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HelloDrinks open up platform to new drinks suppliers in Australia
Having launched in the online liquor space in 2016, Independently owned business HelloDrinks recently announced the rollout of their latest channel to support independent suppliers in the drinks industry.
HelloDrinks is a Sydney-based startup that launched an online marketplace as an addition to their own direct to consumer website for beverage suppliers in Australia. This platform encourages all drink businesses from different lines, such as beer, wine, spirits, and healthy drinks, to enlist their products on their site and manage sales through it. HelloDrinks owner, JP Tucker added, our team are there from the start to assist with the onboarding, and from there the suppliers manage their product listings from a dedicated portal.
What Happens in HelloDrinks
Once the suppliers sign up and onboard their products on the HelloDrinks site, these products will then be approved for listing, and made available to customers across Australia.. Anyone eligible from Australia can order any drinks they want. Once the customer payment is done, they will forward the order to you which can integrate with your own ordering system, or with your 3PL provider. The drinks will then come directly from your warehouse direct to customer, and you will have full control of your inventory, ensuring it is always in stock on our platfrom.
Tucker explained what HelloDrinks are trying to achieve, it is simple really, suppliers are telling us of high wholesale markups, high transport costs, challenges with consignment models, so we want to solve these problems, and help drive more margin into your business, whilst ensuring your products are reaching more customers in the online space.
This even goes towards helping the environment as the need for sending trucks to our warehouse or to the Wholesalers can be reduced in time, so we are having a positive impact on the generations to come, it also reduces storage/handling costs at our own site(s).
HelloDrinks will take care of the customer service until the delivery is a success. Once the items are shipped, the tracking information will be uploaded on the portal, and the customer will automatically receive an update. The online marketplace will manage all questions and other concerns about the shipment and will also insure all orders against fraudulent activty.
The technology we are using really delivers on service for us, and is easy to use for our suppliers, giving them as much control of their brands as they need, and we are not finished yet, with more roll outs in the pipeline.
Suppliers across Australia don’t need to worry if they have their own website or not, as we are here to offer an alternative channel by bringing more sales of their brands and putting them in more hands. Tucker added, from my earlier days working as a rep, it was always about growing distribution, and in the online space it is no different, why only be ranged on one website when you can be on 10, even better, you only need to deal with one person, who manages all these sites for you, the cost saving in that alone is worth giving it a try, with no contacts in play, you can drop out if you wish. We don’t charge any ongoing fees, so there is no risk to list your products, you only pay when we make a sale, and you don’t need to send the products to our Warehouse for the process to happen, as it only eats into your bottom line.
The Benefits to Liquor Suppliers
Since its launch, the platform has helped liquor businesses reach a wider audience through the online marketplace without adding up to their wholesale and transport costs. The initiative also has reduced the out-of-stock incidents that usually happen in local stores, or with consignment models that some online business operate on, so no more writing off stock that is sitting in someone elses warehouse, no more sending trucks to suppliers and having to wait for them to run all products down so they can avail of your deals again.
With HelloDrinks, liquor suppliers do not need to be present online at all times. The online marketplace will take charge of all the leg works from ranging, marketing, and sending orders to their respective businesses. At the same time, HelloDrinks is also actively recommending couriers to help with the supplier’s order delivery. With this, suppliers can focus their time and effort into creating plans on how to relaunch their business.
Unlike other listings, liquor businesses do not need to wait for available range windows before their products are enlisted in this platform. In a couple of days, their products will be live on the site, making it a perfect avenue for clearing discontinued products, seasonal releases, and limited items.
In three months, a 300 per cent increase in sales has been observed, with a notable spike that reached up to 600 per cent. The operations, alongside the range of products, then start to expand to cope with the demand.
Moreover, HelloDrinks believe that brand exposure through the website can influence the customer’s purchasing decision once local bars and stores resume their operations.
HelloDrinks: Today and Moving Forward
While it is still on the first stage of its launch, HelloDrinks looks forward to rolling out more exciting features for both its customers and suppliers.
As of now, the startup offers buy now pay later alcohol that allows the customer to pay their orders across ten weeks without any interest.
Conclusion
The online community makes transport of goods possible, especially at times of a pandemic. However, starting a website can be costly and demanding. With an existing platform, like HelloDrinks, offering a service that backs up the product sales and shipping, drink suppliers have an advantageous alternative for staying in business amid the current restrictions. The more websites you are listed on, the stronger your brand will be in search results.
Make HelloDrinks your one-stop-shop for Alcohol Delivery across Australia! Whether you are a liquor supplier looking for an online outlet for your products or a simple drink lover, we’re here for you.
We would like to invite suppliers to schedule a call to discuss the opportunity further, so we get this partnership growing. Schedule a Call here
