Wine and Vine’s article about trends in wine retail and what retailers like is aimed at wine producers, but it’s worth a read for those of us in retail, too. [level-members]
Yes, wine in cans is hot. And labels absolutely affect consumer perception of wines. (As one supermarket executive put it, “It’s still a surprise when a good wine looks like the label was created by a third grader.”) So what does that mean for retailers.
As the article points out, staying with industry trends is important to a point, but going too far can backfire. You do begin to lose the trust of a larger portion of your audience if you’re seen as chasing each new thing. Which isn’t to say there isn’t some market to be gained by offering, say, wine in cans or orange wine or that wine that they used to flavor gummy bears.
But that can’t be the “lead story” of your shop. There’s got to be a more authentic backbone of solid wines that grounds your shop as something other than a trendy chaser of the next big thing. Trends may attract occasional wine drinkers, but those that stick around to become more passionate about wine are going to demand more. And that’s your primary audience.
We’ll talk tomorrow about straying (intelligently) from the beaten path while still staying solid. [/level-members]