Every bottle of liquor sitting on the shelf represents a dollar amount. The slower those products sell, the longer your store goes without any return on investment—which could be a $10,000 loss. That was the case for Westside Liquor before they implemented Cloud Retailer. After optimizing their inventory and cash flow management with our liquor POS system, Westside Liquor identified $5,000 in slow-moving inventory and freed up twice as much in potential revenue.
Keep reading to learn how you can do the same!
The Client
Westside Liquor, an independent Minnesota liquor retailer with 8 locations and 47 years in business, used Cloud Retailer POS inventory reporting to improve cash flow and gain visibility into slow-moving stock. By identifying $5,000 in “dog inventory” within 3 months, the store freed up approximately $10,000 in potential revenue and improved ordering and stocking efficiency.
The Challenge
Lack of Inventory Visibility
Before making any changes, Westside Liquor didn’t have a clear understanding of individual product performance. They couldn’t see which items were sitting for 30, 60, 90 days, or how long entire cases had been in the back room. Because reports were only reviewed once a month, they were always dealing with outdated information.
Ordering decisions followed a similar pattern. Without reliable, up-to-date data, purchasing came down to memory and instinct. They may have ordered another case of a product that sat for months simply because they coincidentally sold a few in one week. Or they brought in several cases of something on sale without realizing they already had plenty in stock.
Dog Inventory
Dog inventory refers to products that tie up cash without generating sales. Once Westside Liquor examined their inventory performance more closely, they uncovered over $5,000—about 1% of their total inventory value—in products that had been sitting in the store far longer than they should have.
Without real-time visibility into inventory performance and value, cash remains tied up in underperforming items, and your store doesn’t generate as much profit as it’s capable of.
How Cloud Retailer Delivered Results
Westside Liquor had access to better reporting through Cloud Retailer. Store owner, Bob, ran the “In Stock but Not Recently Sold” report, focusing specifically on spirits over a three-month time frame. In just 5 seconds, he was able to identify which products were no longer contributing to revenue.
The Financial Impact
Westside Liquor identified over $5,000 in spirits that were unlikely to sell. While that discovery alone was a win, the real benefit was what they could do with that money. By addressing those underperforming products, they unlocked an estimated $10,000 in potential cash flow value. That $5,000 could now be used to purchase items that would sell faster and generate more consistent revenue.
The Operational Impact
With better data available, Westside Liquor changed how they manage inventory. They run consistent inventory reports and make purchasing decisions based on data, which allows them to prioritize fast-selling items. Ordering is better aligned with real sales patterns, and the store avoids overcommitting to products that won’t move.
The Business Impact
With Cloud Retailer, Westside Liquor moved from reactive to proactive. Instead of discovering problems after the fact, they now spot trends early, adjust purchasing, and keep inventory working for the business.
Why This Matters for Liquor Stores
Lacking visibility into inventory performance directly impacts your cash flow. Even a small percentage of slow-moving inventory can represent thousands of dollars that aren’t working for your business. Without clear data, you spend more time trying to correct your ordering decisions instead of running a tight operation. You eventually end up with an assortment of items that should sell, instead of a mix that actually sells.
The reality is, many liquor stores have more cash than they realize. It’s just locked up in inventory that isn’t moving. Once you know where it is, you can start putting that cash back to work.
Increase Visibility and Cash Flow with Cloud Retailer
Running a more profitable liquor store starts with knowing exactly how your inventory is performing. By using Cloud Retailer to identify slow-moving products, Westside Liquor uncovered $5,000 in inventory that wasn’t contributing to revenue and unlocked the ability to reinvest that cash into faster-moving items.
With Cloud Retailer, you can track your inventory value in real time, quickly spot products that haven’t sold recently, and make purchasing decisions based on actual performance instead of assumptions. That means less cash tied up on your shelves and more flexibility to bring in what your customers want to buy.
Watch a 30-second demo of the “In Stock but Not Recently Sold” report in action.
Learn more about how to uncover cash with Cloud Retailer’s POS software features.
FAQ
How can liquor stores improve inventory and cash flow using Cloud Retailer?
You improve both by getting clear, real-time visibility into how your inventory is performing. Instead of letting slow-moving products sit for months, you can identify them early and decide whether to discount, bundle, or stop reordering them. At the same time, you can confidently invest more in the products that are consistently selling.
How did Cloud Retailer help Westside Liquor uncover hidden cash?
Westside Liquor used Cloud Retailer’s “In Stock but Not Recently Sold” report to analyze their spirits inventory over a three-month period. Within seconds, they were able to see exactly which products hadn’t sold and how much inventory was sitting idle.
What is “dog inventory,” and why does it matter for liquor stores?
“Dog inventory” refers to products that tie up your cash without generating consistent sales. These items often sit on your shelves for extended periods, selling just slowly enough to go unnoticed. But even a small percentage of slow-moving inventory can represent a significant amount of cash. In Westside Liquor’s case, it was $5,000.
