Product Detail Page (PDP) Listing Information

• Stand out against the competitors: Virginia ABC carries 3,600+ products in Virginia ABC stores. Enhance your search results: The better you look on Google, the better appeal to customers
• Look your best: According to Field Agent, 83% of smartphone users in the US said product images are “very” and “extremely” influential to their purchasing decision. 
• Attract New Customers: Each year, Virginia ABC receives more than 10 million total website visits. To get the visibility for your products, make sure the photos and descriptions are consistently updated for our customers that browse.
• Strengthen Brand Recognition: A strong product listing combined with retail presence gives customers two opportunities to remember your brand and increases the chance of a positive buying decision.
• Taste without trying: A strong description should leave the customer excited to taste and smell your product(s). 

• .JPG file 350 px (horizontal) x 450 px (vertical).
• Photo of 750 ml bottle, if possible
• Centered and isolated on a bright white or transparent background with well lit and legible labeling.
• Image that indicates accurate liquid color

• Drop shadows, reflections or artistic backgrounds
• Medals or award indications attached to bottle 
• Additional objects in photo (cups/glasses, ingredients, logos) 
• Twisted or tilted image that does not align with edges of photo

The purpose of a description is to provide practical product information that can support a customer's decision to purchase. It also provides brief text to accompany search results to encourage customers to click into a product description page. A product description should generally be 100-200 words and be in a single paragraph. Overall, the description should contain helpful and engaging language for customers.

Ideally, a description provides some or all of the following elements:

• Source: Example: Try to identify the distillery and provide link for all Virginia products ("From A. Smith Bowman Distillery, ...")
• Background: Explanation of the name, history or inspiration ("the proud legacy of the best whiskey maker the world never knew, Tennessee distilling legend, Nearest Green.")
• Ingredients. Distinctive ingredients/ what makes the product unique ("made of water from the renowned Karlovy Vary spa")
• Production methods. Example: ("aged for many years in new charred oak casks before being refilled in various casks for an additional 1-3 years")
• Tasting notes. Example: ("marries traditional notes of juniper, rose and coriander together with contemporary elements of ginger, grapefruit, black tea and butterfly pea flower")
• Usage notes:  Example: ("perfect for mixed drinks or for anyone who prefers to drink their gin straight")

Thing to Avoid:

• First person voice. Descriptions should not say "we," but should always be in the third person.
• Superlatives ("the best bourbon in America.") - not every cup of coffee is the "best in New York"
• Off-color or potentially offensive copy
• Awards ("won the Double Gold Medal at the 2021 San Francisco World Spirits Competition")
• Time-dated copy ("The latest in Heaven Hill's bourbon line...")
• Comparisons to other products ("This is absolutely better than….")
• Encouragement to overconsume ("Packs twice the punch as other readymade cocktails!")
• ® or trademark items

How do I get my product listed?  

Virginia ABC considers new products to be carried in its stores on a quarterly basis. The process of bringing in new items is called “Listings,” and the new products appear on shelves, and on our website at the beginning of each quarter. To be considered, a new product must be submitted to the Virginia ABC Listing Committee for evaluation. The submission period opens approximately six months prior to the on-shelf date.

To learn more, please visit Listings and Delistings. 

I am a vendor and want my product listing changed/updated. How do I do that?

To submit changes (general product maintenance, price changes, bottles per case, UPC/SCC changes, please visit the MIPS and EEM Resources page for information on how to submit these changes in MIPS.