A road map to think about the future of the wine trade: Lorenzo Tersi between technology and Gdo

There are no dates, there are no certainties, just a few glimmers of light, given some numbers, falling, infected and dead, but sooner or later the Covid-19 emergency will end, and the wine sector, like the rest of the country, will have to get back on track. However, facing a profoundly changed world, not only economically, but also socially. A combined arrangement that, in terms of trade, distribution and even communication of wine, could have long-term effects. It is wise not to be unprepared for them. How? Through a real road map, imagined and “designed” by Lorenzo Tersi, one of the leading experts in the mergers & acquisitions sector in Italy, at the helm of LT Wine & Food Advisory.
”The wine road map in the post Covid-19 - Lorenzo Tersi tells WineNews - will depend closely on strategic management of future scenarios. And the current crisis affecting certain sectors should be an opportunity for an intelligent and ingenious relaunch. Currently, among the different sectors, it should be remembered that large-scale distribution dominates with 39% of the total, catering covers 17%, direct sales 12% and wine bars stand at 8% (source: Mediobanca Vino survey). Among these is ho.re.ca, indisputably the sector most affected, even if the second half of the year could bring advantages to the sector for a natural and predictable increase in outdoor activities. The weak point, on the other hand, could be linked to a reduction in the consumption at the counter (the one that from a behavioral point of view has been distinguishing the phenomenon of the so-called happy hour for several years) - says Tersi - because for obvious health safety issues consumption will be relegated to table services, holding back the consumption of Prosecco and the world of mixology that could be among the most affected. Both ho.re.ca. and wine bars will have the opportunity to enhance their online circuits thanks to the experience of these months, as a result of a large audience that has benefited from the delivery”.
And it is precisely this, as we have written several times in WineNews in recent days, the real news that could await the world of distribution and commerce, so much so that, according to Lorenzo Tersi, “today more than ever is the time to invest in online and new sales methods. Not only traditional e-commerce, but also evolved forms of interaction and sales: digital enhancement is one of the interesting elements of this road map, thanks to the still unknown chat-bot (chat man - computer) techniques that are a sector in which to invest, growing from all points of view, as demonstrated by other countries where consumers now perform a lot of actions through these communication services that have gone far beyond the messaging service - explains Tersi - and have digitalized all the analogical practices including the purchase of goods and services and becoming a marketplace at 360 degrees. We are talking about an epoch-making turning point that personalizes and encourages dialogue between platform, producer and final consumer, making it more and more complete and arriving with technology where the point of sale trade cannot arrive. Digital innovation and technology will be areas on which government forces should favor economic incentives: now more than ever it is necessary to fill this still widespread technological gap”.
The focus then shifts to large-scale distribution, which “will certainly be a success, it has become the first sales channel ever thanks to an assiduous, albeit regulated, attendance at purchases in this period of emergency. And it will cost producers more and more to conquer new positions on an already very crowded shelf, also due to the growth of volumes in recent months, in particular on commodities wines; but even here the wine producer will find opportunities, especially in the dialogue with the average local distribution. Also in this case - continues Lorenzo Tersi - we are back to the digital experience: it happened in part with the world of wine shops, which from now on will have to organize more on the delivery channel. The intelligent road map will also pass for this shot forward on the distribution platforms in the virtual. There will be no other opportunity than this one to stimulate remote shopping. And, on the other hand, logistics - an equally important aspect of the post Covid-19 recovery - will have to work on delivery to improve it, using green logistics in historic town centers that should be encouraged and used more”.
In conclusion, explains Tersi, “we need an overall vision that helps to direct the sense of this change and we need to take advantage of the economic situation to increase the managerial culture of the company, in a market that has too many leaders but too few competent managers who can bring in the company skills dedicated to the development of the company and the enhancement of the product through CRM channels and more aware use of social media: Facebook for retail, Instagram to give visual and experiential suggestions and Linkedin to keep the professional circuit alive”.