Our History...
From
Prohibition's Repeal...
to the Present Day...
Established by Samuel Kreston
in
1933,
"Kreston Liquor Mart," now Kreston Wine & Spirits is under the
third generation of Kreston family ownership and management.
Known from the very
beginning for its superior customer service and huge selection, the Kreston Wine
& Spirits of today, though larger in physical plant, is very much like the
Kreston's of yesteryear. Take a look at some of the Pictures and Newspaper
clippings in our Scrap Book below. It's a look at an era gone by in time, but
alive in the application of its philosophy.
The
Ad at left, from the early 1940's, sums up Sam Kreston's philosophy of
retailing:
"~We
believe that Quality and Good Taste are inseparable.
~We
believe that quality is essential. There is no place in
our store for merchandise that will not give satisfaction to
our customers.
~We are proud of our
reputation as a 'Friendly Store' and believe that this reputation is the
result of the type of service which we have given our customers throughout the
years."
That's quite a mouthful, and it's stood us in good stead for
nearly 70 years.
"When it ain't broke, don't fix it!" isn't a phrase uttered by any
Kreston that we've known, but it certainly applies here.
_____________________________________________________________
Kreston's has always stood in the forefront of innovative merchandising techniques. From it's earliest times, large displays made for eye catching Newspaper Ads, as some of these earliest examples illustrate. The Gentlemen featured in these ads are Kreston's earliest "Staff": Samuel Kreston, Dick Cunningham and Olin Webb. These are the men that first planted and cultivated the seed that has become Delaware's Largest and Finest Beverage Store serving the Tri-State Area for over seven decades!
(Click Any Picture to View)
___________________________________________________________
Kreston's location has been a center of commerce going back to Wilmington's
earliest days. Indeed, the back parking lot at Kreston's was once the location
for the Toll House for Concord Avenue. Payment here was required in order to
gain access to this toll road leading out of the Wilmington of yesteryear.
If you should have any pictures of the Concord Avenue from
these early times, please share them with us.
The
Kreston family history began at this location in 1927 when Samuel Kreston's
father opened
his family's Auto Repair business on Concord Avenue at this location.
1933:
The Birth of a Wilmington Institution
The original "Kreston Liquor Mart", now Kreston
Wine & Spirits occupied the area
that is now Don and Bob's office in the Concord Avenue store. Only 14' x 16' in size, it was adequate for
the business during the years of World War II. Because of the rationing
necessary for the war's effort, deliveries would come to Samuel on Monday
morning. He would then get on the phone to his customers, and these stocks would
be depleted by the day's end. Samuel would then retire to the Auto Repair Shop
next door to continue making his living and providing for his family. It was not
until the War's end that he would work exclusively in the liquor store.
But in 1945 the store was expanded to 2125 square feet. A picture of
that facility appears at left, and the original store would be in the area to
the right in the photo, with the "new" Kreston's on the left. It
was after this expansion that Samuel Kreston decided to utilize newspaper advertising
to increase his business outside of the immediate neighborhood where Kreston's
is located. It was still a new business, just out of the throes of Prohibition and
this concept was innovative for the fledgling industry. In these advertisements,
examples which appear above, Sam Kreston's personal beliefs became his business
policies and a tradition of Service is born.
The 1950's:
"Our Customers
can spend their hard-earned money anywhere they choose; we must give them cause to spend it with us."
Don Kreston
And the years progressed. Kreston Liquor Mart become
famous
in the area for putting into practice the philosophy of quality product and
superior customer service at a fair and competitive price. And in it's 23rd
year in 1956, Kreston Liquor Mart saw Samuel's son Donald come onboard and
become the second generation of Kreston to contribute to the growth of the wine
and spirits-based organization. He was also the third generation of
Kreston to operate a business from this location on the Concord Pike. Below are
some photos from this era featuring Don and the late Joe McLaughlin, Kreston's
first Wine Manager.
The 1960's to the Present Day: A Time for Expansion
There have been many expansions over the years. The First
Wine Room was constructed in 1960. A much larger addition to accommodate the
then growing list of available fine wines was added in 1972. And the last major
project, completed in 1984, added a second-story warehouse and
temperature-controlled wine storage facility, bringing the total area for
storage and display to over 10,000 square feet. 1997 saw a "freshening
up" of the Store's interior, with new carpeting and the installation of new
shelving throughout the wine display areas, enabling us to increase our
offerings of fine wines by nearly 30%. The 1999 acquisition of an
adjacent residential property awaits final planning and renovation and may
eventually become our new Wine Tasting Center with rooms for Wine Tastings and
Wine Education
gatherings along with additional storage.
And the "firsts" continued. Kreston's was the first area retailer to explore the uses of the then new "PC" computers in the operation of a beverage business. First also in utilizing billboard advertising among the liquor and wine trade. First to install UPC scanning equipment and to fully computerize inventory and purchasing functions. Some photos of these events and expansions along with shots of the Kreston's Staffs from the 60's through 80's appear below.
This vision of Sam Kreston, expanded by his son Don is now
put into practice by the third generation of the Kreston Family, Robert, and presently
employs a staff of 20. Kreston Liquor Mart has been named a "Best of
Delaware" wine stop by Delaware Today
magazine for
20 years running, and is THE
place for fine wines in the
tri-State area. With a selection that now exceeds
6000 different wines from throughout the World, along with a full complement of
Spirits and Cordials and with hundreds of Micro-Brewed Beers, Kreston's has
what the discriminating consumer is looking for.
Named a "Market Watch Leader"
by Market Watch magazine in 1992 and "Retailer of the Year"
by industry leaders Heublein and Brown Forman, Kreston's has also been singled
out by the National Association of Beverage Retailers as a top US retailer for the last five years
running. And Kreston's was signaled out as one of the top wine
shops in the US by Food and Wine Magazine
in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 and again in 2003. All of which illustrates the continued application of that basic
philosophy espoused by our founder those many, many years ago:
"~We
believe that Quality and Good Taste are inseparable.
~We
believe that quality is essential. There is no place in
our store for merchandise that will not give satisfaction to
our customers.
~We are proud of our
reputation as a 'Friendly Store'
and believe that this reputation is the
result of the
type of service which we have given our customers
throughout the
years."
Sam Kreston
Come and Experience the
Kreston
Difference. It's
Service
by a staff that enjoys what they do and
are genuinely glad to see you, Selection
from among 7000+ Wine, Spirit and Beer Items, and
Savings
that are genuine and offered daily, and not just a manipulation of the numbers.
Service,
Selection
and Savings--
All Rolled Into
One It's the Kreston
Difference!
Kreston
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