Off-Licence Display Ideas: How to Run an Irish Off-Licence That Customers Choose

The supermarkets sell alcohol. A good off-licence sells advice, discovery and a bottle worth bringing to dinner. That is the only fight an independent off-licence can win – and it is won on the shop floor. With Irish whiskey and gin enjoying a golden era, low and no-alcohol ranges growing and minimum unit pricing levelling the price war, the shops pulling ahead are the ones that look and feel like specialists. Here is how to lay out an Irish off-licence that sells, and the rules that shape it.

Off-licence display ideas: shop the way customers think

Most customers walk in with a meal, an occasion or a budget in mind – not a grape variety. Make the floor answer their question.

• Wine by style or by country – "fresh and crisp whites", "big reds for winter", or France, Italy, Spain, New World. Pick one system and stick to it.
• A price ladder on every bay – everyday at the bottom, mid-range at eye level, special bottles at the top or in a feature cabinet.
• Staff picks – a handwritten shelf card from a real person sells more than any brand poster.
• Occasions – "Sunday roast", "Friday night", "bring to dinner", "gifts under €30". A small bay that changes weekly.
• Bottles facing out – angled or cube shelving shows the label, not the shoulder.

The Irish wall: your best merchandising asset

Irish whiskey, Irish gin and Irish craft beer have something no supermarket fixture can copy: a story you can tell across the counter. Give them a feature wall near the entrance, organised by distillery or region, with tasting notes on the shelf edge. It sells to locals buying a gift and to visitors looking for something to take home.

Low and no-alcohol: give it a proper home

Low and no-alcohol drinks are no longer an afterthought. Kantar's figures for last Christmas showed an extra €1.9 million spent on these ranges in Irish grocery alone. Give them their own clearly signed bay rather than a bottom shelf in the beer aisle – the customer looking for them wants to find them fast.

Sparkling and gifting

Champagne and sparkling wine sales jumped nearly 22% last December, according to Kantar. Build a gifting zone with boxed bottles, gift bags and wooden presentation boxes, and plan it from October. Our Christmas display guide has the full calendar.

Tasting and events: the off-licence's secret weapon

Nothing sells a bottle like a taste of it. A tasting table or a counter-height station near the Irish wall turns a quiet Saturday into an event. ESPOSIT's "Wine Gate" set shows how a slot-together tasting bar and racks can even move outdoors for a summer evening. Before you run tastings, check with your licensing solicitor what your licence allows.

The rules every Irish off-licence works within

Rule	What it means on the shop floor
Licences	You need a retailer's off-licence from Revenue, backed by a court certificate. Keep both current.
Trading hours	Under the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2008, off-sales run from 10.30am to 10pm, and from 12.30pm to 10pm on Sundays. The proposed Sale of Alcohol Bill would reform licensing, but until it becomes law these hours apply.
Minimum unit pricing	Since 4 January 2022, alcohol cannot be sold below 10 cent per gram of alcohol. Check deals and bundles, not just shelf prices.
Advertising	Since November 2019, alcohol ads are banned within 200 metres of schools, crèches and local-authority playgrounds, on public transport and at stops, in cinemas (with limited exceptions) and on children's clothing. Think about this before you put up an outdoor A-board.
Age	No sales to under-18s. Train staff, ask for ID and keep a refusals log.
Health labelling	Section 12 of the Public Health (Alcohol) Act 2018 – health warnings on labels and notices in licensed premises – has been deferred to 3 September 2028.
Mixed shops	If you also sell groceries, the Section 22 structural separation rules apply – see our alcohol display rules guide.

Security without the fortress look

Premium spirits need protecting, but a wall of locked glass says "no browsing". Keep the most expensive bottles in a lockable feature cabinet near the counter, put dummies or empty presentation boxes on the open shelf, and keep sight lines from the till clear across the whole shop. Lower fixtures in the centre and taller wall units around the edge do both jobs.

The kit list

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FAQ

Do the structural separation rules apply to a dedicated off-licence?

No. Section 22 applies to mixed trading premises – shops that sell alcohol alongside groceries or other goods. A dedicated off-licence still has to follow the advertising, age, pricing and trading-hours rules.

What are off-licence opening hours in Ireland?

Off-sales are permitted from 10.30am to 10pm Monday to Saturday, and from 12.30pm to 10pm on Sundays, under the Intoxicating Liquor Act 2008.

When do alcohol health warning labels become mandatory?

The labelling requirements have been deferred to 3 September 2028.

How should I lay out a small off-licence?

Wine on the walls by style or country, an Irish spirits feature near the door, beer and cider in the chilled area, a low and no-alcohol bay, and premium bottles in a cabinet by the counter.