Image: Vivino general manager James Fildes.

Vivino, one of the largest online wine market platforms, which has around 800,000 Australian users, has launched commercial operations in Australia.

James Fildes, Vivino’s general manager – Australia, will lead the business in one of the world’s most dynamic wine-producing regions.

“It’s been a tough couple of years for winemakers and merchants in this market, but we’ve seen remarkable resilience in the domestic economy,” said Fildes.

“This industry deserves a break, and Vivino can help Aussie winemakers by showing our users more of their wine, based on each individual’s unique taste and price preferences. Our data is unmatched.”

Fildes most recently headed up the online wine marketplace Bidvino in Hong Kong.

His experience with one of the world’s premium distribution hubs for fine wine leaves him well prepared to grow Vivino’s presence in Australia and to help the Australian wine industry connect with Vivino’s 800,000 users in the country.

Based on the Sydney, New South Wales, Vivino Australia is offering all Australian wineries, both existing and new partners of Vivino, a 50% reduction on marketplace commissions for the entirety of 2021.

Fildes said the platform had proven its model internationally and could quickly provide new revenue streams for local wine producers.

“We have over 800,000 Australian users and over 51 million users globally,” he said.

“We know exactly what each user likes to drink, and that enables us to introduce new brands to them, that we know they’ll love.”

Vivino also provides Australian producers with important data via its Merchant Dashboard showing how consumers interact with their brands.

The insights will enable more Australian winemakers and brands to better identify their most valuable customers and prospects and drive sales.

“It’s tremendously exciting to be at the centre of this industry in Australia. There is so much fabulous wine here, and I can’t wait to work with local producers to sell even more of it,” Fildes said.

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