Supermarket Summer Drink Display Guidelines & Merchandising Best Practices

With the coming of summer, drink category has become a major task in the adjustment of stores. In summer, the categories of spirits such as liquor and red wine will be greatly reduced, and the display area on the shelves will be reduced. Without the support of suppliers’ special promotion policies, liquor and red wine will not be displayed on shelves in principle during non‑festivals, but the main display resources need to be given to beer, cocktails, water, drinks, etc., which constitute the main products that can deliver performance in the summer drink category.

In terms of product selection, in addition to the traditional best‑selling basic models, the test for the purchasing team is to strive for the resources of manufacturers to promote new products, because manufacturers’ new products have obvious advantages in policy support, publicity and promotion, and it is easier to become seasonal hit products.

1. Alcohol Category Display Requirements

This category mainly focuses on the vertical concentration of brands, with glass shelves and lighting display.

General Merchandise Display Rules

1. Wine, liquor, beer, flavored wine, etc. are displayed separately; the order of display is single box/bottle, cans on the top, gift packs on the bottom, small on the top and big on the bottom. In summer, beer is displayed on the golden shelf zone and the display area is expanded. In winter, especially in the Spring Festival, wine gift boxes and boxed white wine with high value are displayed on the golden shelf zone.
2. When displaying a single box of wine, samples should be displayed to facilitate customers’ choice, and the gift box of wine should be displayed in principle; gift‑box wine is usually displayed at the lower part of the shelf, but its display volume is increased during the Spring Festival. It is best to give priority to the location where customer foot traffic is concentrated, such as the entrance of the store or the main passage.

Beer Sub‑category Display & Promotion

Canned goods are the main promotion category, and the promotion specifications are generally boxes or bottles. Canned goods may retain their original price, so it is necessary to pile up the quantity. In the whole sales season, the purchasing team will generally promote a certain brand, and other brands will do regular promotion. For example, well‑known brands such as Yanjing, Qingdao, Snowflake, Budweiser and Heineken, as well as popular local beer brands, and the promotion efforts of each brand should be differentiated and hierarchical, forming an organic whole, so that customers, supermarkets and suppliers can achieve win‑win results.

In the regular shelf display of the store, along the direction of customer foot traffic, the beer display order should be domestic first and then imported, canned first, bottled then barreled. Cardboard End-cap displays can be placed at the prime position in the wine and beverage area or in the main channel, and can be set in the area adjacent to the cash register line if conditions permit. Other classified water and drink displays also basically follow this principle.

2. Beverage Category Display Requirements

The core goal of the display of beverages and related brewing products in lifestyle supermarkets is to facilitate customers to quickly find the goods they need, enhance the shopping experience, and stimulate purchases and increase sales. Its classification principle and display method are the combination of science and beauty.

Carbonated Drinks

In recent years, the commodity structure of carbonated drinks has been changing constantly. From the original cola with various specifications, many new products with online‑celebrity flavors, such as cola flavor, lemon flavor and orange flavor, have emerged one after another. The main consumer group of carbonated drinks is young people, and consumption is mostly related to sports, vitality, parties and other scenes. Brands are relatively concentrated, and each store should choose the appropriate main promotion specifications according to the business circle. For example, stores with fashionable and young consumer groups are more popular. For community stores, prioritize large‑size specifications or full‑box sales.

Juice Drinks

When displayed on the regular shelves, according to the direction of customer foot traffic, low‑concentration juice drinks should be placed first followed by high‑concentration juice. When displaying specific items, it is suggested to display them in the order of the same brand, the same small classification, small specifications at the top, large specifications at the bottom and the whole box at the bottom. Within the specific sub‑category, arrange orange juice, apple juice, peach juice, hawthorn juice, grape juice and other flavored juices in turn. Juice drinks can also be displayed in association with fresh bakery.

Functional Drinks

Functional drinks are divided into three categories: vinegar drinks, wellness drinks and sports drinks, and similar brands are displayed in a centralized way. According to customer foot traffic, vinegar drinks, wellness drinks and sports drinks are displayed in turn; cans are packed on the top, bottled on the bottom, small specifications on the top and large specifications on the bottom, and the bottom layer can display full cartons.

Tea Drinks

From the packaging, tea drinks are divided into canned, Tetra Paks, bottled, etc. In addition to well‑known brands such as Wanglaoji, JDB, Master Kong and Uni‑President, some online‑celebrity and local brands also occupy a considerable market share. It is also the influx of online‑celebrity and local brands in recent years that makes the competition of tea drinks increasingly fierce, and the role of marketing is more important.

From the variety point of view, tea drinks are divided into black tea, green tea and other flavored teas, and the brands with the same taste are displayed centrally, with small specifications at the top and large specifications at the bottom, and full cartons displayed at the bottom. In the selection of display area, the refrigerated display of best‑selling products can be set up near the wine and drink area, fresh food area, main passage and cashier line.

Closing Note: Dynamic Optimization of Beverage Display

The excellent display in our store is dynamic, not static, and needs to be flexibly adjusted according to sales data, seasonal changes, promotional activities and the specific layout of stores. It is the key to improve the overall performance to analyze the sales performance of each category and brand regularly and optimize the facing size and position.