Nicolas wine stores acknowledge “structural decline” in wine but still aim for growth

his autumn, France’s wine merchant chain Nicolas was rebranded Maison Nicolas, thus resuming its original name in 1822. Simultaneously, the 565 Nicolas stores took on board a new marketing direction in response to declining wine consumption, in a bid to restore growth by 2026. “The market is in structural decline – wine consumption has been falling for 60 years”, stresses the company’s new CEO, Cathy Collart-Geiger, who aims to diversify by supporting new drinking patterns rather than bear the brunt of a contracting wine market. “As our customers change, so too do consumption trends”, sums up Collart-Geiger.

Nicolas’ transformation plan hinges on recruiting 5% new customers annually. “There are growth opportunities because supermarkets – which represent the bulk of the market – are reducing their wine departments and relinquishing part of the playing field. So there are market shares up for the taking. For specialists like us, we can attract customers who drink other beverages”, believes Collart-Geiger who also intends to “pre-empt the alcohol-free market”.

“We might also contemplate selling tea, coffee and chocolates… We are going to trial them to see if there is an audience for them”, adds Collart-Geiger. She has been given “carte blanche” by the chain’s owner, Groupe Castel, and will be focusing on “ranges and services with a strong point of difference, which supermarkets and independent wine merchants cannot offer”. She will be aligning the company’s strategy with the trend for value for money: “If 85% of Champagnes retail for under €30, then we’ll need to increase the range under €30 rather than drop the price for Champagnes over €60. We need to understand where the market is headed so that we can accompany those changes”.