Where to start selling bottled wine? Profitable business: opening a liquor store

In the previous article on the sale of alcoholic beverages, we talked about... This is a rather expensive and difficult procedure that novice entrepreneurs may not be able to afford or can afford. But such are the peculiarities of the Russian mentality that before abandoning a plan, a domestic businessman explores all the so-called workarounds that will allow him to work without directly violating the law.

So is it possible to sell alcohol without a license, and what could this income-generating option mean for an entrepreneur? Read about this later in the article.

Selling alcohol without a license - myth or reality - what the law says

To understand the issue of the need for a license for the retail sale of alcohol, you should refer to Federal Law No. 171-FZ “On state regulation of the production and circulation of ethyl alcohol, alcoholic and alcohol-containing products<…>».

According to this legal act, activities related to the retail sale of alcohol are subject to mandatory licensing. At the same time, you can obtain permission to carry out this type of activity only by fulfilling a number of requirements:

  • obtaining organizational status (find out);
  • formation of the authorized capital established by regional legislation, which in some cases reaches 1 million rubles;
  • payment of state duty in the amount of 65 thousand rubles;
  • selection of premises for the store in accordance with established requirements for square footage, etc.

The law also provides for certain exceptions regarding licensing - not all alcohol-containing products require a permit in order to trade them. What alcohol can be sold without a license? The following are exceptions:

  • beer;
  • mead;
  • cider;
  • Poiret (pear cider).

All other products, including wine and spirits, can only be sold if you have a license for the retail sale of alcohol. This requirement applies not only to shops, but also to catering establishments.

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What alcohol can be sold without a license - sales of beer and beer drinks

Despite the fact that beer trading does not oblige a businessman to obtain a special permit, the above-mentioned law makes it clear that without complying with certain individual requirements, this type of activity is not possible.

These include:

  • registering a business activity with the tax service, for example, as an individual entrepreneur (will not take much time and money);
  • availability of documents that confirm the legality of the origin of products (waybills (Billing Notes) and certificates to the CTN);
  • maintaining records and declaration of sales volume;
  • trading only through stationary facilities with retail and warehouse premises;
  • availability of cash registers;
  • compliance with the rules of alcohol trade - a ban on sales at night (except for catering establishments), a ban on sales to minors, etc.

When choosing a place to open a retail outlet, you should keep in mind that beer and beer drinks cannot be sold in medical, children's and educational institutions and in the areas adjacent to them.

Important! From July 1, 2016, the sale of beer and other low-alcohol drinks listed in the previous chapter can be carried out only after registration in the Unified State Automated Information System. Each fact of purchasing such products for the purpose of subsequent retail sale must be recorded in the system using special software.

To obtain objective information about what equipment and software will be required to work with EGAIS, we recommend visiting the Rosalkogolregulirovaniye information portal dedicated directly to this system www.egais.ru.

Please note that sales of beer and beer drinks are not subject to recording in the system, unlike sales of strong alcohol, where each bottle sold must be recorded. Entrepreneurs selling beer only need to keep a Retail Sales Log and draw up a daily write-off report for sold products in EGAIS.

And you can find out how to save on personal income tax and VAT at this address: . All about the peculiarities of taxation under the general regime.

Thus, the sale of alcoholic products without a license can be carried out subject to all the specified requirements if it means the sale of beer and beer drinks, as well as mead, cider and poire.

And if there is a direct reference to this possibility in the law, then the methods of selling alcohol, which will be discussed below, are not mentioned in the regulatory framework, but at the same time they do not contradict the current legislation. These are the very “workarounds”.

Methods of selling alcohol without a license, found in the practice of Russian businessmen

Resourceful domestic entrepreneurs have invented several ways to make money selling alcohol without obtaining any permits, which have taken root in many regions of the country; many retail outlets and catering establishments still use them today.

How to sell alcohol without a license? One option is to conclude a lease (or sublease) agreement between an individual entrepreneur or a legal entity. an unlicensed person acting as a lessor and an entity holding a license to sell alcohol at retail, which therefore becomes a lessee. When concluding such a transaction, the parties indicate not a fixed amount as the rent, but a percentage of the licensee’s revenue.

