Kristen Lee had spent years working in marketing and advertising. And she had been successful doing it. Her agency was getting hired by a wide variety of businesses from all over the country and she was managing a team of 20. But in 2018, she decided it was time for a change. When a local liquor store in north Tulsa, OK was up for sale, Kristen bought it.
The transition was a fun one and she hasn’t looked back. Her business (now two locations) weathered the pandemic and continues to grow month-over-month. She’s been a KORONA POS user since 2021, so we decided to stop by to meet her and her team and check out her two liquor stores: Pine & Peoria and Pine & Harvard.
One Business, Now Two Locations
Shortly after buying Pine & Peoria, Kristen was having so much success that she decided to jump on the opportunity to purchase a second location. And she now owns Pine & Harvard just a short 5-minute drive from her original location. Together, the two locations serve the vibrant community of north Tulsa.
Kristen grew up just outside of Tulsa and loves being a part of the community. The city is growing quickly and it’s a thriving place to own a small business. Her venture into entrepreneurship hasn’t come without its challenges, but at the end of the day, she summed it up pretty simply: “I love it.”
The Switch to KORONA POS
It didn’t take long after buying her first location for Kristen to realize that she was going to need a new liquor store POS. Her old system was clunky, couldn’t work off-line, didn’t have remote access, and most importantly, couldn’t adequately manage her inventory.
As she pointed out, liquor store margins are thin, so it’s critical for business owners to know exactly how to price, promote, and order their products.
“We buy and sell so quickly and get multiple trucks a week and prices change every single week, so being able to enter in information and see that there’s been an increase to a certain percent helps us keep our prices where they need to be.”
From day one, Kristen was impressed with the features and functionality of KORONA POS, and she hasn’t looked back since.
Onboarding and Installation
As soon as she made the decision to move to KORONA POS, Kristen was “over the top impressed with how easy it was to get [the software] going. She got to know our team quickly and felt supported throughout the entire process.
Since it’s a true plug-and-play solution, we sent her the hardware with everything configured so all she had to do was plug it in.
Plus, it was easy for her team, too. The software is intuitive and cashiers can get up to speed with the system within minutes.
Product Reporting
Kristen knew the importance of product reporting in conjunction with inventory management. Liquor shops need to turn a profit but must also be careful to stay competitive with their pricing.
There was one report in particular that she was able to take advantage of right away. Once local law allowed hours to be expanded again after the initial COVID-19 changes, she needed to understand what hours made sense to be open. With KORONA POS, Kristen was able to calculate exactly how much it cost her per hour to be open.
This report and countless others have helped her understand her business better and make more informed decisions. Instead of just relying on gut instinct and hunches, the real-time data from her point of sale has helped her feel confident in the decisions she makes as a business owner.
Customer Support
Ultimately, Kristen says, it was the customer support from KORONA POS that sealed the deal for her migrating her second location to the software, too.
“I can call multiple times a day and talk to the same person, or call multiple times a day and talk to multiple people, but everybody knows exactly what’s going on, and who I am, and what the account set up is like. It’s been absolutely impressive all around. Everything is faster, easier, more intuitive. It’s just been super easy.”
Overall, Kristen has taken full advantage of our award-winning customer support. They know her and she knows them. It’s made learning the ins and outs of the software easy, allowing her to take full advantage of everything it has to offer. And she’s not once had trouble getting anyone on the phone.
A Better POS for Liquor Stores
Don’t just take Kristen’s word for it! Give it a try yourself. We offer everyone an unlimited free trial with no strings attached. Our product specialists also offer demos and trainings for your whole team. And once subscribed, you’ll never find any hidden fees, surcharges, or rate changes.
To learn more, give us a call at 833.200.0213 or click below to register for your trial account.
See more customer stories:
- Truro Vineyards in Truro, Massachusetts
- Downtown Books in Dothan, Alabama
- The Pretzel Shack in Stony Plain, Alberta
- Shade Tree Liquors in Northwood, Iowa
- Rocky Top Mountain Coaster in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee
- vomFASS in Huntington Beach, California
- The Cove on Harbor in Anaheim, California
- Yum Yum Bake Shop in Warminster, Pennsylvania
