Inventory issues are one of the fastest ways to hurt your liquor store’s bottom line. Too little inventory results in lost sales, frustrated customers, and poor purchasing decisions. Too much inventory ties up cash and leaves slow-moving products collecting dust. At Cheers POS, we give store owners the tools to avoid both extremes and make smarter, more profitable buying decisions based on real data.
Why Too Much Inventory Ties Up Your Cash
Inventory that doesn’t move is expensive. Liquor store margins are already tight due to state regulations. Stocking more than you can sell in a reasonable time locks up your cash, crowds your shelves, and increases the chance of expired or stale products.
Use Reporting to Identify What’s Not Moving
Cheers POS gives you detailed reporting tools that highlight products that haven’t moved in:
- 1 month
- 3 months
- 6 months
These slow movers can be shifted to clearance, placed near the register, or paired with top-selling items. You’ll also get suggestions on where to relocate them in the store to help increase visibility.
Keep Wine and Beer Fresh
Beer is often rotated by your distributor before it expires. Wine is different. If it sits too long, you absorb the loss. Cheers helps you identify which wine bottles are going stale, so you can promote them before they become dead stock.
Why Too Little Inventory Isn’t Always a Reason to Reorder
Many store owners feel the urge to restock immediately after something sells out. But that knee-jerk reaction can hurt your profit margins, especially if the item is no longer on sale. You may end up buying it at a higher price just to fill the gap.
Let the System Guide Your Timing
Cheers POS makes it easy to decide if now is the right time to reorder. Using our price book and sales history tracking, you can:
- See if an item is currently on sale
- Check its discount cycle (monthly, every other month, deep sale patterns)
- Compare today’s pricing to the past few months
This helps you avoid panic buying and make better purchase order decisions.
How to Handle Out-of-Stock Situations with Substitutes
Just because you’re out of a specific item doesn’t mean the customer has to leave empty-handed. The best liquor stores offer a similar product instead, one that still satisfies the customer and protects your margins.
Train Staff to Offer Substitutes
One of the best ways to handle too little inventory is by preparing your team. Cheers POS helps by showing which products are similar in taste, style, or price. We encourage store owners to educate staff on these options so they can make strong recommendations at the counter.
“If we’re out, provide them with a substitute which is a very likable product.”
Let Data Drive Your Purchasing, Not Guesswork
New store owners often think they need to reorder quickly to keep customers happy. But each unnecessary purchase chips away at your profits.
Cheers POS Makes Restocking Easy
We use built-in wholesale reporting and integrated pricing to help you:
- Review each product’s sales cycle
- Understand current and upcoming discounts
- Track item performance across the year
- Decide when to buy, delay, or replace
The more informed you are, the less likely you’ll fall into the trap of too little inventory or overbuying.
Key Takeaways
- Too much inventory locks up capital and lowers return on investment
- Too little inventory can push you into costly restocking decisions
- Not all stockouts require immediate reordering
- Substitutes help preserve customer satisfaction and profit
- Cheers POS provides real-time trends, sales history, and pricing cycles to guide every inventory decision
Ready to take control of your liquor store inventory? Let Cheers POS show you how to reduce waste, boost margins, and keep your shelves turning. Contact us today to schedule a walkthrough.
