Accolade Wines, the owner of brands such as Hardys, Jam Shed, and Echo Falls, has launched Accolade Advantage, a POS platform designed specifically to help independent retailers capitalise on impulse wine purchases, as well as provide category insights and updates on new lines.
The new site, a first of its kind for the company, will offer free POS to retailers, initially highlighting best-selling SKUs. Accolade pointed to research confirming that wine is a highly impulsive buying decision, with only 13% of shoppers deciding exactly what wine to buy before entering a store, whilst 28% never intended to buy wine.
Accolade Advantage is claimed to offer a “fast and easy way” for independent stores to drive visibility of wine at point of purchase, whilst also helping to educate shoppers about wines so they can make a decision based on their tastes.
POS kits for Jam Shed, Echo Falls, and Hardys VR will be available to order free of charge upon signing up on the Accolade Advantage website. The packs will include wobblers, posters and shelf tags, with the Accolade Wines sales team available to help retailers use the kits effectively. Those that opt-in, will also get email updates on new product releases and current wine trends.
Tom Smith, Marketing Director – Europe, at Accolade Wines, said: “We know wine is an impulse decision for many consumers, so there is a big opportunity for independent retailers to increase the chances of purchase in-store with eye-catching POS, which calls out big brands and adds excitement and theatre to their wine offering. Branded posters can help to engage potential customers from outside before they’ve even set foot in the store, whilst easily accessible wine knowledge means retailers can make confident recommendations to their customers.
“By offering POS and advice through Accolade Advantage, we believe this will drive the overall success of the wine category, as it will improve the wine shopping experience, thus increasing the likelihood of return visits and basket spend. We’re initially focussing on some of our best-selling products in the convenience channel, but we have plans to expand across the wider Accolade Wines portfolio and add further beneficial resources in the months ahead.”