For example, businessman Ivanov, who wants to make money selling alcoholic beverages, but is unable to obtain a permit, rents out part of his retail premises, in which he, for example, sells food or beer, to a licensee organization.

The licensee places display cases with alcohol on the provided area, installs a cash register, formally hires one of the sellers, businessman Ivanov, and starts trading. That is, the entrepreneur Ivanov actually sells alcohol and he is interested in selling more goods, since his income depends on it - the higher the licensee’s revenue, the greater the amount he will receive as rent. De jure, all sales go through an organization that has a license to sell alcohol, and the law has not been violated in this case.

Such cooperation is beneficial to both parties. However, in order to translate the idea into reality, it is necessary to take into account some nuances:

  • The store premises must have a sales area and a warehouse with a total area of ​​at least 50 square meters. m;
  • the location of the store must comply with the requirements of Law No. 171-FZ: trade should not be carried out on the territory of children's, educational, medical institutions or in close proximity to them, etc.;
  • The rules for selling alcohol must be observed, for example, you cannot sell products from 11 p.m. to 8 p.m., etc.

How profitable this scheme can be for an entrepreneur depends on what percentage of the proceeds will be specified in the contract. As a rule, it is around 15-20%, while the markup on alcoholic beverages used by licensees varies from 35% and above.

How to sell alcohol without a license in a catering establishment? Owners of clubs, bars and cafes have also succeeded in solving this problem. However, unlike retail businesses, they do not involve outsiders in the business. They work on the principle “you can’t sell, but you can treat.”

After all, in fact, the law does not prohibit treating or giving alcohol; the ban only applies to sales without a license.

So, the owners of such establishments include in their menu some dish that hints at alcohol. For example - “snack with vodka”. An intrigued client orders a dish, he is served an inexpensive appetizer and a gift from the establishment - 100 g of vodka. At the same time, the cost of the dish includes the cost of snacks, alcohol and a good markup.

Liability of an entrepreneur selling alcohol without a license

This is not to say that these schemes are completely transparent. Such activities may attract the attention of law enforcement and supervisory authorities, and further developments will depend on many circumstances. In judicial practice, there are cases where entrepreneurs who resorted to such trading schemes managed to justify themselves. But there have also been cases where unlicensed businessmen selling alcohol in these ways have had to bear responsibility.

In the event that a controlling, supervisory or licensing authority identifies a violation of the law, namely, the sale of alcohol without a license, the following measures may be applied to the violator:

  • confiscation of goods;
  • seizure of technological equipment for the sale of alcohol;
  • a fine of up to 300 thousand rubles, and if such activity is associated with causing damage to the state or generating income on a particularly large scale - from 100 thousand to 500 thousand rubles;
  • imprisonment for a term of 6 months to 5 years;
  • forced labor for up to 5 years.

The last three points are relevant for cases where the sale of alcohol without a license is equated to illegal business in accordance with Art. 171 of the Criminal Code of the Russian Federation.

Wake up in a luxurious Las Vegas hotel overlooking the famous Strip, what else can you dream about on your birthday. About a bottle of cold champagne in bed! This crazy thought inspired Greg Williams ( Greg Williams) to create your own business.

Having celebrated his thirtieth birthday in the city of entertainment and eternal celebration in Las Vegas, Greg was so inspired by the business idea of ​​delivering champagne to the room that he began organizing his own business immediately upon arriving home in Billerica. Having quit his job as an accountant at Ford, Greg and his friend Gavin Cooper ( Gavin Cooper) organized a champagne delivery company Champagne Waiter.

“Our clients were truly delighted when they saw a waiter with champagne at their door. Despite the economic crisis, our business is thriving. People love to give gifts, especially unusual, unique gifts,” say aspiring entrepreneurs. The fact is that the Champagne Waiter company offers its unusual services to wealthy residents of Billerwick, Brentwood, Shenfield and Hatton who are interested in something unusual and special. “Delivery of cold champagne to your doorstep on your birthday is just what you need,” friends are sure.

