The typical restaurant sold 110 different wines in September. A great list is part bestseller list, part library. The bestsellers pay the bills; the library gives the list its personality and catches the guest who wants something specific. That’s often where the $500 bottles live.
“Slow” isn’t “dead.” A $40 duplicate that sells once a month is shelf space. A $600 Burgundy that sells once a month is a celebration you’d otherwise miss.
- The bestsellers: the top 20% of wines produce 64% of wine revenue.
- The library: the 59% of wines that sold 2 units or fewer still produce 24% of wine revenue.
Restaurants selling at least 20 different wines in September.
- Sort your list by units sold over 90 days.
- Keep slow sellers that are expensive, distinctive or the only one of their kind.
- Replace slow sellers that duplicate a cheaper, faster-selling wine. Use the October outlook to choose what replaces them.