Vivino Opens First Physical Store in Singapore

Vivino, the globally recognized wine scanning app and web platform, is set to open its first-ever physical store in Singapore on September 19. This venture, located on the first floor of Raffles City, is poised to redefine the wine retail experience, offering a carefully curated selection of 100 wines, each rated four stars or higher by Vivino's vast community of 65 million users.

This flagship store is the fruit of a collaboration between Vivino and Wine Portal, a prominent Singapore-based wine importer and distributor. Wine Portal is no stranger to the wine industry, with a portfolio that includes managing Domaine and Castle in Hong Kong and China, as well as overseeing the Park 90 and Tenuta wine bars in Singapore. They also run the e-commerce platform Grand Cru and Wine Concierge, demonstrating their expertise in both physical and digital wine retail.

Morten Fillipsen, Vivino's Vice President of Global Commerce, who is based in Singapore, shed light on the nature of this partnership. He emphasized that the store operates under a licensing agreement between Vivino and Wine Portal. "It's their store, and they have the license to use our brand. We support them from our side with information on product selection," Fillipsen explained during an interview with Nimmi Malhotra. This collaboration highlights the strength of Vivino's brand and its global influence, while also leveraging Wine Portal's local expertise.

Spanning 200 square meters, the store offers more than just an extensive selection of wines. It promises a unique experience, including limited edition wines that will be available in Singapore for the first time. Among the notable wines that will grace the shelves are global bestsellers such as the Astrale Special Edition, Hans Greyl Sauvignon Blanc, and Ponte Lungo Curioso. These wines, all highly rated by Vivino users, will be available at competitive prices, making quality wine more accessible to the discerning public.

The store's design and concept set it apart from traditional wine shops. At its center, an oval bar invites customers to sample wines by the glass, with prices starting at just 8 Singapore dollars. To complement the wine-tasting experience, a selection of tapas will be available, starting from 12 Singapore dollars. This setup aims to create an atmosphere that is more experiential than the typical wine retail environment, encouraging customers to linger, taste, and explore.

Vivino and Wine Portal have worked closely to ensure that the wine selection aligns with the preferences of local consumers. The selection is based on Vivino's comprehensive data on the most scanned and highest-rated wines by users in Singapore. Additionally, the store will feature a "Vivino Recommends" kiosk and data visualizations on the walls, guiding customers through the best wine styles for different occasions, such as parties or dinners. This innovative approach aims to make wine discovery more intuitive, moving away from the traditional segmentation by country of origin.

Singapore represents the first market where Vivino is launching a physical store, and Fillipsen hints that this is just the beginning. He points out that Singapore, much like Hong Kong, offers an ideal environment for this venture due to its compact size and ease of reaching the target audience. The store is part of a broader strategy to tap into a new segment of the market—those who enjoy wine but do not necessarily shop through Vivino's e-commerce platform.

Beyond retail, the store is set to become a hub for Vivino's active local community, which boasts 250,000 users in Singapore. In a bid to foster engagement, an exclusive pre-opening event will be held on September 18 for Vivino users, kicking off a series of events such as tastings and workshops that will take place in the store. These events aim to deepen the connection between Vivino and its community, providing opportunities for wine lovers to come together, learn, and share their passion.

Vivino's foray into physical retail marks a significant expansion of its brand and influence in the wine industry. By blending data-driven insights with a physical shopping experience, Vivino is not just opening a store but is setting a new standard for how consumers interact with wine. As the Singapore store opens its doors, it will be watched closely by the global wine community, eager to see how this blend of technology and tradition will shape the future of wine retail.