What are the way to expose our business to public?

What's the best way to differentiate a small business from a supermarket when price/convenience is a determining factor?

• My Dad was selling his liquor store/off licence due to ill health, the sale of the business fell through this week after an unscrupulous businessman tried to purchase and slipped through the net for months. The business has been within the family for 32 years. What my Dad doesn't know about wine/beer/spirits isn't worth knowing. This is his unique selling point. The supermarkets simply have their goods on a shelf, with no expert knowledge. However, the supermarkets can also hold deals on "loss leaders" to lure shoppers in to purchase other goods, and make a loss on their alcohol, meaning comparative price can sometimes be an issue. The business is now in a road with two supermarkets - Dad has decided that instead of selling the business, he's going to push through until he retires in 5+ years from now. In order to make it a viable business again, since turnover dropped significantly when Dad was away ill, it needs a re-vamp, and a different business model or a bolt-on arm to the business that will help raise the profile of the business again. I think he needs to work smarter, not harder. He has fantastic products, many the supermarkets don't stock but needs a new facet to the business to try and increase turnover and differentiate him from the supermarkets. Any ideas?

• Answer:

  Don't worry about the supermarkets, the type of clientele they hold are from what it sounds, are not your Dad's customers anyway. For someone as specialist and niche as your Dad is, I'd direct my focus on to those types of customers. I'd say it would become more online sales than offline brick and mortar sales and become more widely known around the UK and further for being the specialist that he is. In essence my answer would be to niche down and target the right people. Specialist buyers are very very different to supermarket buyers.