Current situation:
Established in 1979, the cooperative has 220 members and focuses on wine processing and marketing. It produces approximately 1.4 million litres of wine per year, with four permanent employees and seven to eight people during the peak season. It sells red, white and rosé wines in bottles and bag-in-box packaging, including the Encostas do Trogão, Seixedo and Poulinho brands.

Its wines are sold at Continente and Auchan, but the cooperative has only four contacts with local restaurants and does not sell online. Its main difficulty is finding buyers for its wine. Bottled wine sales are considered more profitable; the price obtained for bulk wine is around €0.50 per litre, below the desired €0.70 per litre.

Partner’s perspective:
The cooperative aims to improve profitability for its members and highlight the origin of its wines. It identifies the soils, microclimate and grape varieties of Trás-os-Montes as distinguishing features. It reports greater demand for white wine and expresses concern about declining alcohol consumption across generations.

The team and logistical capacity are limited. The partner does not intend to expand significantly or sell on a large scale and is concerned that online sales would require more staff and transport. A technological solution should be easy to use and maintain, support promotion and relationships with buyers, and fit the existing operation.

Challenge:
How might we use technology to facilitate contact with potential buyers, particularly restaurants and local retailers, supporting bottled wine sales and profitability for members within the cooperative’s operational and logistical capacity?