Re-platforming the world’s oldest member-owned wine community

The Wine Society is the world’s oldest member-owned community of wine lovers. Since 1874, they have prioritised their 500,000 members over profit, delivering fairer bottle prices for consumers and producers alike.

As a Gold Optimizely Solution Partner, we were appointed to re-platform their 25-year-old legacy e-commerce website onto the Optimizely Digital Experience Platform (DXP). Their objective was to improve the member experience, reduce technology costs and build a sustainable, future-proof foundation for the co-operative.

We began with a comprehensive discovery phase to fully understand the existing platform’s functionality, legacy architecture and numerous data feeds and third-party integrations.

A critical step included mapping the “as-is” functionality against a “to-be” requirements framework, establishing a clear MVP scope. Leveraging our deep Optimizely platform expertise, we helped The Wine Society explore the breadth and value of the commerce and CMS features available to them.

During discovery, we conducted user research and behavioural data analysis to identify the biggest opportunities to enhance the member experience. We also analysed member feedback from the community forum, ran surveys and carried out usability testing with a range of members.

These insights enabled The Wine Society to make informed decisions about user experience improvements within this project and build a prioritised backlog for future enhancements.

Re-platforming The Wine Society’s web estate required a structured but flexible approach to balance technical efficiency with operational needs. Using an agile Scrum framework, we worked in sprints to maintain steady progress and transparency during delivery.

A robust data migration strategy ensured product, content and user data moved smoothly, supported by continuous automated testing and quality checks. We also coordinated Integrated System Testing (IST) and supported User Acceptance Testing (UAT) to ensure the platform was fully optimised for launch.

The new platform leverages the full capabilities of the Optimizely DXP, including advanced Product Catalogue Management, Search & Navigation, and AI-powered Product and Content Recommendations to deliver more personalised member experiences.

We also developed consistent, flexible website templates and components to better support the needs of marketing and member services teams. The front-end meets WCAG AA accessibility standards, allowing screen-reader and keyboard-only users to easily navigate and transact.

One of the most significant improvements was consolidating five separate checkouts into a single streamlined experience. Members can now purchase memberships, wine, event tickets, En-Primeur offers (wine purchased before bottling) and manage storage in The Society’s temperature-controlled warehouse in one seamless journey. This simplification has dramatically improved checkout conversion rates and task completion.

The Wine Society’s new Optimizely platform has contributed to exceptional recognition in the market. Named a Which? Recommended Provider for Wine Clubs in December 2024 with an overall customer score of 93% and five-star ratings across the board.

Industry awards include the IWC Online Retailer of the Year, Decanter Large Online Retailer of the Year, and Decanter Best Virtual Wine Experience.

Additionally, our work was recognised with Best B2C Buying Experience (EMEA) and Commerce Partner of the Year (UK/IE) at the Optimizely Optimizer Awards, underscoring the quality of the re-platforming and its business impact.