How to Protect Your Liquor Store from a Steep January Dive

In January, most retailers, including private liquor stores, experience a January sales slump. Some would argue that it’s more like their sales falling off a cliff! As liquor license consultants, we understand the need to squeeze the most out of January, using any and all of the tools at your disposal.

By following the liquor store marketing and operational planning tips below, you can maximize January sales and set yourself up for a great year.

Keep the Spirits Bright in January with a Month-Long Sale

Reduce Christmas overstock by running a promotion in January. Mark down holiday stock before they go completely out of season and group them on a feature display so customers can easily see the deals. Turn aging inventory back into cash!

Promote January Sales in Store and Online

A little liquor store marketing can go a long way. Showcase sale items on a dedicated display near the entrance or cash desks and use eye-catching signage to promote the sale. Announce the sale on your website with a prominent banner and update product listings to show reduced pricing.

Read other tips in the Square Up article “Avoid a Slow January with These Sales Tips”.

Reduce Staff Hours and Temporary Positions

Now that the holidays are over, review your schedules and trim hours where it makes sense. If you brought on extra staff for the Christmas rush, remind them that their roles were seasonal, thank them for their support, and bring contracts to a natural close. This allows you to keep staffing aligned with quieter January and February traffic.

Audit Your Online Store Design and SEO

January is an ideal time to review your online store usability, design and search engine optimization. Check that categories make sense and are easy to find, ensure that promos are prominent, and that the checkout process is smooth. Review abandoned carts and send an email with links to the cart items to those shoppers. Review page titles and product descriptions to make sure that chosen keywords are appropriate. Use the Google Keyword Planner to check monthly search volumes for chosen keywords.

Send Promos to Your Email List

If you have an email contact list from your bricks and mortar store and/or online store, create a January offers email campaign. Consider giving online store subscribers early access to clearance items or a larger discount.

Take the Opportunity for Operational Planning

Review what worked and what didn’t during the holiday season, review last year’s sales figures and create forecasts and budgets for the new year. Schedule a licence compliance review so that training, signage, and procedures comply with regulator requirements. Thrive Advisors provides customized liquor store audits that combine operational and compliance checks, helping you enter the new year confident and prepared.

Get Ideas from the Liquor License Consultants at Thrive

If you’d like guidance for getting through the January slump, connect with a Thrive liquor license consultant. We help private liquor stores with everything they need to succeed: liquor license applications, operational guidance, compliance audits and more.