For years, taking inventory of your bar falls under the least glamorous tasks in our industry…it’s basically not a lot of fun. But did you know, not taking proper inventory of your liquid assets can cost you dearly? Statistics show: 25% to 35% of liquor, beer and wine sales will never make it to the sales till due to over pouring, spillage, waste…and theft! Just imagine, if you sell $500,000 of liquor, beer and wine today, anywhere from $125,000 to $175,000 of that should be in yours…but is not!
So, what can we do to stop this? First and foremost, you will never completely eliminate it, but you can greatly control and reduce losses to a manageable percentage of your sales. So, what is the solution: You count what you start with, what you end with and the difference between the two should be in line with the sales the staff rung up. Until you can accurately count how much product is being used, you will never be able to keep staff accountable. Once you can look at the members of your staff with reliable figures that show there is waste, over pouring…your first step to resolving the problem has been put in action, until then, the problem will persist and you will continue to lose your hard earned money for the benefit of others.
With over 25 years of experience in the business, here is what we suggest:
A. Make sure you count everything coming in from the back door and don’t pay or sign for anything until you have proof whatever you are purchasing has actually been delivered and put on the shelves of your inventory.
B. If you want to track the movement of your products, create a check and balance between what the bars needs and what is being issued from your central inventory.
C. Count what you have behind the bar before the period begins and then at the end of the period. If you do this properly, numbers don’t lie. If what was used from the bar does not come close or equal to the sales that were rung up by your staff…you have a problem!
We chose Scannabar. Our reasons for believing in this tool are as follows:
A. You can manage what comes into the business.
B. You can track where product is being issued to.
C. Taking a fast and accurate inventory still isn’t glamorous, but this tool gives you the data to take corrective actions that can save you thousands of dollars.
If you are looking for a fast, accurate and easy solution, backed by a reliable team with over 25 years of combined expertise in regards to liquor, beer and wine inventory control, Scannabar is a product your should definitely consider if you are serious about increasing your profit margins.