Ask the Collective
The questions independent drinks founders ask most — answered. Distilled from years of community knowledge so the good stuff never disappears in the feed again.
How should small drinks brands approach seasonal discounting (Black Friday, Christmas) without destroying margins and brand value?
Members emphasise that deep seasonal discounting is often a losing game for small premium brands. The consensus is: **don't participate unless it genuinely works for your business model and customer base**. **Strategic alternatives members are using:** - **Clear slow-moving or nearly-expired stock** — Several members use Black Friday/seasonal periods specifically to liquidate dead inventory at discount rather than applying across-the-board cuts. This frees cash from working capital without eroding core product margins. - **Modest, purpose-driven discounts** — One member runs "Green Friday" offers on B Corp soft drinks with tree-planting tied to sales, reframing the event around values rather than race-to-bottom pricing. - **Tiered discounting** — Offer small discounts on core range (e.g. 20%), larger discounts on slow-moving SKUs only. This protects your flagship products while moving problem stock. - **New customer acquisition campaigns** — Position it as a trial/tasting campaign rather than a blanket sale. Members note it can work for customer discovery if margins allow. - **Skip it entirely** — Several premium brands simply don't participate. One importer cited the "Huit Denim approach": close the website, reopen after the event when "common sense returns." Multiple members note that for premium aged spirits at £25–£50, the math rarely works—you attract cheaper customers, spend heavily on ads to reach them, and end up with zero margin. **Key warnings:** - Seasonal discounting in premium spirits is often a trap. Customers buy rum 2–3 times a year anyway (Christmas gifts, birthdays, Father's Day); heavy Black Friday discounting doesn't create incremental volume, it just shifts when people buy and at lower price points. - Turnover is vanity; margin is sanity. Don't get sucked into a race to the bottom you can't win. - Massive competitor discounts (e.g. Diageo's aggressive pricing) make modest 20% offers look pointless and devalue the entire category. - Advertising costs to acquire discount-hunting customers often exceed the margin you make. **The underlying advice:** If running Black Friday isn't profitable within 60 days *and* doesn't align with your brand values, skip it. Focus on making the rest of the year succeed and selling less at higher margin.
Where can UK drinks producers source packaging stock like bottles, corks, and cans from other producers or suppliers?
Members have identified several specific sources for secondary packaging stock, both from industry liquidations and specialist suppliers: **Stock clearance opportunities:** - **Brittains closure stock** — One member had 100,000 corks available (40mm x 12mm, dark wood, natural cork shank 18.5mm, made for herbalist bottles) sourced from Brittains' closure - **Brew and Bottle liquidation** — 100k x 150ml cans available from this company going into liquidation - **Peer-to-peer sourcing** — Members regularly post urgent needs (e.g., 35cl personalised bottles for Christmas orders, 20ml/25ml bottles, white flint Kelfa Apotheker or Herbalist 70cl bottles) in the group; sometimes other members have surplus stock to offload **Specialist packaging suppliers:** - **Propak** — Recommended for branded items like jiggers - **Xilong** (Far East option; +86 182 5869 2627, http://www.xilong-glass.com) — Used occasionally for minis and first runs of new SKUs due to cheap set-up costs. However, members warned that quality control is poor (bottle variance/tolerance greater than European suppliers), bottles often arrive dirty, fill levels vary, payment is upfront (poor cash flow vs. UK terms), and shipping delays eliminate cost savings unless budget allows air freight. Rachel is the contact. Members noted they've since moved all formats back to UK production. **Service providers offering contract solutions:** - **Gorilla Spirits** (near Basingstoke; https://gorillaspirits.co.uk/contract-distilling-bottling/) — Offers production and contract bottling capacity Members emphasise: always check the Kindred group first for liquidation stock and peer offers before placing orders elsewhere. Far East sourcing has hidden costs and cash-flow penalties that often outweigh initial price savings.
What should be done with old product labels and inventory stock that still show the previous address when relocating premises?
When moving premises with stock still bearing the old address on labels or packaging, members suggest you don't necessarily need to discard it. The practical approach is to **set up a Royal Mail redirect** for the old address to forward any mail to your new location. This allows you to keep and use existing inventory without waste, while ensuring any customer correspondence sent to the old address still reaches you. Members noted this is a straightforward solution that avoids the cost and environmental impact of reprinting or destroying stock.
What are the best DTC ecommerce fulfillment providers for spirits, and which ones have reliable inventory management?