The friends themselves are big fans of the sparkling drink and are well versed in its many varieties and “subtleties of drinking.” They participate in all tastings held by wine companies. They conduct such tastings themselves, trying new varieties of champagne over lunch. “Soon the stage of development of our business will come when we will be able to offer our customers all the diversity of this drink,” say friends. In the meantime, the friends' tastes do not coincide - Greg Williams prefers Veuve Clicquot, and his friend Gavin Cooper prefers Dom Perignon. But both would be absolutely happy to receive a bottle of cold sparkling champagne of any brand in their bed.

By the way, the service of delivering champagne to your home does not cost customers very much - from 40 to 75 pounds sterling, depending on the set of gifts included (chocolate, flowers, etc.). Catering for a party costs £200. For this money, guests will receive 4 bottles of champagne, chocolate and a bouquet of flowers with a greeting card.


No matter how hackneyed it may sound, the main trend of modern business is creativity. And the basis of this phenomenon is not the ability to “give out something like that,” but the ability to ask. The ability to ask questions.


* The calculations use average data for Russia

Wine is considered one of the most noble alcoholic drinks. Good wine is a small luxury that almost anyone can afford, the Italians say. At the same time, wine is one of the most popular alcoholic drinks. And every year the number of its fans around the world increases significantly. Thus, a business related to the sale of wine can become very profitable. However, opening your own liquor store is not as easy as it seems at first glance.

According to experienced entrepreneurs, there are three main conditions for successful business in retail trade: assortment, quality of products sold and level of service. These three simple rules for success also apply to a liquor store. Obviously, the wider the assortment of a specialized store, the better. If you are going to specialize exclusively in wines, then be prepared to provide several hundred different types of wines from around the world. In this case, we are not talking about a small company store where the products of one manufacturer are presented. A wide range of products will become one of your main competitive advantages. The main thing is not to copy the assortment of other wine stores in your city. The assortment overlap should not exceed 30% of the total number of wine items.

However, high quality is no less important. If you're establishing yourself as a wine expert, make sure you stock only the best international quality products in your store.

As for the level of service, no matter how good, high-quality and unique wines you sell, you cannot do without experienced specialists who can advise customers on any issue relating to a particular variety, storage requirements, consumption characteristics, etc. You can find ready-made professional sales consultants or train them from scratch in all the intricacies. Large companies send their employees to sommelier courses. This training is quite lengthy and expensive, so this option is unlikely to be suitable for a regular liquor store. But if you are thinking about the concept of a “wine boutique”, then such expenses will be completely justified.

Drawing up a business plan for a wine store

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You need to start working on opening your own store by drawing up a detailed business plan. A business plan will also be required if you do not plan to take out borrowed funds to develop your business. However, it is unlikely that you will be able to get by solely with your own savings. Like any business related to alcoholic products, a liquor store is a costly enterprise that requires considerable investment.

Don't skimp on marketing services. Order a market research before you start looking for store space. Study the activities of your direct and indirect competitors, decide on the range and price category. You can open a small store with high-quality but inexpensive wines, or a real wine boutique with additional services. It all depends on demand, competition and, of course, the capital you have available. It is recommended to open a small store in a densely populated area with a well-developed transport infrastructure. This may be a residential area, but the store itself should not be located in courtyards, where only residents of nearby houses can see it, but on a busy street. Attractive facade decoration, large display windows with good lighting, suitable interior design and an eye-catching sign will in themselves be an excellent advertisement and will attract buyers. It is best to open a boutique of elite wines in the city center. But in both cases, it is necessary to strictly comply with the requirements for the location of alcohol stores.

Requirements for stationary retail establishments selling alcohol

In accordance with paragraph 6 of Art. 16 of the Federal Law of November 22, 1995 No. 171-FZ “On state regulation of the production and turnover of ethyl alcohol, alcoholic and alcohol-containing products and on limiting the consumption (drinking) of alcoholic products”, organizations engaged in the retail sale of any alcoholic products (with the exception of beer and beer drinks) on the territory of the city, must have ownership, economic management, operational management or lease, the period of which is determined by the contract and is one year or more, stationary retail facilities and warehouse premises with a total area of ​​at least 50 square meters. m, as well as cash register equipment. The requirements for stores in rural areas are more modest. According to para. 2 clause 6 art. 16 of this law in this case, in the ownership, economic management, operational management or lease, the period of which is determined by the contract and is one year or more, there must be stationary retail facilities and warehouse premises with a total area of ​​at least 25 square meters. m, as well as cash register equipment, unless otherwise provided by federal law.

