Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More

Local Govt | National News Video | Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Search

 

LK open their newest store at Stonefields, Auckland

Media Release
16 October 2014

STEPPING STONE
LK OPEN THEIR NEWEST STORE AT STONEFIELDS, AUCKLAND

Innovative liquor retailer LK is not letting the grass grow under its feet – or perhaps it is, in taking its newest store to Stonefields, the new village suburb that rose from the ashes of Auckland’s former Mt Wellington quarry.

Due to open on 24 October, this latest LK addition mirrors the growing popularity of liquor/traditional fine-wine stores nationwide, which have been snapping at the heels of supermarket sales.*

The Stonefields store’s range of quality wines, beers and spirits will beckon shoppers keen to enjoy their vast selection, including Cuisine’s latest award-winning pinot noirs, sparkling wines and Champagnes, popular LK Craft Beer Club picks, the resurgence of vodka and the debut of flavoured spirits in the vein of spiced and golden rum varietals.

Many store exclusives at excellent prices highlight premium wine and spirits brands from within the Lion portfolio of the parent company. International wines and non-alcoholic Hopt are other drawcards, as are the perennial summer favourite, rosé.

Managers in the 39 stores across the country know their stuff and Kiwi Penny Powell, store manager at the new Stonefields site, is no exception. Her CV is dotted with restaurateur employers such as Stephanie Alexander in Melbourne and Paul Heathcote in Manchester; she managed Maison Blanc, a French patisserie in London; and loved working with a mainly French team at a resort in the Isle of Scilly, where “wine matching was a constant daily discussion”. She and her chef/patissier husband also set up and ran two local-favourite licensed Auckland cafés, Servo and Swanson Station, from 2000 to 2010.

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

There is a specialist wine team at LK stores across New Zealand with five outlets with sommeliers. Sauvignon blanc and pinot gris still lead the pack in shopper demand, says LK marketing and merchandise manager, Glen McCracken, with $20-$30 chardonnay close behind. “Wine drinkers are also recognising the quality and value of Marlborough pinot noir as a popular alternative to the key red region of Central Otago.”

While Stonefields is for now the newest kid on the block, the LK launch pad continues. More new retail hotspots and revamped existing stores are due for completion before the end of the year.

******

* Latest Retail Watch Statistics for the July quarter 2014 show a growth of 4.1 percent in sales in ‘Liquor Stores’ to $175.3 million versus the July quarter 2013.

Retail Watch is developed using Business and Insight Data. This is a unique database that is a result of a joint initiative between Westpac and Datamine. The dataset contains over five years of transactional data and accesses credit card and eftpos transactions.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... More

ALSO:


Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.