Courtesy of Proof & Company
First Global Roll-Out of New Innovation from EcoSPIRITS
Sustainable refills for your favourite craft spirit brands
SINGAPORE, September 2022 – Proof & Company, one of Asia Pacific’s leading independent spirits distributors, is the world’s first to pioneer the new patent-pending SmartKioskTM technology for ecoSPIRITS in partnership with DFI Retail Group. This new innovation represents the next step in ecoSPIRITS’ Intelligent CircularTM roadmap. It marks its first foray into circular packaging solutions for the retail channel; making sustainable reuse of branded spirits bottles available to consumers.
Proof & Company, ecoSPIRITS’ licensed operator for Singapore, Hongkong SAR, China, Australia, and New Zealand, is the first partner in the world to own and operate a fleet of SmartKiosk across the Region. Partnering with DFI Retail Group for the Singapore launch, Proof & Company has deployed the first SmartKiosk in CS Fresh, Tanglin Mall, Singapore, with four more locations pinned for launch later this year.
The new CS Fresh SmartKiosk will offer Singapore’s shoppers access to sustainable refills of a selection of craft spirit brands, including gins from the island’s own Brass Lion Distillery. Other spirits available will include Tried & True Straight Wheat Vodka, Widges Gin, Mackintosh Blended Malt Scotch Whisky and Los Arcos Destilado de Agave. Placing their bottle under an intelligent pouring system with brand authentication through a novel Verified Sustainable RefillTM feature and using a touch screen, customers can accurately refill with their favourite spirits. Each sustainable refill offers significant environmental benefits, eliminating an average of 550g of carbon emissions and more than 700g of single-use packaging waste. Consumers will also save up to 20 percent over the same spirit in single-use packaging formats.
“Proof & Company is proud to be the very first operator of the SmartKiosk technology globally,” says Brandon Grusd, General Manager, Southeast Asia, Proof & Company. “Having first pioneered ecoSPIRITS in the on-premise channel back in 2018, it’s a natural fit for our growing network of retailers across the Asia Pacific. It also provides a wonderful opportunity for our brand partners, such as Brass Lion Distillery and True Believers, to be at the forefront of consumer innovation. DFI and CS Fresh should be commended for their sustainability leadership in pioneering such a unique shopper experience.”
This technology debut with Singapore’s leading premium grocer aligns with the city state’s Singapore Green Plan 2030, which commits to reducing landfill waste per capita per day by 30 percent by 2030. As part of their collaboration, for each refill purchased, ecoSPIRITS, Proof & Company, and DFI will jointly plant one tree in the CS Fresh Forest under the ecoSPIRITS Forest Program.
“Circular retail for spirits and wine presents enormous opportunities and equally great challenges,” says Paul Gabie, CEO, ecoSPIRITS. “Retail purchases make up the largest volume segment for our industry and the largest source of single-use glass waste. As such, it is incumbent upon all of us to find more sustainable ways to serve consumers. Helping shoppers adapt to novel consumption patterns is not easy, but in the face of global waste and climate crisis, adaptation is a must. Together with trailblazing partners like Proof & Company and DFI Retail Group, we can build a future beyond single-use packaging.”
Additional SmartKiosks will be deployed in ecoSPIRITS markets around the world in the coming months.
For more information on Proof & Company and its leading Asia Pacific spirits distribution platform, please contact info@proofandcompany.com.
