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.
Where can members access market research data on spirits category growth and sales trends?
Members have identified several routes to obtain spirits market data: - **DBT** — trade advisers provide reports free of charge; the collective has a named contact (Michael Jolley) who has access to a load of useful information and has been willing to make introductions within the group - **IWSR reports** — members reference these regularly for category-specific data (gin, brandy, etc.); available by request and members have shared access - **IRI grocery spirits data** — UK supermarket-level data by retailer; members have sought this out for 2023 total market analysis, though acquiring it requires identifying the right contact - **Nielsen IQ** — holds equivalent data to IRI; members suggest playing Nielsen against other providers to negotiate price down - **Local library access** — one member reported successfully accessing Nielsen reports free of charge through their local library as an alternative route **How to access:** The most reliable path appears to be leveraging connections within the Kindred Collective—members have been willing to make introductions to their trade adviser contacts. For IWSR and IRI data specifically, asking within the group has yielded results when someone has a direct subscription or relationship. **Caveat:** IRI grocery data in particular can be difficult to source independently; it appears members sometimes rely on peer sharing or institutional access rather than direct purchase.
How can drinks brands access Amazon sales and category data for competitor analysis?
Amazon does not directly sell category-level sales data, but members identified several practical routes: - **Amazon's own bestseller lists** — The top 100 bestsellers across all categories are published on Amazon's site and updated every 15 minutes, available free to anyone. - **Amazon Vendor Central** — Sellers gain access to their own sales data (and can track performance metrics) as part of their vendor agreement; Amazon takes a percentage of sales in exchange. - **Helium 10** — Third-party tool that provides sales history and competitor product insights, allowing you to estimate competitor performance. - **Jungle Scout** — Alternative third-party platform offering similar competitor tracking and sales data analysis. Members noted that while these tools can't reveal exact competitor sales figures (Amazon keeps that proprietary), they allow you to reverse-engineer estimates from rankings and review velocity. The paid tools (Helium 10, Jungle Scout) are the primary way to get detailed competitive intelligence beyond the public bestseller lists.
How can you access IWSR market research reports and other industry data as a drinks founder?
Most full IWSR reports are behind paywalls, but members have identified several routes to access market data: - **IWSR free reports** — The 'Top 6 Global Trends for 2018' is available free online as a PDF; newer reports may follow a similar pattern - **WSTA membership** — Members report that the Wine & Spirit Trade Association may provide access to data if you're a member - **CGA reports** — Several members reference using CGA (On-Premise) data as an alternative source - **Morning Advertiser** — Free articles covering market data (e.g. top-selling UK alcohol brands) are published and can be a useful supplementary source - **Peer sharing** — Members occasionally share older reports they own (e.g. global gin reports from previous years) directly Note: Full IWSR reports are typically sold by subscription. The community's main workaround is either paying for membership/subscriptions, using free summary articles, or accessing older reports through peer networks. No members mentioned a free full-report database.
What are the best sources and methods for researching flavor trends for product development?
Members recommend starting with flavor house trend reports, which are the industry standard source for this research. - **Flavor house reports** — All major flavor houses publish trend reports regularly, typically distributed via email and available on their websites. These are free resources that provide structured insight into emerging flavor directions. Members also shared anecdotal observations of specific flavor combinations gaining traction (e.g. cherry, rhubarb and cucumber together), though systematic trend data from flavor suppliers is the recommended starting point for product development decisions.