On the future of the specialist wine trade in Germany – Heilbronn University of Applied Sciences presented a new study at EUROVINO 2026

Despite declining demand and noticeable economic pressure, many businesses view the prospects for their own company as positive or at least stable.

The online survey of 193 wine retailers highlights where specialist retailers see their strengths: personal advice, curated ranges, events and the in-store experience are considered the most important unique selling points compared to supermarkets and online platforms. At the same time, rising costs, aggressive price promotions by major suppliers, online competition and increasing bureaucracy are cited as key challenges.

Clear positioning, specialization and establishing a distinct profile through expert advice, as well as an exclusive range with a regional focus, are considered critical to success in the coming years. It is important to increasingly offer value-added services such as customer service, events and in-store experiences as a means of fostering emotional customer loyalty: simply selling wine is no longer enough. Just over half of the businesses are currently active in this area.

Respondents also attribute a major role to digitalization – ranging from a professional online presence and social media to better integration of physical shops and online stores. Many, particularly smaller businesses, still see considerable room for improvement in this area.

The study was conducted during the 2025/26 winter semester as a student project under the supervision of Prof. Dr Ruth Fleuchaus and Michael Pleitgen at Heilbronn University. Initial findings were presented to industry professionals at EUROVINO on 1–2 March 2026 in Karlsruhe.