Own the terrace.
Serve it like a spritz.
Launch and positioning plan for the 2027 terrace season, to develop with the sales team and test with customers.
What you asked, and what I assume
Who would buy this bottle, which alternatives they consider, what they would pay and where we would sell it.
How I involve the reps, agree targets and help them reach those targets.
The actions to secure opening orders and support sales to consumers.
- €7.02 is the PS price to the trade, excl. VAT. PS purchase cost and net contribution: unknown to me.
- 75 cl. Sheet says 5.5% vol; the brand site and a Belgian webshop say 8.5%. One question for you today.
- One SKU, no exclusivity assumed. Supplier co-funding is a negotiation.
- Team as advertised: 1 Senior KAM, 4 reps, 2 in Digital & Communication.
- September now; the real season is April–September 2027. Autumn validates and sells in.
I start with the people who know this market
One working session with Sales, Digital and the product expert. Which accounts fit, what killed previous launches, what the first objection will be, what each rep needs, and what gets less time.
Joint visits to a dozen customers the reps choose. Show the bottle without a price, taste, then reveal the price. Do they list it, at what terms, how would they sell it?
I decide on positioning, target accounts, responsibilities and the spending cap, then explain the choices to the team.
An aperitif for the terrace
Red-wine base, natural citrus, light sparkle. Ready to serve, well chilled. Sparkling-wine bottle: cork, foil, 75 cl to share.
Sangria, and above all the spritz: the drink they order on a terrace when they do not want a full glass of wine.
| Reference | Consumer | What it tells us |
|---|---|---|
| Sandevid 75 cl, 4% | €7.00 | Spanish grocery shelf, mixer-style bottle |
| Sabroso y Sol 75 cl | €13.00 | Already listed by a Belgian webshop |
| Aperol + prosecco | two bottles | A comparable occasion with a familiar serving method |
| Belgian cans 33 cl | €3.50–3.90 | Single serve, a different moment |
Public listings observed September 2026; prices change. The €7 listing is for a different product and retail setting. The €13 listing shows the price point already exists in Belgium. Our job is to give the trade a reason to choose this bottle at that price.
A Spanish wine aperitif for the terrace. Serve it like a spritz.
Specialist shops and cavistes; cafés and terraces reached through our wholesaler customers.
Terrace afternoons, apéro at home, tapas, Sunday lunch. April to September.
Ready to serve. Sparkling-wine presentation. A sharing format. Lighter than a glass of red, if 5.5% is confirmed, that becomes a headline.
Compare it with spritz and prosecco served on terraces. The €7 Spanish grocery bottle serves a different market.
Margin per bottle by sales channel
€7.02 in, €12.99 on the shelf (€10.74 net)
buys at €7.02, sells at €8.26, assumption to confirm
€1.65 liquid cost per glass, pour cost ~31%
Illustrations at 21% VAT, 15 cl pour, 75 cl bottle. PS purchase cost, duties and customer conditions not included; retailers set their own prices.
One season, four phases, three decision gates
Team session, customer test, supplier deal, kit and Terraza Club built. Autumn pilot in ~20 accounts around indoor tapas and apéro evenings.
Wholesalers and shops decide their summer range now. Presell with kits and the offer. Horecatel, 14–17 March, with the supplier.
Terrace season: tasting weekends, staff certified, Terraza Club live, reorders tracked weekly. Reps on the road, I join the key visits.
Active outlets, reorder rate, contribution. Decide the 2028 scope with the supplier and the team.
How I run the team on this launch
Targets agreed with the team
- Active outlet with paid stock and trained staff: 1 point
- Paid reorder: 2 pointsrepeat business weighs double
- Tasting hosted, staff certified, customer insight shared: 1 point each
- Wholesalers earn too: listing with the kit, cafés activated, monthly sell-out data, rewards for their reps and their top cafés
- Conditions: minimum margin, paid orders only, no split orders, no portfolio decline
Individual recognition every week on the board. A team goal that, when met, unlocks a visit to the producer in Spain, real bodega, real programme, agreed with the supplier and HR, with a fair alternative for anyone who cannot travel. Product training for everyone comes first, not as a prize.
Eight actions to support sales and reorders
6 bottles paid, ice bucket, 6 glasses, QR table tents, shelf talker. Ships with the first order.
5+1 on the first case (supplier-funded), tasting bottle on request, mailing to all accounts. Cafés order via their wholesaler, the platform never bypasses them.
Three steps, one sentence for guests. Staff certify online; the outlet earns points.
Rep or producer on site two hours on a busy day. One question afterwards: how many bottles left?
Shared stand with the supplier. Presell the summer range to Walloon horeca and wholesalers.
Points for listing, serving, training, reordering. Leaderboard, rewards, Terraza of the Year.
Ten photos and a 15-second serve video outlets post as their own. Tagged links show what they bring.
Table tent to page to stockist list. A terrace tasting turns into a bottle sold in a shop.
Terraza Club: in the outlet and online
Working prototype in NL/FR/EN, built for this case, not published by PS or the brand.
Kit, glasses, QR table tents. Guests can recognise the product on nearby tables.
Guest: what it is, where to buy. Staff: one-minute training. Buyer: margin calculator, tasting slots.
Reorder on the PS webshop. Paid reorders earn the most points.
Points, leaderboard, rewards. Reps see which outlets reorder and which need a follow-up visit.
Glassware and terrace equipment
the
terrace.
