The pandemic brought an unprecedented increase in direct to consumer (DTC) wine sales, with 8.39 million cases of wine shipped direct to consumers… which represents a 27% increase in cases shipped in 2020 over 2019, according to industry analyst Sovos Ship Compliant and reported by Wine Spectator in Home Wine Deliveries Keep on Trucking.
Furthermore, 44% of Americans who shopped online for alcohol in 2020, had never done so before, the article goes on to say, attributing this statistic to International market analysis firm IWSR.
So how can they keep those DTC wine sales increases going… and increase them further?
As wineries began offering more digital experiences and benefits that did not require in-person visits, I would be willing to bet that wineries also saw an increase of online buyers who do not live within an hour or two of the winery. Historically, the majority of DTC sales had been sourced locally… Most wine clubs regularly offer in-person perks to members (party invitations, in-person tasting perks, winery tours). This past year wineries moved to more offsite and digital experiences… and they should keep those going while expanding and customizing them.
Wineries should grow subscription, loyalty, and wine club experiences to continue their reach beyond their immediate geographic area and keep these DTC sales going.
Here are 3 simple ways wineries can capitalize on and continue increased DTC sales:
- Up the virtual tasting series
In addition to the now typical virtual tastings, wineries could offer regular digital series that include such features as:
- “Ask the winemaker” Q & A sessions (Guests can submit questions in advance and ask live)
- Winery storytelling of the adventures in running a winery/ behind the scenes (Let viewers see the messiness and as well as the superpowers at work)
- Member digital mixers (Wine lovers get to enjoy the wineries’ wines and also share stories with each other online, guided by winery team members.)
- Offer personalized suggestions via email, text or phone
Rather than sending the same wines to everyone, wineries should engage their e-commerce and other DTC customers individually via email, text or phone to find out which wines of theirs are each shopper’s favorites or fit best within their preferences.
Doing this would enable them to offer custom wine recommendations and personalized shipments of other wines that would compliment the shopper’s preferences. This could be done by engaging a sommelier team or adopting a digital wine advisor solution and matching it with their preferred communications tools.
- Send unexpected SWAG
Who doesn’t love to get something fun in the mail?
Sending small gifts like stickers, pens, coasters or beverage napkins to customers between wine shipments, when they are not expected, will keep your winery top of mind… and remind them to order more each time they use the gift. Don’t just use your logo… showcase your winery’s style with clever sayings and fun images on the gifts to spark conversation.
The stay at home orders motivated wine lovers to try new wines… and provided wineries the opportunity to whet their appetites, reaching these new customers. Now it’s time to deepen those relationships and keep the sales going.
Amy Gross is the founder and CEO of VineSleuth, which uses flavor attributes to build recommendation engines and other digital tools to match people with beverages they are sure to enjoy.