A1 Discount Liquors
1055 Boston Post Road
West Haven, CT

Square footage: 2,100

Years in operation: 7 years

By Sara Capozzi

Conveniently located off of the Boston Post Road, A1 Discount Liquors has carved out a niche in the West Haven community, offering in-demand products at competitive prices. 

A1 is owned and run by Mike Sierra, who brings a fun and friendly atmosphere to the shop. A native of West Haven, Sierra was new to the industry when he purchased A1 Discount Liquors in May of 2018.

“I was a newbie walking into this,” he said. “I knew this was something that was an everyday product mover when you think of business. I figured it’d be something cool to do at that point in time and then over time, I got to know the business and learned more about how it operates. Over the years I’ve gotten to know a lot of the customers personally. I became part of a community where everybody knows me.” 

After four years in business, Sierra moved A1 from its original 800 square foot location across the plaza to its current 2,100 square foot spot, giving him more advantages as he continues to grow the business. “The difference for me was, [before] I was tucked in the plaza, so I came up to the front for more visibility, to have more space, more inventory, more shelving, carry more products to do more business,” he said.

The ability to carry more inventory and bring in more foot traffic, has allowed Sierra to increase the store’s sales from $600,000 per year under its previous owner to $1 million annually.

“The liquor business is just simple,” Sierra said. “[But] It can be [also] a little complex at times, like knowing how much of certain items to stock a week of certain items. But there’s always a new market of products where you can pick up a new customer.”

“I have a very versatile clientele, so I try to carry a little bit of everything,” Sierra said. “It’s very diverse, I get all sorts of people from Orange, West Haven, people from everywhere coming down Rt. 34.”

Sales at A1 are evenly split between spirits, beer, wine and ready-to-drink cocktails. Tequila is A1’s top selling spirit category, with bourbon, other whiskies and Cognac also popular sellers. Ready-to-drink cocktails are another sought-after category, along with sweet wines and wines from California such as Josh Winery and Caymus Vineyards. In-demand varietals include Cabernet, Pinot Noir, red blends, Chardonnay and Pinot Grigio.

Sierra’s continued success is partly due to his ability to create relationships with a variety of his regular customers and anticipate what shoppers will be seeking next.

“I listen to what the people want,” he said. “Sometimes they’ll give me suggestions, but I also watch a lot of social media and see what the trends are…I try to stay up on the newest things that I know will be big like the items I see on TikTok. I always treat the customers with respect; that’s another big thing. They know they can come in sometimes, laugh, joke, like a comedy shack. Customers know they can count on me to get things if they need it. They say they know I’ll have it.”