Is there a way through the mess of the modern mass-consumption, increasingly de-branded consumer world?
Yes, I believe there is. I met a winemaker, (a sort of winemaker) the other evening at a presentation at boutique South African adventure gear manufacturer, Capestorm, in Cape Town.
Both the winemaker, Pieter Walser, and clothing manufacturer Capestorm, are outstanding exmaples of how boutique can cut it though the current consumer doldrums.
Pieter's wines are non-branded and he doesn't own an acre of vineyard. Yet his modus operandi allows him to select the best signature vintages and varietals for his wines. I must confess a like for Bordeaux and Rhone wine typs, so I greatly enjoyed his Carignan, Mouvedre, Cab Franc etc. blends.
His wines go under the ubiquitous name "BLANK" (!) and each vintage is given a name - just for that season and year. The wine is made on location at various estates, chosen by Pieter annually and using a select allocation of their harvest. Pieter e-markets most of his product, but has recently qualified to be a supplier to the WOOLWORTHS chain.
Capestorm, on the other hand, has broken the duck of the SA ragtrade by selling high quality adventure gear, largely locally made, into a highly mobile and label- and health-conscious active market. (There are increasing similarities with this brand the famous niche retailer Patagonia, in the States - brand development, niche market development, corporate social involvement).
Significantly, both businesses have cottoned onto a winning formula - selecting boutique segment of the market and using e-marketing to great effect.
Are the end-days of the mega-retailers looming? Put it this way, I like to think of it as the opening of a new wave of possbility for the corner greengrocers again.
