The firm sold 85% of its cocktails to on-trade venues at the start of 2020, but that business quickly evaporated after the UK government imposed a national lockdown in March.
World of Zing sold just 50,000 units during between April and July, but it used the downtime to create a new 18-strong range, and it continuing releasing new cocktails throughout the year.
The business managed to pivot towards ecommerce and direct-to-consumer sales, while supporting restaurants with delivery cocktails and online events and corporate sales.
By the end of the year, sales had broken through the 650,000 barrier, and these were its top five sellers:
1. Salted Caramel Espresso Martini
2. Pornstar Martini
3. Passionfruit Spritz
4. Bordeaux Aged Negroni
5. Persian Lime & Nori Margarita
National groups such as Curzon Cinemas, Tonkotsu and Bill’s were big customers for World of Zing before the Covid-19 pandemic ravaged the on-trade.
Bars and restaurants reopened at reduced capacity last summer, but there have since been several local lockdowns and two more national lockdowns, so online sales have helped the business flourish.
The premixed cocktails could also prove invaluable to bar and restaurant owners when the current lockdown ends, as they are designed to remove the need for extensive ingredients and equipment, while still providing a high-quality mixology experience at a time when resources might be limited.