CRAZY UNCLE: Bruno & Davide Codispoti
Bruno & Davide Codispoti
Co-founders
Crazy Uncle
Based on your data, insights and experience, what’s trending for summer?
As convenience stores gear up for their first summer of beverage alcohol sales, early indicators suggest an important shift in ready-to-drink (RTD) cooler trends for summer 2025. After years of low-to-no sugar seltzers ruling the shelves, many consumers are now seeking nostalgia, bold flavour, and authenticity. This season, full-flavoured, personality-driven beverages are back in a big way. With standout options like Hard Root Beer and Hard Cream Soda for Grown Ups, and a new-school take on classic Strawberry Cream Soda, Crazy Uncle delivers the kind of fun, familiar taste experiences today’s shoppers are thirsty for. A fresh take on familiar flavours strikes the right balance between curiosity and comfort, encouraging consumers to try, and more importantly, to return. This approach helps avoid “one-and-done” purchases by delivering a taste that’s both interesting and craveable enough to buy again.
Which of your products do you anticipate being hot sellers this summer?
We anticipate Crazy Uncle Hard Root Beer and Hard Cream Soda will be standout sellers this summer as full-flavoured, nostalgic beverages continue their resurgence. Hard Root Beer already enjoys strong loyalty for its rich, indulgent profile, but it’s Crazy Uncle Hard Cream Soda that’s set to drive excitement. Until now, it’s been hard to find in Ontario, creating pent-up demand among fans eager for its return. With its expanded availability this summer, consumers will be actively seeking it out. These products also align well with convenience store shoppers, who tend to favour bold, familiar flavours and impulse-ready treats. Leaning into familiar soda flavours in the early stages of alcohol sales helps ease consumers into the new category with something they recognize and trust. It’s not just a trend, it’s a strategic way to build confidence, drive trial, and meet customers where they’re at.
What are the outside influences shaping the space?
Outside influences are continuing to shape the RTD cooler space as consumers look for beverages that strike a balance between novelty and familiarity. While the seltzer boom introduced a wave of low- and no-sugar options, the pendulum is now swinging toward variet--with demand growing for a mix of no-, low-, mid-, and fully sweetened products that can satisfy a broad range of tastes and occasions. Recent data shows that consumers are drawn to fresh, interesting takes on familiar flavours, but only when the liquid delivers on approachability and craveability. If a product is too niche or unconventional, it risks being a one-time trial. To drive repeat purchases, especially in the high-turn environment of convenience retail, beverages need to be enjoyable enough to stock up on and reliable enough to come back for. This is exactly where brands like Crazy Uncle excel, offering bold, flavourful twists on soda shop classics that feel both exciting and reassuringly familiar.
This is the first sales summer for convenience retailers. What advice can you share in terms of seasonal demand, sales cycles, category management, planograms, etc.?
To capitalize on the momentum of summer beverage alcohol trends, convenience retailers should take a strategic approach to seasonal demand and category planning. RTD sales, especially in coolers, are highly weather-dependent, often spiking with the first signs of warm weather and surging around weekends, holidays, and heat waves. That means early readiness is critical. Retailers should build out planograms that prioritize high-turn, high-appeal SKUs like Crazy Uncle Hard Sodas in visible, easy-to-grab placements. Ensure a balanced assortment across sweetness levels and flavour profiles to appeal to different consumer preferences. Anticipate demand peaks by working closely with distributors to maintain in-stock positions, especially on products with buzz or limited availability—like Crazy Uncle Hard Cream Soda. Reviewing sales data weekly and flexing space for top performers can help maximize profits throughout the season. Smart planning, agility, and strong alignment with consumer taste trends will be key to winning summer 2025.
In terms of perfect pairings, what other convenience items go well with your offering?
Crazy Uncle Hard Sodas pair perfectly with a range of core convenience store items, creating easy upsell opportunities and stronger basket rings. Its nostalgic, dessert-like profile makes it an ideal match for indulgent snacks like chocolate bars, ice cream sandwiches, or fresh-baked cookies from the in-store warmer. It also complements salty items like popcorn, pretzels, or kettle chips, balancing sweet and savoury in a way that satisfies spontaneous cravings. For retailers with foodservice programs, pairing Strawberry Cream Soda with grab-and-go hot dogs, fried chicken, or loaded sandwiches taps into the fun, casual vibe consumers love. With its bold flavour and approachable sweetness, Crazy Uncle Hard Sodas naturally lends itself to those feel-good, treat-yourself moments - perfectly aligned with the snacking culture at the heart of convenience retail.