All these requirements for stationary retail facilities and warehouses are established by the federal executive body authorized by the Government of the Russian Federation - Rosalkogolregulirovanie. The applicant’s failure to comply with the requirements established, inter alia, by Art. 16 of Federal Law No. 171-FZ, is the basis for refusal to issue a license for the retail sale of alcoholic beverages (clause 6, clause 9, article 19 of this law).

However, the law imposes requirements not only on the location and area of ​​the liquor store, but also on the duration of its lease agreement. At a minimum, it must be determined, otherwise the applicant will be denied a license for the retail sale of alcoholic beverages (clause 12 of Letter No. 8977/03-04 of the Federal Alcohol Regulation Agency). According to paragraph 2 of Art. 609 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation, a lease agreement for real estate is subject to state registration, unless otherwise provided by law. A lease agreement for a building or structure concluded for a period of at least a year is subject to state registration and is considered concluded from the moment of such registration (clause 2 of Article 651 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation).

So, public catering establishments wishing to obtain a license for the retail sale of alcoholic beverages must comply with the requirements established by paragraph 6 of Art. 16 of Federal Law No. 171-FZ for stationary retail facilities: in relation to the area, the composition of the necessary premises, the validity period of the lease agreement and its registration. As the experience of other entrepreneurs shows, a problem may arise with obtaining or renewing a license if:

    the applicant has only stationary retail facilities and no storage facilities;

    a stationary retail facility (sales area) and a warehouse are located in different places of the building with different entrances;

    area of ​​stationary retail facilities and warehouses with a total area of ​​less than 50 square meters. m – in urban settlements (less than 25 sq. m – in rural settlements);

    the lease agreement for a stationary retail facility does not specify its term;

    the lease agreement has not passed state registration.

It is advisable to prevent or eliminate all possible obstacles to obtaining a license to sell alcoholic beverages before submitting documents. Since when submitting a new application to the licensing authority for a license for the retail sale of alcoholic beverages, if its issuance was previously refused, you will have to pay the state fee again (Letter of the Ministry of Finance of the Russian Federation dated March 27, 2013 No. 03-05-06-03/9655) . If you have any questions, please contact the sales department of your city administration. Local authorities in a particular region may interpret the requirements of the law differently and often adopt provisions that, in fact, differ significantly from each other on many points.

Requirements for organizing the storage of wine products

Quite stringent requirements are imposed not only on the area of ​​the store and warehouse, but also on the arrangement of the latter. All alcoholic products must be stored in stationary, structurally separate premises intended solely for the acceptance, storage, dispensing and accounting of products that meet the following requirements:

    located in buildings (structures) that meet the requirements established by Federal Law No. 384-FZ of December 30, 2009 “Technical Regulations on the Safety of Buildings and Structures” (Collected Legislation of the Russian Federation, 2010, No. 1, Art. 5);

    isolated from service, utility and other premises by permanent walls or temporary building structures (partitions) with a height from the floor to the ceiling of the warehouse;

    equipped with supply and exhaust ventilation with mechanical stimulation;

    provided with central heating or equipped with individual heat generators that have a certificate of compliance with safety requirements and permission from the authorized federal executive body to use them on the territory of the Russian Federation;

    equipped with measuring instruments for monitoring the temperature and humidity conditions of product storage (hygrometers-thermometers, psychrometric hygrometers, psychrometers, thermometers, and other measuring instruments that allow for control of temperature and humidity in the warehouse). The serviceability of such devices must be confirmed by the corresponding marks on the verification of measuring instruments in the passports for the devices. If the warehouse consists of adjacent rooms, the specified devices must be located in each such room;

    equipped with racks and (or) pallets with a height of at least 15 cm from the floor, located at a distance of at least 1 m from heating systems, water and sewer pipes;

    equipped with lamps that have protective shades to prevent damage to lamp lamps;

    window openings (if any) are equipped with protective devices (blinds, cornices, other protective devices) to protect surfaces and spaces from exposure to direct sunlight;

    have an arrangement of building structures that corresponds to the design documentation for the building (structure);

    have a fire safety system, including fire alarms and primary fire extinguishing equipment. If the warehouse does not have an internal fire-fighting water supply and automatic fire extinguishing installations, or the warehouse building is located at a distance of more than 100 m from external fire water sources, the premises must be equipped with a fire shield.

