Fiege Takes a Closer Look at Digital Wine Trade

The Corona pandemic has severely affected the hospitality and tourism industries, two sectors that are classic consumers of wine producers. Especially for smaller wineries without retail presence, lockdowns and closures have led to significant revenue losses. However, current figures show that the wine industry has overall remained stable during the crisis, with a growth of six percent in 2020.

(Greven) The sales figures of major players like Lobenbergs Gute Weine impressively reflect these trends. Sales have doubled within just two years. To understand and find out where the digital wine trade in Germany currently stands in its development, what service offerings are characteristic, and what trends are emerging, Fiege’s e-commerce team has examined nearly 100 wineries and retailers.

The basis of the study is an onsite analysis of 65 German wineries and 30 online retailers, evaluated based on numerous e-commerce relevant factors. These include, for example, the use of different digital sales channels (e-shop, apps, marketplaces), the offered payment and shipping options, measures for digital customer retention, and the provision of wine-specific services such as tasting packages or recipe recommendations.

Different Services as a Sales Argument

The clear result of the study: Wineries and online retailers differ significantly in the services offered. Overall, retailers can be attributed a higher maturity level of their online activities. This is evident, for example, in the average number of payment methods offered (wineries: 3.2 vs. online retailers: 4.8), the significantly lower average shipping costs (wineries: 7.90 euros vs. online retailers: 5.70 euros), and the thresholds for free deliveries, which are only at 11 bottles or 100 euros for retailers, while wineries offer free delivery only from 25 bottles or 217 euros. Wineries, however, can score in 36 percent of cases with free in-store pickup.

Niche Marketplaces of Great Importance

“It is noteworthy that wineries consciously rely on marketplaces in addition to their own online shop to benefit from their higher reach,” says Franziska Kier, author of the study and head of Business Development New Services at Fiege. “In contrast to many other industries, Amazon plays only a minor role in wine trade for winemakers. Vicampo and WirWinzer, on the other hand, are highly regarded – 77 and 72 percent of all examined wineries sell their products this way.”

The companies agree on the relevance of service offerings and the creation of wine-specific added values in their online shops. Tasting packages and gift sets lead the list of the most popular services unchallenged, followed by recipes and food recommendations provided free of charge to shop customers. “Subscription models and online wine tastings are still more of an exception than the rule,” explains Franziska Kier. “However, their relevance will undoubtedly increase when looking at other industries. Subscriptions and live shopping events are no longer reserved solely for the industry giants of fashion and beauty.”

Customer Retention as a Long-Term Success Factor

The study also shows: To not only convince customers with services but also to retain them long-term, the analyzed providers use various approaches. Newsletter registration in exchange for vouchers worth five to ten euros clearly dominates both parties. Customer loyalty programs and “refer a friend” campaigns are currently almost exclusively used by retailers. The clear focus is on financial benefits in the form of payback systems or permanent discounts.

In the study, the FIEGE team also addressed many other exciting topics, such as the social media presence of the companies and the current spread of cross-industry online trends in digital wine trade – enriched with many best practices.

Photo: © Fiege