by KYLE SWARTZ
mong many trends in the alcohol industry supercharged by the Covid−19 pandemic was direct-to-consumer ( DTC ) shipping .
Sheltering in place during the health crisis , consumers learned at a rapid rate that they could order alcohol online and have it sent to their door . What was a growing DTC movement before 2020 burst into an enormous number of orders zinging across the country , arriving at home addresses .
This occurs both legally and illegally . In part 1 of our alcohol DTC series , we looked into the latter . Illegal shipping takes many forms : wineries mailing more than their legally allotted amount into states that limit these orders , retailers shipping rare whiskeys and even entire single barrels to wherever paying customers may live , overseas websites illegally importing bottles by switching labels in transit , and bad actors who operate shipping warehouses out of unmarked , unregulated locations .
Now , in part 2 , we explore alcohol shipped to consumers compliantly within the constraints of state and federal laws . These are the faces of the fast-expanding DTC industry , which shows no signs of slowing down as consumers today expect online shopping with convenient delivery .
MODERN TECH ENABLES DTC
Launched in 2013 , ReserveBar has grown into the primary ecommerce platform for premium spirits and buying products
8 Beverage Dynamics • November 2023 www . beveragedynamics . com