When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, online shopping took over retail sales. Wineries, like every other business selling consumer products, needed ecommerce solutions that could handle volumes and experiences beyond anything they’d previously offered―and they needed it fast.
Mira Commerce, a premier eCommerce Agency, suddenly had many clients requesting to build digital sales solutions that combined the physical experience from in-person shopping with the immediacy and convenience of online shopping.
“With over 18 years of experience, we pride ourselves in building custom, innovative digital channels, and providing best of breed well-integrated ecommerce solutions. We strive to remove the friction from the online shopping experience with the merchants’ customer in mind as well as their business operators,” says Sergei Ostapenko, CEO and President of Mira Commerce. “As developers, we focus on a concept and vision we call Human Commerce. We constantly strive to stay ahead of the innovation curve, launching next generation solutions and developing new channels. From early Covid challenges implementing solutions such as curbside pickup, ‘buy online, pickup in store,’ to most recently launching Augmented Reality for shopping the Mira team develops innovative technical solutions that support the complete shopper journey.”
Now that consumers are back to in-person shopping and traveling in real life, wineries are again looking to upgrade their online experience. They want to create a delightful online experience while scheduling tours, booking events, offering seasonal discounts, integrating their loyalty programs, and connecting their online and offline channels.
“For wineries, it’s all experiential,” adds Ostapenko. “It’s not like buying a TV. When a consumer visits a tasting room, they hear the brand story, interact with the winemaker, taste the wine, and then buy the brand. We help wineries to translate the unique way they host a party and make the consumer feel special to online experiences that create stronger connections to the brand.”
Mira Commerce can add capabilities like mobile apps with augmented reality and geotagging features onto wineries’ existing website technologies. They can also help a winery gather more information about the consumer touch points, making marketing more personalized. From both perspectives, it’s a sharp difference from the 3-tiered distribution system, which separates the winery and the buyer.
“Wineries are on a spectrum,” says John Fandel, strategy consultant to Mira Commerce. “There is context and nuance to every winery. Is this winery a part of a global collection of brands, or are they independent? Are they serving the premium market with limited distribution, or are they trying to go mainstream? The key is that ‘one size does not fit all.’ You have to understand the context for each winery to design a solution that communicates their craft, the labor of their love, in a way that engages them and compels their purchase.”
Even though Mira Commerce builds solutions in the digital space, they keep the human at the core. Be sure to stop by the Mira Commerce booth to hear how they can make the process easy for you and your customers.
Mira Commerce
WIN Expo Booth: 200
WIN Expo Exhibitors by Category:
North Coast Wine Industry Expo – WIN Expo – at the Sonoma County Fairgrounds in Santa Rosa, CA on Thursday, December 1, 2022.
