Italian retail giant Coop is looking to bolster its wine selection through partnerships with renowned wineries, as reported by Wine News. The Italian retailer is engaging in co-branding, allowing the prominent names of the producers to appear equivalently on the front label along with the company’s well-known private labels.
The series, designed as a high-quality product range, named "Fior Fiore", will collaborate with famous wineries from all over Italy, including names like Feudo di San Gregorio, Marchesi di Barolo, Planeta, Schiopetto, and Cantina Kurtatsch. The Italian wines will be complemented by some international contenders, including wines from Bordeaux, Chablis, and Mosel.
This range is augmented by an everyday wine brand called "Assieme," presented in collaboration with wine cooperatives. As with the wineries, the cooperatives are also prominently displayed on the label, including Torrevilla, Cantina Prospetti di Cormòns, and Terre Cevico.
So far, 38 wines have been released in the Fior Fiore line and 28 in the Assieme line. The range is set to expand soon, particularly with sparkling wines, including ones from Champagne, aiming to boost the holiday sales. Coop collaborates with the Association of Italian Sommeliers (AIS) and works closely with the producers for these wines. For the premium wine line, vineyards are chosen from the estates, and the specifics of vinification are discussed.
Upselling the winery’s brands
Coop is one of the largest retail chains in Italy, with a total revenue of €16.1 bn (about $17 bn) in 2022, of which €350m were attributed to wine. The plan is to sell around 5m bottles through this new co-branding project. The quantities of the individual wines vary. For instance, around 100,000 bottles are produced for the Assieme wines, while the pricier Fior Fiore wines are planned to have quantities around 15,000 to 20,000. The prices per bottle start at €6 and go up to €35 for the planned Champagne. However, the majority of the wines are expected to be priced between €10 and €20. MS
