The Client

Bulmers is the clear market leader in both the take home and on trade cider markets, with Strongbow firmly established within the top 10 highest selling long alcoholic drinks.

The portfolio also included Woodpecker, Scrumpy Jack, White Lightning, a thriving premium packaged beer distribution business and some exciting and innovative new products including Sidekick, a flavoured 'shots' style drink.

In April 2000 Bulmers acquired The Beer Seller, a drinks wholesaler. This significantly enhanced their UK business by providing direct access to the on trade.

The Need

As part of a review to improve their routes to market, Bulmers identified an opportunity to build the Beerseller business by aggregating products and services offered by a number of key suppliers. The vehicle for delivery of this new concept was the internet.

The Solution

In May 2000, Bulmers launched a portal for independent free-trade licensees called PubServe. This consisted of two fundamental portals, MyFavouritePub for Consumers and PubServe for Licensees.

The licensees could build and promote their businesses by marketing their business on the internet on MyFavouritePub.com. They could also obtain practical operational help and advice, save time and money my purchasing all their needs in a one stop shop – Pubserve.com - providing Convenience & Choice.

Wholesalers could sell their product more cost effectively, and primary suppliers like Guiness could
build a closer relationship with their customers and market and promote their brands.

Other companies were considering such ideas, but QEB ensured that PubServe.Com was the first to market. Pubserve was launched in May 2000, as a free service and soon attracted a loyal following.

Outlets building their own pub web site on MyFavouritePub.Com were soon confirming up-to 20% increases in some of their trade. Licensees were logging on to PubServe and placing orders with the BeerSeller 24/7.

Brake Bros, King UK soon signed up as a joint venture, quickly followed by William Reed (The Morning Advertiser) who were to provide some of the knowledge services. Primary suppliers like Interbrew and Guinness then signed on to promote their businesses and products on the portal.

Features

The features included:

• Dynamic Web sites for Publicans
• Multi-supplier trading engine
• On-line order tracking from placement to payment
• On-line access to sales history
• Biztalk enabled data integration between partners - exchanging product portfolios, orders, delivery confirmations etc

The Benefits

The final aggregation of services was realised when Bulmers and Coors Brewery merged their operations to ensure survival in an ever more competitive market. Other pretenders like GreyArcher came and went, but the combined offering of PubServe and Barbox has stood the test of time.
Bulmers now have a generous share of a successful and profitable online business.