It was a night of fun and razzmatazz when the Chairman of Media Specialties Group, Adebola Olabode, gathered friends and business associates to witness the latest addition to his business endeavours, Barell.Ng. Located at the highbrow Ikeja GRA, the outlet is the nation’s first online store for premium alcoholic beverages and brainchild of the chief executive officer of the Media Specialties Group, Ade Olabode.
The opening of the new retail centre, located at highbrow Isaac John street, inside Ikeja GRA, Street, Ikeja GRA was also tagged Hennessy Night owing to the main sponsorship by the leading wine brand.
The hip experience centre has unofficially opened its doors to customers recently and it has quickly become the favourite one-stop hub of exotic spirits and wines seekers.
Olabode told newsmen that since they opened for business, they have been able to attract wine and exotic drinks lovers to have an experience of their upscale services.
“Since we opened the barrels.ng as an online store of premium alcoholic beverages a few years ago, we have upped the ante in delivery of satisfying value to our numerous customers. Now, we are opening this new experience centre as a retail hub where everyone can come in to have extraordinary tasting experiences of their favourite spirits and wines, buy to take home or order to be delivered to them anywhere. Our grand opening is a statement of service excellence and customer-centric indulgence like never before and everyone is welcome,” Olabode said.
Barrels.ng has been a leading dealer in the wholesale supply of premium liquor brands in Nigeria with a unique online supply and swift delivery-to-doorstep approach. It continues to attract more customers through exceptional customer-centric service and a wide assortment of trusted brands. Clients from anywhere across Nigeria can order their choice alcoholic drinks and have them promptly delivered to their homes, parties and other important events without stress.
The choice of location for the outfit was not only strategic but also instructive. Situated at Isaac John Street in the heart of GRA, Ikeja, overlooking Maryland gives fun seekers opportunity to peep in once in a while and pick wines of the choice or go to the second floor where there are opportunities for small clustered meetings with round tables that could sit six persons each.
Speaking to THISDAY, the General Manager of the outfit, Layi Aderibigbe, said there are catering services too for those who want to come and have a meeting or a small event in the place. He added that all the organisers of such meetings or events needed to do was to inform them ahead and they would make arrangements.
“We have an in-house chef,” Aderibigbe explained. “So there are food and catering services that go with the purchase of wines and other assorted drinks. However, people might bring their foods from outside. What we do is that we quantify the food, value it and the person will then pay fifty per cent surcharge of the cost before he or she is allowed to bring in the food. The essence is to discourage bringing in off food any way because we are so sure of our services.”
A more than cursory look around the ground and first floor indicated that the wine cabinets were branded in the names of the producers or marketers of such wine brands. Olabode said the ideas of Barrel.Ng were sold to these brands and they bought into it. In fact, the night of the unveiling of the outfit was tagged ‘Hennessey Night’.
Olabode said the leading wine brand saw sense and marketing and promotional opportunities i in what they were doing and they bought into it. He said that was an indication that perhaps, the idea of Barrels.Ng was a not bad one after all.
And nothing confirmed this than the sheer number of fun seekers who thronged the place and were reveling still the early hours of the following morning. With a DJ on stand and music blaring away from almost deafening loudspeakers, a club-like situation was created in front of the building with dancing and drinking ruling the air.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Job Creation, Afolabi Imoukhuede, a personal friend to Olabode was on hand to grace the occasion. He said the idea of Barrels.Ng was one for which Olabode should be commended for. Also gracing the occasion was veteran movie and television producer, Zeb Ejiro.
Apart from physically coming to pick wines from the place, buyers can also order online; which is the whole idea behind the outfit in the first place. Some of fun seekers who thronged the place on the night of the opening expressed delight at being part of the groundbreaking ceremony but would want the night club atmosphere created that night to be repeated regularly.
