It was a pleasure to welcome Zach Kamphuis, General Manager of Commerce7, to Episode 2 of our 365WineTrade Technology Talks podcast. As wineries look for ways to compete and enhance their consumer shopping experience, eCommerce has become more important than ever in the industry. In this podcast, Zach shares how Commerce7 is helping wineries build consumer loyalty as well as some trends and shifts we saw during the pandemic and what we can expect in the coming year.
Before the pandemic, Zach said wineries were not taking eCommerce seriously but that all changed very quickly. Ecommerce sales shot through the roof and now, though trending downward a bit as tasting rooms open up, online sales are still very strong. Some consumers bought wine online for the first time ever during the pandemic, and now, it has become a purchasing preference.
Even though the in-person experience is starting to find it’s way back, eCommerce enables wineries to create a seamless experience across different sales channels. When a winery has a single, centralized customer record that data is captured and accessible in one location.
For example, if I buy wine online, I can pick it up in the tasting room and the tasting associate can use the POS to see that I am a club member, my lifetime value, what I have purchased online or at the winery, and even if my last shipment was flagged for an incorrect address. It really helps wineries create a personalized experience and start conversations so guests are engaged.
“The #1 reason a consumer is going to choose a wine brand is customer experience.”
The market for wineries is super competitive and not just with other wineries. They can’t compete on product and price alone. That’s the focus of Commerce7 and the value they bring to wineries—making it easy for them to create great consumer shopping experiences as that competitive differentiator they need.
As a direct-to-consumer (DTC) sales platform, Commerce7 features an expansive set of functionality and tools in one centralized CRM, including:
- Ecommerce
- Wine Club Management
- Wine Club Subscription Tools
- Point-of-Sale (POS)
- Modern Payment Options
- Reservation System
With open APIs, Commerce7 is easily integrated with ERP like 365WineTrade, CRM, accounting, logistics, etc. so wineries have a single point of truth for their business. Zach also shared some interesting predictions for the industry in the coming year and what his drink of choice is!
You can listen to all our podcasts on Spotify or on your favorite podcast platform for candid conversations about solutions and trends for the wine industry. Or visit www.Commerce7.com for industry resources and to explore their modern commerce platform for wineries.
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