Robin Shaw from Wine Tourism Australia responds to an article in WBM newsletter The Week That Was about people trying before they buy – and how good old-fashioned service in the wine industry is still attractive to customers.
Charging customers to try on items in store is a response to what retailers call ‘showrooming’ and it’s not new.
Back in 2011 Aussie retailers were grumbling about people trying on items then buying online instead and threatened to charge a fitting fee.
The main instigators were high end specialty retailers which promised a refund of the fee if they purchased.
It didn’t take, and online purchasing has grown exponentially, which poses another problem for e-tailers: funding the ubiquitous free returns.
Savvy shoppers purchase different sizes, styles and colours and simply return what they don’t want for a full refund, eating into profits on already-reduced items.
Astute businesses know this is happening, and some offer a try-on service for $20 per item, redeemable if the item is purchased.
And there’s no pushback by shoppers… indeed, I’ve used the service myself.
The move from free tastings at cellar doors to charging has taken decades to catch on and the great gift of Covid was the move to booked, seated and paid tastings.
Many offer fee redemptions on purchase, though I fail to see why this is necessary, when offering a genuine service experience that includes wine – and often a few crackers or nuts on the side – is something worth paying for.
While there are still a few die-hards who think their tastings should be gratis, the younger generation is not only willing to pay for an experience, but they also expect it.
Sure, a freebie tasting is welcome, but it should be earned – and not just with the purchase of a single bottle.
Great service has always been the key differentiator, and the reason someone will buy from one place and not another.
Back in the early naughties, when free tastings were de rigueur, we still managed to sell cases of Jacob’s Creek core range to visitors – at full price.
Sometimes we threw in a 13th bottle as an incentive, which still made it considerably more expensive than buying at Dan’s.
So why did they buy?
Good old-fashioned friendly service, accompanied by a solid story, a few quirky anecdotes, personal recommendations for where to stay and eat, and your case carried to your car.
Not rocket science but learned skills that resulted in happy customers and sales that kept people employed and solidified the brand’s brick and mortar presence.
These days you can enhance your Jacob’s Creek visit with a horse trek through the vineyards.
Which rather proves the point: if it’s a proper experience, people won’t blink at paying.
They’re no longer just trying it; they’re along for the ride.
Recent Comments