As the rest of the world attempted to navigate and adjust to a ‘new normal’, the alcohol industry was no different – bars and restaurants were shut down, leaving beer and liquor stores to pick up the difference.
So, how have the off-premise folks responded? Ecommerce. Retailers have flocked to Bottlecapps, by the 100s, for development of their very own store-branded website and mobile app so that they can directly engage their customers through technology, and of course, sell their products online. “Our favorite thing to having our own app (and website) is being able to communicate with our customers directly and personally. We don’t need to use other mediums to reach them. With the Bottlecapps platform, we are able to offer our customers app only deals and pricing as well as send notifications to our most loyal customers so that they can have access to specials before everyone else,” said Tyler Mulone of Addy’s Fine Wine & Spirits in upstate New York.
Bottlecapps is a technology solutions company specific to the Beverage Alcohol Industry that develops and maintains a wide range of e-commerce products and services aimed at connecting to customers, creating loyalty, and growing sales of off-premise beer wine and spirits retailers. Bottlecapps’ pricing model is the counter approach to many of its competitors whom charge a fee (percentage or flat) per transaction on their platform – instead, Bottlecapps’ pricing is a low, flat, monthly rate, with no transaction fees. “Bottlecapps’ technology and pricing structure empowers me to market my own store by giving me full control. I love the flat rate, because I don’t have to feel compelled to push business toward or away from any particular 3rd party vendor because of cost. My app with Bottlecapps is just an extension of my business,” explains Jimmy Cole from Popular Wine & Spirits of Tennessee. Bottlecapps currently does business across 40 states in the U.S. as well as two major markets in Asia, and is looking to expand their services into the Canadian market very soon.
“Our mission, as a company, is to be a true 360 degree solution to the industry; connecting all 3 tiers, and doing so with a price point and cost model that keeps the retailer’s needs, both independents and chains alike, at the forefront of everything we do,” exclaimed Bottlecapps CEO & Chairman, Dr. Prashant Desai.
The addition of retailers is just one of the areas that Bottlecapps has seen meteoric growth. The company has also experienced a major increase in platform sales year-over-year, with some months pacing out 800-1000% higher than the same period in 2019 – making Bottlecapps the Fastest Growing Beverage Alcohol Platform in the Nation.
Industry-wide e-commerce sales of beverage alcohol products continue to grow faster than any other consumer product goods. Online sales of alcoholic beverages – which peaked at 551% year-over-year growth during the week ending April 25 – continues to hover in the triple-digits, with sales increasing 307% in further months during the ongoing COVID environment.
All-in-all, the Bev. Alc. Industry and online sales have finally established a working relationship, and from where we are standing, it doesn’t seem to be letting up anytime soon! “My favorite thing about having our own app, through Bottlecapps, is the cost savings. Third-party apps amount to paying a second or third rent each month as if we had additional stores but at much higher operating costs, and so we begin to think of our business that way—the original store, and then the delivery store, and I don’t like fragmenting the business, or our customers that way. But with our own app, with such great cost advantages, we still think of it as ‘our’ store. Those customers are ‘our’ customers. Those product deals are ‘our’ product deals,” Patrick Brady – Brady’s Wine Warehouse (NOLA).
So, as off-premise retailers look for tactics and technology to enhance their business by capturing a piece of the e-commerce pie, Bottlecapps will stand beside them with the goal to make the very best products at the lowest price possible.