Most liquor store owners know their top sellers.
But are you tracking shrinkage? Profit margins? Dead inventory? Your POS system can—and should—do much more than ring up sales.
When used properly, POS reports can uncover trends, cut losses, and make smarter purchasing decisions. Let’s dive into the most valuable liquor POS reports and how they can help your business grow.
1. Daily Sales Breakdown (By Hour, Item, and Employee)
Knowing your total sales is only the start. The best liquor POS reports go granular—showing sales by product category, time of day, and even by staff member. This data helps you schedule better (based on traffic patterns) and identify your top performers or underperforming shifts.
2. Inventory Shrinkage & Stock Alerts
Liquor stores lose money from spoilage, theft, or missed restocks. A smart POS system will flag when inventory goes missing or dips below reorder thresholds. Shrinkage reports help you hold employees accountable and uncover recurring issues—like breakage or internal theft.
3. Profit Margin by Item
Your best-selling bottle might not be your most profitable. POS reports that calculate cost of goods sold (COGS) vs. retail pricing let you see what’s really driving margin. Use this to adjust promotions, upsell higher-margin items, or negotiate better pricing with distributors.
4. Customer Purchase Patterns
What do your best customers buy? How often do they return? Some liquor POS systems track customer behavior to help you build smart loyalty campaigns, offer personalized discounts, or prepare seasonal displays that reflect actual buyer trends—not guesswork.
5. Monthly Summary & Trends
Beyond daily sales, a strong liquor POS offers month-over-month and year-over-year comparisons to spot emerging trends. Are your wine sales dropping? Did your summer beer campaign outperform last year’s? This data informs both long-term strategy and seasonal promotions.
Conclusion:
Your liquor store POS isn’t just a cash register—it’s your business intelligence center. With the right data, you can reduce waste, improve staff accountability, and stock smarter. If your current POS can’t deliver these insights, it might be time to upgrade to one that does.
