In the 2021 National Liquor News Industry Leaders Forum, we caught up with CEO of CAPI, Emma Evans.
In recent years there have been a number of shifts in Australian consumption habits, with shoppers increasingly looking for more natural and lower sugar products while exploring interesting flavours and supporting local producers.
These are all areas which are set to drive great results for Australian beverage company CAPI, with its range of sparkling mineral water, mixers and sodas. CEO Emma Evans said CAPI’s immediate focus in 2021 will be to leverage this position to grow presence and awareness in the independent liquor retail sphere.
“Relationships are everything and we are here to work with stores to help them in growing their non-liquor offering, catering to customer needs and increasing basket size,” Evans said.
“Especially now, after 2020 when all we had were our Australian businesses, I really believe there is a place for local products front and centre. The quality and offering of Australian beverages is not sub-par to those imported. In fact, Australia has some of the most exciting and innovative beverage brands making some of the best drinks in the world.”
And while pandemic-related supply chain interruptions have impacted businesses worldwide, CAPI’s commitment to strong relationships and providing the best local products to local retailers has Evans confident this will be continued throughout this year to a high standard.
She said: “We have a huge year planned and after 2020 we are ready to take on 2021 with energy and speed.”
2021 will see CAPI grow even further than recent positive years to meet the needs of the trade and the consumer, thanks to foundations laid in the past year.
“2020 was a rollercoaster with highs and lows, but overall we are happy with how we have landed and we really took the time this year to reflect, pause, look back and think about what is next and what do the next two to three years look like for us,” Evans said.
“Challenges from 2020 that still exist surround the global supply chain system, put under so much pressure with zero warning. We are lucky that we manufacture locally, yet with an increase in demand for local products across the board this puts pressure on everyone to keep up.
“Early on in 2020 we decided to source and move our proprietary bottle locally. We are very excited and proud to say that during 2021 we will move to a local supplier for our bottle. This further enhances our offering as an Australian beverage company and aligns to our growing sustainability goals.”
An additional focus for CAPI in 2021 will be around innovation, to find simple yet delicious solutions for shoppers who want adult alternatives to common non-alcoholic beverages that are ‘better for you.’
Evans told National Liquor News: “We like to keep our finger on the pulse with retailers, trade and consumers around what they want to see from us and being a family business we can bring that to life easily.”
Did you know?
- CAPI is a family-owned Australian business which also manufactures in Australia.
- CAPI Mineral Water is bottled at the source, just an hour out of Melbourne.
- This year CAPI celebrates its 10th birthday.
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