Who pays for what
| Partner | Contributes | We agree on |
|---|---|---|
| Supplier / brand owner | Product facts and assets, samples, kits and glassware, co-funding, producer time at tastings and Horecatel | Rights, launch funding, sample terms, price stability, data sharing |
| Partner Spirits | Account development, reps’ time, coaching, platform, logistics, Terraza Club and reporting | Own investment justified by expected contribution |
| Outlet | Paid opening stock, placement, staff time, local tastings | Action date, honest sales feedback |
Kits and samples €1,800 · content and page €1,500 · local activation and training €1,200 · distribution €600 · measurement and reserve €900.
If the supplier funds half, PS carries €3,000. At €1.20 extra contribution per bottle that is 2,500 bottles to pay back; at the ~9% average trade margin in the published accounts (≈€0.63 on €7.02) it is ~4,800. This is a test budget; a profit is not guaranteed.
My ask to the supplier in the first meeting: samples and glassware in kind, a launch contribution tied to active outlets rather than volume, producer presence at Horecatel and the top tastings, and sell-out data both ways.
Results and decisions at each review
An approach for future product launches
Partner Spirits can offer suppliers a launch programme with equipment, staff training, rewards and scheduled reviews. The results give us evidence to discuss funding and future launches with each supplier.
Outlet-level activation, staff certified, reorders, from shops directly and from wholesalers in exchange for support. Data that feeds the platform, the forecast and the next supplier conversation.
The KAM, four reps and two Digital colleagues can reuse the materials, reporting and review process for future launches.
How I lead: three things you can check
Situation · what the team told me · what I changed · the measurable result
Who · what was blocking them · the one thing we changed · what happened next
The campaign or launch · how the two teams worked · pipeline or revenue result
Proposed next steps
Team working session, customer test in a dozen accounts, first supplier meeting. Alcohol level, price basis and existing Tinto accounts confirmed.
Validation stage approved with a spending cap. Twenty active outlets, first reorders, Terraza Club and kit ready for the presell.
Sell in January–March, Horecatel in March, activate April–September, review in October. Targets agreed with the team after the test.
Facts to confirm before we spend
| Area | Open question | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Exact SKU and alcohol level (sheet 5.5% vs brand site and Belgian webshop 8.5%), case size, shelf life once opened | Determines the “lighter than red” claim and the by-the-glass advice |
| Price | What €7.02 covers: duties, VAT basis, discounts; PS purchase cost and net contribution | Contribution and payback cannot be calculated without it |
| Market | Existing Tinto listings, buying routes and reorders; launch or relaunch? | Brand stockists on the store locator do not prove Tinto stock or a PS route |
| Contract | Distribution rights, exclusivity, supplier funding and assets, price stability | One SKU on the platform is not exclusivity |
| People | Team capacity next to the existing portfolio, current targets and incentive policy | Launch priority must be explicit, not added on top |
| Calendar | Presentation length today; supplier availability for Horecatel and tastings | Fixes the presell plan |
Market observations and sources
| Observation | What it shows | What it does not show |
|---|---|---|
| Sandevid 75 cl, 4%: €7.00 at El Mercadillo (Evregnies), to order | A cheap Spanish alternative exists | Comparable quality, presentation or a market-wide price |
| Sabroso y Sol Tinto de Verano 75 cl, 8.5%: €13.00 at flavor.shop (Belgium) | The product is listed at €13 in Belgium | Rotation, or which route supplies that shop |
| Gudule × Chouette Canette 33 cl, 4.9%: €3.50–3.90 | A Belgian organic single-serve exists | Direct comparability with a sharing bottle |
| Sabroso store locator: ~15 Belgian stockists, several Prik & Tik members | The brand has Belgian distribution | Tinto stock per shop or a PS buying route |
| Horecatel, WEX Marche-en-Famenne, 14–17 March 2027 | The Walloon horeca fair in the presell window | Stand availability or cost |
Sources: elmercadillo.be · flavor.shop · gudule-winery.brussels · efarmz.be · nowa.market · sabroso-y-sol.com/store-locator · handelsgids.be · expoz.be. Observed September 2026; prices and stock change.
The arithmetic behind slide 6
| Calculation | Result | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Shelf price €12.99 / 1.21 | €10.74 net shop revenue | Retailer sets its own price; €12.99 is a scenario near the observed €13.00 |
| (€10.74 − €7.02) / €10.74 | 34.6% gross shop margin | Before shop costs; margin, not mark-up |
| Wholesaler at 15% margin: €7.02 / 0.85 | €8.26 sale price to the café | Divide by 0.85 for margin; ×1.15 would be a mark-up and a lower margin |
| Shop buying via the wholesaler at €12.99 | 23.1% gross shop margin | Holding both 15% and 34.6% needs about €15.30 on the shelf |
| Café: €8.26 / 5 glasses of 15 cl | €1.65 liquid cost per glass | With 10% loss: 4.5 glasses, €1.84 per glass |
| Glass €6.50 incl. VAT → €5.37 net; 5 × €5.37 − €8.26 | €18.60 gross per bottle · 69% | Pour cost ~31% before ice, garnish, staff |
| Bottle on the table €26 incl. VAT → €21.49 net − €8.26 | €13.23 gross per bottle | The sharing format the positioning is built on |
| Payback: €3,000 net PS spend / €1.20 extra contribution | 2,500 extra bottles | At €0.80: 3,750; at €1.60: 1,875; without supplier support, double |
| Same at the company-average trade margin: 8.93% of €7.02 ≈ €0.63 | ~4,800 extra bottles | From the published 2025 accounts; a niche brand may carry more, finance confirms |