Threshers to take WSET courses to the consumer

Published: 23 July, 2008

Threshers is joining forces with the Wine & Spirit Education Trust (WSET) to introduce a new in-store consumer education initiative to drive sales and help customers to take full advantage of the three-for-two offer.

Information leaflets taken from the WSET's intermediate course textbook, Looking Behind the Label, will concentrate on different wine regions and will look at grape varieties, styles and famous names.

The region in focus will change every six weeks in line with Threshers' country festivals, and the leaflets will be situated alongside the floor wines that are relevant to the festival, as well as on the counters of all Threshers and Wine Rack stores.

Threshers is a long-standing corporate patron of the WSET, and chief wine buyer Jonathan Butt told Harpers: 'Threshers is striving to provide its customers with additional benefits to enrich their shopping experience and the WSET will benefit from reaching a far wider audience, so it is a natural partnership.'

Butt confirmed that staff will be encouraged to draw attention to the leaflets in addition to talking through the contents and providing any additional information that may be requested.

Although the WSET will receive publicity through this venture, it will not be using the initiative for direct marketing purposes.

Ian Harris, chief executive of the WSET, commented: 'We will not be promoting the courses as such, but hopefully the leaflets will stimulate customers to find out about courses in local areas.'

Both Butt and Harris are convinced that consumer education is vital. Harris told Harpers: 'We recently conducted research into whether increased knowledge helps to increase experimentation and sales; the conclusion was an overwhelmingly yes.'

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