Bars, Wineries & Tasting Rooms

Food and drink go hand-in-hand so the simple introduction of an impulse item could make you a bit of extra revenue without even trying! Not only are psychological cues at play, but also physical reasons that cause people to purchase more beverages when visiting a bar, pub or winery.

Bars & Pubs

One of the main reasons people own bars and pubs is of course, to sell drinks! There’s a high profit margin on alcohol while food comes in a distant second. We all know that beer and nuts go well together, but do you know why, exactly?

When we consume beer, there’s a bitterness to it which is caused by the hops from which it is processed from. When you introduce salt to the mix, in the form of nuts or crisps, your brain perceives the beer as not being as bitter. Salt also helps that beverage go down smoother and can create additional thirst, which can result in more consumption.

So keeping  a single serve bags of nuts or salty and savoury snack on hand could result in an even greater profit margin for you.

Placement of Impulse Items

This brings us to the psychology of purchasing items. You probably put your best selling bottles right where people can see them. You should have items you want to move at eye level, whether that be directly behind the cash register or line-of-sight from bar chairs. If you find a particular spirit isn’t selling as well, try moving it to a different location where it’s more prominent and see what happens!

Another great spot for snacks are where the customer pays for their order. You could have choices as to whether they’re coming or going. Have a bowl of small sweets for when they’re leaving or a basket of salty snacks to have with their drink order.

For appearances, be sure the shelving area behind the bar isn’t cluttered making it hard to focus on any one particular thing. You want to draw their eye to high profit products by making them a focal point. Try putting some snack items above or next to the refrigerator where your ciders and beers are stored. People love to see their choices and this is a good place to upsell some inexpensive munchies.

Try walking into your own establishment and notice where your eye is drawn (you could even write this down as it happens). Where would your customer typically go and stop? These are the places you want to highlight and draw attention to. Even placing a small light above an area helps it stand apart. You can buy some small, inexpensive stick-on lights with rechargeable batteries for a quick and easy solution.

If space is an issue, you can come up with creative ideas for a narrow vertical area instead. All you need is the perfect place to hang a long piece of wood, plastic or metal with some hooks on it to display packaged goods. This is also eye catching due to the nature of its placement, juxtaposing all of the horizontally placed items around it.

Wineries & Tasting rooms

Who doesn’t enjoy sitting and drinking in comfy overstuffed chairs or going outside to enjoy the vines and people-watch?

These can be some of the best places to upsell food items. Most people love browsing around the merchandise after a tasting and possibly purchasing a glass (or bottle) or two of their favourite wine. Many wineries and tasting rooms offer some type of snacks for their customers, especially if they’re encouraged to stay for a while.

Red wine and chocolate are a match made in heaven, but men often lean toward a more savoury option so offering single serve nuts or savoury snacks along with something sweet provides a few different choices.

While cheese and crackers are popular options, sometimes you may want a quick and easy snack solution. Single serve snacks are great because they are not as perishable as cheese or other fresh items. They’re small enough not to fill hungry stomachs and easy to take away, too!

Engaging with the customer

Another important aspect of selling more of your items is to simply engage with the customer. If you see they’re undecided on a menu item or a type of drink, this is the time to make some suggestions. On the flip side, if they’re with children, offer them a new product of yours that has lower sugar than other options (the parents will be thanking you later). If you notice car keys in their hand, maybe they want a non-alcoholic beverage instead. They may be more inclined to purchase that bag of nuts since they’re saving some money.

If they’ve come in at an odd hour between lunch and dinner, they may not want to eat a full meal or spend a lot on an appetiser. This is another opportunity to sell some smaller items and have something to tide them over until later. You can make simple suggestions without feeling pushy and possibly create a few more sales for yourself! A small gesture such as offering a small bowl for them to put the nuts (or shells) into gives you the opportunity to connect with the customer and make a lasting impression.

We hope this brings some new ideas and ways of getting a little more income without a lot of work. Whistler sells a variety of single serve snacks that make great impulse items with a long shelf life and don’t take up a lot of space! Sweet or savoury, we’ve got choices depending on what works best for your establishment.

Get in touch if you’d like to become a wholesaler, which gives you better pricing than retail customers, thereby making you more profit!