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I've always dreamed of owning a liquor store


AnUpsetStomach

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Since 2001, I thought it would be a great way to make a career. I think i had visualisations of happy people coming in about to start a great night out and wine enthusiasts scoping out your stock hoping to come up on something for their collections.

 

I began saving frantically around 2001, and just last month the bank approved my business loan. It didnt seem wise to jump into though so I explained my situation to a liquor store owner to see if he would let me do some work experience. He jokingly said he wouldnt train someone who was about to go into competiton with him but he eventually agreed.

 

Can i just say, this was not was I predicted the liquor industry to be like at all. Some highlights from the passed few months has told me:

 

1- No amount of loss prevention methods will prevent loss. It's usually easier to let that drunken lowlife walk out with that $20 bottle of rum than apprehend him put on a fight, make customers uneasy, wait for the police, have to do paper work and witness things that will make you have to spend a day in court to testify.

 

2- I see kids come in with their parents as young as 3 with the most beat up shoes and ripped clothing. Seems the parents can't afford a $30 for a new outfit for their children but can afford to spend at least $150-200 on booze and cigs a week.

 

3- There are occasional cheery customers looking for suggestions on a nice bottle of red to take to dinner but for every one of those you have about 30 lowlives who cant even wait to open that bottle before taking it out of the store. Drinking cheap vodka STRAIGHT out of the bottle erghhhhh!

 

 

I guess i have to chose a different way to spend my mid 30's. This shits depressing.

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did you expect any different? Alcohol is a drug same as any other

 

 

Maybe it'll vary from area to area.

 

Can you go to an upmarket area??? then you'll at least get more of the wine type bit and a bit less of the shoplifting and lowlifes or at least you'll get a richer class of lowlife.

 

But i guess the big chains force the sole traders into areas they don't want to operate in.

 

It's not my dream but good on you for going for it

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The other problem is that you just cant compete with the big guns, I was on the phone to a Jack Daniels representative the other day and i was like:

 

"How can the chain a few blocks away afford to SELL their bottles at 10% LESS than i buy them from you for!"

 

He responded with.

 

"Because they order in a month what you do in a year"

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Open said store in a nicer area.

 

I considered that, but when I talked to liquor store owners who have been in the business 25+ years whose stores surround multi million dollar homes they said the same problems exist (although not as frequent)

 

More importantly though there is no way i could afford the leasing in some of those areas. Even if i was prepared to run at a loss for the first couple of years theres no way the bank would give me a loan that high to handle those kinds of overheads.

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Ah, see around here there are a lot of places being built that are in pretty nice areas, but since they are newer a lot of the rent isn't so bad.

 

Opening a higher class establishment will attract higher class customers, no matter where you are. As soon as the grimeys see that you don't have 40s of King Cobra they'll stop coming.

 

Carry a lot of micro brews and dudes like me will keep you in business.

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Ahh man, you have come to the right place.

I worked in bottlo for 2 and a half years. Man, don't worry about what any of these people tell you, owning a bottleshop is a licence to print money.

You are right, it is depressing dealing with drunks everyday. Man, the stories I could tell you!

Your best bet is to install as many security cameras as you can, so at least the cops will have some decent footage with which to prosecute the repeat offenders. And not to make a generalisation, but 98% of the people who steal from you will be indigenous australians. So the best method is too just go and follow them around the store from the moment they walk in (might sound stupid but it works). Another thing I can recommend is to get good staff, you won't believe how many dipshits want to do it as a job. Read my coworker horror stories in the other thread. And always try to have 2 staff on at all times at a minimum, 3 or 4 during the busy periods, as this is when theives are most likely to strike.

Any other questions, just ask.

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I don't think that location plays as big a part in Australia (Perth especially), as probably once a month, a gang of thieves will get in a car and just drive, suburb to suburb, shop to shop stealing as they go along. If they get denied/stopped from stealing at one place, then it is on to the next.

As you have realized, it doesn't matter what area you are in (especially here) as they like to try hit the stores in upmarket areas as they will usually have less staff on. And don't freak out the first time you are held up with a gun/needle/axe or whatever. It is going to happen, the longer you are doing it for the more chance that tomorrow is your day.

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I don't think that location plays as big a part in Australia (Perth especially), as probably once a month, a gang of thieves will get in a car and just drive, suburb to suburb, shop to shop stealing as they go along. If they get denied/stopped from stealing at one place, then it is on to the next.

As you have realized, it doesn't matter what area you are in (especially here) as they like to try hit the stores in upmarket areas as they will usually have less staff on. And don't freak out the first time you are held up with a gun/needle/axe or whatever. It is going to happen, the longer you are doing it for the more chance that tomorrow is your day.

 

 

 

I'm surprised liquor stores don't go the way of beer stores and Chinese stores with the bullet proof windows having the clerk go to the back to grab what you ask for.

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POURing liquor is the moneymaker!!!

 

its unreal how much you can make off a bottle of liquor..

after 3 drinks the bottle is paid for..the rest is pure profit

 

ding ding ding!!!

i work in a pub. we buyt bottles of 2 litre bottles of Smirnoff for £12.

 

we sell it in shots of 25ml, at £2 (approx) each. so after 6 shots, we made our money back and everything is profit...

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