Walk into a liquor store today and you might encounter two very different shoppers. One knows exactly what bottle they want, where it should be on the shelf, and how much it costs. The other walks in looking for “something good” and expects someone to help them figure out what that means.
Both are part of the new generation of liquor store customers.
The interesting part isn’t necessarily what they’re buying. It’s how they’re shopping.
Customers Are Doing More Research Before They Walk In
A customer might discover a new tequila on TikTok, see a cocktail recipe on Instagram, hear about a bourbon from a podcast, or spend twenty minutes reading reviews before ever stepping into the store. Gen Z may be drinking less, but data is showing they are spending more per drink and bottle. Learn more here about how to keep your marketing relevant.
By the time they arrive, they may already know more about a product than you expect.
That creates an interesting opportunity for liquor stores. Your employees don’t always need to convince customers that a product exists. Instead, they may need to help customers compare options, answer a more specific question, or find something similar when the product they’re looking for is out of stock.
In other words, the conversation is changing.
The customer may already have the information. What they need from the store is context.
At the Same Time, Plenty of Customers Still Want Help
Of course, not everyone walks through the door with a product already picked out.
Wine is an obvious example. So are whiskey, tequila, craft beer, and the growing number of ready-to-drink categories. A customer might know they want something for a dinner party or a weekend cocktail without knowing which bottle makes sense.
That’s where knowledgeable employees become incredibly valuable.
A good recommendation can turn an uncertain shopper into a confident buyer. It can also introduce someone to a product they wouldn’t have found on their own.
For liquor stores, that means employee knowledge is still a competitive advantage. The difference is that today’s customer may want either less assistance or better assistance, depending on what they’re buying.
The Shelf Is Competing With the Screen
Product discovery doesn’t stop at the front door.
Customers are seeing bottles, brands, cocktails, reviews, recipes, and recommendations everywhere. That means the liquor store shelf is competing with a much larger digital environment for attention. More choices, doesn’t mean a better experience per se. Those choices need to reflect what your customers are actually interested in. Learn more about curating your shop here.
Packaging matters. Product information matters. Signage matters. So does having an assortment that gives customers something interesting to discover.
A store doesn’t have to turn into an Instagram set to compete with digital discovery. However, it does need to recognize that customers are arriving with more influences than ever.
Sometimes they’re looking for the bottle they saw online. Other times they’re looking for the next thing they haven’t seen yet.
Convenience Still Matters, But So Does Confidence
The new generation of liquor store customers has also grown accustomed to getting information quickly.
They expect accurate prices. They want to know whether something is in stock. They don’t want to wander around looking for a product that should be easy to find. When they ask an employee a question, they expect a useful answer.
That puts a premium on the systems behind the sales floor.
A modern POS can give employees access to product information and inventory without requiring them to disappear behind the counter or guess about what’s available. With tools like LiquorPoint, powered by Mariner Business Solutions, that information can become part of the everyday customer interaction rather than something employees have to track down manually.
The goal isn’t to replace the employee conversation. It’s to make that conversation easier.
Your Store Has to Work for Both Customers
Perhaps the biggest takeaway is that there isn’t one “new” liquor store customer.
There are customers who want speed. There are customers who want discovery. Some want to browse quietly. Others want an employee to walk them through three different bottles.
The best stores don’t necessarily choose one experience over another. They make room for both.
That might mean a well-organized shelf for the customer who knows exactly what they’re looking for, alongside knowledgeable employees who can help the customer who doesn’t. It might mean better product information, more thoughtful merchandising, or technology that gives staff the information they need without slowing down the interaction.
The new generation of liquor store customers isn’t asking stores to become something completely different.
They’re simply bringing different expectations with them.
The stores that understand those expectations will be in a better position to meet customers wherever they are, whether that’s at the checkout counter, browsing the shelves, or standing in the aisle asking, “What would you recommend?”
