New data and insights are connecting alcohol suppliers, wholesalers and retailers to better meet the demands of today’s end consumer.
October 18, 2022 – Technology’s rapid advancement has affected how all industries do business, and the wholesale alcohol sector is no exception. As the industry looks to stay on top of rapidly shifting trends or get ahead of the latest advancement, Breakthru Beverage Group continues to identify opportunities to use digital advancements to support sales organizations, personalize the customer experience and better connect the industry ecosystem—transforming the wholesale tier without losing the relationship-building practices the industry was built on.
“When my great-grandfather got into the wholesale business in 1945, a salesman traveled to bars, taverns and stores in their local city and wheeled and dealed on prices, point-of-sale and other customer needs,” said Danny Wirtz, Vice-Chairman of Breakthru Beverage Group. “The wholesaler has evolved a lot since then, with cell phones and iPads, eCommerce platforms and digital-driven commercial tools to help us deliver the right brands to the right accounts in order to efficiently reach the end consumer at the right time. And though technology doesn’t replace relationships, it enables us to work differently and empower relationships in new ways.”
Like the supply chain of the future, the sales organization of the future is equipped with the tools, data and insights to serve today’s consumer with precision. They are a highly knowledgeable, multicultural, cross-functional team that is more insightful, specialized, channel-focused and nimble than ever before.
Breakthru’s single enterprise-wide SAP system empowers its sales organization with proprietary automation and commercial excellence tools—like dashboards with live inventory information, pricing and reporting data. These tools are digital assistants for sales consultants and equip them to work with a team that includes marketers, mixologists, data analysts and other experts.
But the company is still pushing for more. Breakthru is targeting administration and account management efficiencies to build the sales organization of the future.
“A sales consultant may spend up to three hours a day collecting checks, punching orders and servicing our customers’ logistical needs instead of being a consultative partner,” said Mike Boswell, VP Digital and eCommerce. “Customers expect our B2B platforms to be more like a B2C experience. And we are doing just that.”
Breakthru is seeing the customer experience change through their proprietary eCommerce platform, BREAKTHRU NOW. Now live in nine markets, BREAKTHRU NOW enables customers to manage their business 24/7 in a full self-service model. And they are doing just that and more:
- 25% of all eCommerce orders come in after hours or on weekend when sales teams have gone home.
- Instead of calling or texting their sales consultants, customers are engaging with their order history, paying invoices and tracking their deliveries online.
- Breakthru customers are spending more than 50,000 hours exploring products on their own making them more knowledgeable and engaged with Breakthru’s portfolio.
This kind of specialized, digital solutions are now the bedrock of relationships within the alcohol business, replacing the handshake agreement of old. Though no one will never beat the value of an in-person meeting and a sales associate with a smile, successful relationships today are based on using technology and insights to help partners grow their businesses. The wholesale tier is in a unique position to use these valuable data and insights to drive prosperous partnerships and bring all three tiers together.
B2B eCommerce is already the beverage alcohol industry’s digital sales assistant, and its effectiveness will only grow as these platforms move from one-size-fits-all to highly customized experiences tailored to individual customers. For companies to stay on top of consumer trends and continue to meet and exceed their own goals, it is critical that all three tiers leverage technology to strengthen and empower sales organizations, tailor services to the end consumer and become more connected than ever before.
“We are grateful to have access to the information and technology that we do today, but we have to use it smartly to maximize the benefit to partners, as well as our own,” said Wirtz. “Breakthru is doing some really exciting things to make our data and insights actionable for all our partners, and we look forward to collaborating across the industry to raise the bar on service and customer experience.”
About Breakthru Beverage Group
Breakthru Beverage Group is one of the leading alcohol wholesalers in the United States and the largest broker in Canada representing a full total beverage alcohol portfolio of spirits, wine and beer. Breakthru is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion and supports a wide range of notable organizations as well as local charitable initiatives across its North American footprint. Across all markets, Breakthru aligns a nimble and insightful approach to sales, marketing and operations. Family ownership is active in the business and committed to being stewards of heritage and champions of innovation. For more information, visit www.BreakthruBev.com.
