UK – US multinational drink and brewing company Molson Coors Beverage Company has launched Revl, a direct-to-consumer eCommerce store for customers in the UK in an effort to “broaden its routes-to-market”.

According to Molson Coors, the Revl platform will offer the full range of Molson Coors beverage brands including Coors, Carling, Staropramen and more.

Revl will also feature other beers, wines, spirits, soft drinks and snacks from selected third-party brand partners.

Molson which created the online store with an intention of creating ‘strong connections with consumers’, plans to feature exclusive access to new products and curated bundles in future.

These curated bundles could include items such as glassware; a virtual beer tasting or recommendations on ideal food pairings; or themed accompaniments like a set of portable speakers, depending on occasions or customer preferences.

Director of digital at Molson Coors Beverage Company Mr. Jack Daniel said: “What we’ve created with Revl is a differentiated drinks proposition that offers a great choice of drinks that’s easy to navigate and shop.

“We wanted a brand that stands out and helps to make an at-home occasion a bit special. We think we’ve done just that, offering carefully curated bundles with added extras that add interest or a point of difference.”

The launch of a direct-to-consumer platform follows similar moves by other food and beverage giants including PepsiCo, Nestlé and Kraft Heinz, all of whom have sought to find new routes to market and consumers in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

The new trend is stemming from the spike in at-home consumption of beverages due to the restrictions on movements and social interactions imposed globally to check the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In their third quarter results, Food and Beverage companies such as Nestlé, AB-InBev, and Molson Coors highlighted this shifting consumer demand noting that it partly contributed to their recovering sales which had been badly hurt during the first half of the year.

The move towards e-commerce which has also seen sales spike during the pandemic is thus a natural step for most food and beverages companies.

 “It provides us with a platform to trial innovation and understand shopper tastes and preferences in greater depth, which is insight we can learn from to create better solutions on Revl and for our customers moving forward,” Jack Daniel added.

Molson Coors claims that the launch of the Revl platform also forms part of its broader strategy to move beyond its conventional beer offering.

This move was a key part of the company’s business strategy which saw it rebrand as Molson Coors Beverage Company earlier this year, and has seen the firm place greater focus on on-trend products such as hard seltzers.

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