Ebay launches UK wine shop

Ebay is set to boost its online wine plans in the UK after launching a new wine platform.

Ebay’s headquarters in San Jose (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The online auction giant has partnered with a new platform, Worldwine Vines which markets the start of its online wine plans, it confirmed to db.

The wine platform, which was created by Paul Anthony Gidley, CEO of UK Wine Consultants and the Grape Foundation, has soft-launched with 135 wines, but the range will be increased to 1,000 by the end of the year. Six established UK wine retailers have already been signed up, and once the site has become established, it will look at adding a further six retailer in 2017, Gidley told db.

EBay’s confirmed the new site marked the start of a wider wine plan, which it is in the process of finalising.

According to Gidley, the new platform marks Ebay’s first substantial foray in the category in the UK.

“When Ebay decides to do a new category, they do it properly,” he said. “The commitment has been outstanding – it has been a complete conversation between them and me as to what needs to be done and why.”

He added that the site would be beneficial for producers and retailers by offering them a new route to market with a very established clientele. “If you’re a winemaker or a retailer, where else do you have access to 28m buyers?” he said.

The service will have 48 hour delivery for a flat-rate £6.20 charge and is looking at rolling out 3-bottle cases, which is intended to offer customers a better value proposition.

The project, which has been in development for two years, has focused on streamlining the buying process for consumers, to enable them to buy wines in three ‘clicks’, and Worldwide Vines is backing the launch with a marketing campaign, ‘Click, Click, Sip’.

The first wines available provide a mixture of table and mid-priced wines and champagnes but 200 more wines are set to roll out over the next 3 months, including a selection of fine and rare wines.

Gidley is hoping to attract more chateaux and bodegas to sign up to the platform, and is particularly keen to secure grower champagnes and second wines.

“A lot of people want to try the better chateaux, but the first wines is out of reach for most people,” he said.

In April, the US wing of online auction giant launched a wine retail business offering 10,000 wines from 30 countries through a partnership with mobile app, Drync.