The WineDepot Industry IMPACT Conference got under way in Orange yesterday with speakers sharing their expertise on online sales trends and ways to improve direct to consumer sales.

Delegates have come from as far away as Western Australia and New Zealand to attend the conference which enters its second and final day today.

In his opening address yesterday, Paul Hersbach, head of growth products at Australia Post, said there is a clear trend of rising online sales and deliveries of wine in Australia.

“Online retail conditions have softened in Australia in the last six months but the upward trend is still there. I would expect your industry, the wine industry, to follow this trend.”

Hersbach said the strongest growth for wine e-commerce sales domestically had occurred in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. However, he noted that regional Australia has recorded significant growth as well, with locations such as Launceston in Tasmania and Toowoomba in Queensland having the highest individual rises in online wine sales in the country.

More than 150 wine industry leaders will gather again today for their choice of thought-provoking and practically focussed breakout sessions that reflect the need for wineries to improve capability with their direct-to-consumer (DTC) touch points across sales, marketing and tourism in an ever-increasing competitive market.

Delegates will also have the opportunity to stay on and go behind the scenes tomorrow on a regional trip of the area, gaining direct access with winery owners and cellar door and tourism managers to discover why this emerging cool-climate region is attracting so much attention.