Online sales channels in the German wine market
Analysis of the status quo and outlook for future trends in online sales channels in the German wine market (2019)
The thesis provides an overview of the current situation and an outlook for online sales channels in the German wine market. For the thesis, five wine companies from the Palatinate were interviewed in questionnaire-based expert discussions. The study was not representative, but the results serve as an overview.
Online retailers (e.g. "Geile Weine") resell products from the wineries, for which they receive commission. They take over the marketing and purchase processing. The platforms (e.g. "Wir Winzer") act as a marketplace where sellers can offer all their products for a sales fee. The businesses have to take care of shipping and marketing. Only a few wineries have their own online store. The difficult legal protection should be solved with the help of lawyers. Regardless of the set-up costs, the margin is highest with an online store. In the future, online wine sales through an online store have growing potential, also due to trends such as "social commerce". Due to the emotional nature of wine and tourism, it will never replace direct sales.
Having your own online store is not a must for a wine business. In order to be present online, it should at least provide information about the products on the homepage and be possible to order via e-mail. The entry into e-commerce can then take place via an online platform or a test version of your own online store. You can then set up your own online store.
The author was awarded the Innovation Prize in the "Business Administration/Marketing" category for her bachelor's thesis at the 2020 Winegrowing Days.