The Importance of Proper Foresight in Supplying Your Minibar and Never Ran Out of Stock

October 24, 2016

Past research showed that the hotel minibar was one of the least important amenities for travelers. In fact, a 2013 study by TripAdvisor claimed that only 21% of travelers placed the minibar as an important feature. In fact, the most was free in-room wireless Internet.

However, recent studies show that minibars are on the rise and making a great comeback. In truth, the future of the minibar has greatly expanded due to its unique selections and convince for guests. No longer is the miniature bottle of scotch and bag of chocolate M&Ms a popular ordeal. Instead, guests prefer healthy and sensible products easily available. For example, healthy snacks like Amore bars or roasted nuts are favored items. As well, guests really appreciate convenient items that they may have forgotten such as children’s activities, toothpaste or sunscreen.

Managing the Supply and Demand

For a business owner or manager, the importance of managing the supply and demand of a minibar cannot be overemphasized. In fact, having the proper foresight in supplying your minibar and never running out of stock is crucial.

For one, if you minibar is well supplied and guests are electronically charged when a snack or drink is removed, a hotel may cut labor costs up to 60%. Moreover, when guests are satisfied the hotel receives better rates and more business. In addition, the minibar can extend services to late night snacks and keep everyone happy.

Keeping Track Of Sales

Precise inventory is needed in order to keep a minibar well stocked. In fact, costs are drastically reduced when sales are monitored and kept track of. Today, hoteliers use a variety of ways to keep track of sales:

Spreadsheets – spreadsheets like Excel or Lotus 123 can be used to track inventory. However, this method can have more errors and not be as cost effective. For instance, items can accidently get deleted or incorrect information may be added especially if two or more people do the data entry.

Sensors – this device keep track of when an item is removed and automatically charges the guest.

Electronic data interchange (EDI) or bar codes – these devices accurately scan all items sold and remove data entry errors. It allows an easy way to compare inventory records to the actual count.

Excess Inventory

Sometimes hoteliers buy too much inventory for fear that they will run out. Unfortunately, this can run into high costs and waste. As well, older inventory can be difficult to sell and eventually expire. In order to cover cost, oftentimes the old products are reduced and discounted. However, this scenario can be avoided. It is easy to calculated and have foresight on the right amount of supplies.

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