An increase in direct-to-customer sales has changed the way Oregon wineries do business.
This holiday weekend will be more important than ever for Oregon’s almost 400 commercial wineries, who are tweaking their business plans to accommodate for the trend towards direct sales.
Wineries are creating new tasting rooms, online communities and sales, and partnerships with stores if the winery is too small to have direct sales in-house.
Five years ago, “direct” sales accounted for about 13 percent of all Oregon wine transactions. In 2009, that figure rose to more than 22 percent, with projections of 25 percent or higher in store for 2010.
“Thanksgiving and Memorial Day are the only times we can really reach out to people,” said Dick Shea, whose Shea Wine Cellars in Yamhill doesn’t include a separate tasting room. “It’s a very important time of year for us.”
Read more at OregonLive.
{biztweet}oregon wineries{/biztweet}
