Great things come in pairs and premium boxed wine brand Laylo was started by wine enthusiast duo Laura Riches and Laura Rosenberger, who believe everyday moments should be paired with beautiful wine.
They met whilst working together at Naked Wines and gained a solid wine education as well as a long-lasting friendship – both arriving on the same idea a few years later:
“Premium boxed wine that you would proudly display on your countertop”
The idea
The wine industry can be traditional and “set in its ways”, but there’s currently some exciting innovation around packaging and sustainability. Glass bottles are heavy and difficult to transport, requiring excess packaging to prevent breakage, due to their unusual shape. In fact, traditionally made sparkling wines and those that are intended to be aged in cellars are the only wines that require glass. For still wines intended to be enjoyed immediately, bottles might be considered a relic of a bygone age.
“Boxed wine is a more carbon efficient and sustainable choice. It’s also perfect for the times you want to enjoy one glass, without committing to a bottle,” says Laura Riches. Advancements in the packaging technology means cracks don’t form and oxidise the wine, which has enabled higher quality wine to be packaged in the format. Moreover, the airtight tap keeps wine fresh up to six weeks. Did we also mention the stunning packaging that you want to show off to everyone?
Boxed wine is a more carbon efficient and sustainable choice. It’s also perfect for the times you want to enjoy one glass, without committing to a bottle."
Laura Riches
Founder
D2C as a core channel
Laylo started out with their own Shopify website, for them the benefit of D2C is the ability to curate their customer experience and be creative about how the wine is delivered. Each box of wine comes with a booklet about the wine and winemaker and a little something extra to compliment the wine and enhance the experience – but we won’t spoil what that is, you’ll have to order one for yourself to see.
In order to build awareness and surpass sales beyond friends and family, Laylo was featured on renowned Telegraph and MasterChef critic William Sitwell’s “Biting Talk” podcast, which Laura touts as “the most incredible good luck early on for our business.” On top of this they have also featured in Grazia, The Independent, Hello and Good Housekeeping to name a few. Any extra coverage fronting their competitors is also an advantage, as it raises the profile of boxed wine in the marketplace and helps to break the stigma surrounding the format.
Biggest challenge
Launching during the pandemic along with the chaos of Brexit made it difficult to get their wines into the country and at one point an entire order went missing. It took a long time to find the right freight forwarders and logistics companies before they found a trusted group of partners.
Laylo's top tips
Tip 1
Don't judge your new business by the achievements of the old. Celebrate your successes.
Tip 2
A lot of people who start their own businesses are self-critical, so stay true to your value and have confidence in your decisions and why you made them.
Tip 3
Try lots of things as it's easy to put all your eggs in one basket when it comes to customer acquisition. A wide marketing mix is the best route.
