The alcoholic beverages market is projected to grow 37% by 2028 — but that growth won't be distributed evenly.
Two seemingly identical liquor stores can have radically different outcomes. One might struggle with unpredictable sales, slow days, and customers who only stop by occasionally. The other has consistent foot traffic, larger average basket sizes, and a loyal customer base that keeps coming back.
So, what’s the difference between these two imaginary stores? Strategy.
The thriving store is making key decisions and implementing the right tips and techniques. And the best part is that, with the right information, you can do the same.
This guide includes 10 proven tips you can use to increase your liquor store sales. You'll learn exactly what to do, why it works, which metrics to track, and what tools you need to make it all possible.
Before you can implement any of the strategies we’ll discuss, you need the right foundation. The key to increasing liquor store sales is to build your strategy on data, not guesswork.
Related Read: Liquor Store Sales Tracking: 8 Metrics and Reports To Manage Your Store
So, what data do you need to track to set yourself up for success? Here are a few key metrics you need to have regular access to before you can build a strategy that works:
Look for a point of sale (POS) solution that gives you reliable access to these data points and start building your plan. An industry-specific solution, like Bottle POS, has all the reports and features you need to track your progress and set your liquor store up for growth.
With this context in mind, let’s explore our favorite creative tips that top-performing liquor stores like yours can use to build customer loyalty and move inventory.
One incredible way to boost your average transaction value is to stop selling individual bottles and start selling kits and bundles. When you bundle products together, you create a win-win for yourself and the customer — increasing your average sale and making shopping easier.
It’s easy to see why this strategy works well for liquor stores. Customers buy four or five items instead of walking out with a single bottle. You also get the opportunity to introduce customers to complementary products they might not have discovered on their own, all while reducing decision fatigue for the customer.
Related Read: 7 Liquor Store Promotion Ideas That Actually Work
Here are a few examples to get you started:
A solution like Bottle POS makes this strategy easy to implement with built-in bundling features, automated inventory management, and advanced reporting.
Mastering seasonal inventory can spell the difference between a profitable quarter and a disappointing one for most liquor stores. The key to this strategy is to think beyond major seasonal shifts like “stock more light beer in the summer” and start looking at micro-moments other stores miss.
But what are micro-moments? Here are a few examples:
You can also create your own micro-moments by taking advantage of the “limited drop” strategy. It’s a well-known approach in sneaker culture that involves creating an allocated release with a waitlist. You can partner with a local distillery or winery for an exclusive collaboration where you carry a limited number of bottles.
Related Read: 3 Unique Ideas To Help Boost Liquor Sales
FOMO (or the fear of missing out) is a great way to drive your customers to action. When something is "available this weekend only," customers won't wait. Limited releases also create routine check-ins from your best customers, as people will start visiting more regularly so they don’t miss the next special release.
Strategic partnerships are one of the best ways to drive sales, increase your reach, and build long-lasting customer relationships. Consider partnering with a local restaurant to host wine-pairing dinners (where customers can purchase the featured bottles to take home) to sell more wine.
Another option is to connect with wedding venues. You can offer couples discounted case orders for their wedding bar.
Some liquor stores have also found success partnering with nearby cheese shops, bakeries, and chocolatiers to create joint gift sets that benefit all businesses.
If you want to see which partnerships work and which are a waste of resources, you need to track the right metrics. These include:
Use a point of sale system like Bottle POS to create unique promo codes that make tracking partnership performance easier. With the right data, you can see which partnerships drive sales and which ones aren’t worth continuing.
Loyalty programs are one of your biggest assets as a retail store owner — but only if you implement them the right way. The first key to a profitable loyalty program is to offer benefits customers actually want. The next is to use your loyalty program to incentivize customers to purchase more products more often.
A tiered loyalty program is one of the best ways to accomplish this second goal. When customers can see the next level of benefits waiting for them, they’re motivated to spend more to get there.
Let’s take a look at some sample tiers:
This type of program encourages customers to spend more and ensures you offer your best rewards only to your most loyal customers.
Related Read: Alcohol Marketing Strategies: 6 Expert Tips To Help You Sell More
To maximize the benefits of your loyalty program, consider investing in a POS system with built-in loyalty program management. An all-in-one system like Bottle POS automates point tracking, tier upgrades, and reward redemptions. You can also use our tool for SMS and email triggers to market the program and notify customers when they reach the next tier.
Generic mass marketing is dead. Modern customers expect personalization from their marketing messages — so if you want customers to actually convert on your campaigns, that’s what you need to deliver.
