In the 2021 National Liquor News Industry Leaders Forum, Kathleen Davies, Founder of Nip of Courage Wholesale, described what the year ahead will bring.
For Nip of Courage Wholesale, 2021 is set to be a busy and exciting year. The extension of Nip of Courage’s existing distributor operations will begin service in just a few months, and is aimed at overcoming industry challenges related to warehousing and logistics while giving the trade greater access to regional brands and distilleries.
Founder Kathleen Davies described the company’s immediate focus for this year and said: “Our priority is to make sure ‘NOC Wholesale’ is up and running with as many distributor partners and Australian distilleries onboard for the first stage so we can begin the service by March.
“The trade portal that we have created is also an extremely important focus because it will represent hundreds of emerging Australian craft spirit lines. The new trade portal is user friendly and will make ordering for our wholesale customers much easier going forward with a wide range of spirits to choose from.
“Wholesale customers who want to support local spirit producers can do so with just one service provider instead of dealing with multiple suppliers. We are also offering a drop shipping service for small businesses that have an Australian craft spirits focus.”
NOC Wholesale will be a one stop shop for both the off- and on-premise industry to support local craft distilleries. Davies said this is a major opportunity, especially in the current climate of shopping local, and is the first step in a range of activities planned to educate Australians about the vibrant spirits sector on their doorstep.
“There is a major opportunity to raise the profile and create awareness in untapped channels of the market place that currently don’t support local craft spirits. 2020 has shown us that Australian consumers and shoppers want to support local brands, our job is to make sure that they are easily accessible in channels where there is demand or potential,” she said.
Answering retailer concerns
Nip of Courage has been in operation since 2013, and Davies herself has almost 30 years behind her in the industry. From this wealth of experience, she said she has heard the concerns of retailers when it comes to local craft spirit producers and so can work on addressing them from the start.
“Such challenges include; awareness of these lines’ existence, difficult trading terms, lack of industry knowledge, high shipping fees, slow delivery, tardy communication, poor service and product accessibility,” Davies explained.
“Our goal is to overcome these frustrations and challenges experienced by retailers so they have the confidence to range more local spirits on their shelves. Producers big and small will be featured in the portfolio which will make purchasing decisions seamless.”
It is also Davies’ goal for retailers to understand that there is great value on both sides of the equation when they work with Australian craft distilleries.
“Australian craft spirits fall under the ‘premium spirits’ category. This category is one of the fastest growing spirit segments globally especially among the millennial population,” Davies said.
“Approximately 90 per cent of Aussie craft distilleries are based in regional or rural locations. Every cent spent on local craft spirits stays in Australia and helps to stimulate these local economies.”
Check out some more exciting news from the Nip of Courage team here.
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