retailer Simply Market is proving itself to be a European leader in the large scale distribution of wine.It has on offer, in the words of Auchan's chief wine buyer, Guy Maurin, 20 per cent more brands of wine than a supermarket traditionally would have (Simply Market stocks about 350). The company's annual wine sales increased by 5 per cent, compared to the average figure of 2 per cent for other French retailers.
Quality of produce and marketing lie behind the retailer's viticultural success: 50 per cent of its wines have medalled in the prestigious Guide Hachette.
Simply.fr, the retailer's e-commerce resource, allows customers to purchase wine online and have it delivered to their homes (though at present this only is available in Paris and the Petit-Couronne).
Perhaps the most successful wine promotion of Simply Market's is that of the Saint-Émilion wine Château La Gaffelière. To satisfy the demand, the retailer has purchased about 50,000 bottles of it.
