Whether you’re heading “down the shore” or cruising into Philadelphia, don’t miss Benash Liquors, located on bustling Route 38 in Cherry Hill. Benash Liquors has been family-owned and operated for over 50 years and is known for providing the best beer, wine, and liquor selection. Whether local or traveling from a distance, expect Benash to have the newest and most unique products available. Benash is known for their knowledge of the industry and the products available throughout the store, which gives a more friendly and personal touch to customers.
Heady Times recently zoomed with the owner, Rich Brooks, to learn the secrets of maintaining such a successful, family-owned liquor store.
Heady Times (HT): What sets you apart from other liquor stores in the area?
Rich Brooks (RB): We have three generations of families working here. Several chain stores surround us, so I believe our friendly demeanor and hands-on service certainly help set us apart. Being a small store, we have to stock products in a smaller area, and we have to differentiate ourselves by carrying things that large chain liquor stores do not carry. In the last five years, we’ve become a destination store where people will travel for 30 miles or from another state just for our wide selection of inventory, whether it’s wine, beer, or liquor. We take pride in carrying products that you will not find anywhere else.
HT: What changes have you made to your business due to COVID-19?
RB: We had to expand the items available online and provide curbside pickup for our customers to shop safely. With things starting to return to normal, we see more customers back in the store and less utilizing curbside. We would roughly complete 15 to 25 curbside runs during the height of the pandemic, and now we are down to maybe two to three a day.
HT: Have you seen a change in the way people buy beer as a result of the pandemic?
RB: Alcohol sales across the retail industry have understandably seen increases as bars and restaurants closed, and demand shifted to at-home consumption during the early weeks of the pandemic. Consumers were pantry loading, shopping less often, but buying more each trip. We continue to see more people purchasing beer smarter, not harder since the pandemic, especially with online ordering.
HT: Did anything positive come out of the pandemic?
RB: We were slammed every day. We were able to form new relationships, and we even picked up many new customers out of the Philadelphia area when they closed down due to COVID-19. They came over the bridge and witnessed our friendly service, wide selection, and now they continue to come even with PA back up and running.
HT: What’s your favorite part about the business? RB: I enjoy talking with people and getting to know the ins and outs of the industry. Within the past 15 years or so, there have been many products to hit the market that I realized it’s fun to learn about them. We would rather be in front of the trends than behind them and miss out on an opportunity.
2405 NJ-38, Cherry Hill, NJ 08002 • https://www.benashliquors.com/
About Kramer Beverage
Kramer Beverage is South Jersey’s largest beer wholesaler, owned and operated by four generations of the Kramer family since 1924. Kramer Beverage is based out of Hammonton, Atlantic County, and services eight counties in southern New Jersey with top brands from MillerCoors, Constellation, Yuengling, Boston Beer, Heineken USA, Pabst, Diageo, FIFCO, and more. Kramer Beverage also distributes a wide variety of craft beers, from suppliers such as New Belgium and Sierra Nevada, to local favorites including Flying Fish, Double Nickel, Evil Genius, Glasstown, Sly Fox, 2SP, and Dogfish Head. For more information on Kramer Beverage, please visit www.kramerbev.com.