DrinkWell UK’s Post

In the UK a program by Distill Ventures & Be Inclusive Hospitality to host a "Meet the Buyer" event at a London location TBD on JUNE 21st FRIDAY, 2024 from 12-5pm local time. This program is to help ethnically diverse & underrepresented drink brands get in front of UK retail buyers & distributors. This is a great opportunity for new brands to get in front of decision makers as some of the UK's top retailers, hospitality groups, & distributors. Hope they do this in the US and see link below to see if you qualify to attend. Good luck to anyone that applies! And now my diatribe: As a small and minority owned company myself, similarly understand the challenges with trying to work with the big on and off premise retailers and hospitality groups. Many chains/groups while looking for minority and woman owned brands to bring in, many do NOT extend their diversity/inclusion programs toward distributors where in the US, probably less than 5% of food & beverage distributors that supply the major retail and hospitality groups are minority or woman owned. FYI, I couldn't find any statistics on this and more than likely none exist and just going off my over 25yrs in CPG--if some one knows of this stat, I'd be curious to what it is. Often times in the US (and assume this happens in other countries) if a non-alcoholic brand that is minority/woman owned or not does get into a major retail chain or hospitality group, it is not uncommon for the brand to be told to work with one of the large regional or national food service distributors that the retailer/hospitality group already works with as trying to onboard a one-three SKU company involves a lot of effort. The issue is that many of these food service distributors can be difficult and down right disastrous to work with. Its not uncommon for a brand to actually OWE the distributor money due to various tactics they employ like chargebacks, forced promotional spend, portal fees & other "charges" to work with them. Unfortunately, many small brands have been burned by working with these food service distributors so their foray into a mass chain or hospitality group early on seemed like a blessing, but it can turn out to be a curse. FYI the topic of the pitfalls or working with a food service distributor is a full topic by itself & at some point I'll expound on this on another post. Any case while I'm biased of course, but I also feel distributor diversity is just as important as brand/product diversity as distribution is still the "gate keeper" & "choke point" in how brands get on the shelf/bar. https://lnkd.in/enUgMfK6

If you missed our April Executive Forum for Leaders in the Alcohol Beverage Industry, "3 ACTIONS EVERY WINE & SPIRITS LEADER CAN TAKE IN THE NEXT 60 DAYS TO QUICKLY BOOST DISTRIBUTOR SHARE OF MIND" we had a robust discussion about the state of the business, which then was in complete and chaotic decline. And we also talked about what was in our control. We will be sharing a few of the breakthrough revelations with you over the next few weeks right here... BREAKTHROUGH REVELATION #1: IDENTIFY KEY MARKETS AND REPS Don’t spread your portfolio, budget, time and energy too thin (the US is the equivalent of 50 different countries with different state legalities). Especially during tough times. Do the data research on your brands and find the few key markets that your distributors can focus on. Get to know those market reps that can move the needle. All the way down to the feet on the street level. This is your team. Build trust and credibility with them. If everyone is in New York, then find your other key markets, try to carve out your territories or specific areas of big cities. Own your relationships with reps and retailers. Retailers are being more conservative with bringing in new products as they follow the next great thing. You need to be influencing their choices. And the landscape is changing again (!!)...so, at our next invitation-only Executive Forum for Leaders in the Beer, Wine & Spirits Industry, Newborn Evolution will be sharing three strategies to help your teams, partners and customers to remain resilient, confident and able to navigate through this uncertain and unstable landscape. Join us on Friday, July 26th, at 11:00am ET for a robust virtual discussion on this topic. Why you should consider joining the conversation: -Our Executive Forums are exclusive and by invitation only -We will be sharing expert insights during the forum from decades of experience in the Beer, Wine & Spirits Industries -You will have the opportunity to have real-time conversations with high- level leaders like yourself, in the Alcohol -Beverage Industry who are facing similar challenges -This is a great opportunity to expand your network leadership skills -All attendees will receive a high-level recap of the most pertinent key take-aways If you would like to request an invitation for yourself or someone at your organization who may be interested please email us at [email protected] and say “July 26th Executive Forum” and we will send you details. You can also find out more in the link in the first comment below. #Wine #Spirits #Beer #AlcoholBeverageIndustry #winetrends #spiritstrends #keyaccounts #strategy #businessplan

