Amazon Getting Into Online Wineselling (Again)
After a 2005 Supreme Court decision that lessened shipping restrictions on vineyards, online wineselling is picking up steam. Now, Amazon is looking to add wine and beer to its online grocery delivery division. It will begin a trial of this program in Seattle, through Amazon Fresh.
There’s been a lot of roadkill in the online wine industry over the past years, with regulation and irritating state-by-state restriction being a big obstacle to overcome, even after the 2005 Supreme Court decision. Amazon itself was burned in 1999 when they invested $30 million in Wineshopper.com, a startup that died a year later. Still, Amazon is seeing an opportunity to cash in and is actively seeking a major wine buyer to work in conjunction with.
However, the hope is that with Amazon getting involved, perhaps certain restrictions may be eased. Chris Adams, an executive at New York wine retailer Sherry-Lehmann, said Amazon’s interest “is a nod to the fact that the laws of the land are changing and that open markets will win the day.”
With wine shipping only allowed in 26 states, there’s a lot of red tape to overcome to get that Merlot on your front porch, but Amazon’s going to try to find a way.
Thanks to the Financial Times for the story and quote
Technorati Tags: amazon, amazon fresh, wine, beer
