many times although most of my purchases were made online. The store is known for its well-chosen, if slightly overpriced wines with a particularly good French and German selection.

The store was empty save for three staffers and me – one staff member sat at the cash register in front while two colleagues sat in the back. None of them acknowledged my entrance nor inquired as to whether I needed help.

I began browsing the German and Austrian wines, proceeded to wines from the Loire until I reached Burgundy where I began browsing a selection of Bourgogne Blancs. I’m more of a two not three figure Burgundy buyer and Bourgogne Blancs in the $30 to $60 range are my sweet spot. The staff maintained a collective silence. Did I seem too self-sufficient? Too poor? I was wearing sneakers and jeans and looking at Bourgogne Blancs after all.

I noticed a few Bourgogne Blancs from good producers and noted anew how much prices have risen for the most “basic” wines from top producers. At $50 plus a bottle they were easily ten dollars more than they were just a few years ago. There are multiple reasons for this monetary increase including a tiny 2024 harvest due to challenging weather but there is also the fact that Burgundy wines are incredibly chic – unlike, say, the wines of the Loire.

I considered the 2023 Benjamin Leroux Bourgogne Blanc but kept browsing – not because Leroux doesn’t make terrific wines (he does) but at $54 the price was a bit steep. A man and a woman entered the store and began browsing near me. Although they were nicely attired, they were likewise ignored. I was relieved. Apparently, the staff didn’t care about anyone- it wasn’t just me.

I moved closer to the staffer seated at a desk in the back, wondering if proximity would force a chat. But the staffer maintained a studious silence. I went on to examine some overpriced sparkling wines. I’d been in the store for nearly ten minutes - though it felt longer. The man and woman were still looking at wines, unattended by staff, when I left.

As I headed uptown, I considered the lamentations of wine retailers who’d noted their sales were down, that people weren’t buying as much wine as they once did. I wondered: Would their sales improve if they hired staffers who cared when customers entered their stores?

Subscribers and readers- have you had recent wine retail experiences-good or bad - that you’d like to share? I’d love to hear! And for paid subscribers, look for my email about a terrific and terrifically priced Bourgogne Blanc that I found at another store last week.

Photos below: Two wine shops I love.! First: Some years ago at Frenchie wine shop in Paris and second, Knead Wine, a cool pizza-wine shop combo in Middleburg, VA.