A decade in the retail business offers invaluable experience in a highly dynamic field filled with unexpected challenges. That’s why it’s essential to maintain a clear focus on goals, monitor market trends, and understand consumer needs, says Kristina Žižova, Retail and E-Commerce Manager at MV GROUP Distribution LT, which manages the Bottlery chain of stores.

Reflecting on Bottlery’s ten years of experience, K. Žižova emphasises the constant efforts to maintain a modern approach by consistently investing in store interiors, sales equipment, employee development, and product selection. “We have noticed that in the long run, customers value high quality most of all, rust our sales team’s advice, and actively seek out innovations—which we are continuously introducing to the Lithuanian market,” says K. Žižova, who manages the chain of 20 stores and e-commerce.

– How did the Bottlery story begin 10 years ago?

Today, our chain operates in various cities across Lithuania: Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipėda, Palanga, Druskininkai and Nida. Shopping at Bottlery has become part of the quality lifestyle for many customers who enjoy finding their favorites and discovering new products.

The story traces back to 2005, when loyal customers visited the Gero Vyno Parduotuvė for exclusive products. This experience evolved further with the 2010 opening of a modern Mineraliniai Vandenys store on J. Jasinskio street in Vilnius. Both stores were rebranded as “Mineraliniai Vandenys” beverage stores, setting the stage for our journey and business development.

Business picked up in 2013, when there were already 13 stores in the country. The decision was then taken to create a completely new, exclusive brand that would signify a new store concept and a higher level of experience for our customers. This is how Bottlery was created ten years ago. 

The ambitious launch of Bottlery was driven by the ambition and long-term vision of MV GROUP Distribution LT, the company that manages the chain, formerly known as Mineraliniai Vandenys, to expand into neighbouring markets and the international arena. Bottlery was not just a new name – a decade ago we started with a completely new idea and an environment where every customer felt comfortable. People were quick to notice.

Our main goal then was to become unique and attract our customer. We realised that we would have to work hard and persevere, to find creative solutions, to discover and meet the needs of our clients.

We started by changing the interior of the stores, choosing solutions that were atypical for wine shops and creating a more welcoming environment. We have grown our staff by investing in training and in the competences of our people to make them the best experts. We organised tastings for our customers, created an exclusive range of products, and at the same time implemented geographic expansion.

– Did the fact that the chain is owned by MV GROUP Distribution LT give Bottlery an advantage?

Having a distribution company managing the network gives us a definite advantage because it opens up contacts with suppliers all over the world: we can deal with well-known winemakers, whisky producers, champagne and cognac houses. We open the way for famous brands to come to Lithuania by building their success stories together.

MV GROUP Distribution LT is a leader in the wholesale business, representing hundreds of different brands, as well as a vast pool of experience and knowledge. Having them by our side is a great power and a privilege: we have much greater opportunities to expand our range, to learn from the best professionals and experts, to collaborate with the HoReCa sector, etc.

– The last decade has brought many challenges for business, from regulatory changes to quarantines during pandemics. Which lessons have stuck with you the most?

The lessons and homework were very different. First of all, we had to create a unique store concept, an environment that was unique to the Bottlery – when you walked in, you would immediately recognise and feel the difference from other stores. Each of our stores should provide a unique experience, with sales consultants giving valuable, relevant advice and helping you choose the right products for any occasion.

This has led us to test different furniture layouts in our stores, as well as actively testing different store formats and being one of the first in the market to offer pop-up stores. We tried to look at everything through the eyes of different customers: we were constantly researching the results of our solutions, looking for the best options, so that some stores disappeared in some places and others appeared in others. I’m glad that the experiments were effective and helped us to find the best solutions – locations and formats that worked.

On the other hand, there have been important changes where we have not had the freedom to experiment in response – I am talking about new laws. We had to go deep, learn and understand how to manage our activities in a new environment of restrictions and prohibitions.

The pandemic period presented exceptional challenges. The quarantine has led to changes in the requirements and conditions for trade almost every other week, such as restrictions on the number of people on the premises, safety rules for workers, etc. Every day we had to be ready to accept the new requirements and to ensure that they were implemented in every store.

On the other hand, the pandemic precipitated the launch of the Bottlery e-shop, which was also our response to the changed environment, to keep in touch with our customers, to be as accessible as possible during a difficult period of constraints for everyone. I am proud that we have moved our range from physical stores to e-commerce over the years.

– And how have customer habits and expectations changed over 10 years?

Today, customers are increasingly quality-conscious. Whereas a decade ago, volume often trumped quality, now customers prioritize high-quality selections.

We also notice that people are used to seeing what’s new in our stores. So they are used to being interested in what has been added to and renewed in our range. For us, this is an incentive to continue to develop product innovations.

In general, customers today are getting more and more involved in helping to shape the range. They are very active, they travel a lot, they have favourite tastes. As a result, we often receive recommendations to bring back one or other of the products that our customers have tasted while abroad. This means that we discover innovations together and build mutual trust.

In summary, customers want to share their knowledge and at the same time get advice from Bottlery’s sales consultants.

– How would you describe the beverage culture in Lithuania today?

We’re seeing notable growth in non-alcoholic beverage sales. More consumers are choosing options like sparkling tea or non-alcoholic wine at meals, seeking alternatives that fit their lifestyles.

To meet this demand, we are expanding and developing non-alcoholic beverage categories such as sparkling tea, non-alcoholic beer, wine, sparkling wine, cider or even non-alcoholic spirits.

Our team tastes a wide variety of products before selecting the new ones and offers consumers the best alternatives to alcoholic cocktails – non-alcoholic versions.

When it comes to alcoholic beverages, we’re noticing a shift toward premium choices. Customers are increasingly interested in aged beverages and specific vintages.

– A unique range of more than 1000 products makes the Bottlery unique. How do you shape it?

We attend international exhibitions, connect with long-time suppliers, and explore new offerings from around the world.

Each product we would like to offer to the consumer is evaluated by a large team of employees: sommeliers, mixologists, assortment and category staff. The range is very carefully selected to ensure that the customer has the opportunity to choose from a selection of quality, exclusive products.

In addition, we often join forces. For example, when it comes to sparkling teas, we have already developed flavours with sommeliers, mixologists and producers that our customers love.

– What are Bottlery’s expansion plans and future ambitions?

Over the past ten years, we’ve invested approximately €2.8 million in Bottlery, and we don’t plan to stop. On the contrary, the investments will only grow, because the lessons learned in Lithuania are very valuable and can be applied in other markets. We are also seeing other MV Group Distribution companies growing rapidly in the international arena – we have examples that are inspiring.

Next year we are already planning to open the first Bottlery stores in Poland. We hope that this step will be a strong impulse for a powerful growth spurt. Bottlery’s long-term vision is to be a modern, omnichannel premium spirits chain in Lithuania, Poland, and beyond.