Dorstlust
Drink something else: This is how Dorstlust conquers the softdrink business
Dorstlust is the market leader in non-alcoholic beverages in the Netherlands. Their mission? To get the whole of the Netherlands to drink something just a little bit different. Not only with their business brand Dorstlust, but also with their consumer brand de Drankerij (the Beverage Company), they are slowly taking over the beverage empire. In addition to non-alcoholic (soft) drinks, they now have a whole range of wine, beer and spirits. Dorstlust has been passionately building a strong brand with a strong vision for 10 years. This of course includes a strong and scalable platform.
Services
BigCommerce
Full Stack Web development
Visual Design
Release
2022
Dorstlust journey
Why can I drink Club Mate in Berlin and not in the Netherlands? That question is what Dorstlust founders Tessa and Stephan asked themselves about 10 years ago. The soft drinks menu in the Netherlands was fairly standard in most bars and restaurants and this had to change. They wanted to change the Dutch soft drinks industry. It started with buying and selling some drinks as students, putting stickers on student hotspots and a website with just an email address. But slowly it grew into a big brand, which had to move several times due to lack of space in the warehouse. The enthusiasm of the Dorstlust team (which now numbers almost 15 people) is noticeable in everything. This is mainly due to their convincing mission: different drinks in both catering outlets and people's homes, so that the Netherlands has the choice to drink something different for a change.
Going somewhere and find our drinks on the menu, that's when we get really excited!
The personal approach of Dorstlust and de Drankerij
Dorstlust goes for a personal approach, through both its business shop Dorstlust and its consumer shop De Drankerij. By talking a lot with consumers and hospitality entrepreneurs and passing on the Dorstlust story, Stephan and Tessa found out that 'drinking differently' is not only applicable to the soft drinks industry. The focus went from mainly soft drinks to beer, wine and spirits. In addition, for the past five years, De Drankerij has not only had an online platform, but also a physical shop in Amsterdam-Oost. A big step for the brand! Something they did not want to lose with the growth was the personal approach and their customer focus. Whether it's a consumer, a small entrepreneur or a hospitality chain, it's all about the story behind the drinks. Everyone gets the same story and personal advice, so they buy the drinks that really suit their business and customers.
Flexible software that grows with ambitions
In 2020, Dorstlust noticed that they needed flexible software that could grow along with their ambitions. Their current WooCommerce platform was not scalable enough and lacked functionality and integrations with, for example, the stock system. While Dorstlust used to do a lot of things themselves, it was time to work with a tech partner to create a custom software solution. Dorstlust opted for a tech safari at Touchtribe, to find out their technical their technical wishes and needs and how new software can help them achieve their goals. They chose to work with e-commerce platform Bigcommerce. This platform is scalable and has endless integration possibilities. The platform also offers online (marketing) options and functionalities that work perfectly on both desktop and mobile devices. In addition, the two shops (Dorstlust and Drankerij) are integrated into one backend. This not only saves the Dorstlust team a lot of time, but is also less error-prone as an integrator between drinks manufacturers and breweries and the catering locations.
We are happy with Touchtribe as our technical partner. They really think along about the right solutions for our company and they are fast in communication.
Getting results together
Dorstlust wants to bring an honest story to its customers and takes the time to build a personal relationship. This is also why Dorstlust chose to collaborate with Touchtribe. The consumer platform de Drankerij went live last December, just in time for the holidays. We are currently developing the Dorstlust business platform. De Drankerij is already showing great results. Not only do the internal processes work a lot smoother, but Dorstlust has also seen an increase in conversion and order value since the launch of the new platform.
What’s next?
Tessa and Stephan like to tell us: "Of course, first the rollout of the Dorstlust business platform. It is a relief the cooperation with Touchtribe works so smoothly. This is the first time we outsourced such a large project. But the informal and fast communication is very nice". The ambition of Dorstlust does not stop at the business platform, they want to go much further! At the moment, they mainly deliver to restaurants and bars in Amsterdam and the surrounding area. Soon they will expand, with the ultimate goal to reach the whole of the Netherlands.
Stay tuned for not only the business platform, but also the new physical shop of de Drankerij that is planned!