Smith & Sinclair is known for their alcohol-infused cocktail gummies. What started as a successful luxury product now had to be translated into an accessible impulse buy. But how do you go about that? That’s where the Pouchfabriek came into play.
“From luxury box to smart pouch: how Smith & Sinclair attracted a new target audience”
Smith & Sinclair is known for their alcohol-infused cocktail gummies. What started as a successful luxury product now had to be translated into an accessible impulse buy. But how do you go about that? That’s where the Pouchfabriek came into play.
Léontine Wegewijs, Managing Director at Smith & Sinclair, explains: “We initially started with luxury boxes – each filled with 10 individually wrapped gummies. Since there were 4 to 5 flavors per box, we had more than 28 different cocktail gummies, each in its own foil wrap. With 13 to 14 different variants, we gained little from economies of scale, and production was expensive. They were also difficult to ship.” The selling price of the boxes was around €19-€20. Léontine: “At that price point, people aren’t just going to grab gummies for a casual movie night. That’s what we wanted to change: we wanted to move towards an impulse buy and increase the number of consumption moments. A product that’s affordable, yet still feels premium.”
Léontine started looking for an alternative and found the Pouchfabriek via Google. “To reduce costs, we wanted to move away from individually wrapped items. But the gummies still needed to stay fresh. A resealable, airtight package was crucial. A pouch turned out to be perfect: it reseals well and can be heat-sealed for a ‘first use guarantee’.” What would these new Smith & Sinclair packages look like? “The Pouchfabriek sent us great samples and then gave clear advice on materials, sealing, and details like adding small scissors to the pouch. This lets customers know the packaging is easy to open. Although we had a clear design in mind, it was great that they thought along with us on the production side.”
What immediately stood out to Léontine was that the pouch design closely matched that of the box. “We wanted a literal translation, and the Pouchfabriek helped make that happen. Think metallic finishes and recognizable colors. Even the slogan ‘Eat your drink’ in metallic print remained.” How would the current and new target audience respond to the pouches? Léontine: “That’s something you have to test. So it was great that we could start with small volumes at the Pouchfabriek. We picked the most popular flavor for each type of alcohol. For example, Pornstar Martini for vodka and Whisky Sour for whiskey. When we presented the pouches at the confectionery fair, we immediately got positive feedback. The packaging still looks premium, but it’s sold in stores at half the price.”
The transition not only brought in a new audience but also led to major sustainability improvements. Léontine: “The original boxes contained a lot of air, which was inefficient for pallet transport and bad for the environment. The pouches use less material, allowing us to fit more on a pallet and reduce CO2 emissions. In fact, we replaced two types of packaging with one pouch.” And it’s not just good for the environment. Léontine: “Retailers also appreciate the fact that the packaging takes up much less space now.”
So the new pouches are a big hit! As for the future of the collaboration, Léontine sees many possibilities. “With the flexibility of the pouch format, the short lines with the Pouchfabriek, and their fast delivery times, I’m confident we can quickly respond to trends. Who knows, maybe Sex and the City will be popular again next year, and we’ll need to promote our Cosmopolitan gummies more.” She’s even considering a limited edition line. “But we’re not quite there yet,” Léontine laughs. “For now, we’re just really happy with the pouches that have been produced and with a partner who communicates easily and delivers top quality.”
