Highlander Wine and Spirits
Highlander Wine and Spirits is a privately held, Calgary-based specialty retailer operating six storefronts plus a WooCommerce e-commerce site, selling premium wine, spirits and beer (with 8 sommeliers on staff) to individual consumers, corporate clients, event planners, and licensees across Alberta and Canada.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersCalgary, Canada
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Highlander Wine and Spirits does
Highlander Wine and Spirits, operating under the legal entity Highlander Liquor Store Inc., is a privately held specialty off-premise alcohol retailer headquartered in Calgary, Alberta. The business traces to an off-sale inside the original Highlander Hotel in 1961 and was re-established in 1996 as a premium wine, spirits, and beer retailer; it has since scaled to six Calgary storefronts (Aspen, Eighth Avenue Place, Marda Loop, North Hill Plaza, Richmond Plaza, and Seton, the last of which is closed for renovations) supported by a WooCommerce/WordPress e-commerce site at highlanderwine.com that handles in-store pickup, Canada Post shipping across Canada, and free local delivery on orders over $200 in Calgary. The assortment is anchored in 408+ wine SKUs sourced from 19+ countries, 148+ spirits SKUs, and 70+ beer and RTD SKUs, and is differentiated by sommelier curation -- the company states 8 sommeliers are on staff -- that drives an Exclusives line and a premium Cellar Picks assortment with individual items priced up to $7,499.99.
The business operates through four primary revenue streams: brick-and-mortar retail, e-commerce online sales, a dedicated Corporate & Gifting Program offering 18% off and free office delivery run by a designated Corporate and Community Engagement Manager, and a Wedding & Event Services line supported by custom quotes and an online drinks-calculator tool. Customer segments span individual consumers (primary), corporate clients, event planners, and a licensee/hospitality channel serviced via a dedicated email and store-level handling at the North Hill Plaza location. Marketing and merchandising cadence is anchored on a Monday-to-Friday calendar of themed online flash sales, an in-store weekly flyer, a points-based in-store loyalty program (3 points per dollar, 100 points = $1), a monthly Give Back program donating 50% of profits from selected SKUs to local not-for-profits (over $300,000 since 2016), and a tier of "Every Day Low Price" items. Technology is largely off-the-shelf; no proprietary AI, mobile app, integrations, patents, or external funding rounds are disclosed, and the company is independently owned with no parent or subsidiaries and a single named executive in the data set.
Highlander Wine and Spirits firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Highlander Wine and Spirits
- Legal name
- Highlander Liquor Store Inc.
- Website
- https://highlanderwine.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Highlander Wine and Spirits is a privately held, Calgary-based specialty retailer operating six storefronts plus a WooCommerce e-commerce site, selling premium wine, spirits and beer (with 8 sommeliers on staff) to individual consumers, corporate clients, event planners, and licensees across Alberta and Canada.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Highlander Wine and Spirits industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Liquor Retail
- NAICS
- Beer, Wine, and Liquor Retailers (445320), Wine and Distilled Alcoholic Beverage Merchant Wholesalers (42482)
- SIC
- Wholesale-Beer, Wine & Distilled Alcoholic Beverages (5180)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Fine Wine & Luxury Spirits Retail (CRANABAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Liquor Stores (Off-Premise Spirits Retail) (CRANABAA), Premium, Rare & Collectible Alcohol Retail (Fine Wine/Spirits) (CRANAAAJ)
Keywords
Where Highlander Wine and Spirits is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Calgary
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices6 records
Markets served
Highlander Wine and Spirits business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Retail Alcohol Sales: Brick-and-mortar retail sales of wine, spirits, and beer across 6 Calgary locations. Customers can purchase in-store with options for case orders at 10% discount.
- E-commerce Online Sales: Online ordering through website with in-store pickup, Canada Post shipping, and delivery within Calgary city limits on orders over $200.
- Corporate Program Sales: B2B corporate sales through dedicated Corporate & Gifting Program offering 18% discount and free office delivery for businesses.
