Starting a wine brand from overseas

[alanoutloud]

Hi everyone,

I'm starting a wine brand from the Netherlands, and would like to know a bit more about who supplies independent shops with their food & drink.

I'm thinking anything between your standard corner shop & fancy organic store.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

 

[Mr D]

Hi everyone,

I'm starting a wine brand from the Netherlands, and would like to know a bit more about who supplies independent shops with their food & drink.

I'm thinking anything between your standard corner shop & fancy organic store.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Cash and carry type places. There are multiple ones.
Specialist drinks suppliers.
Reps visiting stores.

Simply producing a brand is one thing. Selling it to suppliers or the stores is something else.

 

[MOIC]

It takes time and money to build a brand.

Start with trade exhibitions related to wine & related products.

Get noticed, have editorials published, get into a couple of influential establishments (Influencers who can help but will cost).

Then approach potential customers.

How good is the wine? Thats the first hurdle.

 

[Mark T Jones]

How good is the wine? Thats the first hurdle.

Not sure about that - Pinot Grigio is a good seller. But seriously, depending on where you are pitching in the market, marketing might well be a bigger influencer than quality

Many UK independent stores operate under 'symbol groups' - Costcutter, Spar, Nisa and the like. These groups vary greatly in how much they influence/control the buying process.

Being honest, I wouldn't see the individual shops as a great rout to launching a product - perhaps go for the symbol groups themselves, or the independent wine wholesalers?

 

[fisicx]

I'm starting a wine brand from the Netherlands, and would like to know a bit more about who supplies independent shops with their food & drink.

Wholesalers and other bulk providers.

Independents get their stock delivered in the same way the supermarkets get stock delivered: in the back of a big truck.

Your job is to market the brand. Once people know about the products they will start asking their suppliers to stock the wine. This means you need to attend the various food and drink shows and exhibitions, visit stores, cosy up with wholesalers and so on.

The actual wine is less important than your marketing.

 

[Mark T Jones]

Wholesalers and other bulk providers.

Independents get their stock delivered in the same way the supermarkets get stock delivered: in the back of a big truck.

.

Mostly, but not entirely. Increasingly they will have specialist sections with individually sourced goods - though from the OP's situation, finding those what want to specialise in new wine brands will be a bit hit & miss (to put it mildly)!

 

[fisicx]

Mostly, but not entirely. Increasingly they will have specialist sections with individually sourced goods

Yes, but they still have to get from the Netherlands to the store in Cornwall. If the OP plans to driver across in his van once a week and deliver single cases all over the UK his costs are going to be huge.

However, the chances of this enterprise getting that far are remote.

 

[MOIC]

My experience with influencers, is that they will endorse a product if they deem it to be good.

Their reputation counts on it.

They will not endorse a cheap or inferior product.

Testing, yes, endorsing, no.

 

[fisicx]

My experience with influencers, is that they will endorse a product if they deem it to be good.

Re word this a bit:
My experience with influencers, is that they will endorse a product if they get paid.

 

[Mr D]

Re word this a bit:
My experience with influencers, is that they will endorse a product if they get paid.

However the increased sales from paying influencers when product not in stock locally / to order online in the country is presumably not huge?

As a retailer I get asked if I have xxxxx - and may be months before any of my suppliers get that in.
Customer in the meantime has purchased a replacement.

 

[MOIC]

My experience with influencers, is that they will endorse a product if they get paid.

Not true in most cases and this will depend on the product category.

Their reputation is there to be shot down if they endorse a poor product.

It may happen with some products which 'Bimbos' lend their name to, but for an influencer of reputation, they will not endorse a poor product.

That's my experience working with influencers in the technology field.

 

[Financial-Modeller]

Hi everyone,

I'm starting a wine brand from the Netherlands, and would like to know a bit more about who supplies independent shops with their food & drink.

I'm thinking anything between your standard corner shop & fancy organic store.

Any help would be greatly appreciated!

Are you launching a Dutch brand to sell home-grown wine in UK - which, given the paucity of wine grown in the Netherlands could be quite a challenge! - or are you launching a Dutch brand to sell imported wine in UK?

If the latter, why would a customer buy from you rather than direct from the producer?

 

[Ian J]

My experience with influencers, is that they will endorse a product if they get paid.

I follow a few gin so called influencers and it seems that they will endorse any old crap. There has been a huge increase in the number of craft gin distilleries and many of them are distilling and selling absolute rubbish

 

[Mr D]

I follow a few gin so called influencers and it seems that they will endorse any old crap. There has been a huge increase in the number of craft gin distilleries and many of them are distilling and selling absolute rubbish

Perhaps the influencers have the same taste as the craft gin makers.

 

[fisicx]

That's my experience working with influencers in the technology field.

Look at fashion, makeup and beauty influencers - full of trash products.

 

[MOIC]

Look at fashion, makeup and beauty influencers - full of trash products.

The above categories you’ve highlighted can be endorsed by ‘Bimbos’ as ‘influencers’ as they have a cult type following. So any product they are seen photographed with, will lead to sales.

However the influencers I’m referring to are those that TEST the actual product and endorse it commenting on the quality, attributes and usefulness of the products they are testing.

These influencers generally will tell the truth as their reputation within the industry is recognized and which they want to protect, so they can be relied upon to test and offer advice on new products.

Some, I’m sure get paid, others are sent ‘free’ products to test and endorse if they are happy with it.

The technology sector is very different to the three categories you have highlighted.

I imagine wine needs to be endorsed by an ‘expert’ in wine, for taste, quality, value and other areas that can endorse the product as worth buying.

 

[Mr D]

I imagine wine needs to be endorsed by an ‘expert’ in wine, for taste, quality, value and other areas that can endorse the product as worth buying.

Don't know about wine but willing to endorse any decent whiskey if someone sends me a large bottle.
Except Bells - horrible stuff.

 

[webgeek]

If you want to know step by step what it will take (and cost) to go from zero to hero in the wine space, speak to Scot McRae at McRae & Company (current he's headlong into https://candidateid.com) in Glasgow.

Scot was instrumental in making Bibendum a powerhouse and has been there and done that when it comes to high growth, market penetration and brand development in this niche.

If he doesn't have time or inclination, get him to point you to someone else he'd recommend.

I rarely stick my neck out this far vouching for people, but having worked with Scot on several projects, I can honestly say he's one of the sharpest marketing pro's I've ever met.

 

[Ian J]

Perhaps the influencers have the same taste as the crap gin makers.

EFA