Over the next few weeks and months, you will start reaping the benefits of our new-and-improved buying and trading platform, built following extensive user feedback and testing. Peer-to-peer trading, real-time market updates and richer buying guides will all combine to assist you in making the most informed buying decisions about your collection.
This new technology is designed to improve your experience. Each and every feature is focused on your needs, ensuring your fine wine and spirits buying and selling journey is more intuitive and efficient than ever – receiving the very best service, wherever you are in the world.
This article is the first of many regular updates which will introduce and focus on these changes, explaining how they benefit you and the collection you already have with us.
NEW MY F+R AND TRADING PLATFORM
This year, we will launch a new Portfolio/My F+R platform, which has been built following your feedback to fundamentally improve your experience. Market data will be used to inform you about key trading opportunities and how these might affect your portfolio.
There will be even greater integration between the checkout journey and the Editorial section, enabling you to read the most current long-form features on the regions, wines, spirits and producers you are interested in. Fine wine and spirits insights will also automatically populate with newly released critic scores, real-time market demand and signposted relevant Editorial content.
Peer-to-peer trading will also become available, as you will be able to set your own trading prices online using market insight and data, list and unlist products, with new features to receive or place bids.
For the first time, you will also be able to see a single-page cellar view featuring all the most critical buying and trading facts, which is a significant reduction from the current four pages.
EN PRIMEUR + RICHER MORE INFORMATIVE BUYING GUIDES
Our first global Bordeaux en primeur campaign will launch in May with a detailed report on the 2022 vintage (read our initial thoughts on the year here), with representatives from all our local teams spending time in the region, tasting the wines. Not only will all clients globally have access to our in-depth reporting (as well as access to expert advice from their local teams), but there will also be the opportunity to pre-order wines.
This year, you will also have access to hundreds of in-depth region and producer guides. At present, our site boasts 475 articles and 290 producer profiles – and this number will continue to grow as more at-a-glance shorter-form articles and more comprehensive, multi-page reports on the wines and spirits you are most interested in will be available to help you make the most informed buying decision in your local market.
GLOBAL EVENTS
We are also working on an exciting global events calendar with some of the world’s most venerable producers. Global events have been part of the FINE+RARE Group for several years. Halted during Covid, these returned with a vengeance in 2022 with over 20 intimate tastings and dinners with many of the world's most venerable producers, including Château Rayas, Ausone, Le Pin, Pétrus, Harlan Estate and Domaine des Comtes Lafon at remarkable venues such as The Ritz, Claridge's and The Connaught.
OPTIMISED CHECKOUT
Features will be introduced later this year to facilitate multi-currency purchasing online. Improvements will also be made to the current checkout journey, making it more intuitive and efficient. There will also be a greater ability for customers to settle delivery costs online, taking into account reservist sales and credit note proceeds at checkout, and offsetting these against orders.
GLOBAL FINERARE.COM AND LOCAL DOMAIN LAUNCHES
Over the next 12 months, significant changes will also be introduced to improve your online service needs, starting with a user-centred website (with a new URL) which will launch this spring. The global website will provide greater visibility for sourcing new wines, as well as improve how you manage your collection. It will also include improved order tracking and account status updates.
Additionally, the existing search and filter journey will be improved and the Editorial section will be easier to navigate, signposting you to richer, localised content to help you make the most informed purchase possible.
You'll be able to explore and register interest in our global events online, and you'll now also have access to local stock availability, services and listings.
In time, each market will get their own tailored website signposting the most relevant educational and informative content as well as invites to tastings. For the first time, it will also be possible to view and access local services and inventories of wines and spirits in local markets, and connect with other local-market sellers.
This is just the beginning of an exciting chapter and we look forward to communicating all of these features, including the ability for suppliers and producers to manage their own marketplace (which will increase the number of real-time products available on the platform), in due course. It has never been a more interesting time to buy and sell wines and spirits in this ever-evolving global marketplace.
If you have any questions or feedback about this, or anything else, please contact Group CEO Patrick O'Connor directly
