But, on the other hand, very few wineries are really taking advantage of the fact that the direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales channel is the most profitable, and not that difficult to optimise.
One of Cape Town’s most funky and modern wineries, viz, Beau Constantia, has very successfully used their image to reach the elusive millennial, and not only reaching them, but enticing them to stay, return, engage, and buy.
Megan van der Merwe, the young, dynamic general manager and winemaker, is very forthright about the fact that they used technology to capture visitor data and then used their mailing system to communicate effectively to grow their revenue by a whopping 300%.
Surprisingly enough, people who visit wineries actually want to keep hearing from those wineries, and 90% of wineries still do not capture this info, missing a massive opportunity.
The tech and skill sets are available:
- e-commerce platforms that make it easy for wineries to sell and keep an eye on sales
- Integration of sales into mailing list systems
- Guest wifi systems to capture visitor details without upsetting them
- Good mailing list software, e.g., Mailchimp, Omnisend and Klaviyo
- Segmentation – target the right customers for the right comms
- Tasting Room staff need to be upskilled to understand the importance of engaging, listening, and selling subtly
Through CellarDirect, wine.co.za builds and operates an e‑commerce storefront for wineries, simplifying the launch and maintenance of a DTC wine shop, including:
- Product merchandising
- Set up of specials and wine club programs
- Payment gateway and order management
- Integration with mailing lists and customer communications
- Logistics support, including shipping and warehousing
Pricing starts around R 3 500 for setup, with a monthly commission of 15% on sales. Optional warehousing (R 300/month per pallet) and pick‑and‑pack services (R 10 per waybill) are available, too.
You'll get access to a 24/7 dashboard to track sales, orders, stats, and customer data, reducing operational headaches and freeing producers to focus on marketing.
Our Sales Accelerator is an add‑on service costing R 2 500 per month, focused on growing subscriber lists and customer retention via professional email campaigns and DTC marketing strategies.
We have partnered with Lydia Coetzee, a leading DTC marketing specialist, to help wineries increase engagement and repeat sales.
Wineries can implement guest Wi-Fi systems, incorporating mailing campaigns, to capture visitor data, nurture relationships, and foster repeat DTC sales. Our research shows that one subscriber is worth R250/year.
Adding 50 new subscribers monthly = extra R12 500 monthly revenue, resulting in R150 000 extra revenue annually.
From just R1 500 per month, wine.co.za can set up and manage your guest WiFi for you as well as design and populate your welcome screens and mailers.
Contact Judy Brower at judy@wine.co.za or click HERE to find out more.