Alcohol ordering between producers and retailers just got easier

Global drinks software, data and marketing company Next Glass has acquired North Carolina-based supply chain business Ekos. db finds out how the union will move the industry forwards.

Two drinks software leaders have united. The deal, which signifies a big step in streamlining ordering, will assist the sector’s headaches when it comes to supply chain issues.

Speaking to the drinks business about the agreement, Next Glass CEO Trace Smith said: “This combination brings together two global leaders in beverage technology with nearly 200 combined years of hands-on craft beverage production experience at breweries, distilleries, and wineries. We will leverage that experience and invest heavily in the product platform to find new and innovative ways to connect producers, retailers, and consumers with software, data, eCommerce tooling, and marketing solutions.”

Steamlining

Ekos is the industry-leading software platform for beer, wine, spirits, and cider producers. It assists in streamlining production, managing inventory and sets out to boost sales efforts. Following the acquisition it will bring its software, data, and B2B ordering platforms to Next Glass, bolstering the business.

Smith told db that, thanks to the deal, the business “will continue to drive simplicity in a supply chain that is notoriously arcane and disjointed due to the regulatory landscape”.

Price freeze

In conjunction with the acquisition, Next Glass has also implemented an immediate two-year price freeze for existing Ekos customers.

Smith explained: “We are fortunate to be in a position to freeze prices for Ekos customers for two years. Amidst persistent inflationary and supply chain pressures over the past several years, we want to be a good partner to the industry by providing pricing certainty and relief. Beyond this, we are making significant investments in Ekos to enhance the product experience for every customer.”

Integrated and connected to Untappd

Following the deal, Next Glass has revealed that it plans to integrate the ordering platforms of both Ollie Order and Ekos Order Hub and connect to Untappd for Business — software which is used by nearly 15,000 by bars, restaurants, breweries, and other alcohol retailers for streamlined drinks and food menu management. The ultimate goal is to “facilitate frictionless B2B alcohol ordering between producers and retailers and to streamline the payment experience within a single ERP platform”.

Ekos vice president of marketing Matt Downing, VP of product at Ekos, said: The Next Glass and Ekos teams have over 180 years of combined experience working in breweries, wineries, and distilleries and we look forward to channeling that hands-on experience towards enabling better B2B ordering, supply chain optimisation, and a seamless payments platform tightly integrated with the leading craft beverage ERP platform. We are excited to combine our experience, resources, and domain expertise to build for the future and to better serve craft beverage producers globally.”

Looking ahead, Smith added: “Combined, we can go further and faster to shape the future of this industry.”

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