How Hold At Locations Improve Your Customers’ Wine Delivery Experience

This blog was last updated on May 30, 2023

Direct-to-consumer shipping wine lovers enjoy the convenience of having their favorite vinos shipped to their front door. But what happens when, for whatever reason, they aren’t available to accept their wine deliveries? Whether they aren’t available during the day or they don’t have someone 21 or older available to sign for their package, these challenges result in failed delivery attempts and a lot of back and forth on last-mile delivery trucks. Incorporating hold-at locations options can save all parties involved from a logistical headache.

These delivery problems create unique challenges for the wine industry because of the product’s sensitivity. The longer your wine is on the truck, the more risks it encounters and of course ruined wine costs money. If your product is compromised during shipment, you’ll have to replace and reship. Not only is this costly for your winery, but it also creates a less-than-desirable experience for your customers.

Wineries with high delivery rates (the percent of shipments that are delivered on the first delivery attempt) take precautions to prevent failed delivery attempts and returns. One of the most powerful precautions is leveraging existing, no-cost hold-at location options. Let’s discuss a few of your options.

Shipping wine with FedEx hold-at locations

FedEx allows packages to be sent directly to or rerouted while en route to a FedEx location near the original destination. FedEx Hold at Location sites provide a level of convenience that can improve the customer experience, especially given that either you or your customer can request the reroute.

There are thousands of convenient FedEx Hold at Location sites nationwide, and many are open 24 hours and apply no service charge. In many states, FedEx Hold locations can be found inside Walgreens locations. As a bonus, if a telephone number is included, FedEx will contact the recipient after the package arrives at the FedEx Hold location—another customer touch point. Packages can be held for up to five business days and can be released only with proof of identification, making it a secure option for customers.

UPS My Choice

Another option for customers to have control of their deliveries and reduce the risk of failed delivery attempts is UPS My Choice. This service allows customers to request packages that are going to their home address to be held for pickup at UPS Access Point locations. These include thousands of UPS lockers, stores and retail locations including CVS Pharmacy and Michaels. It’s free to become a UPS My Choice member and to use the service.

Hold-at locations are a solution for failed wine delivery attempts

Regardless of carrier, it’s important to provide your customers with options outside of delivering directly to their home or work, where they might not be able to accept their wine packages. Hold-at locations offer a practical solution to failed delivery attempts and returns. Using these services ultimately improves the customer experience and saves you time and money.