The results of the fifth edition of the e-Performance Barometer* reveal the rankings of the best e-commerce wine websites in France and worldwide. This independent study, conducted by Grégory Bressolles, Professor of Marketing and Holder of the Business in a Connected World Chair** at Kedge Business School, also reveals the strategy of businesses and market developments in online wine sales.
International ranking: Amazon.com, the new favourite e-commerce wine website of internet users worldwide
A surprise, or perhaps not, in store in this fifth report, within which the international ranking in the e-Performance Barometer are dominated by www.amazon.com, the world leader in e-commerce. Chinese website www.jiuxian.com, third in the previous ranking, climbs one place to second. The Spanish site www.lavinia.es, meanwhile, has improved an impressive 13 places to reach third.
The top French site, www.vente-privee.com, ranked fifth worldwide, has dropped three places, but retains its position as the highest-ranked French site ahead of www.vente-directe-vigneron-independant.com, a new entry in the rankings, and www.chateaunet.com which is up eight places to take third on the French podium.
The e-Performance Barometer delivers an exclusive analysis of the strategies followed by the leaders on this market.
The market: growth driven by new models and new purchasing behaviour
Since it was launched in 2007, the e-Performance Barometer has testified to the exponential growth of the online wine sales market. This market, which in 2007 was only in its infancy, has now become a crucial channel for wine distribution in France.
In 2015, far from slowing down, growth in sales over the Internet has continued, and online sales are becoming increasingly significant for the wine industry. However, since 2011, there has clearly been two-speed growth, mainly driven by newcomers to the online sales market (whether new businesses, or existing businesses that are new to online sales), while the “traditional” online sales segment has now reached maturity.
The year 2015 marks a turning point in the observation of this market, which can no longer be understood solely from the angle of online wine merchants. It no longer depends on them or their strategies, their online presence, or even their supply: the market today depends on buyers and their rapidly shifting purchasing behaviour with the boom in smart devices and the resulting Big Data.
A market worth over €1.5 billion in 2016 in France and over €6 billion worldwide
The online wine sales market in France comprises firstly the long-standing core of the market made up of e-retailers present since at least 2010 and which has experienced a decline in numbers (firms closing and market concentration over recent years), and secondly event sales- and flash sales-type websites and other “fashionable” business models (wine clubs, boxes, etc.) which have attracted many entrepreneurs to the market since 2012.
Estimated to be worth €730m in 2013 compared with €534m in 2012, the market exceeded €1 billion in 2015 and is expected to reach €1.5 billion in France in 2015, meaning 10% of wine sales will occur online.
Worldwide, online wine sales are likely to exceed $6 billion in 2016, still driven by China where the largest proportion of online wine buyers is found, with more than 30% of consumers purchasing their wine on the Internet.
This fifth edition of the e-Performance Barometer offers a special focus on three countries and their online markets, namely the United Kingdom, the United States, and China.
Wines and spirits management: an area of Kedge BS expertise
Kedge BS has been developing its expertise in management as applied to the wines and spirits industry for over 15 years. This expertise is brought together in the Wine & Spirits Management Academy (WASMA), which encompasses:
- The Global MBA – Major Wine & Spirits Management
- The Master’s degree specialized in Wines and Spirits Management
- The WSMA Certificate (new)
- A ‘Wines and spirits market’ research team.
*Survey methodology:
The e-Performance Barometer report was prepared on the basis of the expertise of Kedge BS in e-commerce and wine management. Over 3,100 internet users from eight countries (France, Spain, Italy, Germany, the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States, and China) audited 31 websites. Each site was judged by a sample of 100 users who were representative of the population of online wine buyers in that country. The rankings obtained are therefore based on an assessment delivered by real internet users, potential customers of the sites studied. The majority (60%) of the sample was male, in upper socio-professional categories (47%) with high annual net household income (50% at more than €30,000), matching the profile of online wine buyers.
The e-Performance Barometer costs €550 ex. VAT to businesses: www.eperformance- barometer.com
** The Business in a Connected World Chair at Kedge BS studies consumption and distribution phenomena as influenced and altered by digital technologies. It is developing cutting-edge expertise in the adoption and use of these technologies by consumers and businesses.
About KEDGE Business School:
KEDGE Business School is a French management school with 4 campuses in France (Paris, Bordeaux, Marseille, and Toulon), 2 in China (Shanghai, Suzhou) and 4 associated campuses (Avignon, Bastia, Bayonne, Dakar). The KEDGE BS community counts 12,000 students (including 25% foreign students), 181 full-time faculty members (including 41% international), 300 international academic partners and 40,000 alumni across the world. KEDGE BS offers 31 French government certified programs and holds the triple international accreditation EQUIS, AACSB and AMBA. KEDGE BS also delivers tailor-made training programs for companies in France and abroad.
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