Case Study: Civil Alchemy drives business resilience and growth with Square

How Civil Alchemy Created a Family of Brands with Something for Everyone

Civil Alchemy, a St. Louis retailer and wholesaler with a lifestyle brand, restaurant, deli, and other sister businesses, faced major disruption during the pandemic when supply chain issues hurt orders and in-store shopping slowed. Using Square’s business tools, they worked to adapt how they sold and what they sold, including testing pre-order and subscription models to keep the business moving.

With Square, Civil Alchemy pivoted to local makers, launched pre-orders for wine, beer, spirits, and flowers, and used subscriptions to stabilize demand and better manage perishable inventory. The results included reaching 200 orders shortly after launching the pre-order program, steadier cash flow, fresher stock, and a more resilient family of brands that continues to grow beyond Webster Groves.

Civil Alchemy

Ian VanDam

Co-owner