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PRESS RELEASES
Honest & Rare, the online marketplace that previously specialized in non-mainstream drinks, is expanding its range to include food from independent producers. The company is thus consolidating its position as the first comprehensive marketplace for luxury foods in Germany and Europe.
The new food range includes a variety of products, from handmade snacks and delicacies to organically grown and sustainable foods. These include spreads, sauces, chocolates, spices, muesli, soups, vinegar, oil, salami and antipasti. From 2024, other everyday products such as pasta, rice and meat and dairy alternatives will follow. The range will focus on products suitable for parcel delivery.
Since it was founded, Honest & Rare has set itself the goal of making unique products that are rarely available in regular shops accessible to a wider audience. The marketplace has developed into a place to go for connoisseurs and lovers of rare and quality-oriented drinks. Even with the introduction of the food category, Honest & Rare retains its core promise: To feature only products that stand out for their independence and limited retail presence. Each item is subject to an approval process to ensure it meets the range criteria.
"The expansion of our range enables our customers to meet all their needs for good food and drink," explains Managing Director Yascha Roshani. "Our customers appreciate the quality and uniqueness of our range of beverages. Now they can experience this in an even wider range of indulgent products. This is a significant milestone in our mission to simplify access to exceptional and hard-to-find products."
With this expansion, Honest & Rare now offers a holistic indulgence experience - a 360° platform that appeals to both beverage and food enthusiasts.
Press release from 29.11.2023
The Berlin-based beverage marketplace Honest & Rare has conducted a market survey of the predominantly internet-savvy and beverage-interested target group to collect data on behavior and preferences when buying and consuming beverages. The survey asked about online and offline purchasing habits in relation to types of beverage, frequency of purchase and consumption as well as reasons for online purchases and the purchase of manufactured products.
82% of respondents stated that they drink weekly, while 52% consume alcohol at least two to three times a week. 24.9% of participants stated that they buy drinks online once a month. 10.7% buy online two to three times a month. The relatively largest group orders drinks online for home delivery once or twice every three months (27.9%). The most frequently ordered product group is spirits (82.2%). The reasons given by the majority for buying online were to ask for special drinks that they cannot get in a store (77.7%), to find a larger selection (72.6%) and to find better prices online (34.5%).
The complete Craft Beverage Consumption Monitor can be accessed here. The survey is not representative. The respondents were primarily users of online forums and social media, the majority of whom were involved in the topic of enjoyment, as well as the company's own customers. The sample comprised 232 people. The survey comprised a total of 29 questions and was conducted in 2022.
Press release from 12.07.2023
Berlin-based beverage marketplace Honest & Rare has raised €250,000 in its latest financing round in June 2022. Lead investor is the Canadian Loyal VC. Three Berlin-based business angels are also involved in the round. The money will be invested in the international expansion of the platform and the further growth of the beverage range. From 2023, the range will also be expanded to include snacks as well as drinks and bar accessories.
"Our vision is to create a common European beverage market. We want people from all over Europe to be able to discover and order drinks from all European countries. Both supply and demand for beverages are immense. However, the market is still very fragmented and confusing for customers. We want to change that," says Yascha Roshani, co-founder and managing director of the platform.
The range currently comprises 3,000 alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages, which are sold by 280 independent retailers and manufacturers via the marketplace. The start-up's strategy is to offer the largest range of drinks and the best shopping experience when buying drinks. "According to the German Retail Association, the online purchase of food and beverages is one of the fastest growing product groups and has grown twice as fast as non-food in 2021. This trend will continue to intensify. We want to use this momentum together with our vendors and further improve our product with internationalization."
Press release from 07.07.2022
Berlin-based beverage marketplace Honest & Rare secures a high five-figure sum for further growth at the start of the year. Three Berlin-based business angels invest in the startup. With the investors, Honest & Rare is not only bringing fresh capital on board, but also expertise and a network from the fields of e-commerce, food & beverages and software.
"Especially in times of the pandemic, digital distribution channels are essential for the continued existence of specialized, regional beverage producers. With Honest & Rare, we offer beverage producers a platform for marketing their products and consumers access to specialty beverages that are not available everywhere. We are delighted that we were able to convince the business angels of our concept," says Yascha Roshani, Managing Director of the start-up.
This year, the team wants to further expand its product range and create new formats such as drinks subscriptions for customers. Honest & Rare is also developing new offers specifically for corporate customers following high demand from business customers in Q4 2020. "It has become clear that companies have a high demand for individual beverage sets for their employees," says the Berlin-based founder.
