“The Bottom Line” for Off-Premise Retailers

Expanding Your Customer Base…
Or…
Are Your Primary Customers Male?

There are basically only two types of shoppers in the world: male and female. Young or old, single or married, rich or poor, doesn’t matter - they are still male or female.

Let’s take the male shopper first – mostly because they are less complicated and just easier to please when it comes to shopping because they hate it so much. The male mentality tends to think of shopping as a purpose-driven mission: Go in knowing what you want; find it; buy it; out the door and back home. A generality perhaps, but probably not off the mark by much.

Now the female shopper. The general mentality for women who take shopping seriously is one of “I want to see what they have”. Retailers – this is a golden opportunity. You can seize the moment or just let it slip by. But if you choose to let it slip by, then you can just about be certain that woman shopper won’t be visiting your store again if she ever did the first time. Read on.

Here are two scenarios to mull over. Remember, only two characters in this scenario: male and female. We’ll call them Julie and Dan.

Okay, so Julie and Dan are on their way to visit their friends Kathleen and Ladd when Julie’s cell phone rings. It’s Kathleen asking them to stop by a liquor store to pick up a bottle of vodka. Ladd forgot to stop that afternoon and she thinks it would be fun to mix-up some martini’s for Julie and her. No problem, Julie agrees to make the stop.

“Dan that was Kathleen. Ladd forgot to buy vodka so we need to stop and get a bottle, okay?”

“Yeah, sure. What kind does she want? Hey liquor store straight ahead. Perfect timing!”

“Uh, I don’t know what kind. She just said vodka and she wants to make some martinis. Sounds good to me, too.”

“Julie, are you coming in with me?”

“No way. This place looks horrible. All the windows are covered in posters. You can’t even see in the store. Just get a bottle of vodka and hurry back out.”

Dan buys a bottle of vodka and they are on their merry way. One sale; a single bottle of vodka.

Now let’s take the same scenario with a little twist…let’s pick it up from here:

“Julie, are you coming in with me?”

(Retailer – here’s your moment!)

“The store looks really nice from the outside. Yeah, I’ll go in with you. I want to see what they have.”

“Dan, come over here. Look at this display. How cute is this? Makes me want to buy the whole set for home. Vodka bottles, martini glasses, shaker, olives and really cute cocktail napkins. They also have a bottle of Cointreau and Chambord with it. How do you use those in martinis?”

“Julie, I haven’t a clue. They’ve got some recipes over here though. Hey, just pick a bottle of vodka and let’s go.”

“No way. I want to find a clerk to ask about these other bottles and I also want to buy some of these napkins as a gift for Kathleen and Ladd. Think I’m going to get some for us, too. They are really cute. Wait here while I find a clerk. Oh, wait. Here he comes.”

“Hi, my name’s Adam. Can I help you?”

“Hi, Adam. My name’s Julie. So how do I use the Cointreau and Chambord in a martini? Do you have any cocktail recipes or can you tell me how to use them to make other drinks?”

“Both can be used in a variety of cocktails and I have some recipes over here I downloaded from a retailer website called BevRetailSpotlight. Let me give you a copy of a couple of those so you can try them. Can I help you with anything else?”

“Well, actually I would like to take a bottle of one of those – let’s make it the Cointreau – plus a nice vodka for our friends. I guess it would be rude to take the Cointreau and tell them I’m taking it home at the end of the evening? I just don’t want to spend quite that much for two bottles of the same stuff.”

“Ma’am, ‘er Julie, why don’t you consider getting two 375ml size bottles of the Cointreau instead of the 750’s? That way you aren’t spending quite as much and you each get a bottle.”

“That’s a great idea! Yeah, I’ll do that and I also want two packages of the napkins and a bottle of the Belvedere – such a pretty bottle. Oh, wait! What’s that? Oh my gosh, the bottle is beautiful. Stoli Elit? Okay, let me think a moment.”

“Julie, we have to go. Just pick a bottle of vodka and let’s go. We’re going to be late. Julie, did you see how much the Stoli Elit cost?”

“Okay Dan, just a minute. Yes, I did see the price. I don’t care. I love the bottle. Okay, so here’s what I’m going to do, Adam. I will take only one of the small Cointreau bottles and the Belvedere for our friends, two packages of the cocktail napkins and the bottle of Stoli Elit for us. I love your store. Of course, if that display hadn’t been there I probably would not be buying all this. I never thought I’d enjoy shopping in a liquor store. But I’ve never been in a liquor store this nice. It almost has a boutique feel to it. I’m going to tell my girlfriends to come here, too. This is one liquor store they’ll like and I’ll definitely be back. Thanks for your help, Adam.”

“Glad I could be of help. By the way, the brochure I’m putting in your bag has helpful hints on how to host a responsible cocktail party at home. I’ll include an extra one for your friends. Have a nice evening, folks.”

“Thank you! I really appreciate that.”

Cha-ching; cha-ching. $$$

Perhaps you think it’s too far fetched. It’s not. Young professionals – married or single – have a lot of expendable cash and they are looking to buy better and drink better – not more.

According to a report by The Distilled Spirits Council, vodka dominates the spirits industry, accounting for nearly 27% of all volumes. In 2005, 45.9 million 9-liter cases of vodka were sold in the United States, generating over $3.5 billion in revenue for distillers. Reflecting America’s desire to drink better, Super Premium brands have driven growth – increasing approximately 14% in volume.

But along with America’s desire to drink better, consumers – especially women – want a nice store in which to shop. Professional women spend far more hours at work so shopping can be one of those pleasurable breaks they look forward to.

You don’t have to spend thousands to improve the appearance of your store, but you are sure to gain far more by spending a little money and a lot of effort to make it a welcoming place to shop. If you have your store windows and walls covered in advertising posters and sale signs tear them down. They look horrible. It dates the appearance of your store. If you want to hang some posters, make them tasteful and colorful – and consider framing them in inexpensive but sleek black wood frames. Think attractive cocktails – not ads or sales signs. You can put small attractive signs on a display of sale merchandise.

Paint the walls a fresh light low-sheen color – no bright white and no shocking yellow. Keep your floors and counters clean. Dust your bottles. Get rid of clutter. No one wants to squeeze through aisles and dodge cases.

A nicely lit store with attractive and creative product displays can be just the thing to close the deal on that impulse purchase.

What better time than now to think about putting together a festive Tequila display for those Cinco de Mayo celebrations? A large ornate sombrero and/or serape with a variety of super-premium sipping tequilas make for a great looking display. Don’t forget to put out an attractive wood tray with Tequila decanter and tasting glasses – add another tray with a couple of margarita glasses, margarita mix, green and red cocktail napkins and a container of margarita rimming salt. From this website you can print recipes and notes for your customers that explain the differences among the three varieties of Tequila: Blanco, Reposado and Anejo. Cinco de Mayo is a great opportunity for your customers to gather friends at home for a Tequila tasting.

One key to Tequila’s growth in the U.S. has been the distillers’ ability to offer a product for every budget and occasion. By offering both well-aged high-end and Super Premium products, as well as affordable value brands, Tequila is great for all occasions.

Cheers and happy retailing!