A very good article by Adam Leyland from The Grocer on Carlsberg Group bid to buy Britvic plc and the potential coming together of a leading alcohol and soft-drinks company. The next few weeks will tell if Carlsberg is successful in it's quest to acquire Britvic, but it does open the question will the beverages industry now see other similar moves in this approach to M&A activity? Will other leading beer companies look to follow the lead set by Carlsberg? Would a leading spirits company look to acquire a softdrinks company with a strong mixer and tonic range? For any beverages company, strategic and long-term growth is all about winning "share of throat" through having a strong and varied portfolio of brands and products to meet consumer needs across different occasions and need states. M&A activity offers the potential to do this quicker than through organic growth. Interesting times ahead! #alcohol #softdrinks #categoryblurring #occasions #beverages #Carlsberg #britvic Carol Dunne Gwyneth Kelly David Deeley Brian Short Sheelagh Pentony Lars Jensen Paul Villis Gilles Halotel Mark Allen Jerry O'Keeffe Ian Chesworth Sergio Saavedra Rodríguez Birgit Schaaf Erika Minaguchi Jean-Philippe Delforge Bourcard Nesin John Craven Joshua Schall, MBA Farrah Gilsenan Marc LEJEUNE Erlon Pereira Alison Wilkinson Declan Stack Mark Gallo Xavier Herrera Francois Sonneville Kristof König Jean Noel Ortal Magdalena Edyta Przewoźnik Barbara Lezzer Alison Van Houten David Walsh Stephen Rannekleiv

#ShowUp! Just the beginning! Every retailer is coming in force!!!! The Beverage Forum is the place where all RETAILERS come to share and get insights on the ever evolving world of the Beverage Industry. Retailers, Investors Strategics, Suppliers, Creators, Marketeers will all converge in Manhattan Beach on April 29th & 30th. Follow 👉 The Beverage Forum 👈 for more updates! #tastetomorrow

Industry Shift Alert: As market dynamics continue to evolve, even established players are feeling the pressure. Southern Glazer's Wine & Spirits, the largest wine distributor in the U.S., is taking steps to reshape its workforce, impacting hundreds of roles. This shake-up could signal broader changes across the beverage distribution landscape and impact hiring strategies and talent needs in the industry. Check out this article to stay informed on how the industry is adjusting and what it may mean for future growth and innovation. https://lnkd.in/eJj4hJmh

ANTHON BERG'S RECIPE FOR SUCCESS. TIM LUND SYDTOFT, INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MANAGER, TOMS GROUP A/S, INTERVIEWED. Achieving a 400% increase in sales in two years is a remarkable achievement by anyone's standards. In this very engaging interview with Tim, I ask him about the recipe for Anthon Berg's success. In truth, and as you may expect, it's a combination of things. Not just the fact that they offer a uniquely manufactured and sophisticated premium chocolate liqueur portfolio - he would never reveal the secret of how they make these chocolates without a sugar coating inside! But also the fact that their chocolates appeal to and span different generations. The company behind Anthon Berg, Toms Group, is constantly pioneering, innovating and refining their range, and the partnership with Diageo and Bailey's is a great example of this, where at TFWA Cannes earlier this month we saw the launch of Bailey's Tasting Collection. As you will hear from Tim, Anthon Berg is constantly in the hunt for new partners and Tim shared plans for new, exciting partnerships for 2025/2026 that also move the brand into completely new territory. You'll need to watch the short video to find out more about this and discover other surprises, too. There are clearly very exciting times ahead for Anthon Berg. https://lnkd.in/dcJiTQxw #AnthonBerg #AnthonBergRoyalSelection #BaileysTastingCollection #Confectionery Diageo #ExpandingPartnerships #NewProductLines #NewTerritory #PeterDige TFWA (Tax Free World Association) Tim Lund Sydtoft Toms Group A/S #TravelRetail

Wine & Spirits leaders…has your teams’ morale declined due to the plunging landscape of the industry? Is there a sense of panic? It is understandable because I'm sure you know by now... The latest news is not favorable… Diageo stock price fell 21% in 2023 Pernod Ricard revenue fell by 3% in Q1 2024 French spirits exports dropped by 13% due to destocking by wholesalers The decline continues into 2024 with total Wine & Spirits down 5.9% The struggles are both in on & off premise (sources: WSWA, The Spirits Business, UK Yahoo Finance) Don’t worry - we’ve got some solutions.  Join our next Executive Forum and find out “3 Actions Every Wine & Spirits Leader can take in the next 60 Days to Boost Distributor Share of Mind.” At our upcoming invitation-only Executive Forum, Newborn Evolution will be sharing three areas that the VP's of the biggest Wine & Spirits distributors around the USA have shared as THE ways to get their attention and have them focusing on YOUR organization's portfolio. Join us on Friday, April 12, at 12:30pm ET for a robust discussion on this topic.  If you’d like to find out more, click the link in the comments. A few reasons to join us: Our Executive Forums are exclusive and by invitation only You will have the opportunity to to have real-time conversations with high-level leaders like yourself in the Wine & Spirits Industry who are facing similar challenges A fantastic opportunity to expand your industry network Attendees will receive a high-level recap of the key takeaways and insights from the discussion after the Forum. If you would like to request an invitation for yourself or someone at your organization who may be interested please email us at [email protected] and say “April 12th Executive Forum” and we will send you details. #executive #winebusiness #wineindustry #spirits #spiritsindustry #distributor #alcoholicbeverages #wineandspirits

