MINNEAPOLIS, June TK, 2022 — Fresh Vine Wine, Inc. (NYSE American: VINE), the premier producer of lower carb, lower sugar and lower calorie premium wines in the United States, today announced an innovative partnership with The Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA), the world’s largest group of independent grocer retailers, focused on educating independent retailers about wine marketing and merchandising premium wines, and using the IGA Better Choices marketing platform to provide shoppers with balanced, wellness-focused meal solutions paired with Fresh Vine Wine.
Rick Nechio, President of Fresh Vine Wine, Inc., said, “The Independent Grocers Alliance is a perfect partner for Fresh Vine Wine, as we share the belief that today’s consumers have an expectation that retailers can and should support their health-and-wellness goals. This partnership will enable us to develop a marketing campaign that aligns with the IGA Better Choices marketing position, highlighting the wine’s quality, taste and overall Better Choices attributes. We could not be more pleased to be partnering with IGA and are looking forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship.”
The IGA Better Choices marketing platform focuses on supporting consumers in making informed and balanced shopping decisions with educational meal planning, shopping tips and recipes with overall wellness in mind. As part of the partnership, shoppers in select stores will have access to Better Choices-branded recipes created just for IGA shoppers by celebrity chefs to pair with Fresh Vine wines.
On the retailer education front, the Independent Grocers Alliance and Fresh Vine Wine will work with the Retail Learning Institute, an online education organization serving more than 10,000 retail stores worldwide, to create online training courses that will provide independent grocery store owners and their teams insightful strategies, tactics and plans on how to market, merchandise and sell premium wines.
Through this partnership, Fresh Vine Wine joins an elite group of manufacturers called the IGA Red Oval family, who work with the Independent Grocers Alliance to drive brand awareness, product adoption and sales within the world’s largest network of independent retailers, encompassing 8,000 member stores around the globe. The partnership will enable direct communication to IGA retailers and provide Fresh Vine Wine the opportunity to participate in IGA’s national digital ad platform and other promotional opportunities.
Fresh Vine Wines products will be promoted to IGA and other independent grocery retailers through IGA and grocery industry and state association publications and newsletters, including The IGA Minute as well as through in-store promotions, including appearances by the company’s celebrity owners, Nina Dobrev and Julianne Hough.
“We’re seeing shopper preferences shift to lower calorie, lower sugar and in some cases gluten-free alcohol products. At the same time, shoppers want an increasingly better experience,” IGA CEO John Ross said. “They want to learn about the processes and ingredients that go into their alcohol, about new flavors and varieties and how they best pair with food. And they want to do it all at their locally-owned, independent grocery store where they can feel good about their shopping experience because every purchase supports their community and local farmers. For our retailers and our shoppers, this partnership with Fresh Vine Wines is a perfect match.”
About The Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA)
The Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA) is the world’s largest voluntary supermarket network with aggregate worldwide retail sales of more than $36 billion per year. The Alliance includes over 8,000 Hometown Proud Supermarkets worldwide, supported by a network of licensed distribution companies and major manufacturers known as IGA’s Red Oval Family partners. IGA has operations in 46 of the United States and more than 30 countries, commonwealths and territories.
About Fresh Vine Wine, Inc.
Fresh Vine Wine, Inc. (NYSE American: VINE) is a premier producer of lower carb, lower calorie premium wines in the United States, kicking off a 2022 growth plan following its IPO in mid-December 2021. Fresh Vine Wine’s brand vision is to lead the emerging natural and accessible premium wine category, as health trends continue to accelerate in the US marketplace. The 2020 US wine market was a $69B category. Fresh Vine Wine plans to accelerate growth in 2022 by amplifying its marketing, expanding product offerings, and expanding its team. Fresh Vine Wine positions its core brand lineup as an affordable luxury, retailing between $14.99-$22.99. Fresh Vine Wine’s varietals currently include its Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, and Rosé.
About Retail Learning Institute (RLI)
The Retail Learning Institute is a people development organization supported by The Coca-Cola Company. The Institute has been dedicated to providing online training through a LMS (Learning Management System) for food retailers worldwide. As an educational organization, they serve more than 10,000 stores with blended training programs that include online courses divided into nine different libraries. The Institute also provides retailers and associations with their own branded online corporate universities.
