Becoming the Go-To Local Package Store: 3 Tips

Running a package store comes with plenty of competition, but local shops have an advantage that chains can’t replicate — customers who prefer buying from someone they trust.

The challenge is giving those shoppers clear reasons to choose your store every time they need a bottle for dinner, a tailgate, or a last-minute gift.

This article breaks down practical steps that help small package stores become the first stop in your neighborhood, plus how a liquor-specific point of sale (POS) system makes each step easier to put into practice.

3 Tips To Become the Go-To Local Package Store in 2025

Shoppers notice the stores that make buying alcohol simple, convenient, and timed to their needs — all easier said than done.

Instead of undercutting prices or stretching your team thin, these targeted strategies help your store stand out while staying manageable for small operations.

1. Set Up Online Sales and Delivery

Customers expect to shop on their own terms, and for package stores, that often means offering online ordering or delivery. A virtual storefront can help you stand out, strengthen repeat business, and capture sales you might otherwise miss.

Several tools can make this process easier. For example, Bottle POS includes BottleZoo, a built-in e-commerce platform that lets your in-stock products appear on your website and in online search results.

Orders placed online flow directly into your POS, so you can fulfill them via curbside pickup or local delivery without adding extra work at the counter.

Keep in mind that online sales and delivery come with rules that vary by state. Before launching, make sure to:

Confirm that your state allows home delivery of alcohol.
Verify the ID requirements that retailers must follow for deliveries.
Understand any restrictions on using third-party delivery services.
Check packaging and transport regulations to ensure compliance.

As an example, let’s say a neighborhood package store wants to start offering online ordering to capture traffic around weekend football games.

With tools like BottleZoo, the store can offer easy online browsing and pickup options, which could help increase repeat orders while keeping in-store lines moving more efficiently.

Metrics To Track

Measuring the impact of your online storefront helps you see what works and where you need to make adjustments. Tracking a few key metrics gives you insight into customer behavior, order patterns, and overall revenue performance.

Measure things like:

Total online sales: Shows how much revenue your web store generates and lets you track it through POS sales reports
Average order value: Reveals how much customers spend per order; calculate by dividing total revenue by number of online orders
Repeat purchase rate: Tracks how often customers return to buy again, measured via customer profiles in your POS
Cart abandonment rate: Indicates how many shoppers leave without completing checkout; compare initiated carts to completed orders

Using our weekend football game scenario from before, if total online sales jump by 15–20% during weekends and repeat purchase rate climbs to 25% or higher, it shows that fans are using the service regularly and the convenience is driving repeat orders.

On the other hand, if cart abandonment exceeds 30% during these same weekends, it suggests the checkout process may be confusing or popular products aren’t easy to find online.

Ensure that your product listings are clear, inventory is accurate, and the online checkout flow is straightforward to keep folks coming back.

2. Offer Customer Rewards and Loyalty Programs

Rewarding repeat customers keeps them coming back and helps your store stand out in the neighborhood — and with 35% of small business owners offering a liquor store loyalty program, joining the trend can help your store stay competitive.

Loyalty programs take many forms, from points that add up to discounts or free bottles, to themed bundle promotions and raffle-style giveaways.

Here are some ideas to tie loyalty program promotions to your calendar:

Track seasonal events in your area (e.g., sports games, concerts, community fairs) and offer extra loyalty points for purchases during those times.
Schedule limited-time promotions around holidays that give double points or exclusive rewards to loyalty members.
Reward frequent shoppers with milestone perks, such as a complimentary bottle after a set number of visits, to encourage repeat engagement.
Offer early access to special releases or seasonal products during slower months to draw customers in when traffic is lighter.

Some promotions, such as social media contests or product sampling, may have state-specific rules. Always confirm that any offer complies with local regulations for alcohol giveaways and advertising.

Your POS system can simplify both implementation and tracking. Bottle POS, for example, includes a built-in rewards system that tracks purchases by phone number. It automatically applies points or perks and captures key data to measure the success of each promotion.

Metrics To Track

To understand whether or not your loyalty program is driving repeat visits and increasing overall sales, routinely monitor metrics like:

Enrollment rate: Shows how many customers are joining your loyalty program; measured by comparing the number of enrolled members to your total customer base in your POS
Redemption rate: Indicates how often customers use points or rewards by comparing total points redeemed to points earned
Repeat purchase frequency: Measures how often loyalty members return by recording visits per member over a set period
Average spend per visit: Reveals whether loyalty members spend more than nonmembers by analyzing sales per transaction in your POS

For example, if repeat purchase frequency climbs 20% in a quarter and average spend per visit rises 10%, your program is successfully encouraging loyal behavior.

Alternatively, low redemption rates or engagement with your promotions may signal that rewards aren’t compelling enough or aren’t clearly communicated.

Make sure to review your program messaging, highlight top rewards, and consider adjusting point values or offer timing to better match customer preferences.

3. Simplify Checkout

Shoppers want to get in and out quickly, but necessary steps like age verification can slow things down. Even small delays at the register can add up, making checkout feel longer than it should — but modern POS systems have tools to keep things moving smoothly.

Industry-specific systems like Bottle POS include built-in age verification technology that triggers automatically when a cashier scans an age-restricted item.

Staff can verify a customer’s age by either scanning their ID or manually entering their date of birth, then the system instantly calculates age, flags any expired or suspicious IDs, and prevents the sale, if necessary.

Metrics To Track

To make sure your checkout process is running as efficiently as possible, regularly review metrics such as:

Average transaction time: Tells you how long it takes to complete a sale; measured by timing transactions or reviewing POS timestamps
Line length at peak hours: Indicates how quickly customers move through checkout; tracked manually or through POS reports if available
Customer satisfaction: Shows whether shoppers feel checkout is convenient; gather feedback through surveys or follow-up emails

As a practical example, if your store’s average transaction time drops by 20–25% over a month and age verification errors fall to near zero, that suggests your checkout setup is performing well.

If lines still build during busy periods, you might consider adding a second terminal or allocating more staff to your checkout area to better diffuse the workload.

Implementing Changes at Your Package Store

These tips can transform your package store and charm your neighborhood, but they can also be intimidating to institute at your shop. After all, what do virtual storefronts, customer reward programs, and speedy checkout hardware have in common?

It’s an easy answer, actually — a liquor-specific POS system, like Bottle POS, is key to simply and quickly implementing these changes at your liquor shop.

Bottle POS includes online delivery and pickup via BottleZoo, a baked-in customer loyalty program, and all the hardware necessary for an easy checkout experience. Its perks don’t stop there, however. It helps set your package store apart from competitors, making you the go-to option.

Ready to leave your competition in the dust? Schedule a free demo with our team today!