As several up-and-coming beverage alcohol categories gain steam and consumer preferences shift, major players are adapting their portfolios through mergers and acquisitions. In this video, Ryan Lake, Principal, Arlington Capital Services, LLC member FINRA/SIPC, discusses the current trends driving M&A in 2022. Lake discusses the categories that are on the rise, the latest trends in packaging, and new technologies like e-commerce. He also discusses the mechanisms behind these investments and what all of this means for independent brands.
Lake advises, “You need to have an idea of where the consumer is today, where they’re going to be in a year, five years, etc. Because if you’re not building your brand or your company for where the consumer is going you’re already getting left behind. So make sure you’re watching the trends, trends that go beyond spirits, trends that go beyond spirit RTDs, and trends that go beyond beverage alcohol. See where the consumer is going in non-alcohol and food, see where they’re going in other parts of their life and try to figure out what that means for a spirit or spirits-based brand.”