A spirits range has the potential to include an endless selection of options, but most retailers agree that vodka is the key category to stock, especially in the summer. According to TWS, vodka accounts for the largest share within spirits, with more than a 39% share, but there is plenty of scope for experimentation within it.

“The spirits category is largely being driven by Smirnoff products, which enjoy a 16% share, and Glen’s products, which have a 14% share,” says a spokesperson for TWC. “However, viral products from the Au brand are seeing the strongest growth in this category, growing at 68% year on year.”

Core range

Retailers need a strong core range before they can even consider looking at expanding things. In the cost-of-living crisis, this could mean smaller bottle sizes, bulk discounts, specific promotions or own-brand products.

“We sell a lot of Famous Grouse, Whyte & Mackay and High Commissioner whisky throughout the year, which are between £20 and £26,” says Anand Cheema, from Costcutter Fresh in Falkirk, Central Lowlands. “Towards the end of the year, you get up past £30 bottles. We have £40 bottles of Dalmore and Balveniue, which sell well, and a Glenfiddich 23 Year Old, which comes in a presentation box and costs £200.

“Belvedere and Cîroc do well in the summer months and Christmas. For rum, Kraken overtakes Captain Morgan during summer. In winter, it’s Havana Club and special editions,” Cheema continues.

“Martell ticks over throughout the year for brandy, but it’s all about Hennessey and Courvoisier at the end of the year.”

Create a USP with spirits

If a retailer wants their store’s spirit offer to be a unique selling point, they need to take things further than the standard core range of vodkas, gins and whiskies. This means finding the latest launches, niche producers and premium options that no one else offers. Summer is the best time to try this with gins and vodkas, while the lead-up to Christmas is the time to try premium whiskies, brandies and rums as people look for gifts.

“We get single bottles of the expensive ones,” says Reuben Singh-Mander, from The Three Singhs in Selby, West Yorkshire. “We hold no more than two bottles. If customers come in asking for one and we’re out, we tell them to come back in on Friday, and we’ll have it in stock for them by then. It works for us because we don’t have to fork out for a whole case and we don’t have to hold onto lots of stock for ages.”

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Spirits brands are always keen to launch new and interesting options, with Smirnoff recently announcing seven new flavours of vodka and RTDs, including Spicy Tamarind, Electric Guava, Lavender Lemonade, Smash Vodka Soda and Watermelon Lime Smash. Find out what’s trending, source the products and get the word out about what you’ve got, and you can become a spirit destination in your own right.

Retailer viewpoint: Reuben Singh-Mander, The Three Singhs, Selby, West Yorkshire

“Our spirits range is a point of difference for us. We don’t pay it much heed at this time of year, we just stick to the main brands and offer value. When it comes to summer and the six months leading up to Christmas, we start looking for new products and seasonal options. We get all the weird gins in May. The premium bottles have gifting potential. We’ve got it behind the till where it’s all backlit. It can be a bit frustrating because you have customers crowding round the counter, but from a security point of view it’s much easier.

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“Follow brands’ social media pages and the retail magazines as well. If you know a new flavour of Cîroc is coming out, you’re going to find it in the magazines and on Facebook, even if you’re not sure whether you want to stock it. If you can grab a picture of it and put it on social media, saying ‘coming soon’. You can then gauge your customers’ reactions to that spirit and decide whether you want to invest in a couple of cases or a couple of bottles.”

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