Wineandco Pulls Out Of U.K

Wines & Vines, Dec, 2000

Online wine merchant wineandco.com has decided to close down its international operations to focus solely on its core home market of France.

"The company has been running for a year and we are learning what works and what doesn't work. We have decided to withdraw our international operations so we can build up a French market which has been the real market success," Seth Lewis, who was general manager of wineandco's U.K. B2B operations until the company ceased trading, told just-drinks.com.

He blamed stiff competition from traditional retailers and the difficulties of convincing U.K. consumers of the benefits of online shopping as the key factors for the company's demise.

"The U.K. market is very complicated and diffuse, with retailers, specialist suppliers and established wine merchants with generations and generations of experience fighting to capture the consumer's interest. In the cold light of day, we asked ourselves does the international market really need another wine supplier? We decided our goal was to become market leader in France," Lewis said.