Page 27 - Grapevine NovDec 2021

In The Winery

One such expert is
Quinton Jay, a WS industry
expert, Japanese whisky
otaku, and industry con-
sultant with more than
20 years of experience in
owning, building, operating,
and investing in business-
es--specifically those in the
wine and beverage indus-
try. We recently sat down
with Quinton to learn more
about the trends he saw arise within the WS indus-
try throughout the events of last year’s pandemic,
how those trends impacted the WS industry as a
whole, and where he sees the industry heading
over the next few years as a result.
WS Trends Resulting From COVID-19

According to Jay, one of the most widespread
trends that impacted the WS industry as a result of
the pandemic was the increase in the amount of
WS businesses - including WDBs - that began offer-
ing e-commerce and Omnichannel retail marketing.
By offering these channels, businesses across the
entire WS industry were able to continue selling
products directly to consumers (D2C), saving many
businesses from having to shut their doors to cus- Interior Beverages
tomers - both online and offline - for good.
ibev & Food Services
“Methods like Omnichannel retail allowed busi- “Serving BC’s Interior for over 30 Years”
nesses in the industry to continue selling products We are Grassroots agents to some of the most reputa-
D2C,” Jay tells us. “For many businesses, especially ble foodservice companies in the Industry. Our partner-
WDBs, this was the difference between surviving ships include Saxco, Bargreen Ellingson, Coca-Cola, 3M,
the pandemic or not.” Praxair and Sun Plus, to name a few.
From the front of the house to the back of the house,
Along with the growing trend of Omnichannel allow Mark and Simon to follow your lead in supplying
retail marketing, many business owners in the WS you with High Quality equipment and services, keeping
your needs as the main focus of our mission.
industry have experienced what Jay refers to as
“business fatigue.” This feeling of fatigue is one Simon Kelly
that many business owners who experienced the 250-300-9668
pandemic can sympathize with, but for the WS Specializing in Food Service
industry specifically, it could mean more owners of Equipment and Supplies
WDBs, restaurants, eateries, or other businesses
preparing for financial exits from their ventures. Mark Gonczy
250-300-6733
“Business fatigue is a real thing,” Jay tells us, Specializing in Winery and
“and rather than simply close up shop and call it Beverage Supplies,
a day, the better option for business owners is to Industrial Chemicals
sell their company to someone willing to acquire,
rebrand, and revitalize it.” This trend of business www.interiorbeverages.com
fatigue, according to Jay, could hint at other ways

877-892-5332 The Grapevine • November - December 2021 Page 25

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