The holiday season is a prime time for liquor stores to boost sales. With careful planning and execution, you can transform your store into a festive shopping destination for customers looking to purchase tasty gifts for their loved ones. Retailers can significantly increase revenue during the joyous holiday season. Now, as we get ready to put a bow on the final weeks of the summer, is the perfect time to start thinking about effective your liquor store. 

Did you know that New Year’s Eve is the biggest sales day for liquor stores? On average, liquor stores will do 4x the amount of NYE than any other non-holiday day of the year. How do you maximize your store’s potential this holiday season as a retailer? A great way to start is by optimizing your store layout and retail store shelving, which is crucial in achieving this goal for your business. This article will leverage our 30 years of experience and share nine helpful strategies to boost liquor store sales this holiday season. Cheers!

Creating a Festive Atmosphere

First and foremost, this might seem like common sense. Still, you would be amazed at how many liquor stores ignore this critical element in leveraging the increased foot traffic liquor stores experience due to the holiday season. 

The overall ambiance of your liquor store can significantly impact sales growth. Consider these simple and insightful tips:

  • Seasonal Décor: This might seem obvious, but incorporating festive colors, lights, and decorations creates a warm and inviting atmosphere. It is also a great way to highlight a display of liquor you try to sell during the holiday season.
  • Music: Remember, playing upbeat holiday music to enhance the mood is always great. We recommend changing it so the holiday music stays fresh. Channels like Spotify can help you build a perfect holiday playlist with classics, rock, and soul music.
  • Scent Marketing: This isn’t a new concept, but it is also being used as much as it should, given its positive effect on your business. Subtle holiday-themed scents can create a memorable shopping experience.

Optimizing your Liquor Store Layout

This is not exactly breaking news. A well-planned store layout is an incredible tool for guiding customers through your store and encouraging purchases. Below are some ideas retailers can incorporate into their liquor stores to maximize holiday sales.

  • Dedicated Gifts Area: Create a prominent area for gift items. After all, chances are these are the items consumers are looking to purchase. We recommend considering using eye-catching end cap displays to showcase liquor sets.
  • Clear Aisles: Ensure aisles are wide enough for easy navigation, especially during peak shopping times. Ideally, you want your aisles big enough for shopping carts to safely and efficiently go down the aisle in both directions. It’s easy because your liquor store may be short-staffed to put overstocked items on the ground, but in doing so, you give your store a negative image of cleanliness.
  • High-Traffic Areas: Place popular items and impulse buys in high-traffic areas near the checkout counter. You never know what might catch a customer’s eye, and the best place to display those items is near the area where transactions occur.

Leveraging Store Fixtures

Your store’s retail fixtures are more than just shelving units for displaying liquor, wine, and beer; they are potent display tools for merchandising and increasing step-up and impulse sales to your consumers.

  • End Caps: Utilize end caps to highlight holiday season products that create enticing displays. This misconception for many retailers is to merchandise your most expensive items due to the increased exposure end units provide. Here is a tip: it’s the most expensive items you want to merchandise; the products provide your business the highest margins per unit sold.
  • Gondola Shelving: Optimize gondola shelving units by grouping complementary products. This will ultimately lead to impulse sales, significantly improving your business. Consider utilizing popular drinks to give customers a simple solution for purchasing gifts.
  • P.O.P. Displays: Use display tables to create eye-catching displays for gift sets or featured products. As great as these displays can be and given the flexibility they provide retailers with a simple setup process, we recommend being very strategic with the number of P.O.P. displays in your liquor store so that you do not confuse or present your store as too cluttered.
  • Retail Sales Counter: Your sales counter is an essential area for merchandising. This is the location of your store where transactions occur, but consumers are always looking for other items that pique their interest. Place small items like chocolates, snacks, mini spirit bottles, and mixers on the retail counter to maximize impulse buys. Numerous acrylic displays give retailers the security and product visibility needed to entice buyer behavior.  

Understanding the Holiday Shopper

Before diving into retail store fixture planning and merchandising strategy, it’s essential to understand the mindset of the holiday shopper that will enter your store this holiday season. These consumers are often:

  • Gift-oriented: Customers seek unique and impressive presents for their friends and family. You can be a hero to your customers by providing unique gift items that will be appreciated. 
  • Time-constrained: Rushing to complete their shopping list and making last-minute purchases for some people they might have forgotten. 
  • Impulsive: Your customers might walk into your store to make a specific XYZ holiday purchase. Still, your job as a retailer is to allow consumers to make unplanned purchases, which is typical. 

If you utilize the strategies featured in this article, your liquor store will be set up for success this holiday season. For all your retail store fixture needs, please don’t hesitate to speak with a Shelving Depot store designer specialist by contacting us today.