Boost wine sales with these simple changes

Segmenting wine by price and devoting a member of staff to managing the category will help independent retailers win more wine sales this year.

The advice came from two industry experts, who spoke to Retail Express. Retailers were recommended to display wines by price rather than by type and region to make the category easier for customers to shop. Chris Shead, off-trade channel director for Pernod Ricard, said: “We ran a trial with Premier in Brighton where we put it in three pricing tiers and flexed it depending on the locality. It created a 25% uplift. Premium wine is a quality perception driver for a store.”

Patrick Materman, chief winemaker for Brancott Estates, told Retail Express that retailers should invest time in helping a member of staff become an expert on wine so that they can assist customers.

“The UK market is a prosperous one for premium wines and they definitely have a place in convenience stores, but it can be difficult to encourage customers to trade up,” he said. “Engaging with customers about wine opens up the category and makes it more accessible.

“Starting a wine club can be a good way of getting customers to try new wines.”

Brancott Estate is celebrating its 40^th anniversary this year, with a drive in activity later in the year.