Why Design Works
When designed badly, it forces consumers to stick to their old drinking habits.
So unless you have the luxury of knowledgeable customers, it becomes nothing more than a stock list. You might have the staff to push certain products, but do you really want to leave such a vital part of your business to chance? Consumers tend to have a short attention span, so if you want to push the products that make you the most money, the most cost-effective way is with a well-designed menu and drinks list.
You'll make more money The power of a well-designed wine list shouldn’t be underestimated. Technically speaking, a good list is all about well-executed typography and positioning. It has to be clear, legible under low lighting, informative and encompass the identity and values of your venue with its design. A slight change in Brighton-based pub group Laine’s list resulted in a 23% uplift in value sales. No extra training was given. How did we do it? By working with our design and Market Insights team to create wine lists that work harder.
There has been a lot of research into the way people interact with lists. Two important techniques that have been widely used to improve sales are ‘hotspotting’ (for example, putting more profitable items in the top-right corner) and ‘friendly pricing’, removing £ signs from numerals. When Bibendum’s designers get to work, you’ll be sure to receive a list geared towards selling your most profitable lines.
In its purest form, a good list doesn’t need to be much more than a basic product list with prices. It can still create an easily navigated, organised and attractive proposition to the customer.
Two signs you could use Bibendum's bespoke menu design
House wine is your volume driver
As soon as someone looks at a menu, their eye is drawn to the top right corner in what's known as the ‘price anchor’. Make sure premium products are placed here to ensure they receive maximum exposure. Surround this area with products with higher margins and they’ll seem more reasonable.
No one orders your specials or high profit lines
Choose the right language for the list: some words will put people off rather than help sell the wine. In an ideal world, people would already know the difference between wine styles and grape varieties. In reality, however, this isn’t the case, so make sure you aren’t making it too complicated and use more emotive language to set your list apart from the norm. Our Market Insights can help you with this process.
"The only important thing about design is how it relates to people"
- Victor Papanek, designer and author.
