Case Discussion

Stocking the Wine Shelves in Charlottesville

SMM635 – Data Visualization

Section 1

Case Context

1.0 Orientation

  • A legacy independent wine retailer is rethinking its assortment.
  • The owners are deciding whether and how to extend the aisle.
  • The challenge is to adapt to change while protecting the store’s curated identity.

1.1 Context: What is Market Street Wine?

  • A long-standing, iconic wine shop in Charlottesville.
  • An independent, curated specialty retailer with deep local roots.
  • Known for discovery and trust-based selection.

1.2 Change: What has changed?

  • Richards and McQuade took over in 2018.
  • They were insiders who had worked in the shop for years.
  • They preserved the store’s character and legacy.

1.2 Change (continued)

By 2022, they observed clear shifts across:

  • Consumer tastes
  • Customer profile
  • Buying channels
  • Price/value sensitivity
  • Supply conditions

These shifts triggered a reassessment of the shelf.

1.3A Who buys now?

  • The customer base has evolved since 2018.
  • The historical core included:
    • Burgundy and Bordeaux lovers
    • Classic-region loyalists
    • Buyers curious about organic wines and small-producer relationships

1.3A Who buys now?

  • The bulk of customers shifted in age:
    • From mid-40s/50s
    • Toward 30s/40s
  • This shift increases demand for:
    • Exploration
    • Authenticity-led choices
    • Clear value signals

1.3A Who buys now?

  • Wine enthusiasts: Collect based on producer and seek fancy or obscure wines.
  • Curious, story-driven buyers: Less focused on famous regions; value authenticity and narrative.
  • Grab-and-go explorers: Arrive with fewer preconceived ideas and a willingness to try new things.

1.3B How they buy now?

  • The in-store experience remains central.
  • The pandemic accelerated digital engagement and new routines.
  • Buying expanded to:
    • Online ordering
    • Pickup / delivery
    • Subscriptions

1.3B How they buy now? (implications)

  • The store must retain customers gained during online-only periods.
  • Digital engagement enables more data-driven customization.
  • The assortment must work well in both:
    • Physical browsing
    • Digital search and quick decision contexts

1.4 Industry tailwinds

The category environment is shifting:

  • Renewed attention to sustainability and natural wines.
  • Rising interest in grape mixes and blends.
  • A rekindled interest in rosé.
  • Supply-chain changes pushing prices upward.
  • Growing consumer interest in lower-priced wines during COVID.

1.4 Industry tailwinds (millennial mechanism)

  • Millennials are a driving force behind multiple trends.
  • They order more adventurously.
  • They show interest in:
    • Unusual sparkling wines
    • Blends
    • Authentic, values-led products

1.4 Industry tailwinds

  • Classic French and Italian labels became harder to obtain.
  • The case raises a practical alternative question:
    • Could U.S. regions fill meaningful category gaps?

1.4 Industry tailwinds

  • The owners must maintain strong options near popular price points.
  • A key strategic anchor is the presence of compelling choices under $20.

1.5 Decision: What is the core business question?

Should Market Street Wine extend the aisle?
If yes:

  • Which U.S. regions and producers fit emerging demand?
  • What styles, grapes, and blends align with current trends?
  • How to support a strong value story around key price points?
  • How to modernize while preserving the store’s curated identity?

1.6 Our role in this class

  • We act as advisors to a curated retailer.
  • We work with a dataset of 40,000+ U.S. wines.
  • The data provides a way to move from trend narratives to measurable filters and defensible recommendations.

1.6 Our role (what the data includes)

We can leverage fields such as:

  • Descriptions
  • Grape variety
  • Price
  • Points
  • Tasting notes
  • Wine style
  • Vineyard and winery geography

Section 2

Movement 1: Audience → Dashboard Design

2.1 The Audience

Who are we building this analysis and dashboard for?

2.1 The Audience

  • Siân Richards and Thadd McQuade
  • Owners of Market Street Wine
  • Independent boutique wine retailers

2.2 Audience Traits

  • Experienced and knowledgeable in wine, but not data analysts
  • Trend-conscious
  • Story-driven
  • Need insights for business strategy
  • Time-constrained
  • Used to working with reps

2.3 Translating Audience Needs into Design

Given these traits, what should the dashboard feel like?

2.3 Audience Traits → Ideas for Dashboard Design

Audience traits Ideas for dashboard design
Experienced and knowledgeable in wine, but not data analysts Strategic but not technical
Trend-conscious Simple but rich
Story-driven Supported by qualitative storytelling elements
Need insights for business strategy Unbiased, data-backed, tailored choices
Time-constrained Intuitive
Used to working with reps Supports discovery beyond the rep pitch

Section 3

3.3 From Data to Visualization

Given these data fields, what charts or Tableau features would best highlight matches?

3.3 Data → Visualization Alignment

Relevant data Charts / Tableau features
Natural/organic indicators; vineyard/winery geography Calculated fields, filters, highlights
Wine type/style Filters, bar charts, highlights
Price, points Scatterplots, calculated value logic
Descriptions, tasting notes Pivot tasting notes; rich tooltips / viz in tooltip
Vineyard/winery geography Maps, filters, simple tables

3.4 End-to-End View