Desert Island Stores: Alex Murray, founder of Digital Distiller
Alex Murray founded Digital Distiller, a specialist online English spirits retailer, in late 2022 with a strong focus on the fast-growing English Whisky category.
He has worked in the food & drink industry for nearly 30 years for businesses such as Berry Bros. & Rudd, Waitrose and Lidl.
The store you remember from childhood?
I lived in South Kensington as a child and there were frequent trips to Peter Jones (John Lewis) in Sloane Square. My memories are of floor after floor of something new at every turn. It felt safe and calm with helpful, smiley staff every few metres. I had the overwhelming belief that pretty much anything you wanted or needed was available in that one building. Even a dramatic, and somewhat bloody, tumble down the escalator during one visit didn’t dent my enthusiasm.
Never Miss a Retail Update!Most inspirational store to your career?
I began my career at Berry Bros. including a couple of very happy years at their iconic store at No.3 St. James’s Street. In those days there was no stock visible on any shelves, so customers would come in and simply tell you what they wanted. A bit intimidating. The physical environment has changed massively in the last 25 years with plenty of bottles now on show. My time there taught me that listening carefully to your customers and being incredibly focused on their needs is paramount to being successful in retail. It was also the driving principle as we launched the website in the early 2000s. It is even more important when you don’t come face to face with your customers in the same way online. It’s something I have tried very much to replicate at Digital Distiller.
Most frequently used store?
Annoyingly, it is Amazon. Credit where credit is due – they did a lot well early on and inertia is a terrible thing (well, perhaps not for the retailer!). There are now so many facets to their offer that they are so much more than just a store. They are a good lesson in how to diversify your offer into adjacent categories (and then into the not-so-adjacent). That said, the original shopping experience has become a lot less pleasurable due to the sheer volume of similar products available. Choice paralysis is definitely a thing. It’s still incredibly convenient though.
The store you wished you’d created?
I’ve only visited Hedonism in Mayfair a handful of times, but for any wine or spirits fan, it is a drinks geek’s heaven. With different pockets of carefully curated themes and installations throughout the store, I can happily wander about for ages just soaking in all that artistry and history. It’s a bit like a gallery and a museum to be honest. The only things I wish I had were deeper pockets so I could buy more.
Your overall favourite store?
A mecca for any musician, Andertons Music in Guildford is stuffed with the best gear, especially guitars, and run by crazy passionate and super experienced staff. Although they’ve been in business 60 years, they’ve invested heavily in their online content, so their reach and influence is way greater than their physical footprint. The atmosphere is perfectly pitched and unhurried. It’s no problem if you want to try out a range of instruments at your leisure to find your perfect match.
The store you’d like to take to the desert island?
Having worked for a couple of supermarkets, I’d probably choose a large Waitrose. The new product development team there continues to keep the range interesting, so I feel I would keep discovering new and exciting food and drink. I like novelty. I also really value the effort that is made to create a soothing and spacious environment. That said it would be a close call with Andertons given the thousands of guitars and effects pedals they stock.
