Tom Khan-Lavin, CEO of YesMore drinks agency, sums up what‘s hot and not for the coming year
Let’s be honest, the world feels a bit fractured right now. Whether it’s political division, the noise of social media echo chambers, or the creeping feeling that AI is about to take our jobs, consumers will be increasingly looking for something real and human. For drinks retailers and brands, this isn’t just a marketing theory. It’s an urgent commercial imperative. When people feel disconnected, the products that actively bridge divides and unify communities become indispensable. Our job is to stop thinking only about sales in isolation and start thinking about the connection currency we’re building.
What’s hot
Retail as a hub
The ‘hot’ independent retailer is no longer just a place to buy a bottle, it’s the nerve centre of the local drinks community. It hosts, educates and facilitates human interaction. This is about beating Amazon by doing the one thing it can’t – offering a genuine, face-to-face experience. This means turning the back corner of your shop into a community tasting table for local gin makers, hosting a Beer & Books club, or creating hyper-local events. The goal isn’t profit on the day, it’s creating a tribe. Consumers who feel they belong to your shop’s community will not only spend more, they’ll defend you from competitors.
Values led advocacy
This is about choosing your crew and sticking to it. Stocking brands that are transparent about their values – sourcing, sustainability or social causes – is crucial. When a brand stands for something tangible and positive, it gives the retailer a simple, non-sales-focused talking point that unifies the customer base. The savvy retailer champions a local B Corp-certified brewery or a spirit brand that promotes diversity. It allows you to say to customers: “Buy this and you’re funding a good thing, not just a big corporation.” That emotional return justifies the premium price point and creates the kind of loyalty no discount can buy.
What’s not
Empty investment in marketing
The big ‘not’ is the blind pursuit of reach over relevance. This failure extends far beyond paying huge sums to macro-influencers for generic content, it includes how brands and retailers treat the press and local trade. Journalists are sick to death of being Bcc-d on mass product announcements and local suppliers are tired of cold, impersonal buying emails. These spray-and-pray tactics are lazy, disrespectful and achieve nothing but noise. Instead, invest that time in cultivating micro-advocates (loyal customers, passionate writers or local trade partners) who will talk about your product because they genuinely love what you do.
The AI generated facade
AI is a brilliant tool for efficiency (forecasting stock, drafting email subject lines), but it’s a terrifying ‘not’ when used to fake human connection. A drinks recommendation written by a bot without any human tasting notes, or a customer service reply that sounds like a spreadsheet, breaks the fragile chain of trust.
Consumers are smart and they can spot the difference between genuine, passionate advice from a retailer who knows their stuff, and a response churned out by a large language model. I’m certainly not saying businesses should avoid AI – it’s the opposite, in fact – but know when to have a human in the loop and keep human connection front of mind. AI can do the donkey work in the background, but the final, front-of-house touch must always be human, witty and real. If it’s about discovery, expertise and enjoyment, it needs a pulse.
