IGA Partners With Fresh Vine Wine to Enhance Health-and-Wellness Program
In a bid to help food retailers support their customers’ health-and-wellness goals in a novel way, the Independent Grocers Alliance (IGA) has partnered with Fresh Vine Wine Inc., a producer of lower- carb, lower-sugar, and lower-calorie premium wines. The partnership will educate independent retailers on meal preparations incorporating IGA’s Better Choices products by demonstrating innovative methods to pair Fresh Vine Wine as the Better Choice option on the market for IGA shoppers.
The IGA Better Choices program is focused on customers’ health and wellness and helping them make informed and balanced shopping decisions with educational meal planning, shopping tips and recipes.
“IGA and its Better Choices program is a perfect partner for Fresh Vine Wine, as we both believe today's consumers have an expectation that retailers can and should support their health-and-wellness goals,” said Rick Nechio, president of Napa, Calif.-based Fresh Vine Wine. “In cooperation with IGA, this program will develop a marketing campaign that aligns with the IGA Better Choices marketing position, highlighting the wine's quality, taste and overall Better Choices attributes.”
Following its IPO in mid-December 2021, Fresh Vine Wine's brand vision is to lead the emerging natural and accessible premium wine category. The 2020 U.S. wine market was a $69 billion category, according to the company.
Partnering with IGA, the world's largest voluntary supermarket network with aggregate worldwide retail sales of more than $36 billion per year, will allow the company to drive brand awareness, product adoption and sales within the independent channel.
For example, as an IGA Red Oval partner for the United States and international markets, Fresh Vine Wine will be able to create an online Retail Learning Institute course. According to Nechio, the course will provide independent grocery store owners and their teams with strategies, tactics and plans on how to market, merchandise and sell premium wines, including optimal pairings and Better Choices-branded recipes created by celebrity chefs exclusively for IGA shoppers.
The partnership will also give Fresh Vine Wine the opportunity to participate in national digital advertising and other promotional opportunities. Fresh Vine Wine products will be promoted to IGA and other independent grocery retailers through feature stories, best practices, video interviews and case studies in all IGA and grocery industry and state association publications and newsletters, including The IGA Minute, as well as through in-store promotions, including appearances by the Fresh Vine Wine's celebrity owners, Nina Dobrev and Julianne Hough.
Fresh Vine Wine's varietals currently include Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Rosé. Earlier in the year, Fresh Vine Wine released Limited Reserve Napa Cabernet. The small number of channels featuring the premium product includes Hy-Vee stores.
[To view the "Using AI-Driven Software to Increase Sales in Wine, Beer and Spirits" on-demand webinar, click here.]
