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Retail Expansion Strategy

90-Day Battle Plan

Week-by-week roadmap to 30+ on-trade accounts. Three phases: Foundation, Momentum, Scale.

Section 01

Current State — May 2026

Where KBC stands today. A solid foundation of 8 accounts, a proven product, and a clear opportunity to scale.

Metric Current
Current on-trade accounts ~8 (Silken Thomas, Cliff at Lyons, JP Healy's, Fletcher's, 33 South Main, Kavanagh's, Killashee Hotel, Lock 13)
Off-trade accounts 0 (opportunity)
Weekly revenue ~€2,000
Revenue target €3,000+/week within 90 days
Production capacity 1,000L per brew (2–3 brews/week achievable)
Head brewer Michael Lynch (full-time)
Sales Barry (part-time alongside Lock 13 + ProKulture)
Section 02

90-Day Objectives

Clear, measurable targets. Every action in the battle plan drives toward these numbers.

20
New On-Trade Accounts
10
New Off-Trade Accounts
38+
Total Accounts
€3,500+
Weekly Revenue
3+
PR Coverage Pieces
+300
IG Followers
20
Influencer Seedings
3+
Events Supplied
1

Foundation

Weeks 1 – 4

Week 1 Preparation

Sales Materials

  • Sell sheet finalised and printed (200 copies)
  • Brand guidelines document complete
  • Grand Slam Offer card printed (100 copies)
  • Sample packs prepared (50 × 4-can mixed packs)

Digital Assets

  • Sales toolkit live on kbc.iskra.ie (or kildarebrewing.com/trade)
  • Pricing calculator functional
  • Instagram updated with stockist highlights

CRM & Targeting

  • Prospect spreadsheet with 100 targets
  • 50 Tier 1 targets (Dublin pubs, craft bars)
  • 30 Tier 2 targets (Kildare/commuter belt pubs, hotels)
  • 20 Tier 3 targets (off-licences, events, corporate)
  • Kakiyo campaigns updated with new prospects

Week 2 First Wave

  • 8 in-person visits (4 Dublin, 4 Kildare)
  • Prioritise: pubs with 4+ taps (space for craft)
  • Leave samples at every visit (32 sample cans used)
  • LinkedIn connections to all venue owners visited
  • 1 IG post: “Taking KBC beyond Kildare”
  • Email Tier 1 PR targets (food journalists — 5 pitches)

Week 3 Follow-Up + Expand

  • Follow up every Week 2 visit (WhatsApp or call)
  • Target: 3 first orders from Week 2 visits
  • 8 new venue visits (next batch of targets)
  • Deliver first orders (photograph every delivery)
  • Post stockist announcements (IG + LinkedIn)
  • Send influencer seeding cases (5 mixed cases)

Week 4 Process + Optimise

  • Review conversion rate: visits → samples → orders
  • Adjust pitch based on common objections
  • Target: 8 total new accounts by end of Week 4
  • Begin LinkedIn content cadence (2x/week)
  • Compile first “in the wild” photo gallery
2

Momentum

Weeks 5 – 8

Weekly Routine

Day Activity
Monday Plan the week: review CRM, confirm visits, check stock
Tuesday 4 visits (Dublin)
Wednesday 4 visits (Kildare/commuter belt)
Thursday Follow-ups, deliveries, admin
Friday Content: photos, social posts, LinkedIn

Weeks 5–8 Key Targets

  • 15 new accounts by end of Week 8 (cumulative: ~23)
  • 5 influencer seedings per week
  • 1 PR coverage piece
  • Monthly IG: 16 posts (4 Brew, 4 Beer, 4 Venue, 4 People/Place)
  • First off-licence accounts (target 3)
  • First event booking confirmed

New Channels

Off-Licence

Approach 10 independent off-licences with case pricing + sale-or-return offer. Target venues with existing craft beer sections and local product focus.

Events

Pitch to 3 summer festivals or corporate events. Mobile tap setup, branded cups, volume pricing. Great for brand exposure and sampling at scale.

Hotels

Approach 5 hotels with the custom beer / exclusive range angle. “Your hotel, your beer” — private-label opportunity for premium properties.

