Interview : Thierry, wine merchant and founder of Cave à Cépages

An atypical and varied professional career

Thierry has had a rather atypical professional career, rich in twists and opportunities, which has allowed him to discover various professions and sectors of activity, and to become a specialist in commerce. He first worked in mass distribution, before becoming a buyer in the multimedia world, and then embarking on a project to relaunch a brand. For this, he makes many trips as part of his work, but when the Covid-19 arrives in our lives two years ago, he goes from an itinerant status to a sedentary status by obligation. A new page is then offered to him. He will be able to spend time surrounded by his loved ones, and abandon travel. After weeks of reflection, he chose to make a living from one of his first passions: oenology.

Opening a wine cellar, a carefully considered project

Thierry makes the decision to live from his passion but neophyte in the world of wine, he then seeks information on the different stages to launch a project around wine. For a few months, he listened to many podcasts specializing in wine and he passed the WSET Awards in Bordeaux, a recognized diploma in this sector. He is really passionate about the different grape varieties, he goes accompanied by his family to tour the regions of France to meet the winegrowers and their know-how. It will be a very enriching experience that ends up convincing him to start as a wine merchant. Then comes the question of the commercial premises for his new activity. The town hall of his city accompanies him in his steps and finds him one perfectly adapted to his expectations. Things are finally coming together, and the adventure can finally begin!☻

Choose furniture adapted to your commercial local

Thierry had already imagined the layout of his store with the help of his relatives. He wanted to have shelves that could accommodate his bottles of wine as well as spirits. He has a major problem: his premises have a reduced surface area, so he need to optimize as much as possible. He then went in search of shallow furniture that remained practical and had sufficient bottle capacity to display his entire range.

“I needed to display as many references as possible using as little floor space as possible”

After some research in store, he turns to craftsmen to make custom furniture. However, this effective solution has a more expensive cost and he declines the quotes received, looking for a new alternative. He resumed his investigations on the internet in search of specialized furniture for wine merchants, and discovered Tradis. It's a real favorite for these solid wood furniture, both by their design and by their dimensions perfectly adapted to their needs. All his criteria are met: furniture adapted to the world of cellars, functional, with ideal dimensions for its surface area. They also meet his need for a large storage capacity. Consistent pricing also tips the scales in this direction. By studying more closely the range of furniture offered by Tradis, customer realizations and opinions definitively confirm their crush and reassure them about the quality of the service.

How to orient your choice of furniture according to your products?

Then comes the choice of furniture. Thierry Alarcon mainly selects shelves that meet the criteria of shallow depth to meet his constraint of reduced surface area of ​​his commercial local. The wine shelves correspond perfectly to his expectations. Thanks to them, his problem of depth is no longer one. Its entire range of wines, carefully selected beforehand, can be exhibited and valued. The removable compartment dividers provide the possibility of storing and segmenting the range of wines through each compartment, thus allowing freedom in the arrangement of its bottles. Favorite confirmed, the decision is made, Thierry will place an order with Tradis.

He therefore purchases wine racks with a capacity of 200 bottles, wine racks with a capacity of 140 bottles for the storage of his bottles of wine and spirits. He acquires various shelves for the display of accessories related to the world of wine, to offer grocery products to accompany the wines and to bring a dynamic to his store: 5-level shelf, column 4 Hatch lockers, and five tier shelves. He organizes his customer reception area through a functional wooden shop counter allowing him to have his cash register and to have all the tools to finalize a sale. Finally, he opts for a a-frame chaclkboard that will allow him to highlight the offers of the moment.

After the opening of his local, Thierry realized that he lacked a piece of furniture to promote his beer offer. He orders a 4-level shelving unit with 2 doors.

How to choose the furniture finish for a wine cellar?

Through the launch of his wine cellar, Thierry Alarcon also wishes to stand out from other existing cellars and offer a harmonious and warm atmosphere. After examining the different finishes offered on the Tradis site, he finally validated his choice for the Bois Vieilli finish. Very close to the natural look of wood, it will go perfectly with the interior of his local. It will bring pep to white walls and will easily suit tiled floors. Its golden nuances sublimating the visible veins of the wood will bring a warm and natural side. ☻

A sales department to answer your questions and problems

During his various searches, Thierry was sometimes confronted with constraints of maximum dimensions and product capacity so that his new wine merchant activity was profitable and attracted new customers. This is why Tradis customer service has supported him over the months to offer him products suited to his project.

Contact us by email or by phone (05 46 94 15 94). Our team is ready to support customers in the launch and creation phase of a business and advise you in your choice of furniture to adapt them perfectly to your products.

At Tradis, we are committed to offering solid wood furniture that respects the environment adapted to your type of business, whether it is for a wine cellar, a delicatessen, or even a flower shop. Looking for business inspirations similar to yours? Discover the section our realizations.