In this conversational interview, host Polly Barnfield, OBE, talks with Jane, the e‑commerce manager at near2, about Woodbridge Kitchen Co., a kitchen‑ware retailer that uses creative alcohol‑related products and visual merchandising to drive both online and in‑store traffic. They highlight the "make‑your‑own pink gin" kit, which sidesteps direct alcohol sales by providing botanicals and a bottle for customers to add their own vodka, positioning it as a three‑in‑one gift that feels like an alchemy experience. The discussion moves to Woodbridge’s social‑media strategy: Instagram posts and stories showcase beautifully staged vignettes of products in home settings, differentiating these visuals from the more transactional images on the near2 marketplace. Jane explains how the shop’s window displays—seasonal themes, plastic‑free collections, hand‑painted art—serve as physical and digital eye‑catchers that stop the scroll and invite footfall. The conversation underscores how these alcohol‑centric gift kits and creative displays act as pull‑factors, encouraging customers to visit the store and make additional purchases. The interview concludes with a preview of future episodes featuring other businesses that excel at selling alcohol online.
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We're just doing a little theme here of how businesses are using social media to sell alcohol. I'm joined by Jane who's the E commerce manager at near2 to look at another one of the great near2 businesses, Woodbridge Kitchen Co. Who are being really innovative in the way they sell alcohol as well as their pots and pans. Jane, tell me more.
The Woodbridge Company, they're brilliant. They have the most amazing selection of products that I never knew I needed but now have been thoroughly added to my cart. But one of the projects I really wanted to highlight was a way that they sell alcohol without selling alcohol, which sounds bonkers but one of their best selling products on near to is is actually their make your own pink gin kit which I thought was just a fantastic product highlight which they supply with the bottle and the botanicals. And you add your own vodka to make pink gin.
I can't quite work out why you add vodka to make gin but as a self professed addict of making Damson gin and BlackBerry whiskey, I'm a buyer of this. I think it's fantastic. After you do.
I was going to say it's just a really nice idea to have. It's sort of. It's a three in one gift, isn't it? You have a project, you feel like an alchemist when you add everything together and then you've got the anticipation to see what it can taste like when you actually finally get to drink it.
Absolutely brilliant. And how do they, how do they bring this to life on social?
Well, on social they sort of touch a bit on their cocktails but mainly for their social media they, they focus on beautiful products within their shop. So I think for other retailers to have a look at their shop rather than using the curated images from their wholesalers, what they do is they create beautiful sort of vignettes in store of exactly how you can merchandise their products and how they'll look in your home. So you get a lovely idea of what the store looks like but also how you will see these things in your home. And I don't know if you can see on the screen, this is their cocktail kits for their individual cocktails which are fun as well.
Oh wow. Love potion me baby. Can I say sex on the beep on the beach. There we go. Yeah, I love it. I mean really. And yeah, it makes you want to visit the store or buy it online and probably a great puller, a great way to pull people into the kitchen shop itself because this is, this is, this is a, this is a gift and while you're there, you're going to buy something else, right? Yeah.
I don't think you'd ever come out of there empty handed. They've got such an amazing selection of things. I mean, only today I noticed they've got those fantastic glug glug jugs, but in every colour under the sun. And I can't even work out which one I want. There's just so many to choose from. I want them all. So I'd never leave there empty handed.
Very clever to have done them in a series of threes because it makes you think, well, I want three, doesn't it? I need family. Yeah, making family. So, Jane, I think for me one of the standout things here is how they're the difference between their product pictures on the maybe on the near to marketplace versus how they merchandise on Instagram. Again, it's very much I want to go to the store, whereas actually on the marketplace it's about buy my product. Should we have a quick look at their stories as well?
Yes, of course. Should we pop to their window displays? They do some fantastic window displays. They're at the heart of the village so they really make the most of their windows and they do them all themselves. So this is their Christmas display with that beautiful gingerbread.
That's fantastic, isn't it?
And then they did a selection of plastic free windows where they created all their plastic free products. And then they did this beautiful hand painting which the owner does all herself, which is fantastic and just really fun. Creative ideas of how to utilise their shop front. Because you spend a lot of money owning a shop, it's nice to really highlight your position within a town.
And this brings. This is both. It stops you physically, but it also stops the thumb, it stops the scroll. Right, yeah. Which is what social is all about. So hats off to Woodbridge. Really great job. And I love the way that they are using alcohol as a footfall driver in effect to their store. Really clever. Really clever. Yeah. Great job. Good find it, Jane.
Thank you.
I think we've got a little bit of a theme coming up. I think I'm speaking to you again shortly about another business that's doing alcohol rather well online.
Yeah. Keeping with the triples and treats, I think theme with us.
