Carlton & United Breweries owners Asahi Beverages has sold online alcohol retailer BoozeBud back to the business’ founders.
The move comes following a review of CUB’s eCommerce participation strategy by Asahi following the completion of its takeover of CUB earlier this year. Eyebrows were raised in August 2018 when ZX Ventures, owned by AB InBev, acquired BoozeBud, but Asahi said it wanted to develop a new strategy around online retailing.
Asahi said its new strategy aims to see CUB “win together” with its customers. This will see CUB focusing on selling its products through its retail customers, securing visibility for its iconic brands on customers’ digital channels and working with other customers, including on-premise, to develop their online presence.
Asahi Beverages Group CEO Robert Iervasi said: “While our broader eCommerce participation strategy continues to evolve, it was decided that now was the right time to sell BoozeBud. We look forward to working and winning together with all our customers, including in the online space.”
Alex Gale, Andy Williamson and Mark Woollcott, who founded BoozeBud in 2014 are now back in charge of the business, which has grown to over 250,000 customers in the time since CUB bought the business, while revenue has grown more than 500 per cent.
BoozeBud Founder Andy Williamson said: “We’re delighted to own BoozeBud once again. Over the last two and a half years the business has grown more than six times and is now the leading pure-play online alcohol retailer in the country.”
“We always ran the business under CUB ownership so nothing will change for our suppliers and customers who are now preferring to shop online more than ever before.”