For wineries, the tasting room isn’t just a space to pour wine—it’s where customer relationships begin. Collecting email addresses is a vital first step in converting casual visitors into loyal club members and repeat buyers. Yet, many wineries treat this step as an afterthought, leaving significant revenue on the table.
The numbers don’t lie: wineries with high email capture rates consistently see higher online sales and club memberships. By making email collection a strategic priority, you can unlock untapped potential for your winery. In this blog, we’ll explore why email capture matters and provide actionable strategies—complete with scripts—to ensure your tasting room becomes a hub for customer engagement.
Remarketing is essential to growing your sales, and collecting email addresses is where it all begins. Here’s why this simple step matters:
Despite these compelling benefits, the average email capture rate in tasting rooms is 30%, meaning 70% of orders are processed as "Guest Customers," leaving revenue potential untapped.
Customers are more likely to share their email if there’s an immediate benefit. By offering enticing incentives, you can make email collection a natural part of their tasting room experience.
Providing discounts for first-time customers is a simple yet effective strategy:
Many customers prefer email receipts over paper ones—it’s eco-friendly and convenient. Commerce7 POS has an email receipt option in the last step of the checkout process.
Loyalty programs are a fantastic way to encourage repeat purchases and account creation. Customers can earn points for every dollar spent, redeemable for future rewards. Commerce7's Loyalty feature has the option to award points on account creation - make sure to enable this and let your guest know about the offer.
Raffle prizes are a fun way to engage customers and capture emails. Offer a high-value prize, like a six-bottle case of wine or an experience for two at the winery.
Your tasting room staff are the key to collecting email addresses. Proper training and knowing what to say can help them seamlessly integrate this step into every interaction.
It’s essential to explain to your team why email collection is a priority. Help them understand it’s not just about hitting targets—it’s about building long-term relationships with customers and growing the winery’s success.
Give your staff specific scripts to use in common situations. Commerce7 POS allows you to start a cart by adding items or adding a customer. Build a habit of adding the customer first. Always start the interaction by asking "Do you have an account with us?" If not, here are some ideas on how to proceed:
At Checkout:
During Tastings:
Tastings often involve groups, which presents a unique opportunity to collect multiple emails:
To ensure success, it’s important to track your progress and set measurable targets:
Use your POS system to calculate the percentage of orders processed with email addresses versus those as Guest Customers. Share this data with your team and use it as a motivator to improve.
In Commerce7, create a Customer Query using the “Created At” date condition to track how many new contacts you’ve added over time. Compare these numbers to previous years and set realistic growth targets.
Motivating your team is essential to making email collection a consistent practice. Offer rewards to keep them engaged:
Collecting email addresses isn’t just about increasing numbers—it’s about creating opportunities to build relationships and drive future engagement. With the right strategy, training, and incentives, your tasting room can become the starting point for long-term customer loyalty.
By enticing customers with meaningful rewards, equipping your team with scripts, and tracking your progress, you can transform email collection from an afterthought into a cornerstone of your winery’s success. Start today, and watch your customer base—and your sales—grow. Cheers to building connections, one email at a time!
