Your bottle store cashier waited for half-time. My braai guests didn't.

 

Your bottle store cashier waited for half-time. My braai guests didn't.

Saturday, 11:40.

The biggest two hours of your trading week, and your cashier is watching the match on a phone propped against the cigarette rack.

I came in for ice, charcoal and two cases.

He didn't look up until the last crate hit the counter.

He scanned slowly, mumbled the total, took my card, said nothing. No "enjoy the braai." No "you got meat on the fire?" Nothing.

Your store was full of stock and empty of people who wanted my money.

Liquor was one of the standout performers of the 2025 FMCG recovery, posting double-digit value growth while plenty of other categories crawled.

Shoppers are spending in your category.

The question is whether your counter deserves it.

Bottle stores live and die on the weekend peak.
Margins are thin, and the theft risk is real.

I know all that. But the person at your till holds the one moment that decides whether my next Friday case comes back to you: thirty seconds of eye contact, one suggestion, one human sentence.

The chains are moving into your category with shiny stores and air-conditioning.

The one thing they can't automate is a counter-person who gives a damn.

Put the phone in the back room. Your till is the best sales job in the building.

🧠 Stop Guessing Where the Money Goes. Find It. Fix It. Protect It.

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Disclaimer: Personal views are based on public info and my SA retail experience. Independent commentary, not representing any BRAND, its management, franchisees, suppliers or employees.

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