Vin-malin.fr is benefiting from the surge in e-commerce sales

ight off the bat, consumers and buyers are given unequivocal details about what to expect from the Vin-malin.fr online sales platform created in 2007. “We offer the best selection of wines and Champagnes online, at the best price”, states the home page. Considered as a “simple off-loader of wine inventories at low prices”, the website with its evocative name – literally meaning ‘savvy wine’ – was launched by Ile-de-France group Alphaprim and bought by negociant Bejot Vins & Terroirs and the Caveau de la Tour wine store in Meursault in 2015. But now, it’s getting its own back, with figures to prove it: +55% of visits to the website (number of views per month), +46% of website memberships (creation of accounts per month) and +75% in orders per month in 2020. The health crisis has bolstered business, but Vin-malin has also taken advantage of it to overhaul the platform and boost online purchasing.
Explanations for its success include an insightful selection – “the finest and broadest selection to be found on the Internet” – express delivery service within 48 hours (buyers are unanimous about this) but also its close rapport with new, younger consumers looking for “little gems” offering great value for money who, quite naturally, pass on the information through social media. All of this provides active support for partner winegrowers who can rely on Vin-malin to leverage growth whilst the hospitality industry is closed – and has been for the past year. Perhaps a more surprising aspect of the website is that since December 2020, customers can pay using crypto currency.