The following is not allowed in the warehouse area:

    storage of products that are not alcoholic or alcohol-containing food products packaged in consumer containers;

    placement of different types of products on one pallet;

    placement of products that does not provide free access to stored products.

Storage of products, depending on their types, must be carried out in compliance with certain conditions regarding temperature and air humidity:

    Russian cognacs and brandy – at temperatures from 5°C to 25°C and relative air humidity not higher than 85%;

    alcoholic beverages – at temperatures from 10°C to 25°C and relative air humidity not higher than 85%;

    wines and natural wines – at temperatures from 5°C to 20°C and relative air humidity of no more than 85%;

    wine drinks - at temperatures from 5°C to 20°C and relative air humidity not higher than 85%;

    champagne, sparkling and carbonated wines - at a temperature from 5°C to 20°C and a relative humidity of no more than 85%;

    champagne “Sovetskoe” - at a temperature from 8°C to 16°C and relative air humidity not higher than 85%;

    wine cocktails – at temperatures from 0°C to 20°C and relative air humidity not higher than 85%.

Obtaining a license for retail trade in wine

Please note: only a legal entity (LLC, OJSC, CJSC, etc.) can obtain a license for the retail sale of alcohol. An individual entrepreneur does not have such a right.

To obtain a license for the retail sale of alcoholic beverages, you must provide the following documents to the relevant department (it may be called differently in different cities):

    application for a license indicating the full and (or) abbreviated name and legal form of the organization, its location, its email address through which the department carries out correspondence, sending decisions, notices, notifications using an electronic signature, the location of its separate divisions engaged in the retail sale of alcoholic beverages, the name of the bank and bank account number, the licensed type of activity that the organization intends to carry out, the type of product (in accordance with paragraphs 3 and 4 of Article 18 of the Federal Law “On state regulation of the production and turnover of ethyl alcohol, alcoholic and alcohol-containing products and on limiting the consumption (drinking) of alcoholic products"), the period for which the license is issued;

    copies of constituent documents (if copies of documents are not certified by a notary, then you will need to present the originals);

    a copy of the document on state registration of the organization. If the specified document is not submitted by the applicant, the authorized agency receives information confirming the fact that information about the license applicant has been entered into the unified state register of legal entities, upon an interdepartmental request from the federal executive body carrying out state registration of legal entities, individuals as individual entrepreneurs and peasant (farm) farms;

    a copy of the document on registration of the organization with the tax authority. If the specified document is not submitted by the applicant, the department receives information confirming the fact that the applicant has received a tax registration license upon an interdepartmental request from the federal executive body exercising the functions of control and supervision of compliance with legislation on taxes and fees;

    a copy of the document confirming payment of the state fee for the provision of a license;

    a document confirming that the applicant has an authorized capital (authorized fund);

    documents confirming that the applicant has stationary retail facilities and warehouse premises in ownership, economic management, operational management or lease, the period of which is determined by the contract and is one year or more.

After documents are accepted, they are thoroughly examined. Its duration is 30 days, after which a decision is made to issue or refuse to issue a license. True, sometimes an additional examination may be required, which increases the review time, but not more than 30 days.

The license is issued for a period specified by the organization, but not more than five years.

The validity period of the license is extended at the request of the organization on the basis of its written application to extend the validity period and a copy of the document on payment of the state duty, as well as on the basis of information provided by the tax authority at the interdepartmental request of the department about the absence of arrears in the payment of taxes and fees for the period specified by the organization (but not more than five years).

Ready ideas for your business

Within 30 days from the date of receipt of the application for extension of the license, the department considers this application, makes a decision to extend the license or to refuse to extend this period in the manner established for issuing a license, and within three working days after the corresponding decision is made informs the organization in writing of its decision, and if a decision is made to refuse to renew such a license, and of the reasons for the refusal.

