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Virgin Wines launches spirit and craft beer shops
Online UK wine retailer Virgin Wines has started a new marketing push for its newly expanded range, which now includes over 300 spirits and a new craft beer shop that will soon enable customers to mix their own beer cases online.
Virgin Wines CEO Jay Wright
The company soft-launched its new spirit and beer offering in July, but following an “overwhelmingly positive response”, it has embarked on a major social and digital campaign to promote the range to its customers.
A spokesman told db that that while it had established itself as the premier online wine retailer in the UK, it “didn’t want to stand still” and was always looking at ways to add more value and improve its offer for customers – including broadening the range beyond wine.
“We have initially launched our craft spirit range with around 300 quality products, including over 80 gins from around the world as well as a wide-ranging selection of products including more unique spirits such as pisco and those starting to trend such as mezcal, as well as a range of about 60 craft and regional beers, from here in the UK and around the world,” she said.
“When we first launched, we offered beers in a pre-mixed option only however due to how well the beer proposition was embraced by our customers, we decided to bring forward the launch of two further beer initiatives. This includes launching a craft beer club called BeerBox that gives customers the chance to enjoy a monthly case of 12 craft beers, and we are two- weeks away from giving customers the option mix their own beer cases online.”
The plan, she said, was to expand both ranges further over the coming year, and intends to make its own spirits and beers.
“We are keen to ensure that this product offering matches up with the quality of our wines and we become a credible one-stop shop for everybody’s drinks needs,” she said.
In the year to 29 June 2018, the company saw sales rise 4.5% to £39.9million, a rise of £1.7 million year-on-year, however a boost to investment hit operating profit, which nearly halved, falling £955k, to £1.04 million.