When running a liquor store, owners and managers face two main concerns: providing customers with quick, convenient sales and controlling inventory. Business management software can do this, and then some.
Compared to other forms of retail, selling alcohol requires a little closer monitoring, which is why liquor store software needs to have robust point of sale systems. This is due in large part to the age restrictions for people buying product, whether it’s:
- Beer
- Wine
- Spirits
- Premixed cocktails
Can I See Your ID Please?
Making sure you don’t sell to minors is an ongoing concern for liquor store owners. In the U.S., customers must be at least 21 years of age, while in most parts of Canada, the legal drinking age is 19 (you only have to be 18 in Alberta, Manitoba and Quebec).
Because of this age requirement, owners need a reliable way of ensuring employees are doing their part to check for identification. Business management software can help you achieve this by installing an age verification feature in the POS system.
This feature forces employees to input the customer’s age into the system before it will allow them to finalize the sale. This will prompt them to ask for identification, and it helps ensure your store remains in compliance, even when you’re not around.
Quick Customer Service
People shopping for alcohol typically want to run into your store, find what they’re looking for and get through the checkout counter in a matter of minutes. This is usually because they’re picking it up for a special reason:
- Buying a bottle of wine on the way to visit friends
- Heading home from work to watch the game
- Preparing for a special event
A great way to provide the speedy service your customers expect is with barcode scanning. With pricing levels already input into your integrated business management software system, you’ll quickly be able to scan items and process transactions.
To learn more about the benefit of barcoding, check out our post: Barcodes: An Essential Small Business Inventory Software Feature.
Did You Find What You Want?
Most liquor stores hold a lot of inventory. Customers can sometimes find it difficult to locate the specific items they’re looking for. Certain handheld POS devices feature label printers that you can use to print detailed, professional looking shelf labels to identify products by:
- Price
- Country of origin
- Sweetness level (for wine)
You can even include a brief product description to help customers make an informed choice.
Discounting Product
Liquor stores are constantly offering product promotions, either to move older or seasonal stock, or to highlight a new item. POS software for liquor stores can make this process easy my handling pricing scheme such as:
- Buy one, get on free
- Free hat or T-shirt with purchase
- Percentage discounts
- Buy one, get 50 per cent off your next purchase
Are you looking for new ways to add efficiency to your retail company? Windward’s business management software features powerful POS systems designed to help you run your business more effectively. Call us to learn more.
Share this article on
