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November 25, 2025
During the holiday season, well-planned liquor store recruitment is necessary to meet the increase in customer traffic. Christmas time is a demanding time of year for liquor retailers and recruitment is sometimes given lower priority than stocking inventory and scheduling. If retailers don’t fill gaps in the operation’s schedule, or don’t have enough associates on the floor to help customers, it’s a missed opportunity.
More shoppers will need help choosing products and exploring gift ideas. If existing staff can’t meet the need, you’re leaving money on the table. A strong approach to liquor store hiring ensures that you have the staff, skills, and support needed to sell more over the holiday, while increasing customer satisfaction.
Start Hiring and Training in November
Recruiting liquor store employees is more involved than many store owners think. Finding candidates, reviewing applications and interviewing all put more demands on your time, and the closer it is to Christmas, the harder it becomes to find workers. At best, holiday season recruitment should start in November, or as early as you possibly can.
Hire a Liquor Store Recruiter
A clear, well-written job description attracts better applicants and reduces the time you spend finding suitable candidates. Knowing what questions to ask during an interview can also reduce the chances that the hire doesn’t work out. Consider hiring a liquor store consultant, like Thrive Advisors, with experience recruiting liquor store staff. Well-written job ads outline duties, required skills, availability expectations, and emphasize the importance of customer service. Thorough interviewing can save you time and money.
Provide Sales Training for the Holiday Season
Holiday shoppers usually need more help and have more questions than everyday customers. They may be buying gifts or need advice on liquor selections for a party or dinner. Effective seasonal sales training prepares your team to confidently recommend items and increase average transaction values.
Useful training topics include:
- Recommending products based on customer preferences
- Upselling and cross-selling techniques
- Understanding seasonal gift sets like themed baskets or product bundles. We suggest reading “”.
- Staying calm and professional during high-traffic rush periods
Incentivize Christmas Sales
While Christmas is a pressure-filled time of the year for owners and managers, sales associates also get their fill of stress. You can help energize employees by providing incentives. Reward them with a pre-Christmas bonus so they can see the fruit of their additional labour, such as offering a daily prize that goes to the employee who has the highest sales or upsells that day.
Don’t Get Caught Short Staffed
Being short staffed during the holiday rush creates long lines, slower service, and missed sales opportunities. It also increases stress for your year-round employees. Planning your staffing needs early and following through on your hiring targets ensures you have enough support for peak periods. Having enough well-trained employees during the holiday will help you maximize sales revenue during the season.
Liquor Store Recruitment by Thrive Advisors
While you may know Thrive Advisors as a liquor license consultancy, we also provide retail liquor operational guidance, including liquor store recruitment. If you need help with job descriptions or candidate interviewing, talk to a Thrive consultant today.
