Bestway is hoping to boost wine sales in c-stores with a new brand corked especially for independents. The company is so confident of the success of the brand, it expects the range to dramatically increase its own label wine sales in the first year.
Between now and September the company will be launching 85 wines from nine countries and numerous regions at varying qualities and price levels, all under the Cellar Estates brand. The launch is a complete revamp of the company's approach to selling wines and it has invested about £250,000 in developing the Cellar Estates collection.
Bestway managing director Younus Sheikh says: "We have spent a lot of time and effort in improving our wine label offering. I would like to think that the Cellar Estates brand will increase our own label wine sales by 50% in the first year. This launch is one of the biggest for the company for some years."
There will be three levels in the range, from entry level vin de table through to premier cru. First out is the entry level range, consisting of nine wines which come from the US, South Africa, Chile and Australia, all with a rrp of £3.69. From the US are ruby cabernet merlot, merlot rose and colombard chardonnay; from Chile come cabernet sauvignon merlot, chardonnay sauvignon blanc and chenin blanc; and from Australia there are cabernet shiraz and colombard chardonnay. Finally, from South Africa is a ruby cabernet pinotage. An introductory sale or return offer of six x 75cl bottles for £12.99 (normal price £14.49) means that retailers can offer 'three for £10' deals and get a profit on return of 23.6%. The launch price runs until April 13.
Further ranges will be added later in the year - a mid-priced range with rrps of £3.99-£5.99 and an upper range retailing from £5.99 to £15. Introductory offers will be available for each launch.
POS materials to support the action will include a four-page mailer, shelf-talkers and A4 window displays, available direct from Bestway and Batley depots. The company will also be introducing planograms to help retailers merchandise the range.
The wine has strong branding and a distinctive front and back label design that also gives consumers information such as a taste indicator of 1-9 for whites and A-E for reds, food matching advice, units of alcohol per bottle and responsible drinking advice.
As part of the company's commitment to the wine it has appointed Master of Wine Andrea Hargrave to develop the range. Hargrave says that her team looked at the market and realised what was needed. "We came up with some key objectives and the range has been constructed to cover all the base generics. We wanted the brand to be simple but with authority and credibility."

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