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.
What are the realistic pros and cons of selling spirits and beverages on Amazon?
Amazon makes your brand available to a huge customer base and can offer cheaper shipping than managing your own 3PL, but profitability is challenging and requires significant sustained spend on advertising and promotions. Members have learned hard lessons about the platform's dynamics. **Pros:** - **Wide reach** — puts your brand in front of millions of potential customers automatically - **Shipping economics** — can be cheaper than managing your own third-party logistics for individual orders - **Organic traffic from external brand-building** — members report that investing in consumer awareness outside Amazon (direct marketing, PR, social) drives profitable organic sales *on* Amazon without needing to throw cash at Amazon's own ad platform **Cons:** - **High advertising costs required** — you must spend heavily on Amazon's promotional tools and media to achieve meaningful volume; members report struggling to make Amazon profitable even with ad investment - **Amazon holds all the cards** — the platform controls pricing, visibility, fees, and policies in ways that can surprise you after launch; members describe "some you didn't know existed before you started" - **Very tricky unit economics** — multiple members noted they've never been able to make Amazon profitable and have actually pulled advertising spend entirely - **Brand values misalignment** — Amazon's working practices can clash with independent drinks brands' values **Key strategy:** The one member reporting strong Amazon profitability said their biggest win was **building direct consumer brand awareness away from the platform**, which then organically drove profitable sales on Amazon without relying on Amazon's own ads. This approach also builds a direct customer relationship outside the platform. Members emphasise that Amazon is a big customer for many (hard to ignore) but universally describe it as tricky to make work profitably. Several have formed a discussion group to share learnings and mistakes to avoid.
What go-to-market strategies work best for niche spirit categories in the UK on-trade?
Marketing niche spirits to the on-trade is fundamentally different from consumer education—bartenders and bar managers need inspiration and creative freedom, not category explanation. **Strategy & positioning:** - Niche categories are hard to sell through education alone; instead, follow the **Aperol/Campari playbook**: show bartenders *how to drink it* rather than explaining what it is. Let them get inspired by the product itself rather than lengthy category primers. - Provide bartenders with creative guidance (e.g. reference signature cocktails like the Negroni) but allow them the freedom to innovate—this drives both buy-in and on-trade traction. **Sales approach:** - **Sales agencies** (e.g. **Nomad Collection**) can provide existing networks and relationships, though members report they may not deliver on-trade traction despite years of representation. Assess honestly whether agency representation is actually moving the needle. - A dedicated **single sales rep/single brand approach** offers the most focused attention but requires significant patience and budget investment—on-trade wins in London can be loss-making for several years. - Be clear on your objective first: profit, London halo accounts, or volume at any cost? This determines whether agency representation makes sense. **Key insight:** The category education burden is real and draining. Success depends on having a *genuinely easy-to-communicate* product and pairing it with bartenders who are excited to work with it—not convincing them why they should care about the category itself.
How do you locate retail buyer contacts and secure an initial meeting with major grocery retailers to pitch your product?
Getting buyer contact details and securing initial meetings with major retailers is notoriously difficult; members report a "ghost town" of unanswered emails. **Known contacts:** - **Whole Foods** — Alice Fishman is listed as a buyer (previously assistant buyer), though members note she is not responsive to outreach - **Winerack** — spirits buying may be handled by store managers or centrally; members recommend confirming the decision-making structure before approaching **Getting a first meeting:** Members shared several tactics (some tongue-in-cheek) for breaking through: - Members report that traditional email outreach to buyers often goes unanswered, making it difficult even to present your full proposition - One member mentioned that £30k in listing fees could facilitate an introduction via a contact named John Vine - The consensus is that direct buyer contact is extremely challenging and requires persistence beyond standard email campaigns **Key caveat:** The community acknowledged that cracking initial buyer meetings remains one of the hardest parts of retail sales, with no silver-bullet solution shared. Networking and warm introductions (rather than cold outreach) appear to be more effective than email alone.
What is the most cost-effective sales approach for premium spirits in on-trade versus off-trade channels?
Premium spirits require different sales strategies depending on channel maturity and brand stage. Early-stage brands often struggle to justify dedicated regional sales teams on ROI grounds, especially in on-trade where bar loyalty is weak and listings are short-lived. **On-trade (bars/restaurants):** - **Direct founder-led sales** — Members emphasize that founders win more business than hired salespeople because buyers value founder relationships and product knowledge. Consider hiring ops/finance staff instead so you can spend more time selling yourself. - **Small geographic focus early** — Hit a small area hard, build relationships through repeat visits and personal drinks with bar staff. Hire someone passionate and charismatic rather than an expensive salary hire; listing conversions take time and national accounts demand heavy rebates and listing fees. - **Hybrid distributor + small in-house team** — Partner with a good niche distributor who has existing on-trade networks and represents several high-quality brands. Keep your own payroll small and focus on making your brand the distributor's best performer. This reduces upfront investment while leveraging their relationships. **General considerations:** - **Regional teams struggle on 1-year ROI** — Members who've run regional and national teams note these rarely pay back in year one; they're longer-term investments and require feeding in larger national customers to make the economics work. - **Distributor vs. in-house trade-off** — Distributors reduce outlay and provide a "moment of truth" reality check on where your brand actually sits in the market (versus founder optimism). However, your brand becomes part of a portfolio and won't receive exclusive focus. - **Stage matters** — Early days demand geographic focus and relationship-building; scaling to national accounts requires commercial discipline, bigger salaries, and tolerance of expensive listing fees. **Caution:** Members warned that even strong salespeople struggle to justify ROI when bar margin matters more than loyalty, and that hiring sales teams can expose your brand to harsh trade scrutiny—sometimes revealing the brand isn't at the level founders believe.
What is the best strategy for approaching venue tenders and venue selection to improve success rates?
Venue tendering success depends on timing, communication, and persistence. Most venues using platforms like EzTenda are looking for new and exciting products but have limited capacity to proactively engage with every brand—so your approach matters significantly. **Key tactics for tender success:** - **Proactive contact before cold calling** — When you submit a bid, immediately follow up with a message that includes your email and phone number, and ask for a meeting rather than cold calling blind. This respects their time while establishing direct contact. - **Chase confidently after closure** — Once a tender has officially closed and you've already sent your contact details with a bid, you have full permission to follow up aggressively with calls, emails, and phone contact. Venues expect and accept follow-up at this stage. - **Avoid contact during the open tender period** — Do not cold call, visit, or chase venues while tenders are still open or before you've placed a bid. This is counterproductive and annoying for venue staff managing multiple submissions. - **Use intermediaries when helpful** — If you're struggling with feedback or updates on outstanding tenders, venue contacts or tender administrators can sometimes provide updates or facilitate your follow-up. **Venue selection factors:** - Research venues actively tendering on EzTenda and similar platforms; these are actively seeking new suppliers. - Tailor your submission to venue type and positioning (e.g., casual food-hall concepts like Pop Brixton may have different price/category requirements than fine dining). - Ensure your brand deck is ready to send quickly when venues express interest. **Common frustration:** Several members reported having 8+ closed tenders with no feedback from venue owners. This is normal; follow up anyway once the tender is officially closed.