- Event/Wedding Services: Custom quotes and large-volume orders for weddings, corporate events, and special celebrations with event drinks calculator and personalized service.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Standard retail pricing with everyday low prices |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Loyalty points program |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Corporate program pricing |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels4 records
Highlander Wine and Spirits product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Highlander Wine & Spirits operates as a premium multi-channel alcoholic beverage retailer selling wine, spirits, and beer through six physical Calgary storefronts plus a Canada-wide e-commerce platform. The retailer stocks 408+ wines, 148+ spirits, and 70+ beers with sommelier-curated Exclusives, premium Cellar Picks (collectibles up to $7,499.99), and rotating weekly Featured Sales. Beyond retail, the company offers dedicated Corporate & Gifting, Wedding & Event, and Licensee wholesale programs with tailored pricing, free local delivery, and event planning support.
Product overview
Highlander Wine & Spirits is a Calgary-based premium wine, spirits, and beer retailer operating 6 physical store locations since 1961, with a full e-commerce platform. The core offering consists of Wine (Red, White, Sparkling, Rosé with 408+ products), Spirits (Whiskey, Gin, Liqueur, Rum, Tequila, Vodka with 148+ products), and Beer & More (70+ products including craft, import, domestic, and non-alcoholic options). The business model combines Featured Sales (rotating weekly e-sales Monday-Friday), Every Day Low Price (permanent discounts), Exclusives (sommelier-curated exclusive selections), and Cellar Picks (premium collectibles). Additional services include a Wedding & Event Services program with drinks calculator, Corporate & Gifting Program offering 18% discounts and free delivery, Give Back charitable program (50% profits to nonprofits), and In-Store Wine Club loyalty rewards (3 points per dollar). The company differentiates through having 8 sommeliers on staff and a reputation for expertise in wine and spirits retailing since 1996.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Wine Extensive wine retail category including Red Wine, White Wine, Sparkling, and Rosé sourced from over 19 countries, with 408+ SKUs available for individual consumers and corporate clients in-store and online.
- Spirits Full spirits retail category spanning Whiskey, Gin, Liqueur, Rum, Tequila & Mezcal, Vodka, and Aperitif & Digestif, with 148+ SKUs. The North Hill Plaza store carries the largest spirits/liqueurs selection in Calgary.
- Beer & More Beer retail category covering Beer, No/Low Alcohol Beer, Coolers & Ready to Drink, and Cider, with 70+ SKUs; the Marda Loop location features over 150 craft beer and ciders and Richmond Plaza carries the largest craft beer selection in southwest Calgary.
- Exclusives Curated collection of sommelier-selected Highlander-exclusive wines, sparkling wines, and spirits, including rare and collectible selections not widely available at competing Calgary liquor retailers.
- Cellar Picks Premium collectible wines and rare spirits intended for cellaring, featuring high-value items such as Champagne Dom Perignon, Opus One, Screaming Eagle, and aged whiskeys with prices up to $7,499.99.
- Wedding & Event Services Custom beverage service for weddings and celebrations offering custom quotes, large-volume ordering, exclusive event pricing, and a drinks calculator tool to estimate wine, beer, and spirits needs for the event.
- Corporate & Gifting Program Dedicated B2B program for corporate clients offering 18% discount on regular priced wine, spirits and beer, free office delivery within Calgary, customized events and tastings, and access to exclusive products. Managed by a dedicated Corporate and Community Engagement Manager.
- Licensee Supply Program Wholesale-style alcohol supply program for restaurants, bars, and hospitality licensees, with dedicated ordering via [email protected] and handling at the North Hill Plaza store.
Companies that use Highlander Wine and Spirits
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Highlander Wine and Spirits technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Highlander Wine and Spirits partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Local Not-for-Profit OrganizationscoreMonthly Give Back Program partnering with local not-for-profit organizations where 50% of profits from select product sales are donated. Since 2016, over $300,000 has been invested back into the community supporting various causes and organizations throughout the years.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Highlander Wine and Spirits competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Everything Wine: Western Canadian specialty wine and spirits retailer with multiple premium-format stores and strong sommelier-led curation. Closely comparable to Highlander's premium, expertise-driven specialty retail model.
