Northern Sun Winery, like all Michigan businesses, was ordered to close down March 20, 2020. They had a steep drop in wine sales in the last 2 weeks of March and saw an 89% decrease in sales overall.
In order for them to stay afloat during this pandemic, they decided to implement a series of tools to help them increase their sales across the business and also allow them to sell the products that they would usually sell at the gift shop online. SalesVu’s e-commerce solution and smartphone branded app increased their web presence and boosted their sales, and the self-order kiosk got them ready for contactless payments in their tasting room once businesses could reopen.
‘The SalesVu support team was very responsive in quickly pivoting my wine sales from tasting room experiences to online ordering and website sales. Amazing service, great communication skills by the staff’. – Susie Anthony
Online sales quickly took off, with customers very pleased by the user-friendly online shopping page and payments process. Not only did it allow them to weather lock-down, they found that they actually experienced an increase in sales compared to their pre-Coronavirus business.
‘Thanks to the website builder our April and May wine sales actually increased by 48% compared to 2019.’ – Susie Anthony
In order to reach customers through different channels, they also created a branded app for the business, which allows customers to place orders, view previous orders, and browse products easily from their mobile devices. The branded app is gaining popularity among the younger crowd, being available on the iPhone App Store and Android Google Playstore, and it’s customizable to match the business’s brand (logos, splash screens, pictures, colors, etc).
Northern Sun’s tasting room has been allowed to reopen again and they have implemented a number of business policies to ensure a safe and socially-distant experience for old friends and new customers to enjoy their wine and food selection. The OrderUp kiosk, which they installed in the tasting room, has been a game-changer for social distancing, protecting both customers and employees from unnecessary contact.
Susie uses a combination of SalesVu’s Sales and Orders reports to analyze sales by channel. With the Orders report, she is able to easily identify the source of the order, i.e. from the website or branded app, as well as manage order fulfillment and delivery. The sales report helps to break down the sales by POS and Kiosk station and allows her to analyze which stations are generating most sales.
The SalesVu online tools have been a lifesaver for Northern Sun Winery during a rocky time for the food industry and with the dramatic increase in sales compared even to pre-pandemic business, they are pleased to have adopted the new sales channels and plan to keep using all of these tools to increase online presence, grow their sales, and to maintain their customers’ safety even after restrictions are lifted.
Looking for the perfect gift? Check out Northern Sun’s website and smartphone branded app to view their wide variety of products and place your order for pick-up or delivery!
