Sometimes choosing the perfect wine is more of an experience for people than actually drinking it. There can be a lot that goes into the selection process like doing research, asking around and speaking to experienced professionals at a local wine shop. However, it seems that some people are choosing to forgo this method of purchasing wine and going straight to their computer.
A recent article from Market Watch shows some interesting statistics when it comes to how people are buying their vino.
- For the 12 month period that ended in June, the value of direct-to-consumer shipments of wine jumped 12%
- Men tend to buy wine online more than women do
- The Wine Market Council found that people who drink wine more frequently were more likely to buy wine through many different channels, including online
- Frequent wine drinkers buy less wine from brick-and-mortar stores than the general population (37% vs. 32%) and more from online vendors (4% vs. 2%)
The overall numbers are not alarming enough to predict the end of the traditional wine shop, but it’s clear that more dedicated wine drinkers are turning to the Internet for their wine-buying needs.
But why is this happening with wine and not so much with beer or other liquors?
Wine drinkers are a breed of their own and they don’t necessarily always follow the typical trends of other drinkers. They like to do research into the wine they purchase and we think they’re finding that the Internet has more information, and probably better deals. Instead of speaking to the local expert at their wine shop, they seek the opinion of hundreds of wine experts online. They can read reviews and use various apps to make their wine selection. The Internet also makes it possible for them to find and order wines that they may not have ever come across in their local shop.
We don’t think the Internet will ever completely trump the real-life wine buying experience, but it’s interesting to see how it’s going to shake things up.