Story: Annual Review 2025 | New
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2025 was another difficult year for the wine trade. Inflation, rising prices, and uncertainty caused by ongoing wars and political upheaval dampened the buying mood of many consumers. This reluctance to spend also had an impact on our business, leading to a slight decline in sales. Nevertheless, we can look back with satisfaction on a year in which we set an important course and drove forward new developments. In the following, we would like to summarize the most important points of our year 2025.
Pre-generative AI as a guarantee of quality
Artificial intelligence has long since arrived in the wine trade, but high-quality content is still rare. We have opted for an approach that we call “pre-generative AI.” This involves first preparing all content, then processing it using AI, and finally curating it carefully by hand. This results in content that can be produced at high speed without appearing artificial or intrusive. This middle ground between human expertise and technical support has proven itself in 2025 and significantly enhanced the quality of our content.
The AI podcast as a new level
Technically, our shop solution has been tried and tested for years and is fully developed, with ongoing optimizations taking place in the background. However, 2025 brought a real innovation: an AI-generated podcast. This is the first time we have made our content available in audio form. Even though the quality of AI voices is not without controversy, we see this as an important step toward accessibility and differentiation. The podcast expands our communication channels and offers customers a new, uncomplicated way to familiarize themselves with our wines.
Brick-and-mortar retail as an anchor of stability
One key insight this year has been the value of brick-and-mortar retail. Our store has proven to be a stable foundation that guarantees reliable sales even in turbulent times. In addition to the direct customer experience, this creates numerous synergy effects: personal advice, targeted communication, and a level of service that pure online retailers cannot provide. Even though opening hours are reduced, the store offers added value that pays off in the long term. It also protects us from the price war that is increasingly dominating the online market.
Online retail under pressure
The situation is quite different in the online sector. After the boom years during the pandemic, there is now a noticeable reluctance to buy across Europe. At the same time, countless providers are competing for a shrinking customer base - often with extremely competitive prices. After more than two decades of success, the online wine trade seems to be in the midst of an identity crisis: the spirit of optimism is hardly noticeable anymore, and expectations of sustained strong growth have not been fulfilled.
The end of the discount strategy
Directly related to this is the foreseeable end of traditional discount strategies in online retail. This model worked reliably for many years, but rising cost pressures in all areas have further reduced the already tight margins. Economies of scale are now almost impossible to achieve. In a declining market, it is becoming increasingly difficult to achieve sufficient turnover volumes to operate this business model profitably.
Hybrid concepts as the way forward
With this in mind, I have developed a hybrid concept for my wine shop that combines several levels. Neither purely online nor purely offline retail will determine the future, but rather a mixture of both. The same applies to the product range and pricing: both discount and boutique strategies are reaching their limits—the solution lies in a balanced combination. We are also pursuing this approach when it comes to content: purely human-generated content or exclusively AI-supported content are not the answer; the future belongs to a combination of both. This concept is complemented by consistent customer service, fast response and delivery times, and a willingness to invest in new technologies. The result is a resilient model that is flexible enough to respond to unpredictable developments.
Conclusion: A year of adjustment
2025 was a year full of challenges, but also a year in which we laid the foundations for the years to come. The mix of brick-and-mortar stores, online presence, well-thought-out entry-level pricing, and innovative technologies forms a basis on which we can look to the future with optimism. Even though the framework conditions will continue to change, we are convinced that with a hybrid approach that combines the strengths of both worlds, the challenges facing the industry can be overcome. - Tobias Gerhard Strunz
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