Every emerging alcohol brand wants to scale faster and grow its distribution. But, the current state of commerce makes it absurdly difficult for spirits brands to sell online. The regulatory landscape, three-tier compliance requirements, and technical complexity create barriers that simply do not exist in other consumer categories.
Phase I: Prioritize Three-Tier Compliance
The first thing to evaluate in any e-commerce solution is its compliance infrastructure. Does the platform work within the three-tier system? Does it have relationships with licensed retailers? Can it handle state-by-state shipping regulations? If the answer to any of these is no, move on. Non-compliant solutions put your production license at risk.
Phase II: Prioritize Owning Your Customer Relationships
Once compliance is covered, the next priority is customer ownership. The platform you choose should allow you to build direct relationships with your customers. This means you own the customer data, you control the brand experience, and you can retarget and engage customers through your own marketing channels.
Key Questions to Ask
When evaluating e-commerce solutions, ask: What is your compliance infrastructure? Who owns the customer data? How does checkout work? What are the total fees? How is fulfillment handled? What marketing integrations are available? The answers will quickly separate serious platforms from the pretenders.