Brand names changed for the purpose of this blog, but the problem remains! Summit Creek Distillery, a smaller outfit crafting some nice botanical gins out in Colorado, just scored a massive win. They landed a deal to get three of their main gin SKUs into 166 stores across some key regions! This was a huge leap from the 400 or so smaller liquor stores and bars their tiny two-person sales crew (one near home, one in Texas) was already juggling.
But, big opportunities often come with big headaches.Getting into the leading chain spirits retailer meant dealing with a giant distributor. While they're essential, getting consistent attention and orders through such a huge system often takes a lot of pushing from the brand's side. The retailer itself is particular about what's on their shelves and how it looks, and they gave Summit Creek a clear target: sell an average of 2 bottles per store, per week, across all 166 locations within nine months. Miss that goal? Say goodbye to that prime shelf space next year.
Summit Creek was feeling the heat. There was the upfront cost of supporting a half-case of gin to each store for the initial fill. Their small sales team was already running ragged just keeping up with their current accounts and trying to find new ones. And the biggest problem? They didn't have anyone living in or regularly visiting the areas where these 166 stores were. Hiring a full-time person just for this launch wasn't something they could swing financially without knowing it would stick. So, how were they going to make sure their gin was actually on the shelf, looking good, and selling fast in 166 stores they couldn't personally check on?
The Game Plan:
Summit Creek knew they couldn't just hope for the best. They needed a way to see what was happening in those stores and fix problems without being there themselves. Their secret weapon? Eileen.
Here’s how they tackled it:
1. Eyes on the Shelf (Eileen Insights): To get around not having boots on the ground, Summit Creek used Eileen to request quick check-ins at their retailer's locations. Local people using the Eileen Shopper app would pop into the stores, snap photos, and confirm if the gin was on the shelf, in the right spot in the spirits section, priced correctly, and if there seemed to be enough stock. This gave Summit Creek a clear, fast look at the reality on the shelf in every single store.
2. Fixing Issues Fast (Eileen Activate): When the photos from Eileen showed something wasn't right –like low stock, bottles in the wrong place, or missing price tags – SummitCreek could use the platform to send a note with specific needs, imagery, and issues to the distributor rep overseeing the trouble store. right back to that specific store. Out of stock issues were mitigated rapidly, shelf placement and price tags were perfect across all locations, and the Summit Creek employee never had to waste time or effort physically checking stores for fundamental compliance.
3. Smart Selling (Eileen Analyze & Grow): Summit Creek combined their sales data from the retailer and their distributor with the shelf photos and real time point of truth data fromEileen. The platform helped them spot which stores weren't selling as much and see if there was a shelf problem causing the issue. This meant their busy remote sales team knew exactly which store managers or distributor reps to contact, armed with specific issues and photo proof from Eileen, making their follow-ups way more effective.
The Outcome:
Using Eileen to get real-time info and handle quick fixes on the ground was a game-changer for Summit Creek Distillery. They could constantly monitor and improve how their gin looked and was stocked in all 166 stores, even from hundreds of miles away.
The result? Within that crucial nine-month window, Summit Creek didn't just meet the 2 bottles per store, per week goal; they actually beat it!Their strong sales performance, backed up by the execution data from Eileen, was exactly what this retailer needed to see during the category review. Summit Creek secured their spot on the shelves for the long run. By using Eileen, this craft distillery proved they could successfully launch and grow their brand in a major retailer efficiently, showing that smart tech can be just as powerful as a huge field team for driving retail success.
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