E-Commerce and the Alcohol Industry

With tasting rooms and packed patios being replaced by virtual happy hours, the alcohol industry is adapting significantly to maximize their presence in the e-commerce space. Continuing with our series on e-commerce, today's post covers what you need to know when competing in the alcohol industry.

An obvious place to start is with the label. Regardless of whether an alcohol purchase is made online or in-store, when customers look for a new brand or product to try, their eyes are drawn to the label first. It's imperative to create a label that stands out, whether that's through texture, colour, shape, overall design, or extra finishes like embossing or foil stamping.

Another element to consider is that alcohol products are great candidates for interactive packaging, which can be done in many ways. Whether that's through a wine label that customers can physically draw on or a QR code that offers extra information about the product, customers want to know the origin of their product, the ingredients, food pairings, and many more pieces of information that strengthens the connection to the product. Pushing a step further with interactivity and convenience, some brands have even paired with voice-activated at-home assistants, such as Amazon Echo and Google Home, to create a cocktail-making voice-activated skill which takes the customer experience to the next level.

Last but not least, onto subscription services. Direct-to-consumer alcohol subscription services have consistently risen in popularity over the last few years and offer a familiar model for consumers to purchase alcohol while emulating the way we buy standard products from toothbrushes to suitcases through e-commerce. Paired with online liquor stores and the somewhat recent ability to purchase alcohol with your food order on delivery applications such as Uber Eats or Door Dash, these subscriptions are gearing up customers to make it second nature to buy alcohol online. More than ever, it's essential to offer convenience and visual appeal, in addition to quality, with your alcohol product.

This blog post barely scratches the surface of the potential of e-commerce for brands in the alcohol industry. Despite some expedited developments due to the current pandemic, the popularity and prominence of alcohol products in the e-commerce industry is here to stay. 

If you're interested in finding out more of how to optimize your product's packaging for the e-commerce space, reach out to us through our online contact form or request a quote online today.