Big organisations have bought this way for decades: when they need a supplier, they don't accept the first quote - they run a tender, inviting several suppliers to compete for the business. Drinks procurement for hospitality is finally catching up. Here's what a drinks tender is, and why it works.
What is a drinks tender?
A drinks tender is simply a structured way of asking multiple wholesalers to quote for your drinks list at the same time, on the same terms, so you can compare like for like. Instead of phoning round for ad-hoc prices, you publish one brief - your products, volumes and requirements - and let suppliers respond to it.
A good tender brief typically includes:
- Your full product list, by category
- Weekly or monthly volumes per line
- Your current price per line, so suppliers know what to beat
- Delivery requirements and any preferences
Why competitive tendering cuts your bill
Tendering changes the dynamic in three ways:
- Suppliers compete. When a wholesaler knows others are quoting on the same list, they sharpen their pencil. A single quote, with no competitive pressure, rarely comes back as keen.
- You compare like for like. Seeing every quote against your current price, line by line, turns a vague 'are we paying too much?' into a precise, pound-figure answer.
- You discover new suppliers. Tendering surfaces independent and regional wholesalers you might never have called - often the ones who want your business most.
The role of anonymity
There's a catch with doing this yourself: the moment wholesalers know who you are, the quoting gets political. Anonymity keeps everyone honest - suppliers compete purely on price and service for your list, not on who you are or what you paid last year.
Run anonymously, a tender means wholesalers quote their best price up front, because they're competing blind against everyone else who delivers to your area.
How Liquid Market runs your tender for you
You don't need a procurement department to tender. On Liquid Market it takes minutes:
- Upload your drinks list, or a recent invoice we can build it from.
- Your tender goes out anonymously to every wholesaler that delivers to your postcode.
- Quotes come back in a standardised comparison view - current price vs each offer, with your total saving calculated automatically.
- You choose the supplier that's right for you, and make contact on your terms.
It's free for venues, with no card required. Run your first drinks tender, or learn more about comparing free trade drinks suppliers.