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For the weight of wine and liquor bottles, our store designers recommend 16”, 18” and 20” heavy-duty gondola shelves.

Handy Store Fixtures supplies the shelving, wood wine racks, beer cave shelving, security cases and sales counters to fit out a liquor store of any size. Everything is manufactured in our own factories here in the United States, and all orders ship direct from the factory in Corning, New York.

16, 18, 20”Heavy-duty shelf depths for bottle weight
84 & 96”The two most common wall unit heights
2 to 6 weeksLead time, depending on product
$100Minimum order
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What are you fitting out?

Pick the part of the store you are working on.

Shelf depth

What shelf depth holds liquor and wine bottles

Shelf depth is the first decision. Heavy-duty gondola shelves in 16”, 18” and 20” depths safely maintain the weight of wine and liquor bottles.

On a wall run, start with a 22” base shelf and put 18” and 20” shelves above it, so you can merchandise a large number of bottles on a single run.

Wall units are made in a range of heights starting at 36”. In liquor stores the two most common are 84” and 96”. Whichever you choose, it is essential to tie every wall unit into the wall, into a structural member, for safety.

Gondola runs

Gondola shelving for a liquor store

A gondola as ordered includes the uprights, base shelves, back panels and hardware. Upper shelves and accessories are ordered separately.

For liquor, display rows of wine and fine spirit bottles on the gondola shelves and put the awkward stock below. Bottles and oddly shaped packaging that will not sit flat on a shelf go into open end baskets. The frames hold in two positions, horizontal or down sloped, and the baskets themselves are ordered separately.

Back panels come in a range of finishes, wood grain among them. Steel colors are shown in the color guide.

At the ends of the gondola runs, end cap displays are ideal for drawing attention to promotions and seasonal specials. They come in 24”, 30”, 36”, 42” and 48” lengths, with a square or rounded base shelf, and should match the height and width of the gondola they finish.

Floor plan

How to lay out a liquor store

A liquor store floor plan has to balance how the store works against how it looks. Work the room from the outside in.

  1. The perimeterWall shelving around the outside walls for a long row of merchandise. Pick 84” or 96” units and tie every one into a structural member.
  2. The cornersWhere two wall runs meet, retail corner units carry the merchandising around the angle. They need a 30” x 30” corner space and come in 12 sizes, using inside corner shelves.
  3. The middleGondola runs down the floor in 16”, 18” and 20” shelf depths, wine and fine spirits across the shelves, open end baskets underneath.
  4. The ends of the runsEnd units in a length matching the gondola they finish, for promotions and seasonal specials.
  5. The coolerBeer cave shelving inside the refrigerated unit, or a walk-in cooler built to your floor plan.
  6. The frontThe sales counter, positioned so the high value cases are in view from it.

For a more industrial look, wide span shelving is an alternative to standard gondola runs, with steel frames and decks in grid or wood, raw or melamine, in modular sections.

Our store design consultants will work through the space with you, whether you are opening your first liquor store or remodeling one you already run. See store planning and design. Three sample layouts are shown below.

Wine

Displaying wine

Three wood wine racks, all 14” deep and available in melamine colors. All three take a wide variety of bottle sizes.

RackDimensionsWhere it goes
Cabernet44 1/2” H × 49 3/4” L × 14” DFree standing, or as an end cap after a row of gondola. An 8 bottle display on top secures each bottle from top and bottom.
Merlot49 3/4” H × 41 3/4” L × 14” DFree standing, or as an end cap finishing a row of gondola. A front lip on the upper and middle shelves allows bottles to be easily displayed.
Chardonnay84” H × 29 3/4” L × 14” DBulk display against the wall, with excellent storage capacity in a simple design.

Strategically place your best selling wine & fine spirit products

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Sample floor layouts

Three sample liquor store floor plans, built on the outside-in approach above: wall runs around the perimeter, gondola runs through the middle, end units finishing the runs, and the sales counter at the front.

Liquor Store 3
Liquor Store 2
Liquor Store 1
Walk-In Coolers
Walk-In Coolers
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Space Plus Conversion
Space Plus Conversion
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Wide Span Shelving
Wide Span Shelving
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Cooler

Beer cave and cooler shelving

Beer cave shelving is durable steel racking for cases of beer inside a refrigerated unit. Steel shelves sit on shelf supports, and the units are black, NSF approved.

Sizes are 84” or 78” high, either 24” or 30” deep, in 3, 4, 6, 7 and 8 foot lengths. The shelf configuration differs by height:

84” unitsThe top three shelves, including lips, are gravity fed. The bottom two are flat.
78” unitsThe top two shelves, including lips, are gravity fed. The bottom two are flat.

For the cooler itself, our walk-in coolers are supplied to fit your floor plan. Panels are wood frame, tongue and groove, finished in bright embossed 24 gauge galvanized steel as standard. The standard door is 36” x 78” high.

Security

Displaying high value bottles

For expensive bottles, a steel retail display security cabinet is a professional way to display merchandise under lock. Two glass doors run on a track with a lock, and the case accepts shelves inside.

Sizes are 3 foot or 4 foot lengths, in 24”, 30”, 36”, 42” and 48” heights. Choose shelf type, which adds a bottom shelf, or base type. All steel display cabinets ship knocked down.

Security cases are a good option on an end cap display.

Front end

The checkout counter

Retail sales counters play a major part in the success of your store. Ours are custom made with the counter top and sides finished in mica, in standard or custom colors.

Counter heights are 36” or 42”, and depths are 24” or 30”. Counters can be used individually or in combination to make L-counters and U-counters. A standard counter includes adjustable shelves and one locking drawer. All sales counters must be crated, and crating is ordered separately.

Existing fixtures

Modernizing fixtures you already own

If you already have Handy gondolas and wall units in the store, Space Plus Conversion brings them up to date without throwing them out. It is a conversion kit that modifies the fixtures you already have, using post and beam sections strong enough to hold heavy stock and bulk merchandise loads.

There is no reason to change your current store layout, and no need to disassemble existing retail displays to install it. Space Plus beams mix with standard gondola shelving, and the result is today's warehouse look on the fixtures you already own.

Compatibility

Will new shelves fit the gondolas I have

Yes. Every new Handy shelf is compatible with every Handy gondola ever manufactured.

We sell new shelving only, not used. Lead times run 2 to 6 weeks depending on the product, and the minimum order is $100.

The same gondola runs, coolers and counters go into convenience stores.

Questions

Frequently asked questions

How do I organize the shelves in a liquor store?Work from the outside in: wall shelving around the perimeter, corner units where two wall runs meet, gondola runs down the middle, end units finishing each run, the cooler for beer and the sales counter at the front.
Where do I buy liquor store shelves?Direct from Handy Store Fixtures, factory direct from Corning, New York. Lead times run 2 to 6 weeks depending on the product and the minimum order is $100. We sell new shelving only, not used.
What is gravity fed shelving in a beer cave?It describes how the shelves in the unit are set. On an 84 inch beer cave the top three shelves, including lips, are gravity fed and the bottom two are flat. On a 78 inch unit it is the top two and the bottom two.
Can I use my existing gondolas for a liquor store fit-out?Yes. Every new Handy shelf is compatible with every Handy gondola ever manufactured, so the deeper 16, 18 and 20 inch shelves for bottles fit gondolas already in the store. Space Plus Conversion changes the look of those same fixtures without replacing them.
What is included when I order a gondola?The uprights, base shelves, back panels and hardware. Upper shelves and accessories are ordered separately.
Tell us the size of your store and what you are stockingOur store design consultants will work up a layout and a quote.
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