Great Wines Direct acquired by global commerce platform
Global commerce and distribution platform Komerz Ltd has announced its acquisition of Great Wines Direct (GWD), the UK online wine retailer.
The platform is confident that its ‘Komerz OS’ – which provides AI and machine learning driven insights around consumer engagement and retail orchestration – provides it with a competitive edge in wine and premium beverages.
GWD, which was founded in 2003, will make use of this intelligent retail infrastructure to hasten its expansion across European markets, building off of a reputation in the UK for an extensive premium wine portfolio – already offering more than 5000 SKUs.
Additionally, the purchase will strengthen Komerz’s position in the beer, wine and spirits (BWS) category, which it said it aims to “dominate”, building on existing partnerships it has made with Amazon and Ocado.
Commenting on this, Siddharth Shankar, global COO of Komerz, said: “This acquisition represents a defining moment for Komerz as we consolidate value across the BWS supply chain both vertically and horizontally.
“With Great Wines Direct’s category leadership and Komerz’s data-driven retail engine the ‘KomerzOS’, we’re creating one of the most advanced and intelligent retail platforms in the alco-beverage space.”
The new combined company projects over £50 million in revenue in the next 18 months across the UK and Europe, with wine becoming a leading growth category for Komerz.
This new entity also marks the reunion of Siddharth Shankar with David Kelly (founder of GWD), who previously worked together at Tails, a pre-batch cocktail company that reached over £2.8 billion in annual BWS sales under their guidance.
Kelly, who is now global chief procurement officer at Komerz, added: “For years, we’ve earned the trust of consumers and suppliers alike through Great Wines Direct’s commitment to quality and careful product selection.
“By joining forces, we are pioneering a smarter, scalable, and experience-driven retail model, one that will set a new benchmark for the future of beverage commerce across Europe.”
Komerz Ltd is a UK-based global commerce and distribution platform which uses AI, data intelligence and a multi-channel approach to enable brand growth across multiple categories. It has a growing footprint in digital-first commerce across the UK, EU and the rest of the world.
Pictured, L-R: David Kelly, Siddharth Shankar
Keywords:
Search
Digital Editions
56-58 Church Walk, Burgess Hill, West Sussex, RH15 9AN
Registered in England No. 6646125. VAT No. 938 4452 95
