Prince Wine Store
A Melbourne wine merchant rebuilt the in-store experience online when COVID closed the floor.
Who they are
Prince Wine Store is an independent wine merchant in South Melbourne, sourcing bottles from around the world alongside spirits and boutique beer. Co-Owner Alex Wilcox studied agricultural economics at Sydney University before joining the store in 2004, and the business runs an education program for customers who want to learn more about what is in their glass.
What they were dealing with
The store's whole approach is built on a salesperson walking up to a customer and putting the right bottle in their hand. COVID-19 ended that conversation overnight. With social distancing in place, the team could no longer offer recommendations the way they always had, and online shoppers were missing the part of the experience that made Prince Wine, Prince Wine.
When you walk into the store, you'll be approached by a salesperson. tawk.to enables us to bring that online.
How tawk.to helped
Prince Wine added live chat to the site and brought in Hired Agents to staff it. Customers browsing online now get the same kind of approach they would in person — someone walking over, asking what they are after, and recommending something specific.
What changed
The store rebuilt its retail floor as a website. Customers get personal recommendations in real time, including off-script suggestions about whatever the team happens to be tasting that day, and the conversation that used to happen across the counter now happens through chat.
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