There's a bottle sitting in a lot of convenience stores right now that isn't working nearly as hard as it should. It's usually somewhere near the whisky, occasionally near the cognac, and it's almost certainly not getting the attention it deserves. Brandy. The category that everyone recognises and almost nobody is actively selling.
That's a missed opportunity, and here's why it matters to you.
Brandy is one of the most versatile dark spirits on the market. It replaces whisky in an Old Fashioned. It works beautifully over ice. It sits perfectly in a simple long serve with ginger ale or lemonade. The drinking occasions are already there in your store. You're just not always connecting the dots.
Start with Spanish brandy. If there's one thing I'd ask independent retailers to reconsider, it's the assumption that brandy is a premium or niche purchase. Spanish expressions offer genuinely exceptional quality at price points that make complete sense for everyday retail. They're smooth, approachable, and they sell themselves once a shopper actually tries them. The conversation doesn't need to be complicated.
RTD formats have already done something that decades of traditional marketing couldn't: they've introduced brandy to younger shoppers who would never have reached for a bottle. For convenience retailers, that's directly relevant. These are exactly the spontaneous, last-minute shoppers who walk through your door.
The cross-sell opportunity is also real. A customer picking up a bottle of dark rum or aged whisky is already in the mindset for a considered, flavourful drink. Brandy is a natural conversation from there, particularly if you can point them toward something specific. That's the kind of confident recommendation that turns a single purchase into a bigger basket.
Brandy doesn't need a hard sell. It needs visibility, a clear occasion, and a retailer who's willing to give it a proper facing. The quality is already there. The price points work. And as cognac continues to build cultural relevance with younger drinkers, the timing is good.
The category is ready. The question is whether your shelf is.
Nick Gillett Photo: Handout