India’s use of alcohol has evolved with time. Customers are updating their purchases, especially millennials, due to the emergence of foreign brands that sell wine online through websites. In fact, about 44% of Indian men and 37% of Indian women consume alcohol once a week. On top of it, the Indian government allowed online wine delivery in Delhi, Punjab, Kolkata, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Pune, Karnataka, and Kerala in 2021.
There is an opportunity to deliver wine to customers’ doorsteps if you are an established wine retailer or are planning to enter this market. This blog explores how to sell your wine online.
6-Step Guide to Sell Wine Online in India
One of the most important benefits of online sales is the opportunity to reach a significantly broader audience. Furthermore, eCommerce wine sales can help businesses win over more repeat customers. Read on to know more!
Step 1: Choose Your Niche
Wine is a fascinating beverage. So you have a lot of specialty areas to select from when selling wine online. Finding your expertise is crucial when learning how to sell wine online since it helps you to:
- Constantly increase your knowledge in your areas of competence.
- Recognize the audience you’re aiming for.
- Create a brand that communicates to your target audience directly.
- Target those interested in the wine you will be selling and marketing efforts.
Before deciding on the wines to sell, conduct some market research to find out what’s trending, speak with potential customers to find out what drives them, and see what other wine merchants in the region are doing.
Step 2: Choose a Business Model
You must choose the type of business plan you wish to use before you start the online sale of wine. If you run a winery or shop, your primary responsibility will be to create an online storefront where customers can purchase your wine. The main advantage of this business strategy is that you won’t have to divide your profits with third parties.
If you don’t make the wine yourself, you’ll need to speak with wine dealers to find the best prices or buy the wine straight from reputable wineries. Your defined margin above the wholesaler’s rate will be your primary source of income.
Your leading service will be a wine aggregation platform if making your own wine is not something you are interested in. In such a situation, most of your income will likely come from the commission you’ll charge on each sale.
Step 3: Obtain a License to Sell Wine Online
Online sale of wine is not akin to selling groceries or clothes online. You must adhere to stringent rules and exercise extreme prudence. So, for the sale of wine online, you must seek a license.
- Visit the official website of the State Excise Department.
- Download the application for a wine shop license.
- Fill out the form with the necessary information, including the type of alcohol, the location of the business, the license type, and your background.
- Send the form and all required supporting documentation to the appropriate authority.
- When submitting your application, pay the applicable application fee.
- The state agency will check all the information you provided; if more information is required, they may ask you for it.
- Upon verification, you will receive a message with your license’s specifics at your address.
Once you get your license for the sale of wine online, only when a customer orders via your website or mobile app will you be able to deliver wine to their home. You also won’t be permitted to deliver to hostels, offices, or institutions.
Step 4: Build Your Brand
You’ll need to differentiate yourself as there are numerous wine retailers. In your wine glass, there should be one or more distinctive characteristics. The value you apply to your eCommerce store is just as important as the flavor. Some customers choose their wine based on the bottle’s or packaging’s aesthetic attractiveness.
In short, your brand is how your clients perceive you and the culmination of everything you do, from the colors you choose for your promotional content to how you handle customers who ask for advice.
When deciding how to represent your brand, you must consider your business’s values. Establish the guiding principles of your brand first. The origin, lifespan, and storage of wine are a few factors that affect its value. A great wine with several qualities will be a highly sought-after bet.
Step 5: Set Up Your Online Wine Store
Your website serves as an online market when you sell wine online. There are various eCommerce website builders available, and Shopivana has an extensive collection of pre-made themes and templates you can modify and use for your store.
Moreover, how you organize and present the wines in your store will significantly impact your conversion rates. Furthermore, your product descriptions will be crucial in guiding customers to the wine they want because taste and scent are so transitory and abstract.
With a reliable online payment gateway, shipping, and fulfillment service, all your hard work to persuade them to buy finally pays off.
Step 6: Promote Your Wine Store
The wine industry has a competitive market with tiny neighborhood wine shops, big box retailers, wine-selling websites, and wine delivery services. Your wine business should therefore be distinctive and attract customers.
A potential customer wants to make a purchase when they search for “wine delivery near me.” So, you can begin by using SEO strategies for your store. Also, writing blogs and how-to articles will increase online visibility and drive more customers to your online store.
Shopivana comes with Google Analytics built-in. It can help you improve your eCommerce wine sales through online marketing. It would assist you in learning more about your customers’ demographic profiles, buying behavior, and more. Moreover, it would show you where your customers are most likely to spend their money.
You must post regularly to keep your brand’s social media profiles and pages top-of-mind for your target audience. Keep in mind that you should always maintain the integrity of your brand identity throughout these conversations.
Increase customer retention with discounts, free delivery, first access to new wine tastings, etc. If you’re using Shopivana, you can reduce cart abandonment and improve your email marketing.
Start Your Online Wine Store in India
The enormous demand for wine creates many opportunities and makes new products appealing to customers. Focus on your intended audience and the types of wines they enjoy. By doing this, you’ll be able to compete in a booming market and spot fresh opportunities to sell your wine online even before they’re widely recognized.
