Work with us
Are you a boutique producer looking to enter the UK wine market?
Partnering with Propeller
- We’ll sell your wine in our network of the UK’s top independent merchants and regional wholesalers.
- We'll work with you to promote your brand through marketing initiatives.
- We’ll drive sales volume to create a business case that can be taken to a ‘regular’ agent in around 12 months’ time, or you can continue with us indefinitely.
Working with Propeller enables you to overcome all the obstacles that normally confront a producer accessing the UK for the first time. Over a period of 12+ months, we will elevate your brand and drive genuine commercial momentum to create a flourishing, sustainable business in one of the world’s most competitive markets.
We Can Also Help
If you’re already active in the UK but have been delisted by your agent, this is sadly very common in the current climate. By a combination of working with the incumbent agent and dynamic research we can locate your current customers in order to maintain your routes to market, as well as building up a whole new raft of listings for you over the ensuing months. Think of us as a safe haven from which we can support your current UK business while you contemplate your next move.
If you’ve already got a presence in the UK but want to launch other brands/cuvees we can help with a targeted sales strategy that will deliver new revenue whilst protecting your current business. At the same you can also use us as your UK ‘stock hub’ from which we can service your listings with current customers on their agreed terms. The next-day availability of your stock will enable them to accelerate their sales strategy without the fear of depleting a particular SKU and then having to await the minimum order trigger for an ex-cellar order. We are here to help you support your current customers as well as find new ones.
If you represent a GENERIC BODY we can work in tandem with your UK marketing resource to provide a unique platform from which to launch a range of promotional wines – this can include wines from multiple producers enabling you to highlight the particular style or region that’s at the heart of your campaign.
The Propeller Process
1. Initial Assessment
To ensure your investment in Propeller produces optimal results we will first assess your wine style, presentation, and pricing aspirations. If we think some tweaks are needed we’ll be frank with you - your investment is precious so it’s imperative that you have a viable, stand-out proposition.
2. Contract (MOU)
We recommend a minimum of 6 months. Anything less does not allow for the results that we strive for, particularly when factoring in shipping time etc, however, all agreements include a 1 month paid notice termination clause if you change your mind.
3. Shipping
We work with some of the best international hauliers and can arrange the safe, legally compliant transportation of your wine to our UK warehouses.
4. Monthly Reporting
At the end of each month, you will receive a detailed report breaking down your sales, progress in the market and feedback from customers and prospects. You’ll also receive prompt payment for all the wine that’s been sold that month, plus the wholesaler margin.
5. Results
With our unique model, you will earn the wholesale margin that a ‘regular’ importer would have taken. This is uncapped, whilst our retainer is fixed. We aim to get you to ‘cost neutral’ status ASAP, ie: you earn more in margin than the value of our retainer. Entering any market carries a cost so even before we reach that stage you know that every bottle sold is bringing that cost down.
How We Are Different
- In contrast to a normal importer relationship, you have the right to EXPECT RESULTS from us. You are paying for a service after all!
- Your wines will not get lost in huge wholesale portfolios. Instead, they will be centre-pieces in our targeted sales approach.
- Unlike a regular importer that has to protect their commercial data we will tell you exactly who your customers are so that you can follow them, follow their followers and engage with the audience on your own terms. Our aim is to meaningfully bridge the gap between you and the people that buy your wine.
Cost
We will create a detailed proposal for you but as a guide, our prices start at £500 per wine per month. This includes all importation admin, the full sales function, and a comprehensive marketing resource – and of course, every bottle sold reduces that cost.
Discounts are available for larger ranges and we can accommodate multiple producers under a single initiative as long as one entity acts as the commercial co-ordinator.