Page 29 - Grapevine NovDec 2021

In The Winery

global industry was forced to evolve virtually over-
night. The WS industry was no different. Along
with broader implementations of Omnichannel
and D2C retail methods and deeper technological
innovations, Jay tells us that he also expects many
businesses in the industry to rethink the way they
operate internally and interact with customers on
all levels.

“Overall, I think the pandemic has left many busi-
ness owners in this industry feeling defeated,” Jay
says. “As a result, we can expect to see an increas-
ing number of companies in this industry become
more creative in the ways they can target, reach,
and sell their products to consumers, as well as
become more innovative in the ways that they han-
dle and react to crisis situations.”

Indeed, the revitalization of crisis management
detail is one vital aspect that every business
that survived the pandemic will inevitably have
to revisit. For the WS industry in particular, this
could mean the addition or inclusion of addition-
al D2C sales channels (similar to the inclusion of
Omnichannel retail), but also the way that many
establishments in the industry hire and retain tal-
ented employees.

“The U.S. has been experiencing a hiring crisis
over the last few months,” Jay adds, “and tons of
restaurants, eateries, WDBs, and other businesses
that survived the pandemic initially are now strug-
gling to keep up with increased consumer demand
as the threat of COVID-19 wanes. By implement-
ing policies that promote employee safety and
wellness, offering more competitive wages, and
remaining adaptable enough to stay ahead of soci-
ety’s ever-changing curve, the industry as a whole
can prevent the detrimental effects that came as a
result of last year’s pandemic from having such a
deep and lasting impact in the future.”

How to Succeed in WS Post-Covid

As Jay mentions, there are a number of precau-
tionary methods and strategies that business own-
ers and managers, and other industry professionals
in WS can use to better protect their businesses
from suffering in ways similar to how they may
have during the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The first step every business in the WS industry
should take is to implement more actionable mea

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