French producer sees 60% sales increase with inverted pyramid in supermarkets

orsica’s largest private winery, Domaine Terra Vecchia, which boasts 200 hectares under vine, undeniably leaves a lasting impression on shoppers with its inverted pyramid point-of-sale display. The single-block metal structure standing 2.4 metres tall is self-supporting from the top. “Even if half the pyramid is empty, it won’t topple over”, assures Paul Falipou, Terra Vecchia’s sales director. The steel pyramid is a bespoke piece produced by a master steel fabricator in South-East France. It weighs 270 kg empty, rising to around 1,000 kg once it has been filled with 300 bottles. Although other inverted pyramids have been used in supermarkets in the past – most notably by Coca Cola – Terra Vecchia’s rendition is patented and is not likely to be usable by other wineries.

Terra Vecchia now has a dozen or so of the promotional pyramids. It has been rolling them out since the end of 2023 in stores in Corsica, along the Mediterranean coast and the Atlantic coast. The results have been encouraging, particularly considering the decline in supermarket wine sales across France at the moment. Falipou claims that by staging the wines in this way, sales have soared by an average 60% in the 25 pilot stores over the past few months.

The winery sells half its wines in Corsica and the other half in mainland France. Its intention is to grow by securing listings in other supermarket chains, primarily Auchan, Intermarché and Système U, and by gaining a foothold in export markets by attending a whole raft of exhibitions. To transform these ambitions into reality, Terra Vecchia is hoping to leverage a visit this week by the 2023 World’s Best Sommelier, Latvia’s Raimonds Tomsons. He travelled to Corsica and is due to craft a Terra Vecchia wine. Perhaps one for the top of the pyramid?