Blog

Can I Ship Beer Directly to Consumers? An Overview of DtC Shipping for Breweries

So, you’re thinking about direct-to-consumer (DtC) beer shipping. But first, what exactly do we mean when we talk about DtC beer shipping? Well, traditionally, alcohol is sold by a supplier to distributors who then sell it to retailers who then sell it to consumers. But with DtC or direct beer shipping, consumers place an order […]

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Sovos ShipCompliant Data Shows Record High Transactions on Black Friday and Cyber Monday

This year, Black Friday and Cyber Monday experienced the highest transaction and sales rates in their history. Black Friday saw an approximate 22% increase in sales, reaching $9 billion and Cyber Monday hit $10.8 billion in sales, up nearly 15% from last year, setting the record for the largest U.S. online shopping day ever. As […]

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Illinois’ New Economic Nexus Sales Tax Rules to Affect Direct Wine Shippers

Starting January 1, 2021, many direct-to-consumer (DtC) wine shippers will face an added sales tax burden on their shipments to Illinois. The Illinois Department of Revenue (DOR) published FY 2021-06, which explains the upcoming change. Under the recent “Leveling the Playing Field for Illinois Retail Act,” the state will require all remote sellers with economic […]

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The Data: Wine DtC Shipments and Off-Premise Retail (October 2020 Special Report)

The wine market is in greater flux than ever as producers, retailers and consumers navigate the impacts of a global pandemic. Keeping a pulse on marketplace data has never been so important given these shifting dynamics. Nielsen is collaborating with Wines Vines Analytics and Sovos ShipCompliant to provide a much more comprehensive view of the […]

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West Virginia Local Option Reform Expands DtC Shipping Availability

A recent law change in West Virginia means that licensed direct-to-consumer (DtC) wine shippers are now able to reach more of the state’s residents. In July, HB 4524 came into effect in West Virginia. Among the many state beverage alcohol provisions affected by this bill was the state’s “local option” rules. These rules allow local […]

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How to Get a Handle on State Reporting

Expanding into new states can be great for your business’ growth, but it comes with added intricacy. Because each state has the authority to regulate the production, sale, and distribution of alcohol within its borders, state reporting can get complicated for alcohol producers and retailers.  Just how complicated can it get? When states determine what […]

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5 Myths Surrounding Retailer Direct-to-Consumer Wine Shipping

By Tom Wark, Executive Director, National Association of Wine Retailers No one who pays attention to the ongoing political and legal battles over direct-to-consumer (DtC) wine shipping will doubt that this is a contentious area of the law. Claims concerning retailer wine shipping emerge from every corner of the regulatory landscape including the wholesale tier, […]

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The Data: Wine DtC Shipments and Off-Premise Retail (September 2020 Special Report)

The wine market is in greater flux than ever as producers, retailers and consumers navigate the impacts of a global pandemic. Keeping a pulse on marketplace data has never been so important given these shifting dynamics. Nielsen is collaborating with Wines Vines Analytics and Sovos ShipCompliant to provide a much more comprehensive view of the […]

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4 Questions with Commerce7’s Zach Kamphuis About What’s Working in DtC Wine

Commerce7 General Manager Zach Kamphuis has been tracking performance of the direct-to-consumer wine channel during COVID-19. The data shows some unexpected findings about what changes are underway and accelerating during this upheaval. We asked Zach to share some insights into the DtC channel that Commerce7 is keeping an eye on. Methodology notes: Commerce7 has collected […]

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Spirit New Product Registrations Increased 58% From 2019

Consumer buying patterns have drastically changed this year, affecting the beverage alcohol industry in many ways. The pandemic has shifted what consumers are buying, where, and how often. To see how these changes have affected alcohol producers, Sovos ShipCompliant has examined data from our Product Registration Online (PRO) tool to see just how much consumers’ […]

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Ask Alex: Your Bev Alc Compliance Questions Answered (September 2020)

Do you have questions about the rules, regulations, and compliance requirements of the beverage alcohol industry? This series, Ask Alex, is a perfect opportunity to get those pressing questions answered straight from one of the industry’s regulation and market experts, Alex Koral, Senior Regulation Counsel, Sovos ShipCompliant.  To take advantage of this opportunity and get […]

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The Data: Wine DtC Shipments and Off-Premise Retail (August 2020 Special Report)

The wine market is in greater flux than ever as producers, retailers and consumers navigate the impacts of a global pandemic. Keeping a pulse on marketplace data has never been so important given these shifting dynamics. Nielsen is collaborating with Wines Vines Analytics and Sovos ShipCompliant to provide a much more comprehensive view of the […]

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Streamlined Sales Tax (SST) for DtC Alcohol Shippers: Your Questions Answered

In a recent blog post penned by Alex Koral, Sovos announced that the Streamlined Sales Tax™ (SST) Governing Board authorized a new contract with SST Certified Service Providers™ (including Sovos ShipCompliant) that has the potential to make sales tax compliance more manageable and affordable for qualifying direct-to-consumer (DtC) shippers. Since the blog was published, questions […]

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How Wineries Increase Brand Awareness with Social Media

Love it or loathe it, social media can be an essential component of any business’ marketing strategy. Both organic and paid social media can be used to increase brand awareness and expand your customer base; in fact 52% of all online brand discovery still happens in public social feeds. This tool can be especially useful […]

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DtC Shippers to Get Sales Tax Support Under Latest SST Contract

Under the latest Streamlined Sales Tax™ Agreement, direct-to-consumer shippers of alcoholic beverages can soon get increased support, including compensation and audit protections, for using approved sales tax technology services like Sovos ShipCompliant.  This should prove to be extremely welcome news for the DtC shipping market as managing sales tax obligations is consistently one of the […]

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DtC Shipping for Beer & Spirits: How to Develop and Grow a New Market

Direct-to-consumer (DtC) is a phrase that can encompass many things: tasting room sales, retailers sales, sampling and festival sales. But, DtC shipping is the shipping of alcohol directly to the purchaser through delivery by a third-party carrier (e.g., UPS or FedEx). In DtC shipping the customer gets the product indirectly, but the sale is made […]

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10 Steps to Expand Your Winery

Looking to enter a new market or bring new wines to the marketplace? Growing any business can be complicated, and the beverage alcohol industry is no exception. Not knowing how or where to begin can be the biggest hurdle. From market research and branding to strategic considerations and compliance, this 10-step guide will get you […]

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Ask Alex: Your Bev Alc Compliance Questions Answered (August 2020)

Do you have questions about the rules, regulations, and compliance requirements of the beverage alcohol industry? This series, Ask Alex, is a perfect opportunity to get those pressing questions answered straight from one of the industry’s regulation and market experts, Alex Koral, Senior Regulation Counsel, Sovos ShipCompliant.  To take advantage of this opportunity and get […]

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