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Dear Friends in the Craft Spirits Community:
Validation feels good. For years, ACSA has known consumers want better access to the array of spirits made by our community. Choice and convenience are a part of that demand.
Visiting a distillery and tasting a 1/4-ounce pour is just a tease. Thinking you’ll pick up a bottle upon a return home is likely not going to happen. Unfortunately, that spirit is only distributed in the locale you visited. Because the brand is new to the market, cannot locate distribution, or isn’t particularly well known outside the distillery, finding it on a retail shelf is severely limited.
Changes to shipping regulations during the pandemic gave reason to believe consumers would get what they wished for: choice and convenience. Two recent studies demonstrate consumer shopping patterns and demand for easy access have not waned, shining the spotlight anew on the need for direct-to-consumer (DtC) shipping in the American marketplace.
Last month, IWSR reported that the pandemic encouraged the creation of e-commerce channels in many markets, particularly for high-end spirits. Educational and browsing experiences easily allowed consumers to switch to at-home consumption. It is no surprise then that the 2023 Direct-to-Consumer Spirits Shipping Report—released this month by Sovos in collaboration with ACSA—showed that close to 90% of regular craft spirits drinkers want to be able to legally purchase spirits via DtC, up from 80% the year prior. Read the full study below.
So, how do we make this happen? In part, get involved. Rules, regulations and laws won’t change without stakeholder input. Have you registered for the ACSA Legislative Fly-In taking place in D.C. next week? It isn’t too late to attend. Scroll down to register.
Were you at the inaugural consumer event in Chicago at Binny’s Beverage Depot to introduce your product to the trade/consumer? If you haven’t yet been to Binny’s, go. It’s a BIG supporter of craft spirits, and you’ll see shelves lined with spirits from around the country. The inventory will knock your socks off! Read more about the event below.
Of course, if you’re looking to set yourself apart, enter your spirits into our Craft Spirits Packaging Awards. You may think your design rocks, but how about others? Register now to see how your design compares to the competition.
Consumers have told us what they want. You have told us what you need to have your business work. Become a member, get involved, and let’s strengthen our industry so we all succeed.
Cheers,
Margie |
