By Cheryl Durzy, LibDib Founder and CEO -
Two major acquisitions have taken place in the wholesale wine and spirits tier recently. Our partner RNDC bought Opici Family Distributing in Florida. Last week, Epic Wine & Spirits was bought by Southern Glazer’s Wine & Spirits in California. It’s inevitable that some alcohol brands will not make the cut. However, there is an option to stay in the market and keep those account relationships: LibDib.
Back in my winery days, I would dread M&A announcements in the wholesale tier. I was usually with the wholesaler who was acquired and they were almost always one of my best partners (hence being a good acquisition target!) At least 10 of my mid-sized, family-owned wine and spirits distributors were acquired by one of the “big boys.” More often than not, our family wine brand was not a good fit for the combined portfolio at the larger wholesaler. It’s understandable; our winery was small for mid-sized wholesalers in the grand scheme of revenue. For a large company, the wines were most definitely within the “long-tail” when it comes to priorities.
Those accounts were important to our business. Losing a wholesaler, via a realignment, going out of business or no-payment, meant starting over in a marketplace. First, I would have to find a new distributor; which was not easy back then (read more about that here), or fast.
Fast forward to 2021 and Makers now have distribution options. LibDib offers distribution for any wine and spirits brand, any Maker. The LibDib model is quick and Makers can be up and running with distribution in a matter of days (in some states!) Account relationships, product placements and sales dollars can be maintained--with no downtime.
With LibDib’s online platform, distribution does work a little differently. Orders are shipped from the winery/distillery/storage warehouse to the compliant location (varies by state) via a just-in-time model. LibDib works with all quantities, from bottles to truck loads--and all types of buyers (on-prem, off-prem, e-prem, chains, independents, etc). LibDib works on a 14% mark-up across all markets. Pricing is transparent and easy via the LibDib platform (thanks to our easy-to-use technology!) LibDib’s digital tools for Makers make it easy to reconnect with Buyers, ensuring placements are maintained and LibDib has hundreds of buyers visiting the marketplace every day to discover new wine and spirits products.
So, if your wholesaler has recently been acquired, visit www.libdib.com to get started. It’s the fastest, most efficient route to keep your wine and spirits products in the market. LibDib currently operates in CA, FL, IL, NY, CO and WI. Look forward to seeing you there!