3

Scale

Weeks 9 – 12

Weeks 9–12 Targets

  • 30 total new accounts (20 on-trade + 10 off-trade)
  • Weekly revenue: €3,500+
  • Reorder rate from existing accounts: 70%+
  • 3 PR coverage pieces total
  • Social proof: 20+ “in the wild” photos

Strategic Actions

  • Production review: Can Michael handle 3 brews/week consistently?
  • Distribution conversation: If delivery is maxing out Barry's time, explore a distribution partner
  • Second brewer: Start conversations about a part-time brewing assistant
  • Export: Contact Bord Bia about UK market entry support
  • Seasonal beer: Launch a summer limited edition (Summer Session?)
  • Aldi conversation: Pitch KBC cans to Aldi buyer (already have the ProKulture relationship)
Section 06

Budget Estimate — 90 Days

Lean investment. The biggest cost is Barry's time — and that's free.

Item Cost Notes
Sample cans (200 × 4-packs) €400 ~€2 COGS each. Sampling is the #1 sales tool.
Sell sheet printing (200 copies) €80 A4 colour, double-sided
Grand Slam offer cards (100) €60
Tap handles (10 sets) €500 For first-order incentives
Drip mats (100) €150 Branded
Influencer seeding (20 cases) €600 ~€30 COGS per mixed case with notes
Fuel / transport €400 Dublin/Kildare visits
PR product samples (10 cases) €300 For journalists, €30 COGS per case
Total ~€2,490
“Lean budget. The biggest investment is Barry's time.”
Section 07

Key Milestones

The checkpoints that matter. Hit these and the plan is working.

End Week 2
First New Orders
3+ first orders from initial venue visits
End Week 4
Foundation Complete
8 new accounts, CRM working, PR seeded
End Week 8
Momentum Confirmed
23 accounts, reorders flowing, 1 PR piece
End Week 12
Scale Ready
30 accounts, €3,500/week, production at capacity
End Q3 2026
Multi-Channel
40+ accounts, events flowing, off-licence growing
End 2026
Revenue Target
€200k+ annual from KBC (currently ~€104k)
Section 08

Risk Register

Know the risks. Have the mitigations. No surprises.

Production Capacity Maxed
Plan 2nd brewer hire at 25 accounts. Start conversations early so you're not scrambling.
Likelihood: Medium Impact: High
Michael Lynch Availability
Cross-train Barry or hire assistant. Michael is the single point of failure — build redundancy.
Likelihood: Low Impact: Very High
Price Pressure from Venues
Hold price. Free case IS the discount. Never undercut your own margins.
Likelihood: Medium Impact: Medium
Slow Venue Conversion
Adjust pitch, increase samples, test different channels. If visits aren't converting, change the approach, not the goal.
Likelihood: Medium Impact: Medium
Competitor Enters Local Market
First-mover + local = moat. Nobody else has the Kildare story. Speed is the defence.
Likelihood: Low Impact: Medium
Barry's Time Spread Too Thin
Focus on highest-value visits. Hire a sales rep at 30 accounts. Ciarán taking Lock 13 ops frees capacity.
Likelihood: High Impact: High
Delivery Logistics Bottleneck
Engage a distributor at 30+ accounts. Direct delivery works at scale — but only to a point.
Likelihood: Medium Impact: Medium
Keg Loss / Damage
Track all kegs. Deposit system. Number every keg, log every delivery, chase every return.
Likelihood: Low Impact: Low
Section 09

Decision Points

Pre-planned triggers. When you hit these thresholds, you make the call — not before, not after.

Trigger: 20 Accounts

Hire a Part-Time Sales Rep?

If conversion rate holds, a part-time rep (3 days/week, €500/week) doubles visit capacity. Barry focuses on high-value accounts and strategy. The rep handles the volume work: cold visits, follow-ups, deliveries.

Trigger: 30 Accounts

Engage a Distributor?

Direct delivery becomes unsustainable past 30 accounts. Explore Richmond Marketing or a regional distributor. The margin hit (~15%) is offset by the time saved and the accounts a distributor opens that Barry never could.

Trigger: 30 Accounts

Hire a Second Brewer?

Michael can't sustain 3+ brews/week indefinitely. A part-time brewing assistant (€400/week) keeps production ahead of demand. Don't wait until you're turning down orders — start the search at 25 accounts.

Section 10

Non-Negotiables

The rules that don't bend. These protect the brand, the margins, and the reputation.