Nearly all respondents to a recent Wine Market Council (WMC) survey of wine club members cited discounts and flexibility in wine choices as their main motivators in joining a new club (97% and 96%, respectively) with another 89% choosing discounts on shipping, and 87% looking for access to small-production wines and past vintages.
On the other hand, concerns over inflation and a lack of selection are the two main reasons members are leaving wine clubs, according to “The Voice of the Consumer: Insights into Improving Wine Clubs and Winery Experiences.” The study results, released during a July 25 webinar, found that 32% of all participants had cancelled a wine club because the annual expense was too high; another 27% said they found clubs with better features, and further 26% said they weren’t enjoying the wine any longer.
What about pricing? How does that particular headwind affect attrition?
“Price-related budgeting has appeared more in some of our other studies of the wider drinking wine consumer,” said Christian Miller of Full Glass Research. “I am not quite as concerned about that in the sense that the club members, in particular, and wine consumers generally, are economically doing quite well right now. Assuming the economy continues on its current trek and assuming wine consumer demographics remain similar, which they probably will, I see that kind of issue as easing.”
As part of its latest research, WMC reached out to more than 9,000 active club members to better understand who they are and their motivations to join or leave a club. It showed that members are generally wealthy (46% made more than $200,000 per year), with a full-time job (54%) or retired (40%) and white (83%). While survey responders hailed from across the country, 38% were based in California, and 17% were from New York, Florida, Texas and Illinois altogether. They also make additional purchases on the winery website: 78% of respondents reported supplementary bottle purchases.
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