Thanks to the FWD Take Home Blueprint team, Discount Booze in Gloucester is well-prepared for the summer months after moving its beer and cider category into open dairy deck chillers.
Already, store manager Roz Broughton has seen the impact of having ready-to-drink chilled beers and lagers, with sales up 20%.
When the Blueprint team arrived at Discount Booze, they were surprised that any customers made any alcohol purchases as the huge stacks of beer on the shop floor made the off licence section an uninviting prospect for any potential customer.
Operations manager for the Take Home Blueprint, Paul Adshead, explained: "The amount of stock left on the shop floor was incredible, and was making life very difficult for customers who were finding it a challenge to see exactly what was available. As a result they were obviously going elsewhere for their alcohol purchases and this had affected the overall sales in the shop.
"The first thing we did for Discount Booze was create a dedicated off licence section where customers could walk and browse the fixtures easily, and could see the entire selection on offer. All the stacks of beer placed in the middle of the shop floor were moved to the chiller, but we also allowed for a separate section, for Roz and her staff to promote cases for those wanting to make a bulk purchase."
Sales have rocketed over night, attracting new and old customers to the store. Shop worker, Fafik Bali explained: "The packs were all over the place, but now the dedicated walk way guides our customers through the off licence section and encourages them to try different brands and products.
"We know this is working as sales have increased across all the categories. For example, bottled beers are doing really well and customers are varying their brands. Impulse sales have picked up too, because the whole section is more visible and easier to shop. Many customers want their lager to take home and drink that evening so the chilled offering has really helped boost sales."
Store manager Roz is equally impressed. She said: "We are so pleased with the results, as the shop is now so much more inviting to customers and looks much brighter. Our customers are now drawn to the off licence section and it just shows that providing that point of difference with chilled alcohol, beer in particular, we are catering for what our customers actually want and our sales prove this."
Will Government proposals to ban the display of tobacco in retail premises damage the wholesale sector?