🛒⌛ In this 2024 recap, industry leaders share their perspectives on the most critical moments of the year, the opportunities they identified in the market, and the strategies they employed to capitalize on them. ➡️ 📙 Discover the exclusive insights shared with Abasto | Food & Beverage Business News by: ANTHONY PENA, Vice President of the National Supermarket Association (NSA). Anthony Aloia, Corporate Vice President of the PLMA - Private Label Manufacturers Association. Bill Mayo, Chief Operating Officer at Save A Lot. Laura Strange, Senior Vice President of Communications & Engagement at the National Grocers Association. 🔗 Read the full article at: https://hubs.li/Q02ZSY630 #IndustryInsights #2024Recap #BusinessStrategies #MarketOpportunities #GroceryIndustry

Beyond Boisson 👀‼️💭 re: NA thanks to Oset Babür-Winter for her amazing piece on Food & Wine around the future of NA and happy we could contribute our thoughts after we broke the news on Boisson, we wanted to give more context around what it meant for the category, one cannot deny the immense validation that Boisson and the likes have lend NA brands and the category as a whole, so much so you can now find NA in mainstream grocers, liquor shops, restaurants, hotels and airlines around the world! Some examples of IRL stores thriving: The New Bar Le Paon Qui Boit Sèchey Spirited Away Some examples of URL thriving: The Zero Proof Nolo House Sans Drinks Some examples of Big Retail NA: Kroger Safeway Waitrose & Partners x Diageo Target x Sèchey Sprouts Farmers Market Total Wine & More Some examples of Big NA URL: Gopuff Amazon DoorDash Instacart ✈️You can find Recess at major airports now, sip on Athletic Brewing Co. and Three Spirit on airplanes 🏨 you can find Ghia at restaurants and hotels alike 🎉 You can also find NA in big festivals see The New Bar x COACHELLA and Parch Spirits Co x Daybreak S/o to resources like Zero Proof Nation and Laura Silverman as testament of just how global the NA movement has become! 🗺️

Recently, we hosted our Executive Forum, "3 ACTIONS EVERY WINE & SPIRITS LEADER CAN TAKE IN THE NEXT 60 DAYS TO QUICKLY BOOST DISTRIBUTOR SHARE OF MIND" where we had a robust discussion about the state of the alcohol beverage business, which then was in complete decline. We also talked about what was in our control. We will be sharing a few of the breakthrough revelations with you over the next few weeks... BREAKTHROUGH REVELATION #2: ILLUSTRATE YOUR SUCCESS WITH KEY ACCOUNT TO GET GREAT DISTRIBUTION Own your relationships with reps and retailers. Retailers are being more conservative with bringing in new products as they follow the next great thing. You need to be influencing their choices. Illustrate your success with key accounts to get greater distribution. Go back to basics...don’t forget about the reps who are actually selling your brands and get to know them. Prepare your success stories backup with tangible numbers and case studies to share with retailers, after all they are feeling the crunch too - they need brands that are selling well. And be sure to arm your distributor partners with this information too. They are an extension of your team, ensure they have what they need to win as well. And I'm sure you have noticed that reports on the alcohol beverage business are erratic and inconsistent today...so, at our next invitation-only Executive Forum for leaders in the Beer, Wine & Spirits Industry, Newborn Evolution will be sharing three strategies to help your teams, partners and customers to remain resilient, confident and able to navigate through this uncertain and unstable landscape. Join us on Friday, July 26th, at 11:00am ET for a robust virtual discussion on this topic. Why you should consider joining the conversation: -Our Executive Forums are exclusive and by invitation only -We will be sharing expert insights during the forum from decades of experience in the Beer, Wine & Spirits Industries -You will have the opportunity to have real-time conversations with high- level leaders like yourself, in the Alcohol -Beverage Industry who are facing similar challenges -This is a great opportunity to expand your network leadership skills -All attendees will receive a high-level recap of the most pertinent key take-aways If you would like to request an invitation for yourself or someone at your organization who may be interested please email us at [email protected] and say “July 26th Executive Forum” and we will send you details. You can also find out more in the link in the first comment below. #Wine #Spirits #Beer #AlcoholBeverageIndustry #winetrends #spiritstrends #keyaccounts #strategy #businessplan