If there’s one thing I’ve learned after 11+ years in wine and spirits retail, it’s that Amazon Prime has completely changed the way we view shipping charges.

We not only expect shipping fees to be minimal when we order online, in most cases any type of shipping fee whatsoever is a dealbreaker.

When I look at the abandoned carts on the Mission website, there’s no doubt in my mind as to why the potential customer changed his or her mind: SHIPPING FEES.

If you’re buying a bottle of wine or whiskey for $30 and suddenly you have to pay an additional $17 to ship it, that’s a completely different value proposition. That’s why will call pick-up is a MUST for any retailer that wants to compete online. You absolutely, positively have to provide customers with a way to reserve their purchases and secure limited allocations without forcing them to ship each time they do it.

For customers who live out of the area, the “Hold” option is also essential.

I have plenty of friends who live in the Bay Area and want to order from Mission, but don’t necessarily want to ship each time they purchase. Instead, they prefer to make continual purchases, aggregate a solid case of bottles, then maximize their volume when it’s time to ship. If it’s $17 to ship a bottle via Fed Ex, but $24 to ship 12 bottles, most people would prefer the latter.

And we haven’t even gotten to GSO shipping yet! A cheaper option for those who live in California. But we will.

In the meantime, we’ve activated Pasadena Pick Up on the website, which means you can buy and pick up later, but also means those of you who live out of the area can hold to ship as well.

If you simply put “Hold for Shipping” in the comments when you select Pick Up - Pasadena, I will store your bottles in our warehouse and wait for your instructions to ship. Then, when you’re ready, just send me an email and I’ll gather up all the booty.

That way you can purchase at your own speed, secure the bottles you want, then pay the lowest possible shipping charges when you’re ready to take possession.

For those wondering if we plan on launching will call service for Sherman Oaks, Glendale, Glen Oaks, and Woodland Hills, the answer is: YES! Very soon. Just gotta work out some operational flows before we start expanding.

Curbside as well? Of course! Just call us when you’re out front.

We’re just getting started here. Lots of changes still to come!

-David Driscoll