8 min.
April 8, 2024
A license plate for the world
Text:
Casper Hindse
Photo:
Nikolaj Ditlev
Christian Christensen could no longer sit still. After an entrepreneurial adventure in Australia, he had landed a job at Coop Denmark, but the routine work quickly bored him. As he scrolled through the product portfolio one afternoon, he noticed plant-based drinks. Sales had increased significantly.
- I got a customer insight that few people get and saw that more and more people were buying plant-based drinks," says the 58-year-old founder and CEO of Dryk.
- I discovered that one company had 96% of the market in Denmark. It sounded difficult to challenge them, which is why it was tempting - it's precisely when something is difficult that you really learn.
Back home, he suggested this entrepreneurial adventure to his wife and she was on board. With no experience, they started, and a few years later, Dryk is now a success. Their plant drink is foaming in the coffee in Lagkagehuset, Ricco's Kaffebar and Coffee Collective, and is sold in Singapore, Poland, the Netherlands, Greece, Taiwan and China.
ABOUT DRY
- Dryk is a plant-based beverage. The company was founded in 2020.
- Invested a million kroner without a single customer. The company has focused on sustainable values and exporting abroad.
- He has won 'PlantGrowth Entrepreneur of the Year' and 'Culinary Action! On The Road' in 2022 and the 'Køge Municipality Entrepreneur Award' in 2024.
- Today, the company has 14 employees.
Values in play
Dryk has been learning by doing. Originally, the company was to be called 'Mølk', but the name was too close to the coproduct most Danes know. A few hours before registration, the choice fell on 'Dryk', which meant 'healthy drink' in Old Danish.
The couple ordered the smallest possible order of plant drink. The invoice was for one million kroner. The couple decided to move from North Zealand to the cheaper and more southerly part of the island so that the money would be right in the long run.
- We just had a small problem - we had no customers yet, says Christian Christensen with a smile.
They embarked on what is known in entrepreneurial language as 'cold canvas' selling. Sales sales sales sales. Dryk talked about values and sustainability, and the cafés were ready, but then the corona lockdown hit. So the adventure took a turn even before it had really begun in 2020.
- This is where our values really came into play. We started selling online and the Danes welcomed it. That told me that we were on the right track.
Dryk has been learning by doing. Originally, the company was to be called 'Mølk', but the name was too close to the coproduct most Danes know. A few hours before registration, the choice fell on 'Dryk', which meant 'healthy drink' in Old Danish.
The couple ordered the smallest possible order of plant drink. The invoice was for one million kroner. The couple decided to move from North Zealand to the cheaper and more southerly part of the island so that the money would be right in the long run.
- We just had a small problem - we had no customers yet, says Christian Christensen with a smile.
They embarked on what is known in entrepreneurial language as 'cold canvas' selling. Sales sales sales sales. Dryk talked about values and sustainability, and the cafés were ready, but then the corona lockdown hit. So the adventure took a turn even before it had really begun in 2020.
- This is where our values really came into play. We started selling online and the Danes welcomed it. That told me that we were on the right track.
Had to search out
When Denmark reopened, it was clear that Dryk's plant drink reached beyond its borders.
- We belong in the export market. Our product is too good and too expensive to only be on the Danish market," says Christian Christensen.
Several players have since joined, but Dryk focused on thinking globally from the start.
- After the lockdowns, we could see that we had to look outside. We had short payment terms, so we had to scale up. That's why we were looking for distributors who could take a whole truckload rather than a few boxes," he explains.
Dryk focused on advertising in the Netherlands, Germany and Poland in 2021, which quickly paid off.
- The first year we had a turnover of DKK 1.8 million, then DKK 7.8 million, then DKK 11.8 million and last year between DKK 17 and 18 million. This year we're aiming for 27 million. It's a business that makes sense.
When the world reopened after the lockdowns, we quickly realized that we had to leave because the Danish market was not big enough.
GS1'S ROLE
- Master data is created in GS1Trade Sync.
- Data centralized in one system means customers don't have to search around for information.
- The more people register, the easier and simpler it will be to shop. Both in Denmark and abroad.
- Dryk has made extensive use of guidance and support from GS1 Member Services.
Driven by the market
If there's one country many Danish entrepreneurs look to when they want to take their business to the next level, it's China. It's a tough nut to crack, but Dryk has quickly gained a foothold.
The demand for sustainable products has made the road shorter.
- As our customers have gotten bigger, it puts even more demands on us to deliver better and faster. We send full trucks to the Netherlands every three weeks, which means we have 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've thought big and invested in marketing values, it's easier to deliver to China because the market drives the infrastructure. If I need to send two containers to Shanghai, everything is organized so it's easy. There are fewer food requirements than in other countries, but it requires us to focus on quality and value in Dryk.
The barcode plays a big role
To keep up to date with itself, Dryk has therefore taken several initiatives. Among other things, the company has partnered with the Danish Nature Foundation. For every product sold in Scandinavia, they donate an amount equivalent to the area at the bottom of a Dryk carton - which adds up to a whole lot of free nature.
At the same time, GS1 barcodes have played a crucial role in Dryk's growth.
- Initially, I knew nothing about GS1, so we just bought a number range. But I quickly realized how much the support from GS1 means. It's easy to recognize our products because GS1 makes sure we have a number plate when we go out and about in the world," says Christian Christensen:
- I'm not much of a technician or voucher man myself, and 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 stupid and ask questions. I'm sure GS1 has been a crucial factor in our rapid international growth.
When the world reopened after the lockdowns, we quickly realized that we had to leave because the Danish market was not big enough.
GS1'S ROLE
- Master data is created in GS1Trade Sync.
- Data centralized in one system means customers don't have to search around for information.
- The more people register, the easier and simpler it will be to shop. Both in Denmark and abroad.
- Dryk has made extensive use of guidance and support from GS1 Member Services.
