As of today, our Wine-club changes kick in.
Some will be aware that the government recently implemented changes to the law around the sale of booze with the 'Sale and Supply of Alcohol Act 2012.' In their infinite wisdom, the lawmakers have made a number of specific changes about what can and can't be done.
Under our interpretation of the new law we are no longer able to offer "free" bottles of wine, or promote prizes/giveaways that are linked specifically to the purchase of alcohol. This has a direct impact on the way that our wine club operates - up until now we have provided a discount on wine purchases, but also an an additional benefit whereby when you buy 12 bottles (accumulated over a period of time) we gave you a "13th bottle" for free based on the aggregate value of the previous 12.
With the new system, we are doing away with the 13th bottle giveaways and instead doubling your wine-club discounts from 7.5% to 15% off wine purchases in-store. We are making sure that nobody loses out under these changes, from a dollar perspective it makes no difference except that you get your benefits up-front when you buy wine rather than having to wait until you're 12th bottle. So if anything you'll be better off under the new deal.
A quick FAQ below:
Q - What happens if I already have a 13th bottle accrued?
A - We are grandfathering the 13th bottles, but will still honour any existing bottles that you have accrued. In the interests of getting this tidied up quickly we have a strong preference that you redeem these sooner rather than later.
Q - I am part-way towards my 13th bottle, what happens there?
A - Most of our customers will be partway through their progress to their next 13th bottle. Whether that be 1 bottle or 11 bottles towards that magic dozen, we have calculated on a pro-rata basis how far you are towards the next and will apply this as a one-off credit on your next purchase instore with us. As an example, if you were 7 bottles out of 12 at an average of $25 per bottle, you will have a credit of $14.58. You should receive a personalised email from us that states how much this will be for you within the next week.
Q - What about buying online through the new Wineseeker website?
A - The prices on our website are designed to be inclusive of wine-club discounts, and should be approximately a 15% discount on the retail prices, which means you can have confidence in buying online or in store. With your individual credit these are not loaded up next to your personal account online. If you would prefer to use the credit for an online purchase rather than inshore please let us know as we can customise a voucher for you to use through the online shop.
Any other questions or queries just drop me a line on wine@wineseeker.co.nz or by phone on 04 473 0228.