Big Thirst and Pour Now have formed a partnership to launch an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered ecommerce platform for the alcohol industry, through which they aim to simplify how beverage brands sell across online and retail channels.
The new platform integrates brand-owned storefronts, marketing tools, retailer listings and analytics into a single system. They designed it to help alcohol brands manage sales, fulfillment and customer data while maintaining compliance with state and federal regulations.
The Big Thirst and Pour Now platform allow consumers to find and purchase products from the nearest store, delivery service or shipping provider through a single online interface. It consolidates separate ecommerce, shipping and retail operations into one path to purchase.
“We’re introducing a better way to help people find and buy beverage alcohol online the way they want,” said Matt McGinnis, CEO of Big Thirst. “By combining multiple fulfillment options with visibility into first-party data, we eliminate the blind spots that hold brands back.”
Big Thirst and Pour Now platform capabilities
The system also gives producers access to performance data such as conversion rates and sales by channel. That information helps brands adjust pricing, marketing, and product placement decisions in real time.
While overall beverage alcohol sales growth has slowed, ecommerce continues to expand. According to IWSR Drinks Market Analysis, global online alcohol sales are projected to reach $40 billion by 2027, up $7.5 billion from 2022.
Big Thirst and Pour Now say their combined platform responds to that shift by linking direct-to-consumer sites with retail and delivery partners, giving brands a single view of their digital and physical sales activity.
“The alcohol category is changing as more consumers expect to buy online,” McGinnis said. “Brands that connect these channels can improve access and efficiency.”
The platform uses Pour Now’s retail aggregation technology to display live offers from thousands of retailers, showing consumers where products are available and how they can be purchased — whether for delivery, in-store pickup, or shipment.
“We’re bringing the wine shop and liquor store to the living room,” said Paul Mabray, CEO of Pour Now. “Our technology aggregates digital offers from retailers to present the best options for each consumer.”
The partnership brings together Big Thirst’s ecommerce and marketing tools with Pour Now’s retail network and data analytics, creating a single system for managing brand visibility, product availability, and customer engagement.
Big Thirst Inc. said it provides ecommerce and marketing services for beverage alcohol brands, including digital storefronts, operations consulting, analytics and fulfillment through licensed retailers. Pour Now said it connects consumers to more than 80 million live offers across 20,000 retailers, helping shoppers compare options by price, availability, and delivery speed.
The companies said they will make their new platform available to beverage brands beginning later this year.
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