In Sweden, online wine sales are on the rise. To be better prepared, the country’s two largest online wine retailers, Winefinder and Vinoteket, are joining forces to create a common platform. For customers, the range becomes larger and wider, according to the company, and the merged company benefits from economies of scale for, e.g., transport and warehousing. Winefinder and Vinoteket will, however, remain separate brands.
Online wine sales outside the scope of Systembolaget, the state monopoly shops, are still relatively small, at 2% of total wine sales. However, Winefinder and Vinoteket account for approximately 60% of these sales, a significant portion (Systembolaget’s own online sales excluded). They both believe that there is a growing trend of wine consumers buying their wines online and venturing outside Systembolaget’s range.
Both Winefinder and Vinoteket have their warehouses in Denmark (*) and, according to current legislation, pay Swedish alcohol tax and VAT.
(*) Selling direct to consumers in Sweden, e.g. through online shops is legal as long as the seller is based outside of Sweden but within the EU, plus certain other requirements. Many “Swedish” online retailers have sprouted thanks to this rule, but also other merchants and producers within the EU can do so.
Read more: cision
