See how your grocery store can promote higher alcohol sales as at-home cooking becomes more popular.

According to a recent study conducted by HUNTER, a leading food and beverage public relations and marketing communications consultancy, 2020 dramatically changed American consumer’s at-home behaviors, primarily in the kitchen. Their findings show that 51% of people are cooking more than they did pre-pandemic; what’s more is that 71% of those people plan to continue preparing food at home even after the pandemic ends completely. The survey also found that respondents are getting more creative with their cooking, with 47% trying out new ingredients and 52% reaching for new brands and products.

At Fintech, we have an adage we’ve now come to love: Alcohol is pandemic proof. People drank before the pandemic, they consumed record volumes (especially in the off-premise segments) during the pandemic, and they continue to drink now that the pandemic is passing. So, given this information and the new proclivity for cooking at home, we wondered – how can grocery stores capitalize on these pandemic-inspired behaviors to increase their alcohol profits?

Maximize Placement

• If your consumers are anything like me, they’re a sucker for good endcap placement. (Buy-one-get-one Flipz pretzels or savings on cans of soup? Don’t mind if I do!) So, why not use this same methodology to reel in alcohol sales? Consider placing top-selling alcohol on the endcaps of your best-selling aisles or build displays that accompany hot-ticket sales items. Better yet, place alcohol towards the front of your store to increase sales amongst grab-and-go shoppers. Need help identifying your top alcohol products? Fintech can help with personalized reporting that highlights each location’s top 20 products over the last month.

Pair Beer & Wine with Recipe Cards

• Now that we know that 47% of customers are reaching for new ingredients when cooking at home, we can also assume they’re looking for inspiration when it comes to meal planning. Many stores across the country already offer recipe cards or place meal ideas in their weekly ad – build on this culinary exploration by also promoting a particular beer or wine in the same place! Not only will you gain food sales, but customers looking to cook a nice meal will likely seek the alcohol pairing too. Long-time Fintech client, Publix, does an excellent job of this, often pairing on-sale alcohol with recipes in their weekly ad.

Deliver Unique Offerings

• When curating an alcohol category, it’s important to blend segment dominators with local favorites. Every store can anticipate big-name brands for beer, wine, seltzer, and even cider, but creating a unique category can promote higher sales and help you edge-out the competition. After all, almost every grocer carries the same pasta noodles, marinara sauce, and parmesan cheese, but do they also carry that Pinot Noir from the local winery that pairs perfectly? Building relationships in the industry and carrying unique items allows you to stand out and become a customer’s go-to for food and alcohol. Through the Fintech trading partner community, retailers can find distributors in their state, get contact information, and even submit relationship requests directly through the Fintech portal.

While we’re certainly hopeful for a life that returns to “normal” soon, perhaps this uptick in at-home cooking can be a silver lining – one that increases alcohol margins in grocery stores across the country. Does your store need automation and insights to help accommodate the nation’s newest chefs? Contact us to see how Fintech Payments and Data can help!