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K-VA-T to Expand Wine Business

ABINGDON, Va. Based on strong customer response, K-VA-T Food Stores plans to add 20 new brands to its special order wine club. The Private Reserve is an online ordering website for wines not carried in its stores. It offers 92 wines, up from 70 when the service first launched in November. The additional brands will be added in the near future, according to Alexis Dean, webmaster and graphic designer

ABINGDON, Va. — Based on strong customer response, K-VA-T Food Stores plans to add 20 new brands to its special order wine club.

“The Private Reserve” is an online ordering website for wines not carried in its stores. It offers 92 wines, up from 70 when the service first launched in November. The additional brands will be added in the near future, according to Alexis Dean, webmaster and graphic designer for the chain, which operates Food City banner stores.

Shoppers gain membership via a link on the foodcity.com website. They must provide their loyalty card number, name, address, phone number and other information like their wine preferences.

Due to state alcohol sale laws, only K-VA-T's Virginia shoppers can use the service.

Members can browse the list of wines and place their order. A K-VA-T wine distributor then sends it to the customer's store. The shopper pays for and picks up the wine.

The retailer's wine distributors typically get the wine to the store within one to two days, according to Dean.

“It's a very quick process,” she said.

Wines range in cost from $9.99 per 750-milliliter bottle to $399 for a 9-liter bottle of Gloria Ferrer sparkling wine. Those who order six or more bottles get a 10% discount.

The club was the brainchild of Food City President and Chief Executive Officer Steve Smith, who wanted to cater to wine drinkers looking for brands not available on stores shelves, said Dean.