Vinexpert doubles online sales

Evinoteca, the online store owned by shareholders of the wine retailer Vinexpert, expects to post a 100% annual sales increase, one year after it first launched. “So far, the value of investments has reached 50,000 euros for construction works, additional software, streamlining our activity and promotion. Evinoteca.ro registered an over 100% growth rate, in line with the development of e-commerce,” said Catalin Paduraru, a Vinexpert shareholder. With this initiative, the company targets the business-to-business segment of the market, and this year’s winter holiday period is expected to account for 40% of sales. However, over the next few years Catalin Paduraru estimates sales will see a uniform growth throughout an entire financial year. “There aren’t any projects similar to Evinoteca in Romania. In established economies, wine occupies a wholly different position in consumers’ preferences. Therefore, there are stores that specialise exclusively in online sales. Valuable new wines are traded on mature markets in a similar way to trading on the stock exchange,” said Paduraru.