Greetings!

Wine consumers continue to demand more wines shipped nationally as we look at a report released in Wines & Vines and ShipCompliant on October 14, 2106. I stay close to industry reports each month and compare to client data sets as DTC Wine Workshops supports wineries of all sizes nationally. A common thread that I continue to see over the past two quarters has been an increase in “wine consumer trust” when it comes to e-Commerce purchases.

The investments that winery stakeholders have made over the past five to ten years are paying off with the surge in online wine sales. As we continue to monitor consumer demand, online reviews and consumer ratings as well as feedback in club member surveys, it is apparent that brand loyalists are playing a big role in how consumers are making buying decisions. Customers are 77% more likely to buy a new product when learning about it from family and friends. (Nielsen). The numbers don’t lie when we monitor online sales increases from winery websites using peer reviews and ratings at product pages. We are seeing a significant shift in the ROI of effective e-Commerce email campaigns due to the addition of peer reviews. While wine ratings will always be an important factor in the decision making process for wine collectors and more mature wine drinkers, on average the younger wine consumer trusts wine e-Commerce sites where peer reviews are present.

What else do we know about consumer demand in 2016? On August 16, 2016 the Census Bureau of the Department of Commerce announced that the estimate of U.S. retail e-commerce sales for the second quarter of 2016, was $97.3 billion, an increase of 4.5 percent from the first quarter of 2016. Total retail sales for the second quarter of 2016 were estimated at $1,201.9 billion, an increase of 1.5 percent from the first quarter of 2016. The second quarter 2016 e-commerce estimate increased 15.8 percent from the second quarter of 2015.

If you are not seeing an increase of 15-20% in e-Commerce sales YOY, now is the time to make some very important adjustments to your e-Commerce Sales Plan. A few QUICK TIPS:

Ready to put a Strategic e-Commerce Sales Plan in place for 2017? We have a group of Direct to Consumer Wine Consultants ready to support your winery team on a project-by-project basis. Join us for an online workshop or schedule a customized workshop at your winery. For a bit of extra inspiration, review the DTC Case Study Series HERE or checkout our latest Testimonials HERE.

I hope that you enjoy this monthly DTC Wine News update and we look forward to connecting with you at an upcoming workshop or event.

Cheers!

Sandra Hess
Founder
DTC Wine Workshops 

Sources:

• http://www.winesandvines.com/template.cfm?section=widc&widcDomain=dtc
• http://www.census.gov/retail/mrts/www/data/pdf/ec_current.pdf

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