The growth of the online beverage market goes hand in hand with the increasing consumer preference for high-quality beverages. This market growth has been accelerated by the pandemic. "Honest & Rare brings diversity to the world of beverages and fits perfectly with the growing trend towards variety, quality and individuality. This is reflected not least in the current times, when enjoyment is shifting to the home. We are delighted to be able to support the team as it continues to grow," says investor Arend Lars Iven.
The startup, which was launched in July 2019 under the name Craft Exchange, rebranded in November 2020. The new Honest & Rare brand goes hand in hand with a new look, while the business model of giving people access to specialty drinks outside the mainstream remains unchanged.
Press release from 02.02.2021
When sales channels collapse, the internet becomes an important mainstay
A year ago, Craft Exchange launched as Germany's first online platform for regional beverage producers with 21 manufacturers and a total of 200 beverages. Especially after the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic, the portal has seen a disproportionate increase in producer inquiries and now has 80 manufacturers. The portal, which aims to help small producers gain more visibility, now offers a total of 700 drinks in the categories of beer, spirits, wine, coffee and soft drinks. The frequency of producer inquiries remains at a consistently high level.
Many regional producers rely on the catering trade, events and tourism-related sales channels. The loss of these channels is therefore associated with a drop in sales for them. "Beverage start-ups and established producers are often equally affected by the losses," says Yascha Roshani, Managing Director of Craft Exchange. Producers are therefore increasingly looking for online sales opportunities to establish coronavirus-independent channels. In addition to online marketplaces and online resellers, many producers have also invested in setting up or optimizing their own online stores.
Both the need for and relevance of online sales channels is growing
Due to the dominance of the retail trade in Germany, which is responsible for around 80% of beer sales, for example, the online purchase of beverages has played a subordinate role to date. According to Statista, the online share of the German beverage market was 1.7% in 2019. This corresponds to average annual growth of 19.0% since 2017. For 2020, Statista forecasts a market share of 2.4%, which would correspond to an increase of 42.0% compared to 2019 and thus double the previous year's development.
Craft Exchange target: 1,500 products by the end of the year
In view of the increased demand from producers, Craft Exchange has raised its target and aims to list 1,500 products from small, regional manufacturers on its marketplace by the end of the year. The prerequisite for listing is that the product criteria are met. The products are shipped by the manufacturers themselves.
Press release from 14.07.2020
An internet platform for drinks from small, regional producers
Whether beer, spirits, wine, coffee or soft drinks - the craft beverage scene is growing in size and popularity. However, many of these drinks are difficult to find in stores. That's why a Berlin start-up has set itself the task of helping small, regional drinks producers gain more visibility and reach. They can offer and sell their products via Craft Exchange, giving customers access to hard-to-find drinks on a central platform.
The products of small producers are generally only available regionally and in a few specialist stores. Small beverage producers often lack the resources and expertise to reach larger target groups. This problem is exacerbated by the financially strong, omnipresent beverage companies. The aim of Craft Exchange is to bring together the flavorful diversity of the beverage world on one platform and thus offer people an easily accessible alternative to the commercially available beverages of major brands. The products are sold and shipped by the producers and platform sellers themselves.
Craft beverages focus on craftsmanship, regional roots, originality and the use of natural raw materials. Customers are assured that all products on Craft Exchange are drinks that cannot usually be found in retail outlets. However, "craft" not only includes the many young drinks start-ups, but also all regional, traditional manufacturers that have been on the market for decades or even centuries.
The trend is towards quality and variety instead of mass and mainstream
The craft beverage scene has been growing for years. The trend was originally triggered by the craft beer movement. Between 2014 and 2018 alone, the number of German breweries rose by 180 to 1,539. There is also a growing demand for high-quality drinks from small producers outside the mainstream when it comes to spirits, coffee and soft drinks. The increase on the supply side is reflected in the growing number of specialty roasteries, lemonade producers and gin and whisky producers.
Craft Exchange target: 1,500 products by the end of the year
In view of the increased demand from producers, Craft Exchange has raised its target and aims to list 1,500 products from small, regional manufacturers on its marketplace by the end of the year. The prerequisite for listing is that the product criteria are met. The products are shipped by the manufacturers themselves.
Press release from 29.07.2019
ABOUT HONEST & RARE
Honest & Rare is an online marketplace for rare and unusual food and beverages. Retailers and regional producers offer their products for sale via the online platform to gain more visibility and reach. This gives customers access to hard-to-get luxury products.