- Marquis Wine Cellars: Vancouver-based premium independent wine retailer with deep cellar and curated exclusives. Comparable to Highlander as a sommelier-driven, premium-positioned specialty wine and spirits retailer in Western Canada.
- Wine & Beyond: Calgary-based premium multi-store wine, beer and spirits retailer. Directly comparable to Highlander in geography, premium positioning, and large-format specialty store model.
- Co-op Wine Spirits Beer: Federated Co-operatives' liquor banner operating multiple stores across Western Canada, including Calgary. Comparable as a multi-store alcohol retailer competing for the same consumer and licensee demand.
Broad incumbents
- LCBO: Ontario's provincial liquor retailer and the largest single alcohol retailer in Canada. Comparable as a multi-store, multi-channel alcohol retailer, though it does not operate in Alberta and serves a fundamentally different regulatory and geographic footprint.
- SAQ: Québec's provincial alcohol retailer with curated premium selection and broad assortment. Comparable as a large, multi-store alcohol retailer with strong fine wine positioning, though serving a separate geography and regulatory regime.
- Costco Liquor: Costco's warehouse-club liquor offering with strong EDLP positioning in Calgary. Comparable as an alternative channel for bulk wine and spirits purchases; competes on price rather than curation.
- Real Canadian Liquorstore: Loblaw's discount liquor banner with a heavy Alberta footprint. Comparable as a large, multi-store alcohol retailer competing for everyday alcohol spend, though positioned as a broad price-led incumbent rather than a premium specialist.
- Sobeys Liquor: National Canadian liquor banner owned by Empire Company. Comparable as a large multi-store alcohol retailer with Western Canadian presence, though broader and less premium-specialized than Highlander.
Regional players
- Keg n' Cork: Multi-store Western Canadian liquor retailer with both consumer and licensee supply programs. Comparable as a regional multi-channel alcohol retailer, though it does not directly compete in Calgary.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Highlander Wine and Spirits financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Highlander Wine and Spirits leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Highlander Wine and Spirits funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Highlander Wine and Spirits M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Highlander Wine and Spirits
What does Highlander Wine and Spirits do?
Highlander Wine & Spirits operates as a premium multi-channel alcoholic beverage retailer selling wine, spirits, and beer through six physical Calgary storefronts plus a Canada-wide e-commerce platform. The retailer stocks 408+ wines, 148+ spirits, and 70+ beers with sommelier-curated Exclusives, premium Cellar Picks (collectibles up to $7,499.99), and rotating weekly Featured Sales. Beyond retail, the company offers dedicated Corporate & Gifting, Wedding & Event, and Licensee wholesale programs with tailored pricing, free local delivery, and event planning support.
Is Highlander Wine and Spirits a public or private company?
Highlander Wine and Spirits is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Highlander Wine and Spirits founded?
Highlander Wine and Spirits was founded in 1996. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Highlander Wine and Spirits based?
Highlander Wine and Spirits is headquartered in Calgary, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Highlander Wine and Spirits make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Retail Alcohol Sales are the primary driver. The others are E-commerce Online Sales, corporate Program Sales and event/Wedding Services.
Who are Highlander Wine and Spirits's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Everything Wine, Marquis Wine Cellars, Wine & Beyond and Co-op Wine Spirits Beer. Broad incumbents are LCBO, SAQ, Costco Liquor, Real Canadian Liquorstore and Sobeys Liquor. Keg n' Cork is listed as a regional player.
Does Highlander Wine and Spirits have an API?
No public API is recorded for Highlander Wine and Spirits.
What industry is Highlander Wine and Spirits in?
Highlander Wine and Spirits's product category is Liquor Retail. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRANABAE, Fine Wine & Luxury Spirits Retail, with a secondary code of CRANABAA, Liquor Stores (Off-Premise Spirits Retail). Its NAICS code is 445320 and its SIC code is 5180.