PairAnything Insights

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PairAnything Insights *

Unlock growth opportunities in the wine category. Our Retail Insights provide actionable strategies to thrive in today’s dynamic and challenging alcohol beverage retail landscape.

PairAnything Retail Insights

We interviewed Managers and Directors of Adult Beverage and Merchandising from regional and national retailers that sell wine and food. These conversations revealed valuable insights and recurring patterns in strategies and challenges. By tapping into their collective experience, we have distilled actionable recommendations to address common obstacles and capitalize on growth opportunities in the wine category.

Key Findings

  • During interviews with Adult Beverage Directors, PairAnything Insights uncovered a key opportune moment for implementing a new strategy to boost wine sales. It is during a promotion or other meaningful organizational change.

    When roles within the company shift, new individuals in leadership positions are more receptive to strategic changes and new initiatives.

  • The Adult Beverages category stands apart from others in the store due to its unique challenges.

    Unlike categories with natural cross-category marketability (e.g., bacon and eggs), it is harder to secure leadership's time and attention to approve new strategies for boosting wine sales.

  • Strategies requiring IT department involvement face delays because IT teams are often burdened with pre-approved, year-long project schedules.

    Initiatives that can operate without IT assistance are implemented faster, often within weeks.

  • Adult Beverage Managers and Directors focus on core duties like pricing and assortment. Strategies that fall outside these areas are considered non-core and add extra workload.

    Delegating non-core tasks to brand partners and third-party vendors, who can manage implementation and ongoing operations, ensures smoother execution of new ideas.

“When wine is present in a grocery basket, the basket is 65% larger. We want wine in the basket not just for the value of it and selling the wine, but also how it’s helping the total spend.”

— A.Z., Director of National Buying - Adult Beverages at a national grocery retailer

Recommendations

PairAnything Insights share these proven strategies to increase wine sales, and drive incremental spending from shoppers.

  • Collaborate with the marketing team to design or refresh wine-specific materials, such as brochures and shelf-talkers, to better engage shoppers.

  • Leverage third-party companies for wine sampling and brand promotions, to boost shopper engagement and increase trial purchases, without overloading internal teams.

  • Pair wine with complementary categories, such as cheese, to encourage cross-category purchases and boost overall basket size.

  • Align the wine assortment with customer price perceptions to build long-term loyalty.

    While results may take time, consistent customer return visits and predictable purchases ultimately drive stable growth beyond seasonal bulk purchases.

  • Enlist distributors and other partners to deliver wine education and training for wine stewards, reducing the need for in-house educational efforts.

  • Infuse excitement into the wine aisle by collaborating with influencers and celebrities. These partnerships can attract new, untapped customer demographics.

PairAnything is your solution partner to get ahead of evolving consumer trends. Reach out to discuss how to implement your next steps cost-effectively with the PairAnything Wine Kiosk.