The route from distillery to retailer is rarely as simple as producing a great spirit and finding someone willing to stock it. For brands targeting a major online retailer, the buying decision extends beyond the liquid to encompass consumer fit, packaging, digital presentation, marketing support and the ability to generate sustained demand.

That distinction is particularly important in online retail. Customers cannot pick up a bottle, examine its label or ask a member of staff for a recommendation. The retailer's digital platform has to do much of that work instead.

As Spirits Buying Manager at Ocado Retail and a judge at the London Spirits Competition, Francesca Parker-Partridge sits on both sides of that equation. She evaluates spirits through a commercial retail lens while also assessing products for quality, value, and packaging relative to the competition.

In this interview, she explains what catches a buyer's attention, where producers often get their pitches wrong, and what brands should have in place before approaching a major online retailer.

Image: Francesca Parker-Partridge

Ocado is one of the UK's largest online grocery retailers, where customers shop very differently from in-store retail. How does buying spirits for an online shelf differ from buying for a traditional supermarket?

 Without a physical bottle for customers to hold or touch, it is key that we use our platform to tell customers as much as we can about the product - we can get really creative and include recipe inspiration and lifestyle images.

Hundreds of brands would love to secure a listing with a retailer like Ocado. When a producer first approaches you, what immediately grabs your attention, and what are the most common mistakes you see in supplier pitches?

 A pitch immediately catches my attention when a brand clearly understands Ocado's target customer and doesn't mistake us for 'another Amazon'. I would say the most common mistake is focusing entirely on the liquid without demonstrating a clear commercial strategy or marketing plan.  

Many producers spend months perfecting their liquid before thinking about retail. At what stage should they start considering the retailer, and what should they be building into the brand from day one? 

Suppliers should start considering the retailer at the very beginning of product development, ensuring they build in the relevant accreditation and authentic, unique branding.

A great spirit isn't always a great retail product. Beyond liquid quality, what convinces you that a brand has genuine long-term commercial potential?  

Consistent consumer demand and a robust trade plan.

Online retail gives buyers access to customer behaviour that's difficult to observe in physical stores. What's one insight you've learned from online shopping data that most spirits producers would find surprising? 

Customers are more likely to add to their basket if you pair a great promotion with strong visibility during events, proving that digital discoverability is key.

Innovation is everywhere in spirits, but not every new launch deserves shelf space. What separates genuine innovation from products that simply follow the latest trend? 

Genuine innovation solves a real consumer need state, brings a genuinely novel element  to the category, and demonstrates sustainable repeat sales, whereas trend-chasing products rely purely on short-term novelty and quick social media buzz

As a judge at the London Spirits Competition, you're assessing products for quality, value and packaging through the eyes of today's consumer. How closely does that mirror the way you evaluate products for Ocado?  

Evaluating products for Ocado mirrors the London Spirits Competition criteria almost exactly, as both require looking past pure quality to ensure the packaging pops visually on screen.

Image: London Spirits Competition.

If you could give every spirits producer just one piece of advice before they pitch a major retailer, what would it be? 

Do your homework. Have a good understanding of the retailer you are pitching to, and have a clear and concise 12-month marketing plan. Along with examples of the highly engaged customers you will bring to the retailer. 

Finally, away from work, if you could spend a day visiting any distillery in the world purely out of curiosity, which would it be and why?

I would love to visit Rassay Distillery to see its innovative six-cask whisky production, panoramic views of Skye's Cuillin mountains, and to stay in its luxury accommodation directly inside a working Hebridean distillery!

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Conclusion

For spirits producers, Francesca Parker-Partridge's advice points to a fundamental shift in how brands should approach online retail. A strong liquid may get a buyer's attention, but securing and sustaining a listing requires a much broader proposition: a clear understanding of the retailer's customer, distinctive branding, digital visibility, a credible marketing plan and evidence that consumers will continue to buy.

Her perspective also highlights why online retail should be considered during product development rather than treated as the final destination for a finished bottle. When a product has been designed with its target consumer, digital presentation and commercial strategy in mind from the beginning, the retailer has far more to work with.

For producers hoping to enter a major online retailer, the message is straightforward: don't pitch the bottle. Pitch the consumer, the proposition and the plan for creating sustained demand.

And for the London Spirits Competition, that's an especially relevant perspective. A spirit that succeeds commercially has to do more than taste good. It has to communicate, attract attention, and give consumers a reason to put it in their basket.

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