Four Merchandising Opportunities You’re Missing Out On

Dec. 3, 2015

Setting up a floor design and customer flow plan is a science. From shelf height and cold box displays to category layout and register end-caps, making sure your store is laid out and merchandised effectively is an integral key to success.

“Merchandising is really going to be the make-or-break for many retailers,” said Cody Johnson, craft brand manager at Breakthru Beverage. “You need to merchandise your stores properly and get traffic through in a way that maximizes the consumers’ dollars when they’re in there.”

Proper merchandising also means paying attention to cross-merchandising, which many managers tend to leave out in their plans. Items like mixers, wine accessories and even glassware are frequently overlooked when they could easily be turned into sources of incremental sales revenues. Here are four of the most overlooked opportunities to cross-merchandise in your store, and insights from our expert brand manager to capture those extra dollars.

Mixers and Mix-Ins

Bloody Mary mixes, tonic water, club soda and other mixable beverages should always be cross-merchandised with spirits. Blood Mary mixes have more selling potential when positioned near the vodkas and tonic water is optimal in a small aisle-stack near the gin. Even sodas, like ginger ale and cola, should have a spot near the spirits they pair with in popular cocktails.

“Too often accounts place their non-alcoholic mixers and all the other things that go along with drinks in a separate aisle. So when customers are rushing in and rushing out, they’re just thinking about grabbing their handle of liquor,” said Johnson. “They’re not thinking about all of the other ingredients involved when they’ll probably have a much more pleasant drinking experience at home if they’re able to purchase, in one trip, everything they need to make their desired cocktail.“

Bitters and Garnishes

While large stacks of mixers and spirits fit perfectly in the aisle, they are often out of place near the register. Consider showcasing smaller items like cocktail bitters, picked garnishes, olives and cherries at the register so that your cashiers can recommend these impulse items to customers as they check out.

Wine Accessories

Moving wine accessories like wine keys and aerators out of the kitchen accessories aisle and next to the wine is something Johnson said he would like to see more stores try.

“I think there has to be a better integration of putting accessories in some of the wine aisles, so that people purchasing those are more of an impulse buy versus making a conscience effort to go to the accessory section,” said Johnson.

Making it easier for casual consumers to purchase accessories alongside wine may help to move more of these items.

Glassware

Glassware is another opportunity that many stores are not capitalizing on. Focus on bar staples such as rocks, martini, wine or highball glasses. For customers who require just a pair or two of each variety, break up the boxes and sell glasses in pairs according to demand.

Glassware that features the logo of a brand or cocktail can be tied into a display of the product to further incentivize a purchase. 

Recipe Cards

Building recipe cards into a display is another successful strategy for tie-in purchases. By doing this, retail managers can bring new flavors and drink ideas to the forefront of a customer’s mind.

“If the drink's ingredients are spaced apart, a little card with a Manhattan recipe saying, ‘Don’t forget: cherries, vermouth, bitters and things like that’ can be very helpful for the consumer,” said Johnson.

Cross-merchandising is about maximizing sales while customers are in the store.

“Anything you can do to elevate the brand experience for the customers or help direct your customer into beverage and mixing ingredients that are going to be good together, then that will go a long way towards earning their business,” says Johnson.

Looking toward more specific cross-merchandising opportunities for your establishment? Consult your Breakthru Beverage Sales Consultant to gather insights on opportunities you may be missing.