About checkout zone
E-commerce is a topic close to the heart of Etribes managing director Karo Junker de Neui. That's why Kassenzone podcast host Alexander Graf didn't have to ask twice whether she would like to regularly take over the most successful German podcast on e-commerce and digitization for individual episodes. Every week, CEOs from retailers, brands and manufacturers talk about their unique business models and e-commerce strategies. In “Kassenzone with Karo,” Karo would like to take a look at the future in particular and discuss upcoming macro trends and changes under the motto “E-Commerce 2030.”
intro
The last episode of 2023 deals with a particularly enjoyable topic. Co-host Karo Junker de Neui has Nicola Neumann, founder of Champagne Characters, as a guest. Almost ten years ago, she founded her sparkling wine retailer and built it into one of the most important suppliers of winemaker champagne with self-financing.
However, the market share of winemaker champagne in Germany is just 4% of the total champagne market and Nicola is therefore in a niche for enthusiasts. In addition to exciting small talk knowledge, Karo learns how Nicola manages to survive alongside the big players as a small provider. Her company is currently recording an impressive 20 percent growth in sales per year, but Nicola believes that there is even more to it. She gains her customers almost exclusively through personal recommendations and that is why the two discuss possible further growth potential for Champagne Characters in an interview. The big goal: to make the characteristic winemaker champagne better known in order to offer an alternative to the major brands that dominate the market.
Summary
0:00:07 Welcome and presentation by Nicola Neumann and Champagne Characters
0:02:11 Nicola talks about her founding story and the growth of the company
0:05:10 Nicola talks about the current turnover and the number of employees
0:07:26 Pricing
0:16:22 Addressing customers: Clever and not banal
0:18:14 Using social media as a channel to attract attention
0:18:53 Successful market entry and growth in the champagne market
0:21:30 Positioning and marketing strategy challenges
0:25:47 Setting up your own newsletters and tools
