10 Ways To DOUBLE Your Wine Sales This Christmas Season
A little bit of careful planning, smart marketing and staff training will have a massive impact on your wine sales, particularly in a period of peak customer flow, such as this Christmas and New Year.
Always remember that your wine category is probably your most profitable. Try comparing your prime cost (that’s cost of product and cost of staffing) of food production to pouring of wine.
Planning in advance and discussing your strategy with your wine suppliers has never been so important.
Follow these 10 Ways and you’ll see your profits and customers flow better, through December and beyond:
- Make sure you and your wine supplier put together a wine list which is FOCUSSED, SEASONAL and PROFITABLE – rationalise, go for spicy, warming reds and sparking and whites that are targeted to your best (usually female!) buyers. Get rid now of any poor selling and low profit lines, or you can always sell them as ‘Bin Ends’ in January.
- Ask your wine supplier for a low cost red that’s going to make your MULLED WINE the best (and most profitable!) in the area.
- TRADE UP on a focused and streamlined ‘Wine by the Glass’ list. Every grape and style could have an ‘upserve’, that is an even better (and £2 or so) more expensive option. Again, get rid of low selling, low profit lines or they will cost you dearly.
- PROMOTE your Christmas Wine Specials everywhere, especially on Party Packs sent to all bookings, smart ‘table talkers’, framed pictures in the loos and with Party pre-order inducements.
- Join the 21st Century and offer a TAKE AWAY wine list. Why should your customers have to buy from the local supermarket? Box and wrap up ‘Christmas Sixes’, offer free tastings and carry the boxes to their cars, just like Majestic.
- Promote a CHRISTMAS WINE SALE every Saturday afternoon in December. Turn your regulars and festive shoppers into raving fans.
- TRAIN and coach your staff in talking to your customers about their favourite wines, giving tasters and suggesting a take away.
- If you haven’t got one already, promote your new WINE CLUB, especially tastings and dinners for the usually quiet months of January and February.
- Offer free WINE TASTINGS to all guests, not just party organisers. The chances are high that they’ll enjoy ‘trying before buying’ and join your Wine Club, which could even incentivise last minute party bookings.
- Last but not least, splash out on a few ever so special FINE WINES. Bordeaux, Champagne, and top end ‘big and spicy’ such as Australia and Rioja must be offered over the festive season in order to be sold!
By Peter Austen, Business Planning and Operational Coach (www.innventive.co.uk) and Founder of Hospitality Entrepreneur (www.hospitalityentrepreneur.com)
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