Members have recent experience with two main providers for DTC spirits fulfillment: - **We Are Fulfilment** — strongly recommended by multiple members. One member was referred by Johnny from UNLTD Beer and spoke directly to co-founder Trent, reporting they were "immense" and impressed with the service. No specific caveats mentioned. - **Start Up Logistics** — mixed feedback. Members note they were handling Camden's D2C at the time of discussion. However, stock control was historically inconsistent and "dependent on how good your account manager was." The company has since relocated to new premises and members report that stock control has improved following the move, suggesting the systems have been upgraded. - **Codestorm** — one member had exhausted options with this provider, suggesting it may not be the best fit for some brands, though no specific reason given. Members appear to be actively vetting fulfillment partners and willing to share direct contact details (co-founders) and referrals. Stock accuracy and account management quality are the key decision factors.
Where can I sell or dispose of surplus inventory like old label stock effectively?
When you have excess stock with good shelf life that you need to move, members suggest several practical routes. **Specialist stock buyers:** - **JA Cox and Sons** (Derby area) — members recommend contacting them for purchasing unwanted stock, though be prepared that prices won't be premium - **Stocks** (Manchester) — another established contact for moving surplus inventory **Alternative channels:** - **Subscription boxes** — considered a viable solution for moving old stock - **Standon** — mentioned as a potential outlet (though context suggests this may be informal/trade show related) **Other approaches:** - Consider reaching out via direct message to community members who may have relevant industry contacts or buyers within their networks - Be clear about your product specs when inquiring, as suitability matters **Caveat:** Don't expect high prices from liquidation buyers — this is essentially a clearance play rather than a revenue-generating sale.
What software do I need for inventory management to satisfy HMRC trade facility warehouse requirements?
HMRC requires trade facility warehouses to declare what software they'll use for stock management, but members confirm that **Excel** is acceptable—you don't need specialised inventory software. One member initially worried spreadsheets wouldn't meet HMRC's expectations, but the consensus was that basic Excel tracking is sufficient for compliance purposes.
How should I handle a wholesaler's request to replace slow-moving stock?
The community's consensus is to treat slow-moving stock as a relationship risk and to proactively solve it together with the wholesaler rather than defensively negotiate replacements. **Key approach:** - **Focus on demand generation** — Remember that wholesalers are service providers and won't build customer demand for you. The onus is on you to stimulate end-customer demand to move stock through the channel. - **Lead the solution collaboratively** — Rather than waiting for replacement demands or shifting responsibility, take the initiative to work with the wholesaler on sell-through strategies. This protects the long-term relationship and demonstrates partnership. - **Proactive planning** — Put robust demand-stimulation plans in place before slow-moving stock becomes a problem in the first place. **Caveat:** Slow-moving stock damages both parties and is a sign that the underlying distribution/demand strategy needs review. Members emphasized this is fundamentally a demand problem, not a stock-return problem.
Where can I sell excess or clearance inventory at cost to clear stock?
Members recommend reaching out to specialist wholesalers who purchase overstock and near-expiry products. **Heley International** (contact: NickL@heley-int.com) was specifically mentioned as a buyer of clearance and close-to-expiry stock at low cost. When approaching wholesalers, be prepared to specify what you're clearing and at what price point. Note: members also flagged that **Speciality** has had sporadic payment delays, so it's worth checking payment terms and track record before committing to a deal.
How should advance payments to bottlers be recorded in QuickBooks when stock hasn't been received yet?
When paying a bottler an advance (e.g. 50% upfront), you cannot match the payment directly to a PO in QuickBooks, as doing so would incorrectly increase your inventory before stock arrives. **The recommended approach:** - **Record the payment to the supplier account** — Allocate the advance payment in the banking tab to the supplier (bottler) without linking it to a PO. This creates a balance on the supplier's account. - **Match the PO when stock arrives** — Once production is complete and stock is received, match the PO to the invoice and reconcile it against the advance payment already recorded on the supplier account. - **Handle under/over-production** — If the bottler under-produces, any remaining balance sits on the supplier account and can be managed (credited, applied to future orders, or written off as needed). This workflow keeps your inventory accurate (only increasing when goods are actually received) while maintaining a clear audit trail of advances and final invoices.
How can manufacturers fix stock visibility and fulfillment delays on Amazon seller accounts?
Stock visibility and fulfillment delays on Amazon are a widespread issue affecting multiple sellers. Members report stock taking weeks or months to appear on seller pages, and experiencing significant losses to logistics partners (one member cited £2.5k in unaccounted stock via UPS). **Key recommendation:** - **Change your delivery/logistics supplier** — One member reported major improvements after switching away from their existing delivery partner. This suggests the delay may be at the carrier/fulfillment stage rather than Amazon's system itself. Members recommend reaching out directly to others who have solved this (contact via DM for specific supplier recommendations). **Caveat:** Members acknowledge this is a widespread frustration affecting "everyone" on the platform, suggesting systemic challenges with Amazon's fulfillment network that may not have a universal fix. Stock loss to carriers during transit is a real risk factor.