Bright and welcoming, with service to match, Takanini Village's newest liquor store combines special deals with special products you'd be hard pressed to find elsewhere.
Bottle-O Takanini Village has only recently opened its doors, but owners Manjinder Singh and Harpreet Kaur have been part of the landscape in south Auckland for almost two decades.
As dairy owners in Papakura they became well known to their loyal customers, before branching out into the liquor industry in Mangere. Now they're expanding their horizons with a brand new store under the Bottle-O brand, tucked into a corner of the Takanini Village shopping centre between Bin Inn and Warehouse Stationery.
The Bottle-O is a fresh new brand in liquor retail, with all outlets locally owned and operated, and offering regular specials on a wide range of beer and wine (including local, craft and international varieties) plus RTDs, spirits and mixers.
Described as a true independently owned and operated New Zealand retail liquor chain, comprising over 100 stores, the Bottle-O's aim is to make sure every customer feels welcome each time they step through the doors.
“We're proud to be a part of the Bottle-O,” says Manjinder. “It's a company that is committed to delivering genuine value to every customer, working hard to make sure you get a fair deal every day of the year.
“We've run our Mangere store under the Bottle-O banner for the last two years, and we leapt at the opportunity to open our new Takanini Village store with the same brand. Bottle-O support us in every way, from supplying top quality products at excellent prices to providing smart uniforms for retail staff.”
Light, bright and inviting (there's even a bowl of flowers on the counter), the Takanini Village store has just about everything the drinking man or woman could wish for. Wines from home and abroad, beers, ciders, spirits, liqueurs, mixers – there's something for every occasion. And if what you want isn't on the shelf, they'll find it.
Harpreet has made it her mission to help her customers by tracking down the unusual, the exotic, the hard to find, even if it's just a single bottle.
“One customer came in looking for a particular type of wine for a friend's birthday. He'd tried all over the place to find it but just couldn't get it anywhere. It took me a few days, but I finally sourced it for him and he was over the moon.”
Manjinder is constantly on the lookout for items that will surprise and delight his customers. Single malt whiskies, celebration champagnes from Bollinger and Veuve Clicquot, an ever-expanding range of craft beers, some of New Zealand's finest – and rarest – wines, liqueurs of all sorts share the shelves with Bottle-O's best specials. For those watching their waistlines or looking to last through a night of socialising, there are low carb and low or zero alcohol beers in the walk-in chiller.
With Christmas and summer barbecues beckoning, something a bit different is often called for – and Bottle-O Takanini Village is the place to find it. That gift for the person who has everything could well be waiting on the shelves.
“We have gift packs of spirits or liqueurs, beautifully packaged in presentation boxes with glasses. Then there are the products with the real glamour factor, like the Royal Dragon vodka containing gold flakes that sparkle when you shake it, which comes in a decorative bottle in an ornate gold box.”
Some of those designer bottles are never going to find their way into the recycling bin - and nor should they! These gorgeous collectables will grace many a mantelpiece long after the contents have passed into memory. Some of the more quirky bottles are real works of art in their own right, while customers of a certain vintage will feel a rush of nostalgia seeing the raffia-bound chianti bottles, once traditional decor in student flats.
Of course, the Christmas and New Year period is peak party time, and Bottle-O Takanini Village is ready to rise to the occasion. For that little something to slip into a Christmas stocking, the Bottle-O gift cards are available, as well as a range of miniatures. Manjinder and Harpreet are also happy to help with large quantities, whether it be wines, beers or massive 4.5 litre bottles of bourbon. There's no problem picking up the party supplies, with easy parking right outside the store.
“We pride ourselves on knowing our local community, our customers, our products and supporting the community that supports us,” says Harpreet. “We've lived in the area for 18 years, the last 14 in Conifer Grove, and we really enjoy being able to help some of our local people. Recently we sponsored a young sportsman to attend an overseas baseball tournament.
“We got to know a lot of people through our dairy in Papakura and it's good to be able to catch up with them again through the Bottle-O store. Now that we have children, the hours are a bit easier too. We're open 9am-8pm, a little less than the dairy, and we accept AA Smart Fuel Card.
“It keeps us all busy but we do enjoy it. And as always, our focus is on providing the best possible customer experience.
“Whether it’s the perfect wine for a dinner party, beer for a barbecue or a magnificent megabottle, we always strive to provide the right product with personalised service that makes every occasion easy and fun.”
