The Covid-19 pandemic has provided the digitization catalyst for many businesses. Covid-19 precautions have led to fewer wine tasting opportunities, which has led wine giant Penfolds to employ high-tech “phygital” interactive sensory tools to engage customers better and improve their shopping experience. In a study done on wine shoppers in FairPrice and Cold Storage Singapore (key supermarket chains in Singapore), although a shopper may spend an average of four minutes browsing wine shelves, 32% of shoppers find information on the wines and the flavors lacking.
According to foodnavigator, Penfolds’ phygital in-store displays in Singapore allow consumers to access information through digital technology, without losing the element of physical contact with the product they intend to purchase. To simulate the sense of smell, wine aromas are dispensed onto scent strips to allow consumers to gauge the wine profiles without tasting samples, while a digital screen showcases a video on the aroma notes to provide consumers with more information on the scent. Another phygital “lift and learn” display uses motion sensors at wine displays, so when shoppers lift a product, a screen is triggered to display the corresponding product information.
Asia Wine Network is another Singapore-based wine supplier to restaurants and bars. In response to the pandemic, it developed and launched a website with a direct-to-consumer offering in late 2020, providing an easy guide on their wine offerings to help wine consumers to select the right wines to suit their palate and requirements. To target Singapore-based working professionals between the ages of 18-35, it boosted its presence on social media, publishing posts on Facebook, Instagram, Medium and even LinkedIn, as well as set up membership privilege offerings.
(Source: foodnavigator; Asia Wine Network)
