Raising the standard

Licensees must capitalise on what is available in their pub to raise their profile against the competition.

It does not take rocket science to provide the right retail offering for your customers. It's about capitalising on your best-selling brands, the way you train your staff, how you merchandise and promote a special offer and the manner in which you evolve an all-embracing package to attract customers into your bar.

Coors Brewers category marketing controller, Neale Lewis, says, "The six category drivers we have featured are all about using retail skills to utilise the resources you already have in your pub or bar.

"Licensees who follow these guidelines will go a long way to ensuring they keep ahead of the competition and retain their share of the retail market."

Pricing and promotions​

• Focus your promotion on a big event, which is happening nationally, or even locally.
• Promote your best-selling brands with displays and special offers
• Plan your promotions and special offers well in advance
• Attract drinkers to try premium products using "quality pour" and branded glasses.
• Make sure you set the correct retail selling price (RSP) for all your products.

Visibility​

• Effective point of purchase material will enhance your overall retail offer.
• Identify areas of your bar which can create the highest impact display.
• Keep all your point-of-sale material fresh and up to date
• Ensure your barstaff are fully versed in and aware of every promotion and offer.

Merchandising​

• Use your bar and other key retail space to the greatest effect to influence customer choice.
• Identify the top retail "hot spot" areas of your bar.
• Make sure the draught fonts with the biggest volume sale have prime bartop position.
• Use a planogram to maximise display and bottle sales from your chiller.
• Remove clutter from your bar and use the space to focus on brand promotion.

Occasionality​

Consumer research by Coors Brewers has revealed six major on-trade occasions.

• Social get-togethers
• Quiet drink
• Active socialising
• Eating out
• Upbeat events
• Social clubs

Range​

• Customers are more "brand aware" than ever before so getting the right brands stocked is vital.
• Choose stock in relation to the customer profile of your pub.
• Ensure you stock the leading beer brands, ie Carling, Grolsch and Worthington.
• Market certain brands according to their seasonal popularity.
• Review the brands in your chiller on a regular basis.

Quality​

• Beer volumes continue to decline but still remain over 60 per cent of the on-trade market.
• Innkeeping skills and cellar quality are essential.
• Beer and lager must be served in a clean glass.
• Staff training and product knowledge are a must
• Consider a "try before you buy" scheme for cask beers.
• Do not stock more cask beers than you can comfortably sell.

Neale Lewis concluded: "Coors Brewers is passionate about helping raise the overall standards of merchandising and retailing in British pubs.

"The impetus behind this series of articles has been to explore some of the latest thinking in terms of enhancing overall retail standards.

"Licensees and bar operators need to make their businesses stand out against the opposition and they can only do this by being creative, concentrating on quality products, merchandising and staff training.

For more information​Contact Coors Brewers on 01283 514297