The customer is king

Following Molloy’s Liberties recent NOffLA Customer Service Store of the Year Award 2023-win,

store manager Paddy Burke explains his personalised approach to customer service in conversation with Julia O’Reilly for 15 years now. “I kind of fell into it, luckily enough. I began working in an off-licence when I finished school. It started out as a part-time job, but I found I really loved the work and it ended up being a career

“It’s very enjoyable work,” adds Burke. “Every day is different. The customers are fantastic, they make it worthwhile going in every day.”

Burke’s secret to getting customers in the door time and time again? “Customer service and attention to detail are key.” distilleries and we get a lot of tourists in looking for it.

‘Ready to drink’ is another category currently enjoying a boom in sales. “RTD sales are skyrocketing. They’re so convenient and they’re keenly priced too. Over the last few years, we have been seeing a lot of demand for them when the weather’s nice.”

Beer is a big seller in Molloy’s Liberties: “Our beer selection

Molloys’ range has expanded significantly in the past couple of years to keep up with consumer demand and retain customers new and old

Paddy Burke knows his customers. When speaking with ShelfLife magazine, Burke’s passion for his work and commitment to creating a memorable and enjoyable shopping experience for every customer is clear

It no surprise then that the store he manages, Molloy’s in Dublin’s Liberties, was this year’s proud winner of NOffLA’s Customer Service Store of the Year Award.

“We were over the moon when we found out we’d won,” says Burke. “It was a bit of a shock to be honest, we weren’t expecting to win anything. So, it was a surprise, but a great surprise.”

The win has improved the store’s reputation with customers too, he adds. “We still get customers congratulating us on the win. It means a lot to us, and we love that our customers feel connected to the win too.”

What’s more, Burke says he feels proud to win an award that “acknowledges the hard work that all of our staff does. It was a real team effort.

“I’m also very grateful to Katarina Kokol, our former assistant manager She brought a lot of experience to the role She had worked at some fantastic off-licences, which brought our standards up even higher Her experience and passion come across straight away when you speak to her, so that definitely helped us make an impact with the judges.”

Knowledge is key

When you work in a specialist off-licence, having a bank of knowledge about the products on the shelves is key “Good training is so important. We’re lucky to have a great head office and support team. They regularly send me and the team on wine courses and trips to local breweries and distilleries. The lads love it, and it really helps the team build up that crucial knowledge It’s one of the perks of the job really, and it takes our service to the next level.”

The store’s staff comprises of two full-timers and three parttimers. “It’s a small team, but the lads all work together really well. They have a lot of knowledge, they’re good with the customers, and I think they enjoy coming in too which is great!”

Molloy’s family-brand

Molloy’s Liberties is part of the Molloy’s chain, a family-brand that includes seven Dublin-based off-licences and two pubs. Based in the heart of the city centre, the 3,000 sq. ft Liberties outlet opened in January 2005, and ever since has been striving to create a welcoming environment for its customers.

Burke has been in the industry

He elaborates: “Say someone comes in looking for a gift, our team are attentive, our product selection is wide, we can wrap a bottle for you, or put it in a hamper Those extra touches make it a memorable experience for people We like to make our customers happy. We hope that the next time they need something, they’ll walk past the supermarket and come into us instead where they will be looked after, every step of the way.”

Social media

Social media has a habit of making certain products, brands, and cocktails hotly desirable among consumers. Luckily for Burke, these trends create pleasant sales boosts for offlicences. “We’re happy when these viral trends trickle down to us. Often these products fly off the shelves, which is great for us. Even if the immense popularity of a product is short lived, when a lot of consumers try something, it’ll always stick with some of them.

“I love it when people come in, and you can see on their face that they’re excited to see a product is on the shelf That’s part of this work that I really love.”

Irish whiskey

Molloy’s is known for selling an excellent range of Irish whiskey: “Irish whiskey has been having a moment. It sells really well. What helps is that we’re sandwiched in between a couple of big changes every week. Our suppliers keep us informed about all the new releases, from breweries at home and abroad, so we can let our customers know what’s coming down the line Our customers know that we’re always bringing new products in, so that keeps them coming in the door.”

Post-pandemic trends

The pandemic brought an increase in drinking at-home; a trend that shows no sign of slowing down: “When the pubs were closed during lockdown, we saw craft beer sales surge It’s levelled out a bit since, but there’s still a lot of interest there among consumers. It seems people became more comfortable paying a little bit extra for a nice drink that they could enjoy at home, and that stuck.”

Many consumers appear to still be enjoying making cocktails at home too: “People really started to experiment more during Covid, and it has had a lasting impact with people I still see people coming in to buy the ingredients for mojitos or margaritas.

“For us, it means we have to keep on top of these trends as well. We always get customers coming in looking for more unusual, niche spirits so we source these things for them to keep them happy. It’s great to see that passion and interest among shoppers.”

Burke continues: “Our range has really expanded in the last couple of years to keep up with consumer demand and keep customers new and old interested in what we’ve got on our shelves. Keeping up with the trends keeps us on our toes, and keeps our shoppers intrigued. We want our customers to be able to find just what they’re looking for or to find something brand-new that they love.”

Face-to-face

Despite more consumers buying their alcohol online since Covid, Burke says nothing beats good old-fashioned face-to-face interaction. “You can’t really compare the two. Molloy’s has an e-commerce store that really took off during Covid. The convenience of getting something delivered to you at the click of a button is incredible But what we can offer customers when we’re with them in the shop is a completely different experience. If you’re unsure what you want, or you’re looking for advice, there’s nothing like it.”

The shelves at Molloy’s Liberties are stocked with a range of local and international brands, including rare and hard-to-find bottles, making it a go-to destination for connoisseurs and collectors alike. But when it comes to value, Burke tries to make sure Molloy’s Liberties has something for everyone: “People have very different budgets and very different ideas of what they’d be comfortable spending on a bottle of wine, say.

Especially these days times are tough for people so we try to cater for everyone Across all the categories, we have products going from their most affordable, to something for a special occasion and everything in between.”

Keep the show on the road

As for what the future looks like for the team at Molloy’s Liberties, Burke says: “We’re just going to keep the show on the road. The NOffLA win gave us all a nice boost. We’re happy with the way things are going, so we want to keep our standards high, keep our customers happy and keep working hard.”