Today we have an interview with Steve and Mat of Staxx Wine, one of the original vendors at Jiashan Market. Come taste a sample of their delicious wine offerings this Saturday from 11-4!
How did Staxx Wine get started?
Mat Morgan and Steve Hitchcock first started talking about a general idea in 2010 with general musings about the lack of good wine for a good price. In early 2012, we started talking more in detail and by that Spring we started searching for our shop location. We opened Staxx for business September 1st, 2012 on Jiaozhou lu in JingAn.
What makes Staxx unique?
Staxx offers good value wines at discounted pricing based on single order sales volume. The spirit is simple, to offer a curated selection of quality wines at great prices. By design our shop environment is very casual and relaxed to welcome customers both foreign and local.
What has been your favorite thing about running your own business?
We are able to get fairly creative with our brand and activity, and the best thing about this freedom is we receive good results. Meeting satisfied customers that enjoy our selection is probably the high point.
Have there been any challenges? If so, how did you overcome them?
This was our first hands on experience with a brick & mortar retail business. Along the way we’ve encountered many challenges, cultural and technology driven issues seem to be the big and constant ones. Overcoming challenges is really about team work, putting our heads together and working through our options and actions, after all two heads are better than one, right? We are both pretty proud what Staxx has accomplished, it’s become a neighborhood destination for dependable wines and we believe offers something unique to Shanghai’s retail landscape. We are not perfect yet, but we hope that makes the shop a little more endearing and give us some character.
What is your favorite thing about the Saturday markets?
It’s social and it’s fun. Every market seems to have its own personality depending on the people and weather that comes through that day. Over the years, we’ve made many friendships with fellow vendors and customers. Many people we may never have met, but that s the beauty of market life, it’s a hodge podge of great people and great products.
What is your favorite place or thing to do in Shanghai?
For Steve, it’s riding my mountain bike from home in JingAn out through Baoshan until reaching the Yangze River with ChongMing Dao off in the near distance.
For Mat, it’s finding great food to go with the wine I take home form work, addition I like to skate one of the few miniramps in Shanghai when I find time, but I admit that is getting harder with work, age and a slowly in increasing waistline.