8 min.
8.4.2024
A license plate for the world
Text
Casper Hindse
Photo:
Nikolaj Ditlev
Christian Christensen couldn't sit still anymore. After an entrepreneurial adventure in Australia, he had taken a job at Coop Denmark, but the routine work quickly bored him. One afternoon, while scrolling through the product portfolio, he noticed plant-based drinks. Sales had increased significantly.
- I gained a level of customer insight that few are granted, and I saw that more and more people were buying plant-based drinks, says the now 58-year-old founder and CEO of Dryk.
- I discovered that one company held 96% of the market in Denmark. It sounded difficult to challenge them, which is exactly why it was tempting – it’s precisely when something is difficult that you truly learn.
At home, he proposed this entrepreneurial adventure to his wife, and she was on board. Without any experience, they got started, and a few years later, Dryk is now a success. Their plant-based drink froths in the coffee at Lagkagehuset, Riccos Kaffebar, and Coffee Collective, and is sold in countries including Singapore, Poland, the Netherlands, Greece, Taiwan, and China.
ABOUT DRYK
- Dryk is a plant-based drink. The company was founded in 2020.
- Invested one million kroner without a single customer. The company has focused on sustainable values and exports to international markets.
- Has won awards including 'Plant Growth Entrepreneur of the Year' and 'Culinary Action! On The Road' in 2022, as well as the 'Køge Municipality Entrepreneurship Award' in 2024.
- Today, the company has 14 employees.
Values in play
Dryk has been a process of learning by doing. Originally, the company was to be called 'Mølk', but the name was too close to the cow-based product most Danes are familiar with. A few hours before registration, they chose 'Dryk', which was intended to mean 'healthy drink' in Old Danish.
The couple ordered the smallest possible batch of plant-based drink. The invoice came to one million kroner. The couple decided to move from North Zealand to the island's cheaper, southern part so that the money would last in the long run.
- We just had one small problem - we didn't have any customers yet, says Christian Christensen with a smile.
They threw themselves into what is known in entrepreneurial terms as 'cold calling'. Sales, sales, sales. Dryk talked about values and sustainability, and the cafes were ready, but then the COVID-19 lockdown hit. So, the adventure took a turn before it had even really begun in 2020.
- This is where our values really came into play. We started selling online, and the Danes embraced it. That told me we were on the right track.
Dryk has been a process of learning by doing. Originally, the company was to be called 'Mølk', but the name was too close to the cow-based product most Danes are familiar with. A few hours before registration, they chose 'Dryk', which was intended to mean 'healthy drink' in Old Danish.
The couple ordered the smallest possible batch of plant-based drink. The invoice came to one million kroner. The couple decided to move from North Zealand to the island's cheaper, southern part so that the money would last in the long run.
- We just had one small problem - we didn't have any customers yet, says Christian Christensen with a smile.
They threw themselves into what is known in entrepreneurial terms as 'cold calling'. Sales, sales, sales. Dryk talked about values and sustainability, and the cafes were ready, but then the COVID-19 lockdown hit. So, the adventure took a turn before it had even really begun in 2020.
- This is where our values really came into play. We started selling online, and the Danes embraced it. That told me we were on the right track.
Had to look abroad
When Denmark reopened, it became clear that Dryk's plant-based drinks reached beyond the country's borders.
- We belong in the export market. Our product is too good and too premium to be limited to the Danish market, says Christian Christensen.
Several players have entered the market since, but from the start, Dryk focused on thinking globally.
- After the lockdowns, we could see that we had to look abroad. We had short payment terms, so we needed to scale up. That’s why we sought out distributors who could take a full truckload rather than just a few cases, he explains.
Dryk invested in advertising in the Netherlands, Germany, and Poland in 2021, which quickly yielded results.
- The first year we had a turnover of 1.8 million kroner, then 7.8 million, then 11.8 million, and last year between 17 and 18 million. This year we are aiming for 27 million. It’s a business that makes sense.
When the world opened up again after the lockdowns, we could quickly see that we had to look abroad because the Danish market wasn't big enough.
THE ROLE OF GS1
- Master data is created in GS1Trade Sync.
- Having data centralized in one system means that customers avoid having to search around for information.
- The more people who register, the easier and simpler it becomes to trade. Both in Denmark and abroad.
- Dryk has made extensive use of Guidance and support from GS1 Member Services.
Market-driven
If there is one country many Danish entrepreneurs look to when they want to scale their business, it is China. It is a tough nut to crack, but Dryk has quickly gained a foothold.
The demand for sustainable products has paved the way.
– As our customers have grown, it places even greater demands on us to deliver better and faster. We send entire trucks to the Netherlands every three weeks, which means we need to be able to pay and scale up. China is a special case here because the market is so large, says Christian Christensen, and continues:
- When you have thought big and focused on values in your marketing, it is easier to deliver to China because the market drives the infrastructure. If I need to send two containers to Shanghai, everything is organized so that it goes smoothly. There are fewer food requirements than in other countries, but it requires us to be sharp on quality and values at Dryk.
The barcode plays a major role
To stay on track, Dryk has taken several initiatives. Among other things, the company has entered into a partnership with the Danish Nature Fund (Den Danske Naturfond). For every product sold in Scandinavia, they donate an amount corresponding to the area of the bottom of a Dryk carton – which adds up to quite a lot of protected nature.
At the same time, GS1 barcodes have played a crucial role in Dryk's growth.
– Originally, I knew nothing about GS1, so we just bought a number series. But I quickly discovered how much the support from GS1 means. It is easy to recognize our products because GS1 ensures that we have a license plate when we need to go out and operate in the world, says Christian Christensen:
– I am not much of a technician or paperwork person myself, and here a system like GS1Trade Sync saves us a lot of time. At the same time, GS1's customer service is fabulous – you are allowed to be ignorant and ask questions. I am sure that GS1 has been a decisive factor in our rapid international growth.
When the world opened up again after the lockdowns, we could quickly see that we had to look abroad because the Danish market was not big enough.
GS1'S ROLE
- Master data is created in GS1Trade Sync.
- Centralizing data in one system means that customers avoid having to search around for information.
- The more people who register, the easier and simpler it becomes to trade. Both in Denmark and abroad.
- Dryk has made extensive use of guidance and support from GS1's member services.