Let’s take a look at some of the hyper-targeted digital marketing approaches that work for liquor stores like yours:
A solution like Bottle POS integrates marketing features through Pointy, allowing you to segment customer data and launch campaigns directly from one central tool. Any steps you take to lighten the load on your team helps keep your marketing messaging consistent and effective.
One way to increase liquor store sales is to run discounts and markdowns — but the only way to use this approach without killing your margins is to approach it strategically. You should use discounts and strategic pricing to drive traffic during slow periods and clear out old inventory, and the only way to do so profitably is with the right data.
Use a POS system with automated ranking features. Bottle POS automatically identifies and ranks your slowest-moving products, giving you a roadmap to the items you need to discount to avoid becoming dead stock.
Here are some metrics to track when planning your discount strategy:
Use this data to determine when to discount and when to hold out at full price.
✓ Do discount: Slow movers (before they expire), seasonal overstock after the season ends, bottles with damaged labels
✗ Don't discount: Allocated items, proven top sellers, brand-new arrivals
Alcohol e-commerce grew 42% from 2020 to 2023, and it doesn’t show any signs of slowing. Online shopping is now an expectation across industries, including liquor stores, and many shoppers expect delivery options — even from small, independent stores. If you only offer in-store shopping, you’ll lose customers and leave money on the table.
Of course, you don’t need to invest in a delivery driver for every shift. Instead, you want to use a POS system that integrates with e-commerce tools like BottleZoo. These solutions allow you to partner with third-party platforms like DoorDash and Instacart to offer delivery options at a much lower cost to your store.
Related Read: Selling Liquor Online: The What, Why, and How
These seven tips are the tried-and-true options liquor stores see real results with. Now, let’s cover bonus strategies for emerging trends to capitalize on to increase liquor store sales even more.
The no- and low-alcohol trend has grown in recent years. The consistent year-over-year growth in these categories proves that “Dry January” and other wellness movements aren’t passing fads — they’re a permanent shift in how people drink.
Take advantage of this trend by stocking nonalcoholic (NA) craft beers like Athletic Brewing and Heineken 0.0, botanical spirits like Seedlip and Ritual Zero Proof, and low-ABV wines and aperitifs. You might also create mocktail bundles or host mocktail-themed events in your store.
Here's what surprises most store owners: NA buyers often purchase regular alcohol, too. Many of these customers aren’t looking to replace drinking altogether — they’re just changing their habits. Offering NA options is a good way to retain these customers, even as their habits change.
Many modern customers will pay more for sustainable or local products. Hop on this trend by stocking exclusive products from local distillers and breweries and highlighting products packaged in recycled containers.
Other options for this trend include running a bottle recycling program, offering canned cocktails as an eco-friendly alternative to plastic containers, and using marketing and advertising messaging to let customers know your store is dedicated to environmentally-friendly practices and products.
Finally, don’t trip at the finish line! The checkout counter can be one of the biggest profit centers in your store if you play your cards right.
Start with impulse items like wine keys, shot glasses, and lighters. Putting these items at the checkout counter is an easy way to boost your average basket size. Other options here include mini bottles or cocktail bitters — anything a customer might have forgotten to grab or be compelled to pick up on a whim.
Related Read: How To Run a Liquor Store: 3 Helpful Tips
Next, remember that speed is crucial when it comes to checkout processes. Long checkout lines mean abandoned baskets and frustrated customers. Invest in fast barcode scanners and integrated payment processing. You also want a POS system that allows you to offer digital payment options, like tap-to-pay and mobile wallets.
Small changes at your checkout can increase liquor store sales without requiring a massive investment in marketing or promotions.
Using these strategies, you should have all the ideas you need to increase liquor store sales in your shop — but good ideas alone aren’t enough to push you over the finish line on your journey to more revenue and better profit margins. If you want to succeed, you need the right tools.
Without the right POS system, even the most brilliant strategies can fail. Manual tracking wastes time, makes you miss critical insights, and slows your ability to adapt. To get the most out of these strategies, find a POS solution with the features and functionality liquor stores need to succeed.
Bottle POS was built specifically for liquor stores like yours. You get automated inventory management, built-in loyalty programs, integrated e-commerce through BottleZoo, SMS marketing, and real-time reporting — all in one system.
Ready to stop guessing and start growing? Build and price your ideal setup with Bottle POS today.
Bottle POS was designed to be smart and simple. Instead of having hundreds of features that liquor store owners won't use, we concentrate on the features that really make a difference.
