Total Wine & More
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail (alcoholic beverages) |
| Founded | 1991 |
| Founder | David Trone, Robert Trone |
| Headquarters | North Bethesda, Maryland , United States |
Area served | 28 states (retail), 24 states (online sales) |
Key people | David Trone, Robert Trone |
| Products | Alcoholic beverages (wine, spirits, beer), accessories, gifts, cigars |
| Owner | Retail Services and Systems |
Number of employees | 7000 (2018) |
| Website | totalwine |
Total Wine & More is a prominent American retailer specializing in alcoholic beverages, established and managed by siblings David and Robert Trone. The company received the Retailer of the Year accolade from Market Watch in 2006, Beverage Dynamics in 2008, and was honored by Wine Enthusiast Magazine in both 2004 and 2014. Its main office is located in North Bethesda, Maryland.
History
The Trone family began their venture in 1984 with the launch of Beer and Soda Warehouse, followed by Beer and Pop Warehouse (which later became Beer World) in Pennsylvania. Due to legal obstacles, they eventually withdrew from that state. In 1991, brothers David and Robert Trone opened Liquor World, a modest retail outlet in Claymont, Delaware, and expanded their presence along the East Coast throughout the 1990s. They purchased the Total Beverage chain in the Washington D.C. area in 1998, adopting and adapting its name for their own brand. By 2005, Total Wine had extended operations into Florida, then further expanded into California and Arizona by 2007.
In 2016, Total Wine agreed to comply with Connecticut’s minimum alcohol pricing laws after paying a $37,500 penalty. That same year, Massachusetts suspended several licenses due to pricing concerns; however, Total Wine successfully contested these suspensions through legal channels, affirming its pricing policies within regulatory boundaries.
Due to regulatory limitations, Total Wine's footprint in New York remains modest. Attempts to open large-format stores near White Plains (2017) and Hartsdale (2019) were either denied or blocked by courts citing local issues; these decisions are currently under appeal. Additionally, in 2019, Michelle Trone, daughter of David Trone, sought approval to launch an independent store under the "Total Wine & More" brand in Queens.
At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in early 2020, Total Wine temporarily increased employee wages by $2 per hour but later discontinued this raise as business conditions evolved.
By October 2023, Total Wine operated 259 retail locations across 28 states and provided online alcohol sales in 24 states where such sales are authorized. Bloomberg estimated the company's valuation at roughly $2.4 billion.
Business operations
Under the ownership of Retail Services and Systems, Total Wine & More presents an extensive selection of products at competitive price points. Individual stores typically carry approximately 8,000 wine varieties sourced globally, around 3,000 spirits (where permitted), and about 2,500 beer options, along with related accessories, gifts, and cigars.
As of 2018, the company employed nearly 7,000 individuals, including about 500 staff members at its corporate headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland and approximately 800 wine experts.
Total Wine offers customers educational resources on wine, beer, and spirits alongside tailored loyalty programs based on store location.
The company’s revenue surpassed $1.5 billion in 2014. Co-owner David Trone forecasted revenues reaching $2 billion in 2015 and exceeding $3 billion by 2019. By February 2024, Forbes reported that Total Wine achieved $6 billion in revenue for the year 2023.
Corporate philanthropy
Over more than twenty years, Total Wine has donated upwards of $100 million to charitable organizations at local, regional, and national levels. In 2018 alone, contributions exceeded $9 million distributed among over 13,000 nonprofits across 23 states. The company was recognized with the Market Watch Award for Community Service in 2014. Marvin Shanken, editor of Wine Spectator, commended the Trone brothers for their substantial dedication to community service initiatives.
See also
External links
- Value Added: Potomac's Total Wine, The Washington Post, December 18, 2011.
- Articles with short description
- 1991 establishments in Delaware
- Companies based in Bethesda, Maryland
- Drink companies of the United States
- American companies established in 1991
- Retail companies established in 1991
- Retail companies of the United States
- Wine retailers
- 5
- Companies of the United States by year of establishment