Regular readers of Better Wholesaling will know that craft beer and speciality lagers have been a recurring theme in our magazine over the last six months.
I’ve met some brilliant, innovative alcohol wholesalers – the likes of Gary Beagley and James McMurtry at Libra Drinks in Nottingham and brothers Andrew and Steven Wild across the way in Oldham. They’ve been growing their sales and profits by offering customers a point of difference.
In addition to staples like Fosters and Carling, they give their customers the choice to buy drinks that are not available elsewhere in the local area. This means their customers have an extra way to appeal to patrons. In short, offering something different creates excitement.
This Friday the Rugby World Cup kicks off and will run for the next six weeks with matches in venues across England. Inspired by the rugby – a sport that traditionally has a great social scene and a long-standing partnership with beer – our team at Better Wholesaling decided to hold our own ‘Beer World Cup’.
We sourced, as far as possible, a beer from every country taking part in the tournament to find out which nation has the greatest beverages.
As a project it’s light-hearted and fun, but there is a serious point here too; how can we make best use of seasonal and sporting events to inspire retailers and on-trade operators to grow their sales – in this case by showcasing beers from different nations.
The most innovative wholesalers have been inspiring their customers with menu suggestions and theatre – are you running any promotions around the Rugby World Cup? In any case, do take a look at the videos – and let us know if the right beers have gone through to the quarterfinals!
