Distributor Spotlight: Districo

HENDRIK WOSTYN

CEO, Districo in Belgium

Esteemed friend of Franklin & Sons, Hendrik Wostyn, has been the CEO of the Districo group since 2000. Founded in 1971, Districo has since grown into a group of 6 companies, all of which are both active and prominent in the beverages space. Alongside heading up Districo for 24+ years, Hendrik is also CEO of VAC, a purchasing group for beverages, food and non-food, alongside being an advisory board member for FEBED, the Federation of Belgian Beverage Traders, of which represents all independent drinks traders in Belgium. 

Districo is first and foremost a cooperative purchasing group for beverage wholesalers however, has advanced in recent years to include a brand-building division, of which has become increasingly important, with Franklin & Sons being the driving force behind such step-change. Since the very first interaction between Hendrik and Franklin & Sons at the Anuga trade fair in 2016, Hendrik immediately fell, to quote him directly, ‘in love’ with the Franklin & Sons brand and innovative range of Tonic Waters, Soft Drinks and Sodas. Since then, the collaborative efforts between the two has increased steadily, with turnover following suit.

In Belgium, Districo’s route-to-market is twofold. First and foremost, they work with ~60 wholesalers, with a large number of HoReCa (hotel, restaurant and cafe/catering) market businesses also being supplied directly. Such businesses receive frequent support from two Account Managers, of whom not only drive range adoption and, by extension sales, but also act as both brand ambassadors and strategic advisors where drinks menu definition and bar staff training is concerned. Leads are recruited predominantly through large trade fairs, such as the leading HoReCa (hotel, restaurant and cafe/catering) exhibition in Ghent, alongside numerous smaller trade fairs organised by wholesalers.

Until today, the on-trade channel has been the point of focus however, both parties are excited to announce that plans are in well underway to also start working on the retail channel in 2025. While the defined targets for success are incredibly ambitious, Hendrik firmly believes that ,with his very dedicated team, they will be achieved without concern. With an ambitious year ahead, be sure to follow our journey to keep up to date with the latest happenings.

GET TO KNOW OUR DISTRIBUTOR

• When did you start working with Franklin & Sons?

2016

• How big is your team?

We have two Account Managers, Mathieu and Bram, for the on-trade market. In addition to them, we also recently hired a dedicated Marketing Manager, Emma, to head-up our marketing efforts, with my right-hand man, Nele, and I working across all key activations in the market to ensure that they receive the required support, not forgetting our incredible logistics team

• What attracted you to the Franklin & Sons brand?

“Most importantly for us is the premium look of the brand. Premium branding provides us with opportunity to enter the high end HoReCa (hotel, restaurant and cafe/catering) market. Furthermore, certainly as far as the range of Soft Drinks is concerned, being 100% natural gives us a very distinct and of-the-moment proposition, with demand for natural ingredients growing in the Belgian market, of which we expect to only continue.”

• What do you love most about the Franklin & Sons brand?

The premium look and delicate taste. The extensive range of liquids, flavours and variations is incredible, with the Soft Drinks and Soda’s reflecting some personal highlights

• What’s your favourite Franklin & Sons flavour?

Original Ginger Ale, since one of my all-time favourite cocktails is a Horse’s Neck (a delicious blend of bourbon whiskey, ginger ale, bitters and the all-important lemon peel spiral)

• How would you describe the Franklin & Sons brand in 5 words?

Premium, classy, delicate taste, original and carbonated

THE BELGIAN MARKET

• What has been an outstanding activation we’ve done in the market?

Most important for us is our annual presence at the HoReCa (hotel, restaurant and cafe/catering) Exhibition, of which is by far the most important event for the on-trade market. An equally important event from last year was our masterclass, where we hosted industry-leading bartenders, from across Europe, in a prestigious location.

• What’s the most popular cocktail in the market?

For many yeas the iconic gin and tonic has been Belgium’s most popular cocktails, despite a drop in demand and, by extension, volume over recent years. We’re now seeing ginger beer-based cocktails replace volume and take the top spot, with an increased interest in cocktails such as the Moscow Mule, Dark & Stormy etc. helping drive adoption. We’re also noting the rise in popularity of spritz-related cocktails, with the likes of Aperol being in high demand

• In your opinion, what is the main challenge for Franklin & Sons in the market?

Having sufficient brand awareness in a market dominated by two large brands, namely Fever Tree and Schweppes, especially considering that the market is already quite saturated. As such, we need to focus our efforts on taking volume from other brands in a bid to both build and maintain market share

• If you could do any activation without limitations, what would be a goal for Franklin & Sons in the market?

Without any doubt, TV product placement. Since this has, based on our findings, the most impact on brand awareness, it would be an incredibly impactful opportunity for the brand, heightened only further when you take into account the fact that we are taking our first steps towards retail

• What are you excited about coming into 2025 with Franklin & Sons? Where do you see an opportunity to thrive?

As just mentioned, taking our first steps towards retail. This will no doubt be a important milestone for us in Belgium, with reference to growth

FRANKLIN & SONS HIGHLIGHTS

VISIBILITY & AWARENESS

• What has been a good activation in the market with consumers?

Branded placement in retail. This creates extra visibility by placing a Franklin & Sons display via prime real estate in relevant stores. Our table cards in the HoReCa (hotel, restaurant and cafe/catering) market are also helping us inspire customers to order and, by extension, adopt Franklin & Sons

DISTRIBUTION

• What are the two top accounts/new accounts?

Our partnership with 5* premium hotel chain Dukes’ Palace, of which is part of the Dukes’ Hotel Collection. You can check them out here. They have been a loyal partner since the very beginning. In addition to them, we have a brand new partnership with The Cobbler, one of Belgian’s most popular cocktail bars, situated in the 1898 The Post boutique hotel. You can check them out here

• How many listings does Franklin & Sons have in the market?

We have 100+ wholesalers working with Franklin & Sons, which in turn sell on to their own HoReCa (hotel, restaurant and cafe/catering) accounts meaning that we don’t have a complete overview of all listings however, estimate that this is between 500 and 800

• How many Franklin & Sons flavour are there in the market? What’s the best performing flavour?

We’re lucky enough to be working with the complete range of Franklin & Sons flavour, with the most popular in Belgium undoubtedly being Brewed Ginger Beer. It provides the perfect balance of spiciness for both ginger enthusiasts and the average consumer alike