Wijnhuis Bollaert: From a family business to a digital retail pioneer in the beverage industry

The fourth generation at the helm of Wijnhuis Bollaert

We spoke with Alessandro Bollaert, COO of Wijnhuis Bollaert, about how digitalization and software contribute to more efficient operations and a better customer experience. At the beautiful store in Merelbeke—a true experiential center—individual customers can also visit for advice and purchases, but that is not the company’s core business. The company has been in operation since 1935 and is now led by the fourth generation.

The retail sector is changing rapidly. Today’s customers expect not only high-quality products, but also convenience, speed, and an engaging experience, both online and offline. This evolution is forcing retailers to constantly adapt and organize their operations more efficiently. For Wijnhuis Bollaert, a family-owned business with a rich history and a passion for wine, this change is not a threat but an opportunity.

How Service, Product Selection, and Price Are Accelerating the Growth of Wijnhuis Bollaert

“We are an importer and distributor of wines and spirits throughout Belgium. Until a few years ago, we focused primarily on East and West Flanders, but since then we’ve been able to expand rapidly into the other provinces across the country. We’ve shifted our focus from the hospitality industry to wholesalers and wine merchants, who in turn supply the hospitality industry. This new focus has allowed us to grow more rapidly: we no longer sell by the case, but by the pallet. We also supply retailers such as Delhaize, Carrefour, Spar, Jumbo, and Intermarché…”

The strong growth was partly due to a focus on service, product selection, and price. “In the wine sector, there is little price pressure because we offer exclusive estates. That’s different in the spirits market, where prices are known to everyone. We negotiate with all importers of beverage brands. Today, we have a catalog of approximately 6,400 items, 95% of which we also sell online through our user-friendly ordering portal.” That portal plays a crucial role in the company’s success.

Fewer errors and a lighter workload thanks to a digital ordering platform

The big advantage? “With a platform like this, you place the responsibility for the order on the customer. When you take orders by phone or email, as was done in the past, mistakes are almost inevitable.”.

”It also reduces our workload: since the launch, we've already processed a good 7,000 orders through our portal, and I think that without it, we'd need two additional staff members in the office to handle all of that."

Alessandro Bollaert – Bollaert Winery

Professional customers can log in to access their product selection and order lists. It works just like a platform such as bol or Amazon: customers see their dashboard with orders, shipments, and invoices… Depending on whether they are a retailer, wholesaler, or foodservice business, they gain access to their product range and order lists. It works just like a platform such as bol or Amazon: customers see their dashboard with orders, shipments, and invoices… Depending on whether they are a retailer, wholesaler, or foodservice business, they see different prices. In addition, these customers can retrieve photos, product descriptions, and specifications directly from the portal—for example, for their menu. Suppliers have access to sales reports there. “No one else in our industry has a system like this,” says Bollaert. The portal also includes an online store for individual consumers.

The portal, based on Sana Commerce Cloud, was developed and set up by Alistar.

All business processes digitized using Drinkmaster365 and Business Central

For the digitization project, Bollaert turned to its IT partner, Alistar. The business software is central to the project Drinkmaster365 based on Business Central from Microsoft, explains retail expert Jany Schamelhout. “From here, we digitize all business processes, from purchasing to sales. The system automatically imports the data and keeps inventory and accounting up to date. On top of that, we’ve developed specific add-ons for the beverage and retail sectors: things like excise taxes, returnable containers, promotions, prices… Everything is in the cloud, so you’re never stuck with an outdated system.”

How AI Is Making the Beverage Industry More Efficient

AI is playing an increasingly important role in this process. “For example, the system automatically recognizes new price lists we receive from our suppliers, allowing us to efficiently implement price adjustments and easily add new items.”.

If a customer sends an email asking to order, say, ten cases of white wine, the system automatically checks that customer’s order history. Based on that, it suggests the correct product code without the need for manual lookups.

The order is then tracked by a Sales Agent in Business Central: a virtual sales representative responsible for processing, verifying, and tracking sales orders within the ERP system.

By automating repetitive tasks, manual work is kept to a minimum, allowing employees to focus on customer-facing work and other tasks that add more value.

Making life easier for customers through further automation and new digital tools

Bollaert is a pioneer in this area within its industry, while many other companies still operate using traditional methods, which gives it a competitive advantage. However, it doesn’t stop there. The winery is exploring ways to make things even easier for its customers. Plans include a promotional module in the ordering portal, logins for external users—such as representatives from beverage brands—calculating shipping costs based on ZIP codes, and further automating the warehouse with barcode scanners for inventory management and order picking.

Drivers on the road will soon be equipped with a tablet for digitally signing delivery slips. This way, the accounting department won’t have to wait for the physical delivery slip to process the data, and the invoice can be sent immediately. Customers will also be able to see where the truck is on its route. The store, which is already equipped with digital shelf labels, will also be getting a new point-of-sale system.

Innovations that enhance Wijnhuis Bollaert's growth potential

These innovations should enable Wijnhuis Bollaert to continue growing during challenging macroeconomic times. “The beverage industry is under pressure, and alcohol is viewed in a negative light. Younger generations are drinking less, drinking more mindfully, or abstaining from alcohol altogether. We’re feeling that impact, but we feel well-prepared. We’re seeing the strong rise of non-alcoholic beverages, and we’re responding effectively: we began searching for the best non-alcoholic alternatives years ago. We have a wonderful selection of alternatives to wines, aperitifs, and spirits.”

“We must continue to ensure that we remain ‘top of mind’ with our customers,” Bollaert concludes. “We still see strong growth potential in retail, while the hospitality sector is struggling a bit. Word-of-mouth is our most powerful marketing tool. The exclusive products we bring in are a major asset. The fact that we’re still a family-owned business also makes a big difference. There are seven of us Bollaerts actively involved in the business: I handle day-to-day management, my father is still active in wine purchasing, and my brother manages the administrative department together with my mother. My uncle and his son are in charge of logistics, and my aunt helps out in the store. We have a total of 29 employees.”

Thanks to high-performance IT systems, a strong and scalable foundation has been laid for further growth.