Gintonica: Aussie online booze retailer collapses

An online alcohol retailer has become the latest victim of inflation pressures, collapsing just a month after announcing it was up for sale.

An online alcohol retailer has collapsed, just a month after announcing it was up for sale. Picture: Instagram.

An online alcohol retailer has collapsed, just a month after announcing it was up for sale.

Victoria-based retailer Gintonica, which specialises in Australian craft gin, went into insolvency on June 21, according to an announcement by ASIC.

David Ross from I&R Advisory has been appointed as administrator.

Customers with active orders from Gintonica are urged to contact the company directly.

Aussie retailer Gintonica has collapsed. Picture: Instagram.

The company built its brand on savvy products and marketing, including an annual gin advent calendar, a subscription-based gin delivery service and gin-related gifts. Founder David Box is also the author of “Australian Gin”, a comprehensive book about Aussie spirits that hit shelves in 2019.

Just a month ago, Mr Box posted on social media to announce he was selling the company.

“Time to pass the baton to fresh passion, new ideas and better skill sets,” Mr Box wrote on LinkedIn.

“Gintonica’s online gin and whisky business, after 6 years of promoting Aussie Spirits, is up for sale.”

Mr Box’s sibling website, WhiskyRocks, was founded in 2021 and was included in the sale. It’s unclear whether the whisky arm of the business is impacted by the administration.

The first meeting of Gintonica’s creditors is due to take place on July 3.

Founder David Box (left) is also the author of “Australian Gin”. Picture: Instagram.

News of the collapse comes at a difficult time for online alcohol businesses, after online retailer Boozebud and business-to-business supply chain platform Kaddy both brought in voluntary administrators in May.

Boozebud announced it was going into voluntary administration, with administrator Michael Brereton saying the decision was made due to cost pressures.

“We have made the difficult decision that the company has insufficient funds to continue operating,” Mr Brereton told news.com.au.

“We have accordingly been forced to stop taking future orders via the online portal. We have also made the difficult decision to lay off staff.”

In the same month, it was revealed that business-to-business alcohol supplier Kaddy had gone into administration but was holding onto its clients’ booze.

Clients including wine bars, restaurants, vineyards and liquor distributors were clamouring to retrieve millions of dollars worth of alcohol located in warehouses belonging to the collapsed start-up, according to Nine newspapers.

The ASX-listed company was put into administration after it failed to raise fresh capital from investors and a slew of executives left the company.

Originally published as Gintonica: Aussie online booze retailer collapses