Re-issuance of a license in the event of reorganization of an organization is carried out in the manner established for its receipt, upon application of the organization or its legal successor. In the event of a change in the name of the organization (without its reorganization), a change in its location or the locations of its separate divisions indicated in the license, the end of the lease period for a warehouse, a stationary retail facility used for the retail sale of alcoholic beverages, changes in other information specified in the license, and also in case of loss of a license, re-issuance of a license is carried out on the basis of an application from the organization with the attachment of documents confirming these changes or loss of the license.

For the provision of a license, extension of the validity period of such a license and its re-issuance, a state duty is paid in the amounts and in the manner established by the legislation of the Russian Federation on taxes and fees.

The state fee for granting a license for the retail sale of alcoholic beverages is 60 thousand rubles for each year of validity of the license.

Rules for obtaining a license and fees may vary depending on the region. Therefore, check the procedure for obtaining a license with the Administration of your city.

Please note: at the same time as obtaining a license, you will also need to issue a sanitary and epidemiological report, registration of the fire service, an agreement for garbage removal and disposal of fluorescent lamps.

Store decoration

So, the premises for a wine store have been found, the documents are being reviewed, and it’s time to start decorating your boutique. The interior design of such a store should be done by a specialist. Seek help from a designer who specializes in the interior of retail establishments. What matters is not only the choice of colors (as a rule, beige and brown tones with a predominance of natural materials - wood and stone) are most often used, but also, above all, proper zoning of space.

You will need special commercial equipment - so-called wine racks. As a rule, they are wall-mounted. On the one hand, this allows you to save space, leaving space for customers to pass through. On the other hand, glass bottles of wine have considerable weight, but are also fragile products, so placing shelves near the walls reduces the risk of them accidentally tipping over. Only in large supermarkets, where self-service is expected, alcoholic products are placed on island shelves.

The wine rack should be the optimal height and width - stable enough to not tip over, but not too bulky. When choosing a rack, put yourself in the buyer's shoes. Can he unobstructedly examine the product, will he have to bend over too much or reach for the bottle that interests him?

Give preference to racks with a shallow shelf depth and width, especially if expensive wines will be displayed on them. In this case, you can lay out each bottle separately, and not “side by side”. The optimal number of shelves is no more than five. In this case, the following rule is adhered to: the lower shelves of the wine rack are used as storage units or cheaper varieties of wines are laid out on them.

Finally, pay attention to the material the shelving is made from. It must match the interior of the room. Racks made of wood and glass look best with lighting that helps highlight the product.

Determine the target audience of your store. According to statistics, high-quality wine is in greatest demand among middle-aged and older people with high incomes. Advertising media are also chosen with this audience in mind. This can be radio or television advertising, as well as advertising in print publications (mainly expensive glossy magazines), outdoor advertising, advertising on the Internet, etc. Advertising costs account for about 20-25% of total costs.

Finding yourself in a fashionable hotel with a stunning view from the window, what else could you dream of on your birthday? Is it about the bottle? chilled champagne in bed. This crazy idea inspired Greg Williams to create his own business.

What started

In general, the service of delivering champagne to customers is not very expensive, somewhere from forty to seventy pounds sterling. Catering for the party will cost £200. And for this money, all guests will receive four bottles of champagne, a bouquet of flowers with a congratulatory letter and chocolate.

So, having celebrated his thirtieth birthday in Las Vegas, the city of entertainment, as well as an eternal holiday, Greg was so inspired business idea for delivering chilled champagne to your room, that he began organizing his own business immediately upon arriving home, namely in Billerica. He quit his job as an accountant at the famous Ford company and, together with his friend Gavin Cooper, founded a company that delivered cold champagne, Champagne Waiter.

Their clients were simply delighted when they opened the door and saw a waiter with magnificent champagne. The Champagne Waiter company offers its unusual services, as a rule, to wealthy residents of Billerwick, Shenfield, Brentwood and Hatton who are interested in something unusual and special.

The friends themselves are big fans of this sparkling drink and are very well versed in its varieties, as well as the “subtleties of drinking.” Friends participate in all tastings held by wine companies. They conduct such tastings themselves, trying completely new varieties of champagne also during lunch. Very soon the stage of development of their business will come when friends will be able to offer their clients all the diversity of this drink. However, so far the tastes of the friends do not quite coincide. So Greg Williams prefers Veuve Clicquot, while his friend Gavin Cooper prefers Dom Perignon.

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