Pubs around the country are benefitting their bottom line through smart renovations to their bottleshops and cool rooms.
Fit-out specialist Advantage Line reports an increasing number of operators, bottleshop banner groups and independents seeking their services for store layout and design to improve business in their off-premise space.
The company has been in the fixtures business around 20 years. A few years ago they took on CUB’s Thirsty Camel as a client, and developed a specific catalogue for modular bottleshop elements, including all-lit shelving, wine gondolas and spirits walls.
Advantage Line designs, manufactures and installs the components, which can be finished in a range of designs for a unique result. The dress finish allows for a look that is seemingly bespoke, for a fraction of the cost.
The company is working with pubs including C-Inc’s Coogee Bay Hotel, and Redcape’s Minsky’s, as well as major liquor banner groups. It has racked up around 15 Thirsty Camels in Victoria, a number of Fleet Streets for ILG, including Graham Campion’s Commodore Hotel, notes close to 20 done or scheduled for ALM, and selected Liquor Legends and Liquor Barons.
The first ALM-supplied Porters store, at Murrays in Glenbrook, expanded and underwent a re-fit by Advantage Line that included walls lined with photos of local people and places. The new store has enjoyed a new type of clientele atop its existing, and reports revenue increase north of 30 per cent.
A pub’s bottleshop is all too often the ugly stepchild alongside the main show, and Advantage Line’s James Robinson says that design and psychology play an underestimated role in optimising results such as customer basket size and the amount of time spent in-store.
“We’ve been staggered at how successful doing a proper refresh can be – how much difference it makes, and the significant upturn in bottom-line profits.
“Our MD and senior crew have tremendous retail experience, and more operators are starting to realise bottleshops work if you make them nice and the experience of going in them is pleasant.”
