The retail perspective: 'At Bristol Farms, we live for innovation'
One retailer looking to feature more new and innovative beverage brands in its lineup is Bristol Farms, a leading retailer of gourmet, organic, and natural foods in southern California operating 13 stores under the Bristol Farms banner and two under the Lazy Acres banner.
VP sales Patrick Posey - who served as a judge in the final round of BevNet's 'New Beverage Showdown' competition - said his chain's customers were typically "wealthy, affluent and willing to try just about anything and pay for just about anything".
Now this doesn't mean you can charge double for lousy products, but it does provide some latitude to source premium products and try new things before the competition, said Posey.
"At Bristol Farms we live for innovation, we like to think of ourselves as a brand builder, so we want to sell products that no one else sells."
So where does he get inspiration when it comes to identifying trends and brands that could work well in his stores?
Not at larger rivals, said Posey, who wants to stay ahead of the competition: "We look at boutique-type things, a new juice shop, cupcake outlet or soup bar."
And who watches Bristol Farms? "Everybody watches us, especially Costco," said Posey.