Chicago-based Spirit Hub, a private e-commerce company that sells hundreds of craft spirits brands to consumers through its website and app, this week announced the hiring of retail, e-commerce, grocery and CPG veteran Jennifer Carr-Smith as a non-executive advisor. In her new role, Carr-Smith will advance Spirit Hub’s global expansion strategy by overseeing the development and implementation of strategic partnerships within the retail and grocery space as well as facilitate customer acquisition programs that accelerate market growth.
“Jennifer has a stellar track record of managing retail organizations of all sizes and being a leader in the digital and e-commerce space. She has a history of driving rapid growth and transformation, making her the perfect addition to the Spirit Hub team,” said Michael Weiss, CEO and founder of Spirit Hub. “We are the first to build a proven business model that accommodates the on-demand nature of today’s consumer in a legally compliant way and Jennifer’s expertise and professional relationships within the industry will enable us to explore new strategic avenues to quickly grow Spirit Hub.”
Carr-Smith is a seasoned executive with more than 25 years of experience building, scaling and transforming businesses in multiple sectors including food and grocery, retail and e-commerce. In addition to her new role at Spirit Hub, Jennifer will remain in her position as president of JCS Advisory Services and continue to serve as a non-executive board director for Full Harvest, Woolworths Group and Perdue Farms. Previously, Jennifer served as president and CEO of Peapod where she scaled the business in New York and strengthened the company’s operational performance and executive leadership.
“Craft spirits continue to rise in popularity with sales projected to exceed $8B this year. Spirit Hub has captured the market and leads the future of fully legally compliant alcohol e-commerce,” said Carr-Smith. “Independent distilleries are the fastest growing segment of the spirits industry, but they also face the most legal roadblocks to sell their products. I am thrilled to be working with Spirit Hub to develop strategic partnerships that expand distribution channels and present new opportunities for domestic and global expansion.”
Spirit Hub recently announced its global expansion strategy showcasing the company’s plans to operate internationally by 2022 and in every major U.S. market by 2025.
Spirit Hub currently operates in the state of Illinois with plans to expand to Florida, Michigan and Massachusetts by the end of 2020. The self-funded company utilizes a network of proprietary technology and industry connections to serve customers the most comprehensive information on independent distilleries and craft spirits. Most craft spirits found on Spirit Hub’s platform cannot be found on shelves at local grocery or liquor stores. Through Spirit Hub’s unique business model, independently owned distilleries have a legal and compliant path towards selling their spirits direct-to-consumer in new markets and building their customer base.
Spirit Hub is currently evaluating potential strategic partnerships in order to accelerate its nationwide expansion strategy including partnerships with national grocery chains to expand its distribution channels. For more information about Spirit Hub, please visit www.spirithub.com and please contact partner@spirithub.com.