Accolade Wines is launching a new merchandising solution for convenience stores, which organises wine based on price and occasions.
The move follows a three-month trial with Parfetts Cash and Carry symbol group, Go Local, and seven of its retail partners. It is being supported with a new retail support platform – Wine Advantage – which provides insight into the trial plus the tools required to implement the new fixture and the ability to order free PoS.
Thomas Joyce-Brown, head of trade marketing Europe, said the initiative demonstrated Accolade’s category leading position to the trade and helped retailers understand what to do with wine.
“Wine is really hard as a category versus confectionery or cosmetics, for example. There are not many other categories where you have to have a diploma to understand it,” he said.
Retailers faced several challenges with regards to wine, Joyce-Brown added.
They are restricted on store space, staff are time poor and there is little wine knowledge; while media options are often limited. Further, shoppers have really low dwell time in convenience, he said.
However, wine shoppers are valuable customers with a higher overall basket spend – £12.55 versus £7.27.
That showed that “getting wine right” will drive overall sales, Joyce-Brown said.
Accolade’s new solution adopts a ‘one size fits all’ approach, recognising that it is too complicated to personalise offers to local communities.
It is designed to be clear and simple for both retailers and shoppers in order to drive category growth.
The ‘fixture of the future’ merchandises wine by price with the lowest on the bottom and the highest at the top and by occasions, which are ‘called out’ on shelf and at the PoS to make it easier to shop; and it focuses on the biggest brands.
The five occasions or shopper missions are:
- Gift, treat and celebrate £9.00 +
- Party essentials £8-9.00
- Perfect for tonight £7-8.00
- Great value £7.00
- Flavour favourites (fruit flavoured wines) £7.00
In trial, stores achieved a 14% uplift in total volumes and a 13% rise in overall values; while the category value increased by 9% versus a -4% decline in the wider market.
Retailers said the occasion-based approach was a key selling lever, especially for events such as Valentine’s Day.
The revamped Wine Advantage platform, which is also optimised for mobile, provides retailers with access to all the tools for implementation.
“It’s a hub for people selling wine,” said Joyce-Brown.
Accolade is encouraging participation with a free case of wine for those retailers who sign up, order the PoS and take a photograph of their in-store display.
