Compagnia del Gusto Holding acquires 100 per cent of Winelivery
Nicoletto (CEO): “The value lies in the opportunity to transform Winelivery from a stand-alone platform into an infrastructure serving the Group”
Winelivery, a digital and physical platform specialising in the wine and beverage sector, created to connect consumers with brands, is changing hands. The buyer is Compagnia del Gusto Holding (Cdgh), an Italian holding company owned by the Cosulich family and operating in the food and beverage sector. The Winelivery asset thus becomes part of the Compagnia delle Vigne wine business unit. The platform was founded by Francesco Magro, Giovanni Roberto and Andrea Antinori and has developed a ‘phygital’ business model that combines a proprietary digital platform with a physical presence across the country through a network of franchised retail outlets. The platform has recorded around 1.7 million downloads and has over 400,000 customers.
“This is not an acquisition aimed solely at expanding the scale of the business, but rather the introduction of a digital infrastructure, expertise and capacity for innovation which, in the short term, will contribute to the development of the various entities that make up the Group – emphasises Ettore Nicoletto, CEO of Compagnia del Gusto Holding –. The platform will enable us to strengthen our relationship with the end consumer, make the most of data and bring expertise and technology within the Group that can be applied to all our activities. The value of the transaction lies in the opportunity to transform Winelivery from a stand-alone platform into a strategic infrastructure serving the entire Group, fostering new consumption opportunities, gifting activities and B2B initiatives capable of bringing together wine, gourmet food specialities and premium seafood’.
The acquisition forms part of a phase of accelerated growth for Compagnia del Gusto, which in recent months has strengthened its presence in the wine sector with thethe addition of Cantine Romagnoli and the acquisition of the UK-based distribution company Jascots Wine Merchants, thereby expanding Compagnia delle Vigne’s portfolio and its production and distribution capabilities. In the spring, the company set its sights on Krumiri Rossi, a historic brand acquired for over €10 million. According to Il Sole-24 Ore, Winelivery’s management will remain with the company, whilst the network of 17 retail outlets – some company-owned, others franchised – developed by the platform will be expanded.
